Norwich City Korfball Club turns 25! September 7th 2019 - save the date

To celebrate 25 years as a club, we are inviting all korfballers past and present, relatives, friends and family to join us at the Holiday Inn in Norwich for a celebration Dinner and Dance on Saturday 7 September 2019. 

So save the date and booking and menus will be available soon. Three course meal and disco for £35 per person

That's Philip Buttinger with a young Paul Buttinger, Matt Terry and Mos in the background

Some history!
Many years ago, a group of people sat in the bar at Wensum Lodge in King Street and formally set up Norwich City Korfball Club. 

The game had been played in Norwich for the previous 5 or 6 years but there were no clubs, just teams (our was called Ratcatchers as there were a few people from Environmental Health playing) and around this time there were enough players to start forming clubs - Norwich City, Stingers, Vikings (based at Norwich Union) started us going on a Norfolk League.

Following its formal constitution as a club, Norwich City went from strength to strength, winning the league for many years and growing to six teams and competing in the National League and tournaments in the UK and abroad with a highlight around 1996 when the first team was coached by Rachel Birkby (now Nightingale) who pushed a young team to National League victory. Many of the younger players grew up and went off uni, and on returning three or four years later found that there were too many players at 1st team/National League level so they split off and formed Knights who we have always had a special relationship with as we trained up many of their best players.

We have always had a close relationship with UEA too as student korfball is where many people get hooked and so want to play after they leave UEA, and for many years they were coached by Philip Buttinger who has also been the long-term chair of Norwich City. A number of people that played then are still playing in the Norfolk league.

Over the next few months, we will be filling the blog with memories, stories and photographs of the olden days of Korfball in Norwich and Norfolk so if you have anything please email it to [email protected] and follow the blog for more updates