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Fair play to them , they aren't taking a penny from the sale and it wipes out all the clubs debt, say what you want about them but that's amazing, not many people would do that and I am very grateful as a fan for them doing that.

You saved the club from administration and devoted years of your life running the club according to the highest sporting and ethical values. You resisted the easy option to sell out to the kind of fly-by-night asset stripper that has ruined many other clubs. I will not be alone in being eternally grateful that you had the resolve to cope with cheap criticism for your determination that the club should be run according to sound financial principles, and a proper local club mentality. Your dedication and generosity will ensure your legacy will be appreciated for decades to come. As owners of NCFC go you will be legendary as true fans who put their love of the club before all considerations of personal financial gain. Thank you!

Can't say I have the slightest clue about the financial mechanics involved, but the notion of Delia and Michael being honorary life presidents is surely a fitting way to pay homage to when they financially saved us in our darkest hours.

Unbelievable generosity from Delia and MWJ. I can't imagine any of the fans who've criticised them over the years would be as willing to turn away so much potential individual wealth.

It's also interesting to note the complete lack of gratitude from some fans for effectively donating millions of pounds to the club that they could have kept for themselves. I get that some fans feel they held onto their ownership for too long, and that's fine, but on this of all days can we not focus on the positives? They've had 25 years of being lambasted from pillar to post by some ungrateful fans, and now they've passed the torch on in the most selfless way possible and they're still copping for a load of flak from some quarters. There have been good times, there have been bad times. There have been good decisions, there have been bad decisions. But in this era of hyper-inflation of transfer fees and television rights, the total monetisation of the beautiful game, how many professional clubs can say they've been owned by local people who are genuine, passionate fans, for more than a quarter of a century? They still come and chat to the supporters in the bar after the match, even though they're in their 80s. If you only want to focus on the negatives of those 25+ years, this probably isn't the thread for you.

Richard Ressler has joined the board. He's worth over £2b.

come on Essex...it's time to try and p*ss on everyone's parade

Or, as they will soon be known, the first team

In an era of spivs, rotters and human rights abusers owning football clubs, Delia and Michael stand out as genuinely decent people trying to do the right thing. That their final act is one of unbelievable generosity sums them up. I would however accept criticism that since 2019 their ownership had become a hinderance to the club, but these arguments have always hinged on whether there was someone suitable to take over – well that persons time is now, so over to you Mark, here’s to the next 27 years...

Depends how you attribute my 32,000 votes.

They've owned the club since I was in Primary school... I'm 37 now. Sure they have flaws, their biggest one being they are loyal to a fault, and we saw that time and again. They are fundamentally just decent human beings and that didnt always work in their favour in the cut-throat world of football. They've copped a lot of **** over the time they've owned the club..... deserved some of it, been very hard done by on other occassions, but through it all, they've acted with nothing but dignity,class and the best interests of the club at heart (except maybe the dignity/class for a fleeting moment live on sky 20 years ago). They might have got it wrong at times, but I fully believe that they did what they thought was right for the club at every turn. And now today, they have effectively given the club to people they believe will continue to act in the best interests of the club. They could have just sold the club and banked whatever they could get from some Saudi consortium. They've chosen to give the club away in order to allow us to wipe the debts; instead of pocketing tens of millions for themselves. Anybody complaining about them today, is a total ****. They've not got everything right, but **** me they have tried and been incredibly generous securing the future of our football club. Say what you like, but without their involvement, we may not have a football club to support today. Might not have always been brilliant, but **** me, what a wild ride it has been supporting the club during their tenure as owners. Nothing but gratitude for everything they've done for the club and the way they are leaving. They've been amazing.

I'm a minority shareholder and I don't think it's a shame. When I bought my shares it was to help the club. I never expected a return. I acted as a fan.

Have to say that I agree with Yvette Cooper here. I realise the police have had their own cultural problems but Reform should start to grow up. I also think on the whole that the government has handled their first real crisis quite well. They have acted quickly and have to say, effectively. Cooper calls out 'shameful behaviour' of senior politicians who sought to undermine police during violent disorder Overnight, writing in the Telegraph, home secretary Yvette Cooper has said that the country needs to restore respect for its police force. In an implicit criticism of the leadership of Reform UK, she said she would not engage in the “shameful behaviour” of those who “sought to undermine the legitimacy and authority of the police”. In the article, Cooper also criticises those who have attempted to justify rioting under the guise that people have “legitimate concerns”. Cooper said: She also took aim at politicians who have been seeking to use the rhetoric of “two-tier policing”, writing: Her article concludes “There is lots of rebuilding to be done in our communities after the damage of the last fortnight. Respect for the police, respect for the law, and respect for each other is where we must start.”

Was the 5 year contract a good move by our club?

