The game, which saw 10-man Derby win 2-1 at Carrow Road, was investigated after alleged irregular betting patterns were reported in Asian markets.

However the FA, in conjunction with the Gambling Commission, have now cleared both clubs.

An FA statement said: “The FA can confirm that it has closed its enquiry into reports of unusual betting patterns around the match between Norwich City and Derby County on October 4.

“Based on the information gathered as a result of detailed enquiries, there is no evidence to suggest any irregularities around the progress or result of the game.

“The FA received assistance from the Gambling Commission and individual UK bookmakers, who confirmed that no suspicious activity took place on their markets around the match at Carrow Road.

“We also received full co-operation from both clubs, both of whom reported that they had no concerns about the match.

“The FA has made it clear that if fresh information comes to light which gives rise to concerns then the enquiry may be reopened.”

Leroy Lita says he does not wish return to Reading just to sit on the bench, he would prefer to stay at Norwich and play first-team football instead.

“I need to be playing every week,” said Lita. “I’ve made it clear that I won’t go back to Reading to sit on the bench or not be involved. I’m down here playing and I’m enjoying it. I just want to do well.”

“If Reading are going to call me back and play me - that’s the only way I’d go back. I’ve not spoken to anyone so I’m just looking forward to Sunday and we’ll take it from there.”

Six goals in 11 games is form that undoubtedly has not gone unnoticed at Reading, and the Striker is not ruling out a return but he but said “he would have to go straight into their first team otherwise he would be better off staying with the Canaries.”

Lets hope he stays and City can negotiate a fee that could make it happen.

Neil Doncaster last night backed the fresh talk on capping players wages, he confirmed that City would back any move.

Derby chairman Adam Pearson’s warning yesterday saying “the game is close to meltdown”

Mawhinney, chairman of the football league is reportedly urging Championship owners to continue with a salary capping which has been adopted in the lower leagues. League Two clubs have limited their spending on player wages to 60% of their annual turnover since 2003, although League One clubs abandoned the experiment after just one season.

Doncaster insists spiralling player wages are no longer sustainable in the current economic climate. “Our view is that football is certainly not insulated from the crisis affecting the wider economy,” he said. “With regard to player wages we have seen massive inflation over the past five years, inflation that is not sustainable. We think player wages will come down. That is inevitable as a result of the amount of money in the game being affected by wider economic issues.”

“The idea of a salary cap is something that has been discussed at Championship meetings in the past. Naturally there has been a mixed reaction. Some clubs were for and some against. We hold regular meetings and I’m sure that is a topic that will be discussed in the future.” Football must brace itself for the economic chill.

Pearson said “The game is close to meltdown at all levels, Club boards are under pressure to gain success and that leads to them paying ridiculous wages. It cannot carry on or it will end in disaster. There is a growing feeling now that some sort of wage cap has to come in.”

More than half of Championship clubs are reportedly in favour of a wage cap with the % rate of annual turnover being the main issue. 

Maybe a salary cap should not limit individual players wages. It may work better as a total expense which is used for squad wages, this could also cover loan deals also. This is an overdue policy in the English football leagues, even if it is to purely to encourage competition.

It could also be said that biggest supported clubs should have an advantage as more supporters are actually watching the football, thus rewarded. As it stands now a billionaire could buy any club, even with little support and finance them into the higher leagues. How crazy is that !!!

Arsenal striker Jay Simpson who looks set to be loaned out by the Gunners and Norwich are being linked with a move.

Simpson, who can also play in midfield, had been impressing for Arsenal in the Carling Cup this season, but now they have been knocked out by Burnley on Tuesday night Arsenal could loan him out. Arsene Wenger is keen his youngsters to go out and get some regular action under their belts and rumours suggest Simpson could well be on his way to Carrow Road.

Arsene will be looking for guarantees that Simpson will playing on a regular basis as he was not too pleased when Kieran Gibbs hardly got a look in last season while on loan.

We will have to see what happens but one thing that is sure, Arsenal do have some promising young players who could just help us out of a muddle.

Sky Sports seem to believe Lee Clark may be leaving the club after all. Although Glenn Roeder yesterday made it categorically clear Lee Clark was going nowwhere, this is latest report tonight made by the TV company.

Sky Sports News understands Norwich Assistant Lee Clark to be offered vacant Huddersfield job.

One thing for certain questions will be asked again and if the rumours are false this will upset our manager but then again if these reports are correct this surely will highlight a bigger problem that may be causing the under achievment of the current team.  Add into the mix derby game on Sunday against Ipswich town, a poor result or performance and it will be emergency meetings alround.

Watch this space is sure to be an interesting week!!!

Glenn Roeder will be offered Antoine Sibierski on a permanent basis as Wigan look to offload the player.

Sibierski is currently on loan but Wigan are looking to sell him in a bid to raise funds for new signings and they are reported to offer him to Roeder on a permanent basis.

Whether the board could fund the move is another thing although Roeder would be keen to make it happen but another stumbling block could be the player’s wage demands could be to excessive.

If this is the case Wigan could offer sibierski to other clubs, meaning we could end up losing him when the transfer window reopens.

    EDP Story 

I’m surprised to hear that the EDP feel the need to run another story about Peter Cullum. Especially after all the turmoil it caused this summer about the on-off deal. As a City supporter who wishes to help, does it have to be pubicised in the press? Why didn’t Peter go to the Board and say “Hey guys i really want to help” followed by “here’s a cheque to improve the team”.

Towergate have recieved massive publicity in the press through his association with the club. Archant want to sell papers so why not write another article! Altermately the deal that contained no offers has done little for Delia and Micheal respectively.

