Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones are synonymous with Norwich City Football Club.
Everything that has happened at the club in almost the last three decades has been down to them... the ups, the downs, the ins, the outs and, ultimately, the decision to pass on the responsibility of ownership.
Whilst they will still be at games as supporters who bleed yellow and green, they will no longer be active in the boardroom. And the people they have touched - the fans, the players, the managers and the new owner - have been generous in their praise.
We have collected some special tributes from some special people who know Delia and Michael well and didn't hesitate when invited to share their thoughts. They are here if you want to watch in full - and below, if you want a read...
Daniel Farke
‘I will always be grateful that you allowed me to be in charge for you'
'Dear, Delia, dear Michael - now it has happened. After 28 years you've officially announced that you stepped down from your role for Norwich City Football Club.
'Where should I start? It's different because we shared so many great moments together, especially from the football point of view. We had unbelievable seasons in the Championship with magic nights, with so much success we were able to lift two times the trophy for winning the title there with record points and record goals.
'Amazing - with open bus tours and lots of celebrations. We earned two great seasons in the Premier League on this level. Obviously it was difficult for us, but we still had great moments there. When I think, for example, about the great night with the win over Man City with some great cup runs, the away win at Tottenham, so there's so many great memories from the football point of view.
'And to be honest I will always be grateful that you allowed me to be in charge for you and also for your club and that you trusted me, the first non-British coach in the history of the club, a relatively young unknown German, to be your head coach and to help together with you to bring success to this club. I will always be grateful for this chance and for this great experiences and these memories will always live forever, definitely. For sure I will always think about it, but I have to say what was and is most important for me and what I will keep in mind most is more our experiences as human beings and for that I will be even more grateful that I was allowed to get to know you on a personal level and the great moments we shared as human beings.
'There are also so many stories I could share and we could speak about. I can remember one of our first dinners together. I was sitting next to Michael and he told me that he tried to learn German, but it was so difficult and he doesn't know one word anymore, just in order to five minutes later sing the first verse out of Richard Wagner's opera in perfect German and to impress me. So it was a sign that he was always so interested in art and in operas. It was always a joy to be allowed to speak about this. I remember the night once you invited me and Zoe and Stuart to yours. Delia was doing her magic like always with an unbelievable three-course dinner and then also a proper glass of wine. And we discussed about, of course, football, but much more also about life, about personal life, and it was always a pleasure to talk to you and also to learn from you.
'I remember once we were able to celebrate Etty’s 100th birthday. She was so, so impressed because I learned to sing the birthday song for the first time in my life, in Welsh, and it was also a great experience and a great day. This memory will live forever.
'And I will never forget one story after our first promotion to the Premier League, I had to do during the summer break some stuff in London with Stuart. We wanted to meet some agents and some players. And the evening before I came by plane and you invited me to yours and your beautiful apartment and we had a glass of wine together, spoke about football like always, but then also about so many other topics and this is what I also loved about you - you were so great in so many things, so much experience about life, that in each of the conversations I learned something about it and we had a wonderful night. And then Delia was tired, went already to bed, and Michael, like always, he stayed awake, and more or less in the middle of the night he told me that it was his most creative time of the day. Stuart was more like the five o’clock club and also went to bed and I stayed up with Michael and we were literally talking about literature, about music, about arts, about culture. He told me about his beginnings, and it was such a great night and it was pretty, pretty late to bed.
'Normally, when you are promoted to the Premier League, you would expect, okay, the manager now goes into whatever posh hotel in order to prepare for the next day. But he said ‘no, no, you stay here’. You invited me to sleep at yours and when I woke up the next day and I had a shower and I went straight away into your living room. The dinner was already cooking and we celebrated with a wonderful breakfast and the best eggs I ever had in my life. And then I went in order to do also my duties as head coach/manager to see some agents, so this personal experience will live forever with me and also with my family, which shared unbelievable moments with you.
