A disclaimer to begin: this is neither an investigative article nor a gossip column.
I’ve no scoop on the reasons behind Steve Stone leaving the club. My speculation would have the same validity as everyone else’s (ie. very little).
However, Steve has been a key part of Norwich City’s journey and changes since 2015. His distinctive style and set of achievements deserve to be recorded – not least because I think he was a force for good in our club.
I was fortunate to get to know Steve, including through the interview I did with him for MFW last year.
The first thing to say, perhaps, is that Steve is an unusual financial guy. Finance directors tend to be isolated and unloved, viewed by senior colleagues as unimaginative bean-counters set on clipping the wings of their spending plans.
Some of that general view is unfair; finance directors are paid to balance the books, while their colleagues often propose irresponsible schemes that need to be curtailed. But some of it is fair, in that many finance directors take a narrow view of the organisation and give little broader thinking to its needs – including its structure and need to communicate.
Not Steve. We’ll come back to communications, but he was a prime mover in the structural changes we made at the end of the 2016-17 season. He’d experienced at first hand the vagaries of two Chief Executives: the mercurial but (by the latter part of his tenure) erratic David McNally and the unmitigated disaster of Jez Moxey.
Steve was convinced by the philosophy of a new structure, with an expert Sporting Director to be a bridge between the Board and the manager/Head Coach, enabling the latter to focus on working with and preparing the team.
I’m not sure all fans fully appreciate the significance of that change; in a few years, I’m convinced it will be the norm and Norwich will be seen as having been pioneers.
I’d say we’re already seeing a tangible benefit in terms of better use of transfer funds.
Above all, though, fans will think of Steve as friendly, accessible and communicative. And quite rightly. Steve could often be found in the pub before games, happy to chat to all fans. He was a regular attender and supporter of social events and engaged keenly with supporter groups, including the Canaries Trust.
He believed it was an important part of his job. In his own words, from the MFW interview:
‘I like to communicate. I want to be open – people might not always agree with what I’m saying, but I’ll try to put a rational argument and I’ll front up to things.
We’ve got to tell our stakeholders – primarily our fans – what we’re doing. If not, suspicions grow. If we can’t come out as a club and say what we’re doing, it’s a pretty poor show.
It’s complicated to get it right, but it’s not complicated to communicate what you’re trying to do.’
It’s encouraging to hear Ben Kensell and Zoe Ward, who are taking over Steve’s role at the club, state their intention to continue Steve’s accessibility and engagement with fans. We know that Stuart Webber “gets it” too. But Steve will be a hard act to follow in his genial interaction with us.
We’ve barely mentioned his most important role, though. Steve took the financial reins after Jez Moxey’s departure in January 2017. With the previous summer’s gamble of retaining Alex Neil and a high-wage Premier League squad clearly failing, the club faced a frightening financial prospect.
During the next eighteen months, income would fall by more than £50 million through the loss of parachute payments. Anyone who’s been involved in a business that’s lost more than half its income will have some understanding of the nightmare.
Thanks to Steve Stone – and to Stuart Webber – we’ve come through that period without going into administration, without a fire sale of our players and without being relegated. We have a more-than-decent playing squad, and we’ll no longer have to start each summer by finding £20-25m to fill a financial hole.
It doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods. There are still big financial challenges in adjusting from where we were to where we are – but remarkable progress has been made in the adjustment.
I’m sorry Steve is going, and we’ll miss him. He may not have been a complete Norwich fan – he made no secret of his lifelong attachment to Coventry – but he did very good things for our club at an exceptionally difficult time.
He deserves our gratitude and affection.
Absolutely. great write. . Someone will gain a gem, It is sad he is gone, walked or pushed we will never know nor should we specuate but the speed in which the end came, is a puzzle .
Cannot do anything but wish him the very best and hope the garden looks better for the tending during the leave period
I got to know Steve quite well through my role with the Trust and would reiterate Stew’s view of his abilities and personality.
He was a genuinely lovely guy and I’ll miss dealing with him, but what he did for the Club is priceless.
A very good summary indeed, Stewart.
I can only agree with Canary Lad above that we will never know for sure what brought this about but some of the speculation floating around verges from the ridiculous to the vaguely credible. Just like always in these situations, I guess.