Its good that he has publicly backed Delia and Micheal but why mention that he would not “let city crash” a man of his substance surely could make it much easier for the club he says “he loves” by donation. Carl Moore shows the way when it comes to individuals that help this club and Peter Cullum could easily help the club in this way.  Why he hasn’t done this? If he doesn’t want to help now, why would he then talk to the press about the possible future? 

Either way Archant or Cullum are the only winners and the club gets no financial help. It’s a funny old world sometimes.

This the worst Norwich City team he had seen in 30 years !! These were the words of a disgruntled fan after the Palace match. To be totally honest, in this game Norwich City looked like a team that would grace the lower division/s, there was no style, purpose or plan. We need to improve dramatically and I have to say, someone needs to teach these players how to play as a team and inspire them.

It was another no show by City players last night where the team seemed to play like they have never met before. Clueless comes to mind or were we watching a team with an incredible hangover? Glenn Roeder made two changes to his team, in the defence Adam Drury and Jon Otsemobor replaced injured Elliot Omozusi and Gary Doherty who is suspended due to his red card against Forest (How bad are they? oh yes they are at the bottom of the league).

The visitors started brightly and it seemed that Norwich were never going to get a touch on the ball.

But Norwich seemed to get into the game and had the first real chance of the match when David Bell’s free-kick was headed goal bound by Drury,  Julian Speroni  saved the header and pushed it wide. From the resulting corner Antoine Sibierski found himself free in the area, but his toe-poke at goal was well-saved. Sammy Clingan then drilled a shot at goal - and despite the ball taking a deflection, Speroni tipped it round the post as the hosts kept up their early pressure.

Against the run of play, Palace took the lead on 27 minutes when Patrick McCarthy’s long ball found Beattie who seemed to be in an offside position, he ran through on goal and tucked the ball under David Marshall who had initially come out then went backwards. The visitors doubled their lead five minutes before the break when Oster superbly chipped the ball over a stranded Marshall from outside the area, It was a well taken effort but it was at a point where City seemed to be inviting the pressure. Norwich needed an early goal in the second half, and Roeder brought Wes Hoolahan on to liven up his side, he came close to a lifeline two minutes after the break when Drury whipped in a cross, which was headed wide by Leroy Lita. Bell then connected well with Otsemobor’s cross, but his shot flew over the bar from the edge of the area. The hosts finally got a deserved goal after 61 minutes when Pattison scored his second in as many games heading home Lee Croft’s cross. Mark Fotheringham then had a great chance for Roeder’s side. But his strike crept inches wide of the right-hand post as Norwich streamed forward in search of an equaliser. Hoolahan was at the centre of everything for the Canaries and earned a free-kick on the edge of the area after a fine run - but Pattison’s free-kick was straight at Speroni. As the minutes ticked away, Norwich threw men forward but could not find a way through a resolute defence as Palace held on for their third league win in four games.

It makes me wonder who’s looking Forward to the next home game?

Matty Pattison has been praised by Roeder for his strike at the City Ground against Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening. His volley was perfectly taken after David Bell picked him out with a sweet cross three minutes after Gary Doherty was given a red card for a professional foul.

Pattison has failed to find the back of the net in over forty appearances for the canaries  but Roeder said that scoring was never a problem for Patterson during his time at Newcastle United.

“He scored plenty of goals for the youth team at Newcastle.”

“He was an offensive midfield player who set up goals and scored goals and most of them were in and around the box. When he stepped up to the reserve team at Newcastle, he scored plenty of goals for them as well.”

“He hasn’t lost that ability to score goals, you could say he’s been unnaturally unlucky, when you talk about crossbars and posts you’re playing with just a few inches. Hopefully this will be the first of many this season for him.”

Roeder went in to say;

“I’ve looked at the strike a number of times now and it was an excellent strike,” he told the official website. “He didn’t just lace it, he virtually side-footed it in and it was a fantastic technique.”

“We’ve seen it most days at Colney, we’ve seen it when he’s struck the bar and the post a number of times - this time he’s left one in the net.”

Glenn Roeder verdict on David Marshall is that he has what it takes to become Scotland’s first-choice goalkeeper after another fine performance earning 10-man Norwich an unlikely 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest away from home.

Marshall produced a string of top quality saves at the City Ground to keep Norwich on level terms before Chris Cohen’s bizarre put city ahead with an own goal, with only 17 minutes remaining this gifted Norwich with our first win in five games. Marshall kept out a fierce free-kick from Matt Thornhill and twice denied Joe Garner with flying saves. “We have a keeper who could become Scotland’s number one keeper,” claimed Roeder. “I want him in the coming months to believe in himself as much as I believe in him and we believe in him”. He also said “I am not sure which was his best save but I am told it was the one from the free-kick. He was electric to get down to that in the corner.” Roeder was referring to Marshall palming Thornhill’s low drive round his right post after Paul Anderson had touched the free-kick to his team-mate.

Gary Doherty got sent off for scything down Nathan Tyson when he was through on goal in the 23rd minute. There cannot be any complaints with the decision, and Roeder said ”Gary Doherty was adjudged to have brought him down and the referee had no option. I am expecting when I do see it on TV that he made the right decision.” Roeder praised the side’s “courage” for victory despite playing with 10 men light for much of the game. He also added: “I accused the team recently that they were lacking some courage away from home. And they have threw that back in my face.”

Clingan Also had another impressive game in midfield as well as playing as centre back.

It seems that the appearance of Earnshaw didn’t happen due to injury in the warm up, something to do with the cold weather?