Considering we’re still nearly three weeks away from the big KO, we’re already well and truly in the throes of the highs and lows of the footballing roller-coaster.
The obvious high of the week was news of Daniel Farke’s contract extension to 2025 – a fine outcome after a few weeks of speculation – but a comment made by Stuart Webber in the next day’s presser, intended to discuss and ‘celebrate’ the contract extension, has caused a ripple or two across the Canary Nation.
But the good news first, and by whichever metric you judge your head coach, the news that Farke is prepared to hang around Norfolk for four more years has to be a good thing. Okay, so his first crack at the Premier League was one of our most disappointing in the top flight, but, as discussed in the debrief, a combination of things – many beyond Farke’s control – conspired to make it so underwhelming.
And that abject failure will have hurt, and Farke will have learnt.
Project Restart, in particular, was painful for every individual linked to Norwich City Football Club, remotely or otherwise, but for Farke it was a severe dent to his reputation and his professional pride. I don’t see him signing up for three additional seasons on top of the one he has remaining if he didn’t believe we will be more competitive this time around.
Among the long list of things that went wrong in 2019-20, there will be things that Farke, if he had the opportunity again, would have done differently. Now he has that opportunity and with the added comfort of knowing where his medium-term future lies.
Equally important is the fact that assistant manager, Eddie Riemer, head of performance Chris Domogalla and first-team coach Christopher John also signed the same contract extensions – important to the continuing development of the club and important to Farke himself.
The argument around where Farke sits in the pantheon of great Norwich City managers is a discussion for another day, and can only really be gauged once his tenure here has run its full course. One thing we can all agree on though is that in terms of the playing style, his City teams are the most aesthetically pleasing of the lot.
For years I’d looked on in awe and wonder at other teams who could retain possession and pass the ball for fun. Now that’s us. And in doing so, Farke has found a formula that uses that pleasing-on-the-eye, progressive, passing football to win games of football – at least in the second tier.
Daniel Farke and Norwich City have been good for each other – no question – and as a person, he fits the mould perfectly. Understated, calm, thoughtful and acutely aware of what makes the Canary faithful tick. In the same way Gareth Southgate modelled his England squad to reflect his own measured, calm persona, Farke does the same here.
He gets us and I like to think we get him.
Only good things can come out of having him here with us for a few more years.
Stuart Webber, of course, is the one who brokered this deal and who should be lauded for getting the team together in the first place. With no Webber there’d be no Farke, and for that we will always be thankful. For every good turn Farke has delivered, Webber has more than matched him.
But it was a comment made by Webber, as he and Farke faced the press in midweek to discuss Farke’s extended contract, that triggered an #NCFC Twitter storm the like of which we hadn’t seen for at least a couple of days.
The BK8 fiasco was, not for the first time, the root of the problem; namely, the fact that particular deal had to be ripped up and replaced with one that was substantially less lucrative.
Essentially, the impact has been felt in this summer’s transfer budget to the extent that it will likely equate to one less new signing – a non-signing that may or may not, some argue, be the difference between staying up and getting relegated.
Where it got messy was when a slightly tetchy Stuart alluded to the fact the BK8 deal had been overturned because of a noisy minority on Twitter who objected in the strongest possible terms to the company’s less-than-wholesome advertising methods. He also referenced some fans groups who united to put pressure on the club over the same issue.
I take his point.
Purely from a financial perspective, and in his role as overseer of the transfer pot, that decision was a costly one. I get that. And I get how the club can’t be seen to kowtow every time they make a decision that part of the City fan base doesn’t like. That would be a very dangerous road.
But, speaking personally, I don’t see how the club can purport to operate under the guise of a family club, one that places value on community and equality while taking the filthy lucre of a company that espouses not one of those values.
Even for a Premier League football club, some things are worth more than pounds, shillings and pence. The fans, in my view, were right to object in those strongest possible terms to BK8 being our partners.
I know some will disagree. If that makes me a ‘snowflake’, guilty as charged.
Let us know your thoughts (while, of course, still being polite and respectful).
OTBC.
I tend to agree with SW on this one. Yes, we aspire to being a club with higher morals and values than most, but we must be realistic and live in the real world from time to time. Yes, the BK8 deal was less than wholesome but Dafabet were no angels either.
I like Twitter but it does give a platform to those who shout loudest, and, in this case, they won. Trouble with that is that it gives them encouragement for the next time something happens that they don’t like.