I had the pleasure of speaking to Steve a couple of times – albeit briefly – and as you say he was warm, friendly and apparently genuinely interested in the views of supporters such as myself.
Obviously we all have our own views on the situation (when does an educated guess become a conspiracy theory?) but I agree with both yourself and Lad: let’s not go there.
A great read.
While I concur with most of what has been said about the man himself, I do think the manner in which the departure happened ought to be spoken about. Let’s not go there? Why not? After all, if he is such a big loss than surely that’s enough for journalists to probe a bit deeper isn’t it? But they don’t seem to want to do that anymore. I guess most businesses have departures that raise such questions from time to time but I think we’ve had more than our fair share over the last few years. IDespite parallels with other eras when one person or two held too much power, ‘m not against what some might call an unbalanced executive committee. All these people seem good at their jobs and things are certainly improving but that”s part of why we ought to ask why he’s gone isn’t it?
Hi French Canary
Basically these days the local media (we know who we’re talking about) are actively discouraged from asking questions, let alone expecting answers as far as NCFC is concerned.
I was once curious also and had this situation explained to me a few years ago from two similar but different sources (one a newspaper group, the other radio) who told me I should stop living in the past and to no longer expect anything to emerge from Carrow Road unless NCFC initiated it.
One of these sources was very polite, informative and kind in explaining how the football PR world has changed since my days as a journalist (not that long ago) and why his radio station did not press too hard for investigative material.
The other was a complete butthole who justified his organisation’s lack of questioning the NCFC hierarchy basically along the lines of: there’s no point questioning them so we don’t bother.
And obviously the newspaper group would lose advertising revenue if the Club were ever to be upset. As they were during the Paul Lambert era – big time and actually justifiably.
No wonder I retired when I was 54 and am happy to write for free for something I believe in!
Good summation, Stew.
Open, honest and engaging probably best sums up Steve Stone whilst at Norwich.
No doubt he’ll be missed but the World moves on – let’s embrace this and welcome Zoe and Ben into their revised roles.
Yes, it’s a good article Stewart, but I’m interested in this comment, ‘It’s encouraging to hear Ben Kensell and Zoe Ward, who are taking over Steve’s role at the club, state their intention to continue Steve’s accessibility and engagement with fans’, and where it comes from? Thus far, on the club site, the EDP/Pink’Un, I’ve seen no comments from either of them so far, which has in fact surprised me, especially given some of the practical questions arising from just how will this new management structure work in practice? That’s not just on the obvious issues of communication, but also for instance on how Ben Dack’s role as Finance Director fits in, who is he reporting too now, and how will decision making actually happen in this new structure, especially decisions that do have financial implications?
Just going to ask the same question Michael D
Hi Michael
I feel we are all basically in the dark “at this moment in time”.
We’ll just have to await what they (you know who I mean) tell us. If anything.
Steve Stone will be a hard act to follow, methinks.
I really rated him.
Thanks, Michael. Ben and Zoe haven’t yet had a chance to make public statements, but I hope it’s not betraying any confidences to share that they’ve both sent messages to the Canaries Trust, stressing their commitment to carry on Steve’s engagement with fans.
Interesting comment in the article “We’ve got to tell our stakeholders – primarily our fans – what we’re doing. If not, suspicions grow. If we can’t come out as a club and say what we’re doing, it’s a pretty poor show.” In light of the deafening silence from Carrow Road about the whys and wherefores of Steves departure there will always be suspicions. Regarding an opportunity for Ben and Zoe to comment, Steve “officially” left on Tuesday – I now make it Friday……………
Thanks. There are many reasons why an organisation agrees with a departing person that they won’t publicise details of the separation. One (or more) of those reasons may apply here.
As to Ben and Zoe commenting, the situation probably isn’t helped by City’s Head of Communications Joe Ferrari being away on holiday. When he planned it, I’m sure the international break seemed a perfect time to go….
Totally agree that there are many reasons behind why Steve has left, unfortunately until we have some white smoke from The Smiths et al “Suspicions will grow”. Regarding Joe Ferrari being on holiday this explains the silence from the “New Two” although should it be yourself that’s letting the world know why we haven’t heard from them?
