[Huckerbys right foot]

CITY'S principal shareholder Michael Wynn Jones today insisted he had "no fears" ahead of Norwich's return to the big time next Saturday.

"I haven't got any fears – more apprehensions," said Wynn Jones, who alongside his celebrity wife Delia Smith, has done so much to turn the Canaries from First Division mid-table regulars to, potentially, this season's Premiership surprise package.

"You can't go into it being frightened. For one thing you just don't know what it holds – it's a new planet.

"You can't even hark back to the old days when we were last in the Premier League as that was completely different. But I do, honestly, think that we'll surprise a few people."

So much for the club owner's fears. His hopes make for equally encouraging reading as the Canaries go through their Premiership lines one final time in this afternoon's last pre-season friendly of the summer against Real Mallorca.

"Obviously I hope that we stay up, but I hope we do better than that," said Wynn Jones, the publisher of Sainsbury's Magazine.

"But my real hope is that everyone at the football club does everything possible to try and make it happen – more than that you can't ask."

Wynn Jones certainly appreciates the way in which his bright, young manager has wheeled and dealed his way through the summer – in particular the awareness that Nigel Worthington has shown for the club's longer-term future after ending Norwich's nine-year absence from the top flight with last season's glorious First Division title triumph.

Even this week's arrival of Swedish international winger Mattias Jonson in a potentially record-breaking £1 million plus deal has found the City chief sticking firmly within his budget wages-wise. Each and every transfer deal also includes clauses to protect the club from Ipswich Town-style meltdown should the Canaries find themselves returned to sender next May – that players' Championship wage packets will be a fraction of their earnings in the Premiership. However big an international name they are.

"Nigel's always had a budget to work to and whoever he gets in within that budget is fine by me. What I would say, objectively, is that I believe he's made some great signings. I really do."

With City's opener against Crystal Palace now less than a week away, Wynn Jones readily admits that – in common with the rest of the city – the anticipation is starting to build.

"I was a little unmoved by the fixture list from the point of view of the fact that we've got to play all of these teams twice at some stage of the season, but now I'm getting increasingly excited," said Wynn Jones, pointing to yesterday's media open day at Colney as evidence of the whole new world that awaits.

"It is little things, like seeing the huge number of press people turn up at Colney for the open day, that tells you it is a completely different ball game," said Wynn Jones, who for all the hard work that has gone on behind the scenes at Carrow Road to gear City up for top flight living was still waxing lyrical over Worthington's efforts on the transfer front – alongside the club's chief scout Alan Wood and City assistant boss Doug Livermore.

"I think that's where the really hard work's been – with the likes of Alan Wood, Doug and Nigel.

"Particularly if you add all the set-backs you have to the successes, then it's almost a full-time job."

Source: Pink'Un



good words from the directors

he said i had a good footballers name yesterday ::leedswac