Norwich City F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Norwich City Football Club | |||
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| Founded | 17 June 1902 | |||
| Ground | Carrow Road | |||
| Capacity | 27,150 | |||
| Owner | Norfolk FB Holdings LLC (Mark Attanasio) |
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| Head coach | Liam Manning | |||
| League | Premier League | |||
| 2018–19 | Championship, 1st of 24 (promoted) | |||
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Norwich City Football Club is a professional football team from Norwich, England. They are often called The Canaries because of their yellow and green uniforms and the canary bird on their badge. The club plays in the EFL Championship, which is the second-highest league in English football.
Norwich City was started in 1902. Since 1935, they have played their home games at Carrow Road. They have a big rivalry with Ipswich Town, and their matches are known as the East Anglian derby.
The club has won the League Cup twice, in 1962 and 1985. Their best league finish was third in the Premier League in the 1992–93 season. Norwich City also played in the UEFA Cup once in 1993–94. During that time, they became the first English club to beat Bayern Munich at their home stadium in Munich.
The fans' song, "On The Ball, City", is the oldest football chant still used today. It was written in the 1890s.
Contents
- Club History
- How Norwich City Started (1902–1934)
- Moving to Carrow Road and Cup Runs (1934–1959)
- Winning the League Cup and Reaching the Top League (1959–1980)
- More Promotions and Trophies (1980–1992)
- Early Premier League Success (1992–1995)
- The First Division Years (1995–2003)
- Returning to the Premier League (2003–2009)
- Recent Years: Up and Down (2009–Present)
- Team Colors and Badge
- Home Stadium
- Fans and Supporters
- Club Ownership
- Club Records and Stats
- Current Players
- Club Staff
- Club Managers
- Club Achievements
- Norwich City Women's Team
- Images for kids
- See also
Club History
How Norwich City Started (1902–1934)
Norwich City F.C. began on June 17, 1902. Their first game was on September 6, 1902, against Harwich & Parkeston. They first played at Newmarket Road.
In 1905, the club became professional. They then joined the Southern Football League. As more fans came, they moved to a new ground called The Nest in 1908. The club's first nickname was the "Citizens." But by 1907, they were called "The Canaries." This was because the club's chairman bred canaries. He also changed their uniforms to yellow and green.
During World War I, football stopped. The club faced many debts and closed down in 1917. But it was reformed in 1919. In 1920, Norwich joined the Football League Third Division. They were promoted to the Football League Second Division in the 1933–34 season. This was under manager Tom Parker.
Moving to Carrow Road and Cup Runs (1934–1959)
As more fans came, The Nest became too small. So, in 1935, the club moved to Carrow Road. The first game there was on August 31, 1935. Norwich won 4–3 against West Ham United. This game set a new attendance record of 29,779 fans.
The club was relegated to the Third Division in 1939. The league stopped during World War II. After the war, Norwich struggled and almost left the league. The club faced serious money problems, owing over £20,000. But a new board, led by Geoffrey Watling, and a special fund saved the club.
In 1958–59, under manager Archie Macaulay, Norwich had an amazing run in the 1958–59 FA Cup. As a Third Division team, they beat two First Division teams. They famously won 3–0 against Manchester United. They lost in the semi-final after a replay against Luton Town. This "59 Cup Run" is still a famous part of Norwich City's history.
Winning the League Cup and Reaching the Top League (1959–1980)
In the 1959–60 season, Norwich was promoted to the Second Division. In 1962, Ron Ashman led Norwich to their first trophy. They won the League Cup by beating Rochdale 4–0 over two games.
In the 1971–72 season, under manager Ron Saunders, Norwich City reached the top level of English football for the first time. They played at Wembley Stadium in 1973. They lost the League Cup final 1–0 to Tottenham Hotspur.
Norwich was relegated in 1974. But they quickly returned to the First Division in 1975. They also reached another League Cup final, losing to Aston Villa.
More Promotions and Trophies (1980–1992)
In 1980, manager John Bond left. Norwich was relegated six months later. But they bounced back the next season. In 1981, Norwich City player Justin Fashanu became the first black footballer to be sold for £1 million.
The 1984–85 season was mixed. They won the League Cup final by beating Sunderland 1–0. But they were also relegated from the top league that same season. This made Norwich the first English club to win a major trophy and be relegated in the same season. They also missed out on playing in Europe because English clubs were banned after the Heysel Stadium disaster.
