I walked to Carrow Road in the spring sunshine of St George’s Day to watch our Premier League match against Newcastle United. You know, those ex-paupers from many miles up the A1 who conspicuously attracted recent investment, albeit from an extremely dubious source.
I fell in with a trio of Mags on Prince of Wales and walked with them as far as Morrisons and as is so typical of these folks, there was much banter to be had. I occasionally went to Cramlington for work so didn’t need a translator and all three were great company. I think I’ve warmed to every genuine Geordie I’ve ever encountered and these lads were no exception.
They praised Dan Burn and Chris Wood to the hilt, although they were just as surprised as I was when Newcastle signed them, and said that Jamal Lewis has been very unlucky with injuries since he joined but they reckon he’ll be kept on by Eddie Howe at season’s end.
I naively asked why many of their fellow supporters were sporting Hawaiian shirts over their colours to be told “Why-aye man it’s for Joelinton. It’s the closest we can get to Brazilian national dress and it’s a current craze in the Toon“.
Sincere handshakes all round and we went our separate ways into the ground. Great people, great fun.
Half an hour later that warm fuzzy feeling [a term much loved by London-based office workers in the 1990s] had evaporated.
Mistakes-R-Us saw us 3-0 down shortly after the break and I admit it – for the second time this season I quit ridiculously early. A triumph for common sense over loyalty I would consider. I was by no means alone.
I was briefly held up by a steward I vaguely know as I attempted to leave Upper Barclay D Block and it soon became apparent why. Some guy a few steps down the concourse who was doubtless as frustrated as me was giving a couple of other stewards verbal hell as they attempted to gently guide him on his way out of the ground.
Profanity wasn’t in it and I don’t mean the guys in the orange Hi-Viz vests!
The stewarding team didn’t want to involve the police, so the guy I knew asked me to give his colleagues time to let him out of the ground. He asked me to wait for a couple of minutes then came down the steps with me to let me out – they’d had to man the fire door to stop the geezer trying to get back in.
Apparently, he refused to sit down after a couple of warnings and had been swearing loudly against Delia and Stuart Webber. I don’t conduct myself in that manner but I had a smidgeon of sympathy for him in a funny kind of way.
I had originally intended to quote Dean Smith and Grant Hanley and follow that up with an Inbox message from one of my NCFC supporting friends as I usually do on a post-match article, but when I read this comment on Gary’s heartfelt piece yesterday, I thought I’d let MFW commenter [Hoola] Han Solo assume the mantle as this says it all perfectly for me:
“The Webber debacle just sums us up. He has shown contempt and with this mountain project cannot be fully focused on his role. By saying he is 90% here is just not acceptable. What other employee would accept a statement like that? Instead, they are bending over backwards to keep a possibly disinterested employee.
“He is accountable for the horrific recruitment and should be addressing this instead of his arrogant attitude towards the supporters. He is quite rightly facing a backlash and should show more humility towards the fans that have this club’s best interests in their hearts and purely want a side that looks competitive in this division.”
I certainly couldn’t have put it any better myself.
Over my 45-year working career, I have been in public relations roles for both the Metropolitan Police and the chemical industry for about half of that time and I can say one thing with perfect clarity.
As unpopular with the general public as both those institutions were then and continue to be even more so today, I would far rather do that than PR for Norwich City Football Club. At least both of these former employers were prepared to listen to the advice that I and others were well paid to give them.
Maybe we wouldn’t always be given the green light on a reaction comment or a forward strategy, but our opinions were always considered.
This cannot be the case at NCFC as if Delia doesn’t shoot herself in the foot then Webber will. I found his Times interview disparaging at best and downright bl00dy offensive to the fans who basically pay his wages at worst. It’s getting to the thinking classes of the fanbase on an increasingly regular basis. The more this continues the more I fear for our beloved club.
As an aside, both Danel Sinani and Harry Toffolo scored for Huddersfield on Friday, Timm Klose for Bristol City on Saturday and Harrison Reid is PL-bound with Fulham. Ho-hum.
