lit a candle 4h agookay so this is going to sound weird because I'm American and I never even knew who he was until I looked it up just now, but I own like four Delia Smith cookbooks and apparently this man is the reason she got her start, he hired her as a cookery writer for some magazine back in 1969, and I just keep thinking about how one person giving another person a shot can ripple out for literally decades into someone's kitchen in North Carolina who has never even been to England. anyway. that's it, that's the whole thought, I just wanted to say it somewhere. edit: 85 years old, rest easy sir
Their story
Michael Wynn-Jones was a Welsh writer, editor and publisher whose career spanned Fleet Street magazines, a successful cookery publishing business, and nearly three decades as joint majority shareholder of Norwich City Football Club with his wife, the television cook Delia Smith. He died peacefully at home in Suffolk on the…
Michael Wynn-Jones was a Welsh writer, editor and publisher whose career spanned Fleet Street magazines, a successful cookery publishing business, and nearly three decades as joint majority shareholder of Norwich City Football Club with his wife, the television cook Delia Smith. He died peacefully at home in Suffolk on the morning of 28 September 2026, aged 85.
Born in September 1941, he grew up in a household shaped by the Church of England and school teaching. His father, Edward Wynn Jones, was a vicar in Tivetshall and in Redenhall with Harleston. His mother, Dilys Wynn Jones, taught at Diss Grammar School and was remembered by her son as a passionate teacher of literature and drama. The family moved to south Norfolk in 1953. He was educated at Lancing College and the University of Oxford.
Wynn-Jones entered magazine journalism as deputy editor of the Daily Mirror's midweek colour supplement, Mirror Magazine. In 1969 that title hired Delia Smith for her first role as a cookery writer, a decision that began both a professional partnership and a lifelong marriage. The couple married in 1971 in Stowmarket, Suffolk. In 1972 George Gale appointed him deputy editor of The Spectator. He also worked for Twentieth Century and Nova magazines. As an author he published The Cartoon History of Britain, a study of George Cruikshank and London life, and 100 Years on the Road: A Social History of the Car.
He later founded New Crane Publishing, which produced some of Smith's cookbooks and the Sainsbury's magazine that he edited. The magazine became a familiar presence in British kitchens, and colleagues later credited him with giving writers room to develop distinctive voices. In 2005 New Crane was sold to Seven Publishing for around 7 million pounds, with Smith remaining linked to the business as a consultant. Away from the office the couple made their home near Stowmarket, keeping close ties to Norfolk and Suffolk life.
Football was never a sideline. BBC reporting records that he attended his first Norwich City match at Carrow Road in April 1955, aged 13, and later wrote fondly of the club's FA Cup run to the semi-finals in 1959. In 1996 former majority shareholder Geoffrey Watling invited Wynn-Jones and Smith to support the club during financial uncertainty, first through a loan and board roles, then through a share purchase that made them joint majority shareholders. By 1998 they held about 63 percent of the club. Over the years their stake eased as further investment arrived, yet they remained the defining owners of the modern Canaries era, overseeing five promotions to the Premier League, periods of relegation, and a determined preference for sustainable finances over short-term spectacle.
Their commitment was practical as well as emotional. Estimates put their investment at around 12 million pounds. In 2013 they wrote off 2.1 million pounds of club debt as part of a wider deficit reduction. Broadcaster Roy Waller called them crucial to the club's success and noted that Wynn-Jones attended home and away matches, often preferring to sit among supporters rather than remain in the directors' box. While Smith was the more visible public face, former players and colleagues remembered Wynn-Jones as a trusted boardroom adviser who stayed largely out of the limelight.
On 23 October 2024 Norwich City's other shareholders approved a deal allowing Norfolk Holdings, led by American businessman Mark Attanasio, to raise its stake to 85 percent and take majority control. Wynn-Jones and Smith's holding fell to about 10 percent. They stood down as directors and were named honorary life presidents, closing twenty-eight years of formal stewardship while keeping a place of honour at the club they had protected.
Norwich City announced that he died peacefully at home on Monday morning, 28 September 2026. The club thanked the community nursing team at St Elizabeth Hospice in Ipswich, offered condolences to Delia and Tom and to the wider family, and asked that their privacy be respected. Flags at Carrow Road were lowered to half-mast. A book of condolence was opened for supporters, with donations directed to St Elizabeth Hospice. Former chairman Ed Balls called him a proper fan who felt every match emotionally and still turned up ready to believe the next game would turn things around. Former forward Darren Huckerby said the club owed him a great deal. Fellow ex-Canary Darren Eadie remembered a kind and caring gentleman.
Wynn-Jones left no children of his own with Smith; family tributes named Delia and Tom, with Tom Smith long associated with the club as a director and family member. He is remembered as the editor who helped launch one of Britain's best known cooks, as a publisher who built a profitable magazine and book business, and as a Canary who measured ownership by loyalty, community and the long-term health of Norwich City.
Biography adapted from English Wikipedia (Michael Wynn-Jones); BBC News (28 Sep 2026); Norwich City FC statements; The Pink Un (Connor Southwell); Eastern Daily Press (Dilys tribute); The Guardian (New Crane sale, 2005). Wikipedia ↗
In their own words
“She was very interested in things, particularly literature and was very knowledgable about it. A conversation with her was always fascinating and she knew her mind and stuck to it.”
Wynn-Jones remembering his mother Dilys in the Eastern Daily Press, January 2012.
“That was what she was trained to do and I think she was particularly good at it. Her results, O Level and A level at the time, were quite remarkable.”
On Dilys Wynn Jones's teaching career at Diss Grammar School (EDP, 2012).
“Michael died peacefully at home on Monday morning, aged 85. He will be greatly missed.”
Norwich City Football Club statement, 28 September 2026.
“He could be quite grumpy because, like every fan, he felt it in a very emotional way.”
Former Norwich chairman Ed Balls speaking to BBC News after Wynn-Jones's death.
“Ed, Norwich City - best football club in the world, this is where we turn things around.”
Ed Balls recalling what Wynn-Jones would say before the next match (BBC News, 2026).
“Such sad news, he stayed out of the limelight but all at [the club] owe him so much.”
Former Norwich forward Darren Huckerby on X, quoted by BBC News, 28 September 2026.
“A kind and caring gentleman.”
Former Norwich player Darren Eadie, quoted by BBC News in tributes.
“Michael is a true NCFC legend and what he did for the club cannot be underestimated.”
Norwich City Fans Social Club tribute, quoted by BBC News.
Photos
1Michael Wynn-Jones with his wife Delia Smith at the Capital Canaries 25th anniversary, 2000
by People Forever
he also ran Norwich City with her for years, proper football man too