Norwich City executive director Zoe Ward updates on the latest happenings across the club ahead of our opening fixture against Wigan Athletic, discussing our return to the Championship, summer signings and the European campaign from the Lionesses.
Welcome back to Carrow Road for the start of the new season.
While we were disappointed to lose our Premier League status, the club is in a strong position to be challenging for promotion again.
The economic reality of playing in the EFL is well known, but we have a strong financial structure in place so that the club is resilient and robust as we prepare for our first home game of the season.
Like all our supporters, who follow us all over the country with unflinching loyalty, we want to establish ourselves as a Premier League football club.
That is the challenge for everyone involved with Norwich City.
We are determined to find a way to return to the top of English football and to stay there.
To have you by our side as we aim to do that is so important for us.
The noise you can help to generate inside the stadium on matchday is a massive boost to the players, and your passion, support and enthusiasm for this club plays such an important role.
Despite the impact of returning to the Championship, we have continued to re-invest in the squad to give Dean Smith and his coaching staff the best possible group of players to work with this season.
We are delighted that our scouting structure in South America, which was originally established because of the prospect of Brexit, has opened up a new player pathway from the region.
Gabriel Sara, who arrived from Brazilian club São Paulo, and Marcelino Núñez from Universidad Católica in Chile are two of the most exciting, emerging talents in south America.
Naturally there will be a period of adjustment for both players, but we want to give them the platform to showcase their talents and to flourish in the yellow and green of Norwich City.
We are sure you will join us in wishing them long and successful careers at Carrow Road.
We also moved quickly during the summer to bring in Isaac Hayden from Newcastle United on a season-long loan. Isaac is a player that will add another layer of resilience and will help to strengthen our midfield.
We are sure that he will be another fan favourite as we focus our attention on winning promotion back to the Premier League.
Off the pitch we were thrilled to extend our partnership with Lotus for another two seasons. It is fantastic to partner with a worldwide brand who has Norfolk at its heart, and we look forward to further developing the relationship between the two organisations over the coming seasons.
Finally, we would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Lionesses on their stunning victory in the European Championships against Germany last Sunday.
To watch Lauren Hemp – one of our own – line-up at Wembley last weekend is an incredibly proud moment for the county and the area.
Lauren was part of the Norwich City Girls Centre of Excellence, ran by our Community Sports Foundation as a young footballer and she acts as an inspiration to so many after succeeding at the highest level of the game with her country.
Our women’s team has a bright future and I know that our players across all age categories will dream of emulating Lauren’s outstanding achievements in the game.
We are delighted that Lauren and her family are joining us for the game today and we’re sure she’ll get the welcome she deserves.
Today it is about the men's first team and with your support in the stands, we can go on to register our first win of the season.
Zoe
This column also features in the club's official matchday magazine, OTBC. To buy your copy of the Wigan Athletic programme, or additional back copies, visit shop.canaries.co.uk.