*** I’d just like to end by wishing my matchday mate Steve all the best – get well soon pal.
There are many, many versions of this totally appropriate song available but this one is my personal favourite. The camerawork is extremely Rod-centric but it will give any poor souls who never saw The Faces live, an insight into what they were like – loud, rough and awesome:
Good morning Martin and Gary has so eloquently covered the SW furore, I’ll move on.
I’m at a total loss as to how bad NCFC has become. 2 games where we actually showed some spirit and endeavour, followed by Saturdays’s gutless display. If only the rest of the team would show some of the workrate of Pukki, we wouldn’t be in the need we find ourselves in!!
Going forward, my main concern is that we won’t be able to attract any up and coming young players and I can also envisage that several of the current squad may feel it is time to move on as well.
All the incredible work done by DF and his coaches over his time at CR has been demolished, due to a wannabe mountaineer, who was unwilling to ‘fall on his sword’, but instead blamed someone else, so that he could keep his lucrative job.
#shameful
To be fair to SW and the recruitment team, they have already attracted young promising players in Flynn Clarke and Liam Gibbs, who along with Rowe, Tomkinson, Springett, Adshead Kamara et al., could form the basis of a decent Championship squad.
Hi Nick
I’m not too sure abou that I’m afraid.
Jonathan Rowe is the only one you mention that has seriously been involved with the first team squad thusfar and I feel we will need hardened Championship battlers rather than the current under 23s next season.
As ever, I could be wrong 🙂
Cheers
Hi Ed
Yes that’s a pretty fair summary of the situation and that’s for sure.
I too feel a bit of nostalgia for Farke, who had his own unique charisma and was a truly likeable bloke. I’m not saying Dean Smith isn’t likeable, but charismatic? Don’t think so.
We’d better hope to attract the youngsters because it’s highly unlikely that we’ll be signing any battle-hardened Championship players in the Summer.
#shameful
Small correction Martin: Jordan Rhodes and HT scored for Hudds. Danel Sinani had a cultured foot in each goal (sounds painful but you know what I mean). And Josh Martin got another for Donny. He is doing OK in the L1 basement.
My bad!
You’re quite right of course.
MorningMr P,surprised me a little,half expcted to see much,much stronger from you. perhaps that is my indignation creeping up.
What more can be said, I said in Gary’s bit yesterday, he always came across little arrogant, but put that down to confidence, perhaps I was right the first time. I cannot imagine many employers allowing a worker to leave for a few weeks to live out a dream. I think the door would be shown very quickly.
For me the willingness to allow him to go and follow in the footsteps and crampon marks of Tenzing Norgay, displays the stowmarker two true colours. It is more about the business than the football. I agree both go hand in hand they have to, but should the business side be way above the football,
As I have said before, Webber isn’t a man with a football history, only working the business side. I would guess he would know about as much as we do when it comes to seeing a decent player. He relies on those around him for advice. And that hasn’t been too great has it.
His displayed arrogance is steming from having the owners right over a barrell, in their shortsightedness, this typical Delia stance is furthering the divide that excists betwwen them and the fans, it will only get wider as this type of bloody minded management continues.
It looks to me as something is about to implode inside the walls of Carrow Rd, several staff members have disappeared out of NR1 to pastures new very quickly over the last few years: Stone ,Kensell and Dack, The Turners went just as quick, other depts have lost staff also. All appear to have a gag slapped on them
Only one way for him now is out of the door for good, it is a dangerous (for club and fans) situation to have a SD further ailinating the fanbase and out of touch with them. The blame lays with himself and the owners for letting it get to this point.
As to the game, I turned off the radio as soon as the 3rd went in. about the same as leaving the ground early . Disaster after bright shoots of the previous games.
Hi Lad
Yes I was milder than expected cos Gary said it all yesterday. Being on of a Monday provides more time to think but sometimes it can be after the Lord Mayor’s 🙂
Even with a poorly recruited squad that showed itself not be fit for purpose we could and should have done better than this.