Norwich returned to the top league by winning the Second Division in 1985–86. They stayed in the top division for nine seasons. They also reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1989 and 1992.
Early Premier League Success (1992–1995)
In the first Premier League season (1992–93), Norwich City surprised everyone. They were contenders for the title. They finished third, behind Manchester United and Aston Villa. The next season, Norwich played in the UEFA Cup. They lost to Inter Milan but famously beat Bayern Munich 2–1 in Germany. This made them the first British team to win against Bayern Munich at their home stadium.
Manager Mike Walker left in 1994. John Deehan took over. Norwich started the 1994–95 season well. But they then won only one of their last 20 league games. They finished 20th and were relegated, ending their nine-season run in the top league.
The First Division Years (1995–2003)
After relegation, Deehan resigned. Martin O'Neill became manager in 1995. But he left after six months due to disagreements about money for new players. The club's chairman, Robert Chase, also stepped down after protests from fans. Fans felt he sold the best players and caused the relegation.
Famous TV cook Delia Smith and her husband Michael Wynn-Jones took over most of the club's shares in 1996. Mike Walker returned as manager but was dismissed two seasons later. Nigel Worthington became manager in December 2000. He saved the club from relegation. The next season, he led City to a play-off final at the Millennium Stadium. Norwich lost to Birmingham City on penalties.
Returning to the Premier League (2003–2009)
In the 2003–04 season, Norwich won the First Division title. They returned to the top league for the first time since 1995. But in the 2004–05 season, they struggled. A 6–0 defeat on the last day sent them back to the Championship.
Manager Worthington was dismissed in October 2006. Former player Peter Grant became the new manager. His team struggled, and he left in October 2007. Glenn Roeder took over and kept Norwich in the Championship.
Recent Years: Up and Down (2009–Present)
In January 2009, Roeder was dismissed. Former Norwich goalkeeper Bryan Gunn took over. But he could not stop the club from being relegated in May 2009. Their first game in the lower league was a 7–1 home defeat. This was their heaviest home loss ever. Gunn was dismissed six days later.
On August 18, 2009, Paul Lambert became the new manager. Nine months later, he led Norwich to promotion back to the Championship. The next season, Norwich was promoted to the Premier League. This was their second promotion in a row.
The club finished 12th in their first season back in the Premier League. But Lambert resigned in 2012. Chris Hughton became manager. He led Norwich to an 11th-place finish. But they were relegated again after the 2013–14 season. Hughton was dismissed, and former player Neil Adams took over.
Adams resigned in January 2015. Alex Neil was appointed manager. He helped Norwich win the 2015 Championship play-off final. This secured an immediate return to the top division. But they were relegated again at the end of the next season.
In May 2017, German coach Daniel Farke became head coach. He was the first head coach not from the British Isles. In his second season, Norwich was promoted back to the Premier League as Championship winners. But they were relegated again after just one season. This made them the first team in Premier League history to be relegated five times.
In May 2021, Norwich won the Championship again, getting promoted back to the top league. But they struggled in the 2021–22 Premier League season. Farke was dismissed in November. Dean Smith became the new head coach. Norwich was relegated for a record sixth time. Smith was dismissed in December 2022.
On January 6, 2023, David Wagner became the new head coach. Under him, the club finished 13th in 2022–23 and 6th in 2023–24. They qualified for the Championship playoffs. However, Wagner was sacked on May 17, 2024, after a playoff semi-final loss.
On May 30, 2024, Johannes Hoff Thorup was appointed head coach. He joined from a Danish club. However, he was sacked on April 22, 2025, after only 14 wins in 47 games. Jack Wilshere took charge for the rest of the season but also left in May 2025.
In June 2025, Liam Manning became the new head coach. He was born in Norwich, making him the first person from the city to manage the club.
Team Colors and Badge
Norwich City's nickname, "The Canaries," has always influenced their team colors and badge. The club first played in light blue and white shirts. The first time the club was linked to canaries was in 1905. The newspaper quoted the new manager saying he had "heard of the canaries."
By 1907, the nickname "Canaries" was very popular. The next season, to match the nickname, City played in yellow shirts with green collars and cuffs for the first time. These yellow and green home colors are still used today. Their away colors have changed over the years. For example, the away kit for the 2012–13 season was black shirts and shorts.
