Our final pre-season test sees Luke Garrard’s side lock horns with Norwich City’s Under-21’s as we look to continue our unbeaten start to the campaign.
The young Canaries competed in Premier League 2 last term and qualified for the PDL play-offs by two points having finished 23rd.
They enjoyed a successful run to the final having navigated past Sheffield United, Swansea City and Nottingham Forest, which set up a tie with Huddersfield Town. However, the Terriers came out on top thanks to a 4-2 victory with Jay Sway’s last-gasp strike securing a historic triumph.
A young full-back who will be looking to break into the first team picture this term, Vatan Ozcan has impressed in the left-back berth at Carrow Road.
The Cambridge-born defender has starred in Turkey’s youth teams, most recently playing for the U19’s, for whom he has four caps since making his debut in December. Ozcan also played an influential role in their progression to the PDL play-off final, registering four goal contributions.
Son of Newcastle United legend Rob Lee, Olly Lee is tasked with nurturing the next crop of exciting talent in Norfolk.
Following an accomplished playing career which saw him turn out for sides including Barnet, Birmingham City and Luton Town, Lee opted to move into coaching after retiring midway through the 2022/23 season at Gillingham.
He started at Tottenham Hotspur, honing his craft with their youth sides, before heading to Ipswich Town at the start of 2024 to take charge of their U18’s. The 53-year-old made the switch to arch-rivals Norwich after just under a year at Portman Road and guided the young Canaries to the PDL play-off final last term.
This will be our first clash with Norwich’s young guns.
The game kicks off at 19:00 and is unsegregated.
The Glass House will open from 17:00 and will be accessible via turnstiles 3 to 6, whilst the Fan Zone in the South-East corner of the stadium will be in operation from 18:00 which is when the stadium opens.
A variety of quality food options will also be available from our stadium catering partners, with outlets conveniently located adjacent to The Glass House and in the middle of the South Terrace. Toilet facilities are situated throughout the Stadium and are easily accessible from all areas.
Ticket information
Adult – £15.00
OAP – £15.00
Under 18 – £10.00
Under 14* – £5.00
Under 5* – FREE
Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.
*Must be accompanied by a paying adult or OAP.
Charlie O’Connell has been pleased with the progress made during pre-season as we round off our preparations for the new campaign with the visit of Norwich City’s Under-21’s.
The 23-year-old played a vital role in our record-breaking season last term, with his versatility proving a vital asset as he appeared in every league game. He also netted the winning spot-kick in our National League Cup final triumph and he will be aiming to build on that success this season.
The former Peterborough United defender offers his take on the pre-season performances thus far.
“I would have to say that it has been a really positive pre-season,” he said.
“We have worked hard in training in preparation for the games and put in some good performances which have been important as we build towards the Tamworth game.”
The Wood embark on the sixth and final pre-season game tonight, their third against U21 opposition. We have also locked horns with three senior outfits as well, beating Watford, Real Bedford and most recently Dagenham & Redbridge on Tuesday night in a 2-1 victory.
O’Connell highlights the importance of facing different opponents, with our National League Cup title defence set to pit us against plenty of U21 teams.
“It has been really useful playing against a variety of teams,” the ex-West Ham United academy man explained.
“Every team plays differently, so it has helped us to adapt and prepare for the different challenges we will face during the season.”
While pre-season isn’t all about results, an unbeaten pre-season is hopefully a sign of things to come as we kick-off our National League campaign with the visit of Tamworth next week.
O’Connell outlines how strong performances naturally breed positive results.
“I think results and performances go hand in hand,” he said.
“If you’re performing well consistently, the results will usually follow, so it’s been a good way to build confidence heading into the season.”