'I would say I'm even more grateful for these moments and these memories because I always spoke about that I think you're the perfect owners for Norwich City and the club couldn't wish for better owners and I really meant it because on a professional level, you led this club with so much intelligence and so much experience and calmness and also clear values and always, never addicted to emotions or overriding emotions. You were always calm and really professional. I admired this. But even more because you all thought more about the people than about yourselves. So each and every decision that you took was always in the sense of the club. And it's a perfect example also in which way you stepped down. You did it in a way, never thinking about yourself, never selfish about your own advantage. You wanted to do it in the way that it's just the perfect solution and all advantages are there for the club and this is for me second to none and says a lot about you and how you love this club and about how you are as human beings.
'For that I want again to say thank you very much for all the kindness and for your great hearts and all the things that I was allowed to learn from you.
'I will always look back pretty, pretty grateful. And really I wish you from the bottom of my heart right now a pretty relaxed time right now after you step down.
'Hopefully you can watch the games of the club, still with yellow blood of course, but a bit more relaxed and hopefully also with a good glass of white wine in your hand and cheering up everyone and in a really, really good mood.
'I have to say I'm already looking forward to see you hopefully pretty soon. I hope I will also be invited for the next 100th birthday when we are allowed to celebrate it. I promise you I will try to learn the song in Welsh, but I can't promise you right now that I will manage to do this, but I'm already looking forward to seeing you next time.
'Enjoy right now a few calmer years and I wish you especially lots of health and that everything really goes into the right direction that you have wished for on a personal, private level, but of course also for the club.
'Yes, always yours, Delia and Michael. Wish you all the best and lots of love from my side and I hope to see you soon. Bye.'
New Norwich City owner Mark Attanasio
‘They want to just come to the matches and cheer’
'Delia and Michael were always very welcoming to me and my family.
'Delia and my wife, Debbie, correspond a lot, and she felt like I would be a good choice. And so a year ago, around August, and I have said since it felt like you have a daughter and there’s a guy and they might be dating and it is, ‘what are your intentions?’ Basically, Delia asked me, with Michael, what my intentions were? And I said, ‘Well, you know, I'm still getting my arms around this’. And they said, ‘Well, if we wanted to do something, would you take this over?’ And I said, ‘I have to really think’.
'It is an enormous responsibility, you have to embrace it and it's not something you take lightly. And so she looked at me, she said, ‘Well, do you want to have a think about it?’
'I think it's more of a British way to do that, but then towards the end of last year we were able to help recruit Ben Knapper, and we saw that whether it was Johannes, or there were a couple of other coaches, that would fit this system we would like. I believe you need to have a system that works every season, and it doesn't matter at some point who your coach is. We're never going to have Pep Guardiola as the coach here, but we have to have a system that's repeatable, and I felt we could develop that here. So I thought we could do this.
'And, you know, from their side, they're at the point after 28 years where they want to just come to the matches and cheer. This sport has got very expensive and it's changed from when they started. They are in their mid-80s. I’ve got two sons who like sports, but I don't know that I would be trying to run a club and compete against these other clubs when I’m in my mid-80s, but I hope Mike will be up to it and so on. So it evolved very quickly once they came to me in the spring and said, ‘Look, we, we'd like to do something.’ And I said, ‘Well, this is a complicated process. You should get an advisor.’
'They got a really brilliant advisor, actually, but we worked through it pretty quickly because it's something they wanted, and something we wanted. Our group is very enthusiastic about this opportunity, and frankly, in part because we think it's going to really be fun.'
Stephen Fry
'The greatest fans Norwich City have ever known'
'What can any Norwich fan say about the tenure of Michael and Delia?
'It's been such a ride, such an amazing time for every supporter of this wonderful club, and no supporter has been keener, more passionate, more involved, more committed to the club and its future than you two, Delia and Michael.
'You go to every match, you don't moan, you don't criticise, you stay faithful, you give positivity in every direction.
'And, of course, to the rest of the world, you can't say Norwich now without Delia coming back straight away. And that's a measure of more than just your commitment, it's a measure of your connection to the club and to the nation.
'And everyone knows your address, of course, your address is ‘Let’s Be Havin’ You’ and always will be. But never mind that - I had to end with that particular comment because it's an example of how you turn everything to a positive, positive result.