Delia came out and praised Steve for all he had done for the club then added the quote below so my question is after all he bas done for the club how come he isn’t apart of the new dynamic team??????
Joint majority shareholders Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones added: “It has always been part of our vision for the club to create a dynamic team both on and off the pitch.
“With the talented and dedicated managers and staff we have, we feel strongly that shared leadership is now the best way forward to achieve this.”
Thanks, Alex.
I guess the answer is we simply don’t know. I very much doubt Delia’s comment was a dig at Steve; I believe she was just commenting on the shared leadership in the revised team.
Hi Stewart
I will full admit to anyone out there that I honestly think the Smiths have outlived their time a City, I will miss the openess that SS brought to the club and in some ways this just might have been his down fall he had become popular with the supporters and supporters groups and possibly the Smiths didn’t like his popularity.
To suggest that Steve’s departure was because he’d become too popular with fans and supporters groups for the liking of the owners is just plain bonkers.
Gary yes what I said is bonkers and it was ment that way but rumours will gather pace till someone opens up, the system was working and SS was doing a good job, instead of platitudes on both sides just tell the supporters as it is or will that come out at the AGM when I expect questions will be asked
I felt that Stone was doing a specific job which had reached its conclusion. He was correctly doing what needed to be done at a club where common sense and business acumen had often been in short supply, so he was doing the basics. Many businesses do not do that.
I wasn’t surprised by Stone’s departure, as Bowkett was also brought in to sort the financial side out and once that ran its course, he was also gone. So for my money, both have similarities in that they both became marginalised figures once they had served their purpose.
Not entirely sure on the “ménage à trois” of the new arrangement, as it gives too much power to the Webber’s, though we have a club where a couple are in ultimate control, so nothing new for us in that one!
A very interesting period for NCFC, both on and off the pitch. One side can affect the other, so hopefully we will steer clear of unnecessary choppy waters.
I agree that Bowkett and Stone had similar tasks to fill and have completed the task better than most people expected but surely it us short sighted to let either one go and then as city surely will fall back into the old ways.
Wouldn’t it have be a better business policy to keep SS on board longer to ensure city had completely learnt their financial lessons or will their be looking for someone else with the right business accument to bail them out in the near future.
Most businesses if they have a successful MD they try their hardest to keep talented people not city??????
I know it’s frustrating, but surely it doesn’t make much sense to have this kind of discussion when we have no idea why Steve is leaving?
Maybe it’s a case of the club letting him go or driving him out, but just as likely it’s something completely different.
Hi Stewart
Yes we are short of information and that will always cause speculation also as I have said earlier strange idea or as Gary said Bonkers ones will come out.
My point was a simply one city found someone that could run the Self financing model they wanted and now he has gone will they recruit another MD, in my mind if it works why change it, if it was an open discussion and SS decided he was no longer happy why not vome out and say so it would stop all this unessasary speculation.
I agree Alex – You always should do your utmost to keep your best staff. I’m in business and good staff are hard to find, but just as hard to keep.
However, unless somebody has some inside information, Stone’s departure remains a mystery and there will be continued speculation for some time to come. Departures are rarely straightforward at Carrow Road.
The one thing that is fact is that his role as M.D has been carved-up as the club have not announced they will be looking for a direct replacement. That is unusual and suggests to me that his role at Norwich City was done, whether Steve liked it or not.
The timing of the departure is curious given the upcoming AGM, I would have expected Steve Stone to have remained in position until that point at least. In the instances when I have seen Stone operate he seems to be someone who knows what he is doing and the club appeared to be in good hands. He did engage with fans but we have to remember that these are limited groups (Shareholders, Fans Forum, The Trust and visitors to a particular pub), he himself stated that he could not feasibly travel to the entire catchment area of the club which has a population of over 1m, with 20,000 season ticket holders a further 10,000 or so regular fans and with many more latent supporters. With those numbers the club needs to truly engage with the fans and beef up marketing to the level of the days of Andrew Cullen, this requires a creative approach and face to face is not always practical. However the financial issues have only just started, the last two years were about a safe landing but the future is about getting back in the air with limited resources