A simple canary badge was first used in 1922. The current club badge shows a canary on a football. It also has a special design of the City of Norwich coat of arms in the top left corner. For the club's 100th birthday in 2002, a special badge was made. It had two canaries and a ribbon.
In November 2021, the club revealed a new badge. It started being used on all club items and shirts from June 2022. It is a modern version of the old badge. It has a new design of the city's coat of arms and a more central canary on the ball.
Home Stadium
Norwich City played at Newmarket Road from 1902 to 1908. Their record attendance there was 10,366 fans. In 1908, the club moved to "The Nest".
By the 1930s, The Nest was too small. In 1935, the club moved to its current home, Carrow Road. The first stadium was built in just 82 days! People called it "The eighth wonder of the world."
Floodlights were put up in 1956. Their cost almost made the club go bankrupt. But the success in the 1959 FA Cup helped the club financially. In 1963, Carrow Road had its record attendance of 43,984 fans. This was for an FA Cup match against Leicester City.
After a stadium disaster in 1971, safety rules changed. This reduced the stadium's capacity to about 20,000. Seats began to replace standing areas. By 1979, the stadium could hold 28,392 fans. A fire in 1984 destroyed part of a stand. It was replaced by a new City Stand in 1987. After the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, all stadiums had to have only seats. Carrow Road now has a capacity of 27,150 seats.
Fans and Supporters
Club Song
The fans' song, On the Ball, City, is the oldest football song still used today. It is even older than the club itself! It was probably written in the 1890s. The song was adapted for Norwich City by 1902. The chorus goes:
Kick it off, throw it in, have a little scrimmage,
Keep it low, a splendid rush, bravo, win or die;
On the ball City, never mind the danger,
Steady on, now's your chance,
Hurrah! We've scored a goal, City! clap-clap City! clap-clap City! clap-clap
Famous Supporters
Many fans support the club locally. There are also fan clubs in other countries, like London, Scandinavia, Australia, and the United States. The London fan club is called the Capital Canaries.
Some famous people support Norwich City. These include TV cook Delia Smith and comedian Stephen Fry. Both of them have even helped run the club. Actor Hugh Jackman is also a fan. Other well-known supporters include TV presenter Simon Thomas and musician Myleene Klass.
In 2018, fans helped the club raise £5 million. This money was used to build new facilities for the club's youth academy.
Local Rivalry
Norwich City's main rival is Ipswich Town. When they play, it is called the East Anglian derby. It is also sometimes called the "Old Farm Derby." As of July 2025, Norwich has not lost to Ipswich since April 2009.
Fans of both clubs often argue over who holds the "Pride of Anglia" title. This title is claimed by the team that wins the derby, finishes higher in the league, or has a better club history.
Club Ownership
Norwich City F.C. is a public company. In 2003, about 8,000 people owned shares in the club. As of October 2024, a group called Norfolk Holdings is the main owner. This group is led by American businessman Mark Attanasio. He took over from Delia Smith and her husband Michael Wynn-Jones. They had been the main owners since 1998.
In 2007, Smith and Wynn-Jones said they would sell their shares. But they wanted any new owner to invest a lot of money into the team. They said, "Only if they put money into the squad – not if they buy our shares, we don't want money. It has to be that there is money for the squad, serious money for the squad."
In September 2022, Mark Attanasio joined the club's board. His group, Norfolk Holdings, bought shares from various owners. In April 2024, Attanasio's share in the club increased to 40.4%. This made him a joint majority shareholder with Smith and Wynn-Jones.
On August 12, 2024, the club announced that Attanasio would increase his share to 85%. This would give him majority control. Smith and Wynn-Jones would become honorary life presidents and reduce their share to 10%. This deal was approved by shareholders on October 23, 2024. This ended Smith and Wynn-Jones's 28 years of involvement with the club.
Club Records and Stats
Ron Ashman holds the record for playing the most league games for Norwich. He played 592 matches between 1947 and 1964. Ralph Hunt scored the most goals in one season, with 31 goals in 1955–56. Johnny Gavin is the top scorer overall, with 122 goals between 1948 and 1955.
Norwich's biggest league win was 10–2 against Coventry City in 1930. Their heaviest league defeat was 10–2 against Swindon Town in 1908.
The club's record home attendance is 43,984. This was for an FA Cup match against Leicester City in 1963. After safety changes, the stadium's capacity is now 27,150.
Norwich received its highest transfer fee of £33 million from Aston Villa for Emiliano Buendía in June 2021. The most they spent on a player was £8.8 million for Christos Tzolis in August 2021.