'We shall miss you so much, but I know we won't miss you, you'll still be around the club more than I will as the greatest fans that basically Norwich City have ever known.
'We love you. Bye, bye.'
Simon Thomas
'I will always remember how you reached out to us'
'Delia, Michael – it’s Simon here. Just here really to say a massive thank you.
'Thank you for everything that you have both poured into Norwich City over so, so many years.
'I know at times it's not always been an easy ride. At times, criticism has come your way, quite a lot of which I don't think was very fair, but right at the heart of everything you've been about and everything you've done for the club has been a deep-rooted love of everything Norwich City.
'There are so many different memories I've got of you, Delia and Michael. I think back to, of course, the play-off final of 2015. Difficult day for me because I was presenting for Sky so I had to be neutral as far as was possible, but just being on the pitch and watching you both celebrating, watching the joy in your faces, appreciating the joy that you brought to all those immense amount of fans who sat in Wembley on that sun-filled day, it was just a joy. It was a privilege to be pitch side and to interview you, Delia, just after the game had come to a conclusion.
'It was an amazing time, but something else I would always remember is how you both looked out for me and Ethan after Gemma died back in 2017. I remember Ethan, of course, being a mascot. I remember being told about the amazing message that had been put on the big screen at Carrow Road, wishing me and Ethan all the very best. You were always at your heart, someone who cared and you still do deeply about people. And I will always remember how you reached out to us.
'I'll always remember your mum's very special sausage rolls. Ethan still talks about them to this day.
'But Delia and Michael, you will go down as, and you are, Norwich City legends. You've given so much to our club, I don't think a lot of people will realise how much you are missed until it's all over.
'So, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you - and see you at Carrow Road very soon… although working on Saturdays makes that a bit tricky.
'God bless.'
Peter Grant
'All I can say is I have one regret in my life'
'Hi, Michael and Delia, it's Peter Grant here.
'First of all, I would like to thank you so much for giving me the great opportunity to manage and to play for your football club - a fantastic place to play, a fantastic place to manage and I believe that was all through both of you giving me that opportunity.
'You were a great support to me from day one and I really never, ever forgot that. But when people talk about Norwich City Football Club, the first thing they ask is not about the superstar football players they've had before, and in the past and in the future, it's all about Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones. And that's great credit to you both.
'I love you with all my heart and all I can say is I have one regret in my life, and that is that I wasn't more successful as a manager for you and I'd love to have done that to bring success to you for the support and the help that you gave both me and my family.
'Love you with all my heart. God bless always - Peter Grant.'
Nigel Worthington
‘We had some wonderful times together’
'Hello, Michael and Delia, Nigel here.
'I’d just like to say many congratulations for a fantastic 27, 28 years at Norwich City Football Club.
'What you achieved in a very moderate way and controlled under very strict circumstances has been absolutely amazing.
'It comes to a stage where you step back a little bit, but I'm sure your love for the club hasn’t changed one iota, and I would just like to say a big thank you on my behalf and on my family’s behalf, for everything you have done for us. We had some wonderful times together and I wish you well in the future and hopefully we will see you soon.'
Michael Foulger
'One good thing for you, Delia – no more board meetings!'
'Hi, Michael, hi, Delia. I hope you are both keeping well. I just want to say a few words about how much I enjoyed working with you in the time. We set the stall out to not have any debt and we managed to do that, so that was very pleasing.
'I've really enjoyed my time with you and I hope you will continue to enjoy yourselves and I know you will be at every match still.
'And one good thing for you, Delia – no more board meetings!'
Dave Carolan
‘She always had a warm embrace and a smile for all of us’
'Everyone around Norwich City knows that faith was something that was really important to Delia, not only in the religious life but also in the faith that she gave to the managers, to the staff and to the players who came to Norwich City.
'When we arrived here 27 years ago, she took us under her wing as a whole new sports science team. She was ready to look to the future, she wasn't stuck in the past, and she wanted the club to go that way, too. And it certainly paid dividends over the years hasn’t it?
