"Probably need to let it go" - Claim issued on Delia Smith's ownership of Norwich City | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Norwich City’s ownership structure underwent a major change in 2023, with Delia Smith and Michael Wynn-Jones no longer being the majority shareholders of the Canaries.

The husband and wife duo agreed a deal with American businessman Mark Attanasio to bring his shares up to 40 per cent - the same amount as the long-standing owners of the club.

66-year-old Attanasio - who also owns Major League Baseball franchise the Milwaukee Brewers - initially purchased a 15.9 per cent stake in the Norfolk outfit, which rose to 40 per cent in October of last year.

Following the agreement, it is understood that Wynn-Jones and Smith remain in control of the day-to-day running of the Championship side until at least January 2026.

FLW’s Norwich fan pundit Zeke Downes believes that greater investment is needed from the current owners in order to take the club forward, and he has claimed that Smith and Wynn-Jones may need to consider letting their stake in the club go in the near future if the right buyer can be found.

“I would probably grade Norwich’s hierarchy a six out of 10,”Zeke told Football League World.

“I think at the stage that they’re at now, they can’t really progress Norwich much further unless the Attanasio's pump some money into the club, which I don’t think is going to happen straight away.

“Delia and Michael Wynn-Jones are at the end of their time with the club I think now, and they probably need to let it go and move it on to a younger, slightly richer if possible, owner who can take us further.”

Attanasio has experience as an owner in sport prior to purchasing shares in Norwich.

The US-based investor is also the owner of the MLB franchise the Milwaukee Brewers, which he bought in 2004, and he has founded a number of investment firms in the United States.

Norwich City league position

Smith and Wynn-Jones meanwhile have been majority shareholders at Norwich since 1996, and they welcomed fresh investment from Attanasio in 2022.

Smith, Wynn-Jones and Attanasio will be hoping David Wagner can guide the club back to the Premier League this season as it would greatly boost the bank balance of the Norfolk outfit.

The Canaries currently occupy a top six position in the Championship table, sitting sixth in the standings with just eight games to go.

The gap to seventh place Hull City is just three points, with Liam Rosenior’s side also holding a game in hand, with Norwich's next match being at home against Plymouth Argyle on March 29.

Norwich have done well to punch above their weight over the last decade or so, earning several seasons in the Premier League in the recent past.

But they have found it difficult to remain in the top flight, and a lack of investment is part of the reason why.

Perhaps that investment could come from Attanasio in the long-run, but it is hard to see Smith and Wynn-Jones bringing anything substantial to the table money-wise.

They do have great experience overseeing the running of the club, and it has mostly been a very stable couple of decades at Carrow Road but it might be time to try and search for greater investment from elsewhere.