Can't even get 3 Tesco meal deals for that these days #clubsajoke

I concur with your cautious optimism. Change had to happen though one way or another. I think owing to MA’s background with The Brewer’s I’d rather him than a Middle Eastern country or an East Asian consortium.

Are you ready for CC not understanding something he's read?

Really dreadfully upset by this. Not sure I can think of a cricketer who was so loved - so terrible that that wasn't enough for him. As someone who has experienced both depression and anxiety, I know a little of what he must have been going through, but still can't imagine suffering to that extent. Poor, poor Thorpey. It's obviously not as simple as just talking about it, but opening up never makes things worse. Even more proud than normal today of all NCFC does on the mental health front - and sending all good wishes to anyone reading this for whom this news is particularly difficult. Take care of yourselves.

I actually think Thorup has it hardest. The expectation (dare I say entitlement?) among Norwich fans post-Farke has risen to pretty irrational levels. Lambert obviously took over when we were in League One, and after a battering v Colchester, but he still took over a squad that were favourites for automatic promotion and he duly delivered. And like you say, Farke came in with a chunk of sellable assets and parachute payments that could be used to fund a new project with a fanbase that could just about tolerate us only finishing top 10. And he didn't have any useless, aging players gobbling up a massive amount of the wage budget. Thorup has so many more constraints to deal with, less money to fund a project, vanishingly few sellable assets, no ability to blow transfer competition out of the water with big contract offers (as we did with Pukki) and a fanbase that will probably be booing at half-time on Saturday if we're not winning. Whereas Farke was able to sell several big earners, no one is prepared to buy the likes of Barnes, Duffy, Hanley and McLean; if Thorup could get their wages off the books and free up the ability to make 8-10 signings like Farke was able to, we'd be feeling a lot more confident about the coming season. As it is, his hands are tied massively and even if we sell Rowe and Idah to get some transfer funds in, it won't reduce the wage budget significantly enough to create much wiggle room in that department. Winning the title in Farke's second season was miraculous. If Thorup does it, you'd need to invent a word more superlative than miracle.

Dear Robin, I wrote you but you still ain't callin' I left my cell, my pager and my home phone at the bottom, I made two posts on the pink un - you must not have got them There probably was a bad request error on the forum or somethin Sometimes I pretend to be ITK in my posts when I make them But anyways, **** it, what's been up man, what's with your writin? I'm down about the club, I'm bout to throw a hissy With you writing nothing but positivity I know you prob'bly hear this everyday, but I'm not really a fan Everything that's wrong and you coverin' it up, my man You should be holding to account Not covering up their tracks Where's the critical thought, we want nothing but the facts Anyways, I hope you get this, man, hit me back Just to chat, truly yours, but not a fan, this is MC_NCFC

Let’s not be revisionist about this. I’m frankly amazed we’ve engineered such a good price for Idah and credit due to the club for that. I don’t think anyone truly expected anything significantly north of £5m, let’s be honest. The five year deal was awarded to a lad who unquestionably had potential but more often than not, frustrated. After getting that deal, he would, more often than not, frustrate even more. Bad touches, offsides, weak efforts on goal, a footballer who rarely looked like he actually wanted the ball. His beat role was as a substitute, where his pace and strength could be used against knackered defenders - several times that worked. He’d then be rewarded with start and frustrate again. Well done to him for impressing in Scotland, for convincing Celtic that he was worth the money. I hope he does well, as I genuinely wanted him to succeed here. Did the contract length bring us more £? Great if so, but nobody can convince me it was a fee-inflating master plan all along.

Standing ovation for Ben Knapper if true, he's got Celtics pants down to the floor!

It was in hindsight. Better still was the January loan which enamoured him to the Celtic fans.

Brilliant owners, a lot of really good memories and eras too. I'll have to write a letter of thanks too, I think it's only fair that they feel our love personally after the **** some people have accused them of over the years. I don't doubt mistakes have been made, and I don't doubt that they put too much trust in certain people - but I also don't doubt that they've had the best interests for this club throughout. I really hope they remain a part of the Carrow Road faithful.

This thread is called 'Thank you Delia and Michael', though. Couldn't you have just scrolled past? I've not forgotten League One, or the two horrendous relegations from the Premier League, or the money Webber p*ssed up the wall on Tzolis and Rashica, or the awful Henry Winter interview in The Times. But on balance, over 27 years of ownership, I have no doubt that they've loved and cared for this club, and always sought to do what they thought was best for it. There was nobody left saying 'we want Delia and Michael to own the club forever'. I doubt there was anyone who genuinely wanted Tom Smith to inherit the lot and become our new majority shareholder. Football has evolved, and we're among the last of a dying breed. That actually saddens me in a way, but it is what it is. Money is all. Today is a watershed day in the history of our club, and as the baton is passed on to our friends from across the pond, I want to show some goodwill to the people who have looked after our club for the last 27 years. I really hope this thread doesn't degenerate into a slanging match, and we can all agree to differ where necessary and look towards what should be a brighter, more competitive future.

