CLUB HISTORY - 2005-2007
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2005-06 Incoming were Andy Hughes, Mattheu Louis-Jean, Peter Thorne and Jason Jarrett with Dean Marney joining on a season loan from Tottenham, an agreement that would end early after the midfielder picked up a serious achilles injury in October. The Canaries played their first three league fixtures at home after their opening day opponents Coventry were forced to swap venues, with the Ricoh Arena yet to be completed. Home advantage counted for little though, as City were held to three draws after lacking killer instinct in front of goal. The first away match of the season ended in defeat, with Nigel Quashie scoring the winner for Southampton with a twice-taken penalty after Robert Green had saved his first effort. This season was to see a number of disappointing away displays with the Canaries only winning on five league trips and a Carling Cup game at MK Dons. August saw the Canaries announce a new contract for star striker Dean Ashton, ending transfer speculation linking him with a move back to the Premiership. However, the rumours would continue until he completed a January transfer window move to West Ham for £7.25m. But before his departure he would become the first City player since Iwan Roberts in 2000 to bag a hat-trick in a memorable 3-1 win over Southampton. Norwich got September off to the best possible start by recording their first league win of the season against Plymouth in front of the Sky television cameras at Carrow Road. Unfortunately the loan acquisitions of Spurs defender Callum Davenport and Charlton striker Kevin Lisbie could not stop the Canaries getting back to losing ways with a miserable trip to Watford.
The first away league win of the season came at Portman Road where Darren Huckerby sealed the win with a coolly taken goal in the second half. The Canaries returned to Carrow Road to face Northampton in the Carling Cup, and produced a workmanlike display to see off the lower league opposition thanks to a penalty from Huckerby and an instinctive finish from Ashton. However, their cup run would be ended by a third round trip to Premiership strugglers Birmingham City. Midfielder Carl Robinson arrived on loan from Sunderland, making his debut in the match at Coventry in November before sealing a permanent switch in January for £50,000. Inconsistency was proving to be Norwich's biggest enemy over the autumn period and December started with another lacklustre 2-0 defeat at Derby. However, City responded in magnificent style with a run of five successive wins during the festive period, which saw Nigel Worthington collecting the Championship Manager of the Month title for December.
City's great run was ended in the New Year by Preston leaving Norfolk with three goals and all three points and Premiership new-boys West Ham beating the Canaries 2-1 at Carrow Road in the third round of the FA Cup. Prior to the trip to Reading and the closure of the January transfer window, the Canaries announced the signing of West Brom hit-man and Welsh international Robert Earnshaw for a fee of £2.75m. Fulham defender Zesh Rehman and Charlton forward Jonatan Johansson also joined on loan, but their arrivals were not enough to prevent City from slumping to a 4-0 defeat at runaway Championship leaders Reading. That display and result left the Canaries a long way off the promotion chasing pack, with the play-offs now looking less and less likely. Canary inconsistency continued throughout the remainder of the season with a 3-0 win over relegation haunted Brighton, one of the best away displays of the season at Leeds United and an Earnshaw cracker earning the Canaries a win at his former club Cardiff some of the best moments. The season was to finish with Paul Gallacher making his first start in goal in place of Robert Green who had injured himself in the warm-up at Hillsborough and Earnshaw in hot form, scoring eight goals before the end of the season. However, a last day defeat to Wolves would see the Canaries end the season in a disappointing ninth place and 13 points outside the Play-Off places.
2006-07 First Team Coach Steve Foley left the Club after 10 years at Carrow Road to be replaced by former England U19 Head Coach Martin Hunter. An announcement was made that low-cost airline Flybe would be the Club's new main sponsor with new home and away kits also launched at the beginning of May. July saw the opening of Carrow Park, a Barclays Spaces for Sport development behind the Jarrold Stand. The initiative to be run by Football in the Community will provide the nearby community with access to a huge range of sporting activities. City goalkeeper Robert Green was named in the full England squad to travel to Germany for this year's World Cup, only for his dream to be dashed by a groin injury ahead of the competition. After 241 appearances (one as substitute) for the Canaries the 26 year-old made a return to the Premiership in August, joining West Ham in a deal which could be worth up to £2m to City. The summer transfer window was to prove a frustrating one for the Club with Jason Jarret, Simon Charlton and Darren Ward leaving Carrow Road but Lee Croft the only addition to the Norwich squad. The 21-year old right-sided midfielder joined the Canaries from Manchester City for £600,000. The close season also saw Academy players Michael Spillane, Andrew Cave-Brown, Matthew Halliday, Robert Eagle and Andrew Fisk sign professional contracts with the Canaries and central defender Jason Shackell extend his contract for another two years, tying him to Carrow Road until the summer of 2009.
City got off to a good start to the season, which saw them reach second place in the league after five league matches and progress to the third round of the Carling Cup. However, a poor run of performances culminated in a 4-1 loss to Burnley. After the game the Club announced that it had parted company with Manager Nigel Worthington after more than five years in charge. First team coach Martin Hunter is currently in charge of the first team as caretaker manager, assisted by Doug Livermore. City Chairman Roger Munby commented: "The Board would like to place on record its sincere thanks to Nigel for all that he has done for the Club in his time as manager. "The search for a new Norwich City manager will start immediately." On October 13 the Club confirmed the appointment of former Celtic and Norwich City player Peter Grant as new first team manager. Grant had been assistant manager to Alan Pardew at West Ham during an exciting period of rejuvenation for the Hammers which saw them promoted to the FA Premier League in 2005 and narrowly beaten in a thrilling FA Cup Final against Liverpool the following summer.
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