For me, this Management team have done enough things right to be allowed to get on and do what they believe to be best.
And it’s a shame it has almost overshadowed the excellent news about DF staying for longer. He knows he made mistakes last time and I am excited to see how he goes about things this time around.
“I like Twitter but it does give a platform to those who shout loudest, and, in this case, they won. Trouble with that is that it gives them encouragement for the next time something happens that they don’t like. ”
You’re making some assumptions here. Yes the Twitter mob played a part but the furore reached parts of the fanbase not on social media and, most importantly, the club’s other commercial partners.
It was an appalling commercial decision which was rightly reversed. Had Dafabet’s less-than-savoury (and now no longer available, in English at least) methods been discovered then I’d have expected similar. That it wasn’t says something about the extent to which image laundering is used by brands.
Also, and perhaps most importantly, it was the club which scrapped an existing deal and replaced it with a new sponsor for no extra gain, and either failed the due dilligence or ignored what they found. SW should have directed his ire towards the commercial team and not the fans.
FWIW I agree that the BK 8 deal was a misstep. It beggars belief that it got that far. The question is where you draw the line. The very noisy self appointed twitter crowd do not speak for me as a longtime fan. We’ll all watch the world cup in Qatar, continue to buy goods from China despite their human rights record and buy sports goods made in less than equitable conditions. The whole thing stinks of hypocrisy. As a fan all I want to see is a successful NCFC team. As it stands we are still a long way away from being able to compete with the squad we have but there is still time.
As for Southgate I disagree. Farke is a much better manager. Southgate has had massive luck in avoiding the better teams in competitions and what was he thinking giving those penalties to the youngest, most vulnerable members of the team? Rank bad management.
Hi Gary
We all understand that some supporters like to think their club is whiter than white but they never are.
Bk8 was a good financial fit but not in their advertising stance it is very rare to get everything you want and a compromise has to be made.
Those that complained are not as you put it snowflakes but concerned supporters my question to one and all of them would be are your lives whiter than white.
How many had actually heard of this company prior to them being announced as a sponsor, who had used their site for gambling we will never know as they will never go public.
Lotus over the years have had many skimpy cland ladies suggestively positioned over their cars as do many others and all go well paid for their efforts.
BK8 were as we all agree more blatant about in their advertising and possibly the ladies were well rewarded by the company.
I just wonder how many city supporters go to Thailand, Vietnam or the Philippines to taste the delights of those countries.
What we do or look at in the comfort of out homes is private, for a gambling company to entice anyone by showing ladies on their sites to gamble is their choice but do you need to use that site.
It was a poor decision and someone was made to take the blame but the final decision wasn’t his it was the board of directors and owners. Now will they cover any shortfall in the transfer budget? No, they will sell another jewel while rubbing their hands in glee knowing they have got away with no blame
🤣🤣 really Gary, you have taken the bull by the horns here!
Politeness and respect may be early casualties of this topic I suspect.
For my two Pennorth, I sympathise with webber sentiments. How many times have I read somewhere that webbers candid approach and lack of a sugar coat on his pill are refreshing and his greatest strength?
Quite often, that candour will ruffle a few feathers. In the past, I’ve taken issue myself when he’s overstepped the mark somewhat. In particular I’m alluding to his comments following a turgid goal less draw with Bolton or some such.
This time, it would appear the target of his ire is a segment of the support most likely to be on message.
I refer to the plethora of ‘fan groups’ and social and local media mouthpieces, who toe the party line and take on the occasional dissenting voice. These little cliques and cabals claim to speak for the entire support and shout very loudly often from the pages of the local press.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the deal, there is a plethora of much worse collaborations in football.
As a ‘self funding club, we are already at a competitive advantage to almost everyone else. This whole furore and its fallout has just made that worse.
Football is a very rich man’s game. Simply by being involved in it we ate getting into bed with beelzebub. Even self funding needs a paymaster.
I promise you, politeness and respect will not be casualties. Without them, comments won’t be posted. Quite simple.
Simple choice really, if people want a successful club capable of staying above the Prem relegation zone then they must accept a financially sound business model. Providing it’s legal and recognised as being within the bounds of normality. Forcing the club to accept a smaller income will be detrimental Professional football =. business, big successful business. If Webbo is displeased he’ll probably say farewell to little Norwich, and if Danny is denied the players he needs he’ll probably lose heart and depart.