Norwich's highest league finish was third in the Premier League in 1992–93. The 2021–22 season was their 27th in the top league. The club has won the League Cup twice (most recently in 1985). They have reached the FA Cup semi-final three times. Norwich has played in European competition once, reaching the third round of the UEFA Cup in 1993–94. They are the only English team to beat Bayern Munich at their home stadium.
Current Players
First-team squad
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Development Squad
This team is for players under 23 years old and from the academy. It is like Norwich City's second team. In March 2018, money raised by fans helped build new pitches and facilities for this academy.
Famous Players
During the club's 100th birthday, a "Hall of Fame" was created. Fans voted for 100 former players to be honored. More players have been added since then.
Greatest Ever Norwich City Team (1902–2008)
In 2008, fans voted for the best Norwich City team of all time:
- Kevin Keelan (Goalkeeper)
- Ian Culverhouse (Defender)
- Steve Bruce (Defender)
- Duncan Forbes (Defender)
- Mark Bowen (Defender)
- Darren Huckerby (Midfielder)
- Ian Crook (Midfielder)
- Martin Peters (Midfielder)
- Darren Eadie (Midfielder)
- Chris Sutton (Forward)
- Iwan Roberts (Forward)
Player of the Season Awards
Every year, fans vote for their best player of the season.
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Club Staff
Coaching Team
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Board of Directors
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Club Managers
This table shows the managers of Norwich City and their records in professional matches.
| Name | Nationality | From | To | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win % |
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| John Bowman |  England |
August 1, 1905 | July 31, 1907 | 78 | 31 | 23 | 24 | 39.7 |
| James McEwen | England |
August 1, 1907 | May 31, 1908 | 43 | 13 | 10 | 20 | 30.2 |
| Arthur Turner | England |
August 1, 1909 | May 31, 1910 | 86 | 27 | 22 | 37 | 31.4 |
| Bert Stansfield | England |
August 1, 1910 | May 31, 1915 | 248 | 78 | 75 | 95 | 31.5 |
| Frank Buckley | England |
August 1, 1919 | July 1, 1920 | 43 | 15 | 11 | 17 | 34.9 |
| Charles O'Hagan |  Ireland |
July 1, 1920 | January 1, 1921 | 21 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 19.0 |
| Bert Gosnell | England |
January 1, 1921 | February 28, 1926 | 233 | 59 | 79 | 95 | 25.3 |
| Bert Stansfield | England |
March 1, 1926 | November 1, 1926 | |||||
| Cecil Potter | England |
November 1, 1926 | January 1, 1929 | 101 | 30 | 26 | 45 | 29.7 |
| James Kerr | England |
April 1, 1929 | February 28, 1933 | 168 | 65 | 43 | 60 | 38.7 |
| Tom Parker | England |
March 1, 1933 May 1, 1955 |
February 1, 1937 March 31, 1957 |
271 | 104 | 69 | 98 | 38.4 |
| Bob Young | England |
February 1, 1937 September 1, 1939 |
December 31, 1938 May 31, 1946 |
78 | 26 | 14 | 38 | 33.3 |
| Jimmy Jewell | England |
January 1, 1939 | September 1, 1939 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 30.0 |
| Duggie Lochhead |  Scotland |
December 1, 1945 | March 1, 1950 | 104 | 42 | 28 | 34 | 40.4 |
| Cyril Spiers | England |
June 1, 1946 | December 1, 1947 | 65 | 15 | 12 | 38 | 23.1 |
| Norman Low | Scotland |
May 1, 1950 | April 30, 1955 | 258 | 129 | 56 | 73 | 50.0 |
| Archie Macaulay | Scotland |
April 1, 1957 | October 1, 1961 | 224 | 105 | 60 | 59 | 46.9 |
| Willie Reid | Scotland |
December 1, 1961 | May 1, 1962 | 31 | 13 | 6 | 12 | 41.9 |
| George Swindin | England |
May 1, 1962 | November 30, 1962 | 20 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 50.0 |
| Ron Ashman | England |
December 1, 1962 | May 31, 1966 | 162 | 59 | 39 | 64 | 36.4 |
| Lol Morgan | England |
June 1, 1966 | May 1, 1969 | 127 | 45 | 47 | 35 | 35.4 |
| Ron Saunders | England |
July 1, 1969 | November 16, 1973 | 221 | 84 | 61 | 76 | 38.0 |
| John Bond | England |
November 27, 1973 | October 31, 1980 | 340 | 105 | 114 | 121 | 30.9 |
| Ken Brown | England |
