<b>By Luke 'Skywalker' Hyam</b>

The manager of Norwich City has forced Star Wars directors to postpone filming so he can lead his team through the crucial league play-offs against fierce rivals Ipswich Town.

Alex Neil, better known as Yoda, had initially told movie bosses he was confident of being free from this week because the Canaries were certain to achieve automatic promotion.

But it turned out the Norfolk side were not as good as Yoda thought - and they now need to get past Ipswich in the end-of-season play-off lottery.

<center><div class="getty embed image" style="background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:445px;"><div style="overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:67.003367% 0 0 0;width:100%;"><iframe src="//embed.gettyimages.com/embed/50960523?et=gw06jWENR-RMNarDg1eEXQ&viewMoreLink=off&sig=wt2US7am6__dRaGVwwacf0AwpdgEwa9IHc40yrPFxrQ=" width="445" height="298" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></div><p style="margin:0;"></p><div style="padding:0;margin:0 0 0 10px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/50960523" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;">View image</a> | <a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;">gettyimages.com</a></div></div></center><center><i>Alex Neil: axed filming</center></i><br><br>

Although the cocky Norwich outfit beat Ipswich twice this season in the league, form will count for nothing in the play-offs, with the first leg being played at Portman Road this Saturday.

<center><div class="getty embed image" style="background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:297px;"><div style="overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:150.000000% 0 0 0;width:100%;"><iframe src="//embed.gettyimages.com/embed/468501932?et=av8z6ASTT8ZMcXb1FKGKuA&viewMoreLink=off&sig=w_dTBL2mO7qFVzxlUvVWluETr6k6q7d6tVJ4iBC-X-4=" width="297" height="445" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></div><p style="margin:0;"></p><div style="padding:0;margin:0 0 0 10px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/468501932" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;">View image</a> | <a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;">gettyimages.com</a></div></div></center><center><i>Yoda: In Norwich bench wear</center></i><br><br>

Norwich now fear Star Wars director JJ Abrams may sue the club over the cost of postponing filming of key final sequences of the seventh episode of the movie franchise - Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens - which will be on general release at the end of the year

City owner Delia Smith, who recently <a href="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/news/orville-norwich-mascot/" target="_blank">hired Orville the duck as the new Norwich mascot</a>, was unavailable for comment today.

But the Suffolk Gazette understands she is already regretting hiring the Star Wars character earlier in the season.

A Carrow Road insider said: "We thought it would be funny to hire this Yoda lookalike as our new manager.

"But now it does not look so entertaining."

Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/sport/ipswich-norwich-play-off/" target="_blank">Suffolk police have said how much they are looking forward to the play-off clashes</a>.

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