Sounds very black and white, Cutzy. Not sure it’s quite that simple, but as a snowflake, I would say that.
As a club with a larger-than-average female support, I’m not sure we all agree that anything about BK8 was within the bounds of normality.
Just my opinion.
Had to look up ‘snowflake’ in the Urban Dictionary. Didn’t have you down as an over sensitive person. But we are as we are, Norwich fans with different views. When I gave up my Barclay season ticket I watched one game in the River End (that shows my age). It was a different world, same colours but different, very different.
Hi Gary
Several MFW types have met me in person and I doubt any of them would put me in the *woke* or *snowflake* category [I hope not] but…
*I don’t see how the club can purport to operate under the guise of a family club, one that places value on community and equality while taking the filthy lucre of a company that espouses not one of those values* says it all for me too.
I might not always approve of what those at the top do and I’ve no time whatsoever for Twitter.
However we cannot be publicly seen as hypocrites – and this decision means we will not be on this occasion and I am pleased about that.
I get the fact that the transfer kitty has diminished as a result of the failed BK8 deal and I for one am quite happy to accept it. I didn’t feel comfortable with the deal when I saw some of their advertising material and as a family club, I think it was a bad decision that it was even considered, but we move on.
The highlight of the week was indeed DF’s decision to make NCFC an established member of the PL and I’m sure he and his ‘lieutenants, will do everything in their powers for this to become a reality. I know a few fans prefer us to be near the top of the Championship, than near the bottom of the PL, but on a personal note, I’d rather be playing the likes of Citeh, Arsenal and Spurs; than Coventry, QPR and Barnsley.
Let us just consider another reason SW may have made that statement. Webber is a wily old fox who has always made it clear that he doesn’t know where in the world his future may take him but he knows, with his ability and football knowledge it won’t be at Norwich City. With a CV as strong as his, you must agree it is sensible for him to get any excuses for an unsuccessful season in early and on record just in case.
And that Mike is quite probably the most perceptive comment so far.
100% agree.
You can’t talk about BK8 costing a player, while ignoring all the money we’ve had to spend to terminate contracts or wages we’ve paid for players who are “surplus to requirements”.
I get irked by the flip-flopping of fans on key issues.
A few years ago if you described a potential new owner as one that:
– Refused to put any money into the club
– Brought in foreign manager
– Brought in cheap/free foreign players
– Dismantled the fan loyalty scheme
– Raised ticket prices
– Attracted foreign investment via dubious sources
All the Delia fans would say ‘that’s not what we want at the club’. But that’s what we have. The fact that BK8 got as far as it did and that management have no issue with it, says it all.
Then as the Webber regime started there was talk of ‘never buying 5M quid players anymore’, ‘that’s not the Norwich way, we buy cheap and develop’ and ‘we refuse to put the club at risk’. Or “Webber’s doing it the Moneyball way’.
But of course now we’re buying numerous expensive players.
It seems to me that, at least a portion of the fanbase, will accept whatever they’re told by the club. I don’t see how you can agree with ‘We don’t want a foreign owner because they won’t “get” the club’, but also be in the ‘BK8 deal was a good deal’ camp. I don’t see how you can spend four years applauding the strategy of buying cheap/free players, then go silent when we’re spending 10Mish on Rashica.
I don’t really care which side of the fence anyone lands on. But pick one. It would be great if the club picked one too.
I’d like to think it was not as black and white as having to pick which side of the fence you are on and having to stick to it. People should be able to change their minds as long as it’s done with rational and considered thought. As opposed to just jumping on the latest bandwagon.
I’m with Tim N (previous comment), in that things are never that black and white.
And Norwich didn’t jump at a “Twitter storm” – Sorry, Gary, otherwise you provided a well thought through and considered article. They jumped because they had alienated a considerable proportion of their supporters. And, no, no-one knows how many because we weren’t asked.
And maybe that’s one of the problems with football. Clubs simply sell themselves to the highest bidder with no thought of consequences. Wonga is another example of this.
In financial terms, I am slightly puzzled that losing BK8 is seen as a major financial hit. I don’t know the absolute figures. Maybe a £5 million deal down to £1 million? But, in comparison, we will receive approx. £100 million from broadcasting in 2021-22. Plus many more shirts will be sold and kids can wear the same as their parents and their heroes, the players. It’s a hit but perhaps not as big as it’s being made out to be.