Oh shut up and start a different thread if you want to post anti Delia bile. Leave this one to us "happy clappers" ffs! They've just effectively donated millions to the club.

No they did not save the club from administration as it was Watling who purchased Chase's shares to get him out of the door.

You misunderstand. Delia and Michael have ‘given up’ their now proven to be not-at-all hypothetical equity gain to a Delaware company fronted by a smiling American who loves food, baseball, football and soccer (*other sports to be inserted). If they were your parents, what would you think? Might you have been a bit afraid for them? Might there have been a fear that they could get taken for a little ride somewhat? What Delia and Michael have done is extraordinarily generous, to the point that one might consider it predominantly emotionally-based as a decision. Did anyone take advantage of that scenario? Why? Parma

Does anybody know if the lifetime Presidency can be passed on to inheritors?

....Chelsea Squad Team Coach....

Things like this don't happen overnight, there is a zero percent chance this is anything to do with Saturday.

justiceforwebber@hotmail.com kenny4eva@gmail.com ****SydneyVanHoijdonk@yahoo.com

Good to see Preston have got some cojones on them. THORUP OUT!

I think we reached the ceiling of what can realistically be achieved on a strictly self-funding model. We did really well to get two Championship titles with so little investment; the first time we tried to stay up on a shoestring and got swallowed up, the second time we pushed the boat out, made some poor signings and got swallowed up again, but the second time our luck ran out and we are where we are. I think they've known for a while that establishing ourselves in the PL with that model is nigh on impossible; while it's taken a long time for them to find someone they're comfortable handing over the reins to, we got there in the end.

If those numbers are correct that is a pretty great deal from our perspective. He wasn't even a starter at Celtic.

You must spend loads in new pants

Oo-err 😨

My, albeit limited, understanding is with @sgncfc and @Feedthewolf on this. Once the 75% threshold is met the owners legally and practically have total control. As long as they act fairly, e.g. at a reasonably justifiable share price, there is nothing to prevent them underwriting share issues that would eventually take them over the 90% threshold and then compulsorily buyout all the remaining shareholders. The minorities would need to have a proportional right to purchase the new shares but eventually deep pockets would prevail.

GonnyGonnyRowe

Always loved having Delia and Michael as owners, can't lie, I feel quite sad about this but i do appreciate their age and need to move on and enjoy the club as a fan again. We'll be fattened up and sold down the river, as that's the plan. I'm just concerned if they never successfully fatten us. They're not in it for the same reasons us, Delia and MWJ were.

It isn't an option I'm afraid, so let that be a lesson to you all, never choose a current player as a username! Still, it will never be the worst username on the site, there's a poster called Rolf Harris! If I could change username I'd hold fire for a little while. Hoolahan stuck his fingers up at some fans who then tried to flip his car over, and later called us a sh!thouse club when he didn't get the Villa move he wanted, both forgiven and he goes down as a club legend, so changing now would be premature.

Yes, that's right. We'll have to see the detail but I assume new ordinaries will be allotted (if I recall wasn't one of the resolutions a permission to allow the directors to create and allot a number of shares?) The maths for those interested:

Fair play to them. Great news and secures their status amongst fans forever. Thank you to both of them.

Unbelievably generous to the new owners but I'm not sure that particularly benefits the club. Yes, we're debt-free, but turnover is now at its lowest for a decade and we're short of the weaponry required to change that in the near future. This may be a fantastic new beginning but success is not guaranteed. Time will tell what the new owners plans are but there are many phrases that spring to mind involving "the devil you know" and "the proof of the pudding" etc.. I'll remain cautiously optimistic while retaining some healthy scepticism. Let's remember who these owners are and what they're in it for. Whatever makes them the most money isn't necessarily what makes the fans happy (i.e. selling our best players over and over again).

Yes, I think maybe one reason why it has taken so long is finding a mechanism for Smith & Jones to be comfortable with the future to ensure the club didn't just become like say WBA who seemingly get sold every season, but never to anyone who really cares about the club. I see this 10% eventually being left to a trust governed by high profile local people, to carry on Smith & Jones wishes.

The Webber one is actually @icloud if we're going to be pedantic.

I'd suggest a few changes but nothing crazy. Starts for Hill, Kamara and Amankwah over Hanley, Fassnacht and Gibbs, maybe Idah over Sargent depending on his situation. Need to get the others playing together as much as possible.

Big Keith nailed it.

I'm as big an advocate for mental health as anybody, but when you're getting paid thousands of pounds a week to play football and you're under contract to this club, you get your ar5e out there and play. A real d*ck move, I thought he was a better man than that.

Idah or Rowe for me.