From Delia Smith to Mark Attanasio: The Norwich City ownership change that can redefine them | OneFootball

FLW's Norwich City fan pundit didn't have a bad word to say about the current ownership at Carrow Road

Regardless of how Norwich City fans felt about former owners Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones, there was no doubt that there were big shoes to fill when the duo began to sell their shares at Carrow Road in April 2024.

Smith and Jones sold shares to Norfolk FB Holdings, a group led by American businessman Mark Attanasio, and then would reduce their holding to 10% a year later, stepping down from the board.

It brought an end to 28 years of ownership, filled with plenty of ups and downs. Six promotions, six relegations and 15 managers were overseen by the pairing, but as is the case in the final few years of any owner's time, things were starting to sour.

The promotions under Daniel Farke led to rather underwhelming attempts at survival, and with the club starting to plateau in the Championship once more, it was universally thought that the club needed a new direction, and that's where Mark Attanasio stepped in as majority shareholder.

Norwich City fan pundit excited about the club's direction under Mark Attanasio

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That's not to say that it's been smooth sailing since the Norfolk FB Holdings group became the majority shareholder. The Canaries finished 13th in 2024/25 under Joahnnes Hoff Thorup, and the beginning of last season under Liam Manning was nigh-on disastrous.

But things are starting to look positive at Carrow Road once more. The signings made last season were, overall, good. Especially those in January, where the likes of Mohamed Toure, Ali Ahmed and Paris Maghoma all arrived.

Most importantly, though, the club look to be in good hands under head coach Philippe Clement, who oversaw a brilliant surge up the table after taking over a club second-bottom in November, leading them to a ninth-placed finish.

FLW's Norwich fan pundit, Zeke Downes, is happy with the current ownership at his club and expressed excitement surrounding the future, both ahead of next season and in the long-term, too, where the Canaries will hope to establish themselves back in the Premier League.

"I'm pretty happy with our ownership now," he said. "I think they are very open and honest about where we are as a club and what they want to achieve, and that there is money there to be spent.

"I think the club is in a good place, and they're definitely the right ones to take it forward.

"We've made a lot of signings under them, and most have been good enough — average or higher. There have been a few who haven't worked out, but that is bound to happen.

"Overall, though, I'm really happy with the ownership, and I'm hopeful that, this time around, with the right manager and the right squad, we can really kick on."

Norwich have been famous for being one of the better Championship sides in recent memory, but that dominance has faded massively since their return to the second tier in 2022.

Ahead of their fifth consecutive second-tier campaign, the higher-ups at Carrow Road will be hopeful that Philippe Clement can lead them back to the Premier League and hopefully keep them there.

Norwich City will be a frightening prospect next season under Philippe Clement

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Downes and the majority of the Norwich fanbase have every right to be excited about what the Canaries can do in Philippe Clement's first full campaign in charge at Carrow Road, especially if they pick up where they left off in the second half of last season.

Only Southampton picked up more points than Norwich in the Championship in 2026, as Clement's side collected 44 in 22 games. Additionally, only Millwall conceded fewer than Norwich over that timeframe.

The aforementioned January transfer window will encourage that, in the Belgian head coaches' second window in charge at Carrow Road, more of the new faces at the club ahead of next season could have an immediate impact, as Toure, Ahmed and Maghoma did.

The standard in the second tier is gearing up to be one of the highest it has been in quite some time, with the quality of the relegated Premier League sides set to battle against some well-backed former top-flight sides for promotion.

Norwich have come out on top in competitive Championship seasons before, and will definitely fancy their chances of doing so again under Clement next year.