'Great promotions, Championship wins. Yes, there's been tough times, but she never let her faith in the club, the fans and everyone involved in the club diminish and we wish her well in her retirement from the club.
'Her and Michael have shown unbelievable support to everybody and now it's our time to show them the same support back and we wish them well and thank them for everything that they did. For us as a family, we were always welcomed back to Carrow Road and she always had a warm embrace and a smile for all of us.
'So, Delia and Michael, wishing you the very best in your retirement from Norwich City Football Club.'
Bryan Gunn
‘I’d just like to thank you for all your support’
‘Hello, Delia and Michael.
‘I’d just like to congratulate you on all of your efforts and work for the football club over the past 25, 30 years.
‘It's amazing that we met back in 1996 and, as you told me recently, Delia, you asked the owners of Hintlesham Hall for my autograph and then I realised you were a Norwich City fan. I was absolutely delighted that you joined Susan at my testimonial Burns Night back in, I think it might have been January ‘97. And from then, I’d just like to thank you for all your support, certainly to the football club but more importantly to me and my family. So from myself, Bryan, Susan, Melissa, Angus, Jade and Blake, thank you very much and congratulations on all your time and work for Norwich City Football Club.'
Neil Doncaster
'Norwich, Norfolk, owe Delia and Michael a huge debt of gratitude'
‘I'm often asked what is it that makes a good football club owner, and in my view it's about having the right values, ideally values based on family and community, and cascading those values down throughout the football club.
‘And that, in my view, is what Delia and Michael have done over the better part of 30 years. They've looked after Norwich City Football Club as an important community asset and they've done so for the benefit of future generations, always looking to the long term and what is best for the football club. I think Norwich, Norfolk, owe Deli and Michael a huge debt of gratitude for being frankly the best football club owners that one could hope for and I wish them a very happy and healthy retirement as they enjoy their football without worrying about the stresses and strains of football reality.
‘I think it's been a tremendous roller-coaster ride. I was very privileged to enjoy part of that ride with them for about 12 years and I wish them every success for the future. Thank you.’
Leon McKenzie
‘I think you both will be missed’
‘This is Leon McKenzie and this is a message for Delia Smith and Michael. I know you've stepped down now from the board at Norwich City Football Club and I have to say that the time that I was there, I can't thank you enough, Delia, especially when I had some personal issues. You were extremely kind and always very giving.
‘And Michael was always a gentleman to me, always polite, and I think you both will be missed. You are a great credit to Norwich City Football Club and it was a pleasure to play while you were involved at the club.
‘I wish you nothing but love and all the best in whatever's for you next. And as I always say, keep fighting the fight. God bless.’
Christoph Zimmermann
‘You’ve always seen the person before the player'
'Dear Delia, dear Michael – now that after 28 years your time as club owners at Norwich City has come to an end, I would like to express my gratitude for all the things you have done for the football club. You’ve seen all the ups and downs. Personally, we shared two promotions and I am very grateful we experienced those together. But, more importantly, what stood out for me is how well you treated myself and my family and that you’ve always seen the person before the player.
'And even after my playing days at Norwich, we still kept in touch, we still have reached out and we have always had a good understanding and I am very grateful that the contact is still there.
'I am wishing you all the best for everything that comes after football , most importantly health, happiness and a lot of love and I am looking forward to seeing you again, hopefully some time around Christmas.'
Mario Vrancic
‘You guys made it so easy to me’
'Hey, Delia and Michael, long time, no see.
'I hope you two are good. Obviously I've heard about the news and to be honest I couldn't believe it. I couldn't imagine the club without you too, so I wanted to send you a little message. I wanted to say big thanks to you two. Norwich City was my first club abroad so I didn't know what to expect, but you guys made it so easy to me. You welcomed me with open arms and especially when I was struggling you always believed in me. I had the best time of my career at Norwich City and you played a huge role. Again, big thanks for everything you've done for me and for the club. And I wish you all the best for the future and hopefully see you soon at Norwich. Take care.'
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