The history of Norwich City F.C. stretches back to 1902. After a brief period in amateur football, Norwich City F.C. spent 15 years as a semi-professional team in the Southern League before admission to English Football League in 1920. For most of the next 50 years, Norwich City F.C. played in Division Three (South), then the joint lowest tier of the football league, a period that was distinguished by "a thrilling giant-killing sequence which took them to the FA Cup semi-finals" in 1959.[1][2] Shortly afterwards, the club won its first major trophy, the 1962 League Cup.[3] Norwich finally reached the pinnacle of the league structure in 1972, with their first promotion to the top tier.
Since then, Norwich City has acquired a reputation as a "yo-yo club",[4] with, to the end of the 2017–18 season, 25 seasons in the top league and 19 in the second tier.[5] It is during this period that the club has achieved most of its greatest distinctions, claiming its second major trophy, the League Cup in 1985,[6] reaching two more FA Cup semi finals,[7] finishing fifth, fourth and third in the top division and beating Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup.
In the course of its history, Norwich City has survived incidents that threatened its survival, including ousting from amateur football, the need to be re-elected to The Football League and financial crises. Geoffrey Watling, who was to become club chairman and after whom a stand at the club's stadium, Carrow Road is named, was instrumental in saving the club from bankruptcy, both in the 1950s and 1990s; his father had played a similar role in 1919.
- ^ Cuffley, David. "Norwich City – A Canary Century". The Pink 'Un. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2008.
- ^ "Norwich City 1958–1959 : Results". Statto Organisation. Archived from the original on 24 March 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
- ^ "A century of the Canaries ... 1960–70". Eastern Daily Press. Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
- ^ Lawrence, Amy (15 May 2005). "Rivals sweat it out knowing Worthington's best is enough". The Observer. London. Archived from the original on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2008.
- ^ "Norwich City". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 2 August 2018. This period also includes one season in the third tier.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
history7085was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ 1989 and 1992, Oppedal, Stig (24 January 1997). "FA Cup 1985". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 21 March 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2008.