I am so relieved we haven’t gone the same road as Watford whose latest shirt sponsor is so dodgy it’s reported they are receiving the money in BitCoin.
But these are not black and white issues. The frustration for me is that it’s all left to clubs. We’ve already seen that there are recommendations that football has an Independent Regulator. Clubs are not allowed to take sponsorship from tobacco companies. They are not going to take money from arms dealers. I think it’s for government to determine whether it’s appropriate for clubs to promote gambling through shirt sponsorship. That way there’s a level playing field for all and SW and a few others wouldn’t be grumbling.
Evocative article, Gary!!
My thoughts…..
Personally – I enjoy on-line gambling. I enjoy looking at scantily clad women…. Ergo – no problem at all for me!
However… I am sound-minded enough to know the house always wins and that gambling can be the road to destruction. I know to draw the line after I’ve lost a tenner. I also don’t want my children to grow up in a world of sexualisation of women….
Your shirt is your brand and who you are as a club. So for me, that epitomises the values you espouse. And for that reason, the club should be looking at sponsors who replicate what the club are, at its core.
There will be reasons I won’t know….but why we parted with Aviva (Norwich Union) is beyond me.
Thanks Gary,
For what it’s worth I share your views on the appropriateness (or otherwise) of the BK8 deal. I don’t think many blue chip companies would want to be associated with them. For me the BK8 fiasco is more about a lack of due diligence on signing the original deal, but I also think the financial implications are overstated.. I believe the reported figures were £5m? Lotus didn’t get the deal for nothing, so what are we thinking – £2m? Total guestimate then of a £3m shortfall? That’s a lot of money, but as a % of turnover this season miniscule, and is not going to pay for a premier league player.
I get that Webber is frustrated at times but in this instance the club only have themselves to blame.
I agree with you Gary. Webber is persuing a false argument here.
The vision of any company comes from the people at the top – and BK8s’ marketing practices had no part to play in the vision of the majority shareholders. BK8s marketing methods were not compatible with the reputation of Smith / Wynn Joneses, or with the “family friendly football” they have talked about in the press, and which has encouraged thousands of season ticket holders to join – I’d like to think that the decision would have been taken regardless of the rightful condemnation from supporters groups.
Due Dilligence has already been mentioned, and I think that’s the key here.
It seems like the club got away with one when they signed with Dafabet. Dafabet’s overseas marketing materials aren’t far away from BK8’s in some parts of the world, but I think because most football fans have heard of Dafabet through numerous other club sponsorships, nobody went digging. I would like to think that had the Dafabet promotional material surfaced at the time, there would have been similar uproar..
The club chose to cancel that deal in search of greater sums of money, and signed with a company I’m pretty confident nobody had heard of. If typing the company name into twitter/instagram is all it takes to find objectionable material (which the club claimed to not have been previously aware of before brought to light by NCFC fans), the you haven’t done due dilligence. I think fans could tolerate a betting sponsor, accepting it as a necessary evil, but a white-label betting firm with the marketing materials BK8, was always going to be a stretch. The club should have been aware of it, a decision should have come from the very top of the club then (rather than, as rumour has it, as a response to the furore…) and then NCFC could have “ignored the noise”.
Speaking of the noise, twitter may have unearthed the marketing materials, but it made Pinkun/EDP/Evening News headlines, which will have reached a lot of people beyond twitter.
I think rather than blame the fans, the club should be thankful that their mistake wasn’t more costly. This episode will be largely forgotten in a few months, and the budget hole comes at a time when it isn’t an existential threat to the club. The club’s reputation is largely intact. Imagine the furore we could have had in a few months time when a BK8 “ambassador” has made a racy NCFC shirt and decided to prove to the world they can eat a whole banana in one go…. Good luck getting parents to put their teenage kids in the shirt once that images has been all over social media and local/national papers.
Webber is constantly talking about the need to be a custodian of the club, and maintain the financial health of the club so it’s still here long after he’s gone, Well, the same applies to reputation. You don;t get to make a quick buck by trashing the reputation/ fan rapport built by Delia and MWJ, and leave your successor to have to undo that.
But hey, we’re talking about that rather than why with 3 weeks to the start of the season, Webber and the recruitment team have made a net profit on transfers and given Farke a weaker squad to take on the Premier League than he had 3 months ago….