November 1, 1980 | November 9, 1987 | 367 | 150 | 93 | 124 | 40.9 |
| Dave Stringer | England |
November 9, 1987 | May 1, 1992 | 229 | 89 | 58 | 82 | 38.9 |
| Mike Walker |  Wales |
June 1, 1992 June 21, 1996 |
January 6, 1994 April 30, 1998 |
179 | 69 | 46 | 64 | 38.5 |
| John Deehan | England |
January 12, 1994 | July 31, 1995 | 58 | 13 | 22 | 23 | 22.4 |
| Martin O'Neill |  Northern Ireland |
August 1995 | December 1995 | 26 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 46.2 |
| Gary Megson | England |
December 1995 | June 21, 1996 | 32 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 15.6 |
| Bruce Rioch | Scotland |
June 12, 1998 | March 13, 2000 | 93 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 32.3 |
| Bryan Hamilton | Northern Ireland |
April 5, 2000 | December 4, 2000 | 35 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 28.6 |
| Nigel Worthington | Northern Ireland |
December 4, 2000 | October 2, 2006 | 280 | 114 | 104 | 62 | 40.7 |
| Peter Grant | Scotland |
October 13, 2006 | October 9, 2007 | 54 | 18 | 12 | 24 | 33.3 |
| Glenn Roeder | England |
October 30, 2007 | January 14, 2009 | 65 | 20 | 15 | 30 | 30.8 |
| Bryan Gunn | Scotland |
January 16, 2009 | August 13, 2009 | 21 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 28.6 |
| Paul Lambert | Scotland |
August 18, 2009 | June 2, 2012 | 142 | 70 | 37 | 35 | 49.3 |
| Chris Hughton | Ireland |
June 6, 2012 | April 6, 2014 | 82 | 24 | 23 | 35 | 29.3 |
| Neil Adams | England |
April 6, 2014 | January 5, 2015 | 32 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 34.4 |
| Alex Neil | Scotland |
January 9, 2015 | March 10, 2017 | 108 | 45 | 21 | 42 | 41.7 |
| Daniel Farke |  Germany |
May 25, 2017 | November 6, 2021 | 208 | 87 | 49 | 72 | 41.8 |
| Dean Smith | England |
November 15, 2021 | December 27, 2022 | 42 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 28.6 |
| David Wagner |  United States |
January 6, 2023 | May 17, 2024 | 76 | 31 | 17 | 28 | 40.8 |
| Johannes Hoff Thorup |  Denmark |
May 30, 2024 | April 22, 2025 | 47 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 29.8 |
| Liam Manning | England |
June 3, 2025 | Present | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Club Achievements
Norwich City has won several important titles:
League Titles
- Second Division / First Division / Championship (Level 2)
- Champions (5 times): 1971–72, 1985–86, 2003–04, 2018–19, 2020–21
- Runners-up: 2010–11
- Play-off winners: 2015
- Third Division South / League One (Level 3)
- Champions: 1933–34, 2009–10
- Runners-up: 1959–60
Cup Titles
- Football League Cup
- Winners: 1961–62, 1984–85
- Runners-up: 1972–73, 1974–75
European Football
Norwich City has played in European competitions once. They reached the third round of the UEFA Cup in 1993–94.
Friendship Trophy
Norwich and Sunderland play for the Friendship Trophy when they meet. This tradition started because fans of both clubs became friends during the 1985 League Cup final. Sunderland won the last match 2-1 on December 21, 2024.
Norwich City Women's Team
Norwich City Women is the women's football club connected to Norwich City. Since 2022, Flo Allen has been the general manager. They play in Division One South East, which is the fourth level of English women's football. Their home games are played at The Nest in Horsford.
Images for kids
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View from Carrow Road towards the city, with Norwich Cathedral in the background
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Norwich City F.C. in 1959 with; from left, standing. Roy McCrohan, Hunt, Ken Nethercott, Butler, Ron Ashman, Crowe; seated from left: Crossan, Terry Allcock, Terry Bly, Hill, Brennan.
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City players celebrate winning the First Division Championship, 2004
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Norwich City promotion celebrations in 2019
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See also
In Spanish: Norwich City Football Club para niños
