NORWICH goalkeeper Bryan Gunn completed the first stage of what he hopes will be a double celebration yesterday after his wife Susan gave birth to their first son.
Now the Scottish international plans to wet the baby's head by helping his side into the semifinals of the English League Cup in today's quarter final replay against Birmingham City at St Andrews.
There was added poignancy in the situation as Gunn's first child, Francesca, died of leukemia four years ago a tragedy that led him to set up the Bryan Gunn Appeal for Leaukaemia Research, a charity that has now raised over £400,000.
Gunn was prepared to miss the Cup tie to be at the birth of the latest addition to his family but that would have been a major blow for Norwich.
The goalkeeper missed most of last season with a broken ankle but has been the hero of the Canaries' English League Cup run this term.
He saved three spot kicks in a penalty shoot out win at Bolton in the last round and stopped a Jonathan Hunt penalty when they held Birmingham to a 1-1 draw at Carrow Road two weeks ago.
Happily for the Gunns, nature has taken its course earlier than expected, and he says "Now it would be great to double the celebrations with Norwich reaching the semi finals."
Manager Gary Megson is still sweating, though, on the fitness of winger Darren Eadie, who picked up a thigh injury in the 1-0 defeat by Luton on Saturday.
Jeremy Goss, who replaced Eadie at half time in that demoralising defeat by the lowly Hatters, is standing by again.
Megson admits "If we play as we did against Luton then there is no point in us even turning up.
Birmingham have also been in a trough of poor form, though, and manager Barry Fry knows they must lift themselves to make sure of a semi final clash with Cup favourites Leeds next month.
The Blues are still in the top half of the first division, but Fry describes a miserable return of just nine points out of the last 30 and an FA Cup exit at the hands of Wolves as "relegation form".
Full back Gary Poole is set to return after a leg injury and that could mean Fry dispensing with Michael Johnson in a sweeper role. Midfielder Paul Tait, a substitute in Saturday's defeat at Ipswich, is pushing for a recall after shaking off a knee problem.