To add another ill-timed Henry Winter interview in the Times at this point shows that Webber really cannot *read the room* as the modernists like to say.
#shameful
**Cheers Ed, that’s a good sign-off for me to use today!
Webber’s always been a charmless individual (let’s face it – how many CEO types are particularly likeable?) but it’s easier to handle when they are putting in a shift and making a good job of what’s in hand, which he did exremely well in his first couple of seasons. Now we have a man whose ego has become so inflated that he could save on crampons and float to the top of his mountain range unaided.
I hope our feeble majority shareholders (who he is running rings around) see sense and not only get rid, but have the decency to look at alternatives to their own increasingly hapless reign.
Hi Jason
Good observation on the CEO’s.
I met David McNally a couple of times and I liked him very much. I met a previous incumbent and really didn’t like him at all. Personal perceptions I guess.
Get rid of Webber? Sounds like they’re bending over backwards to keep him here.
#shameful
Another good read Martin.
I’m afraid Delia has consistently warned us that without her at the helm the club would become a Wigan or a Sunderland and now to prove the point she’s showing us how it’s done.
This club is in as desperate need of a new owner now as it was at the end of the Chase era!
Hi John
There’s much more vibrancy surrounding Wigan and Sunderland than there seems to be in NR1 at this point in time.
Many people know when it’s time to give younger folks a chance. We’ll have to wait and see what Tom Smith does wen he inherits in many years time.
I’m not holding my breath in anticipation of any tangible improvement.
#shameful
Same here Martin, perhaps Delia will add Will Smith ( you can never have too many Smith’s ) to the board for a bit more punch and Father Mulryne for divine intervention 😂
If we have got to the point where ultra fan Marty is thinking on 58 minutes of the match on Saturday that he would rather be at home in his garden we really have reached a new low.
OTBC
I reckon Father Ted would do as well as Father Phil 🙂
Your pal Marty stayed a full five minutes longer than I did.
I always think The Faces are undermentioned when people talk about great rock bands; some real belters,
I believe that after the home defeat against Watford on September 18 I emailed you to say that I thought we were in the sh1t. It was clear that the players we had were nowhere near good enough to let us even think that we could stay up. It seems that if I had been in charge of recruitment I would have had 2 choices:
1. Although I had no money to spend, I could have done some wheeler dealing, used contacts, got rid of some players and brought in others in an effort to make the squad even a bit competitive.
2. Planned a trip to Africa to climb a mountain.
Our season since 18th September could have been predicted then. I’m off to the Aston Villa game next weekend, it seems a very long time since I went to Villa Park and saw us win the league. My post match conversations with my Villa supporting friends will be very different this time-I’m sure none of them will remember my celebratory tone from then!
I read Webber’s debacle of an interview on Saturday. It feel s that some of The Faces’ dismissive lyrics in their brilliant Stay With Me are in keeping with SW’s present attitude.
It’s the implication from Webber that he effectively gave up on the January transfer window which is the biggest kick in the teeth. All agreed by the board of course,
Sums up the season. Totally half arsed from boardroom to pitch.
I don’t even think we’ve had a quarter of an arse.
Cheeky 🙂
It was pre-ordained as we all knew so Webber obviously thought *that’s fine by me, I’ll pi$$ off to climb a couple of mountains.*
#shameful
Hi Don
Saw them three or four times and they were brilliant – Glen Matlock auditioned to Three Button Hand Me Down apparently.
Did it all go wrong against Watford? Not for me, the writing was on the wall before then and apart from a couple of brief blips we have been so easy to roll over.
I doubt any of our Board have ever knowingly heard Stay With Me in their lives, which is very much their loss rather than ours.
#shameful
Excellent Martin.
Can anyone honestly tell me that our “team” on Saturday were playing for their Premier League futures?
One would have at least expected some fight and effort after their two previous performances, but it seems that the vast majority are lacking any semblance of cojones.
However, if the Sporting Director is allowed to spout off that he has permission to only give 90% to remain in-situ, what sort of message does that send to the underlings? I’ve always thought that in the PL a minimum of 110% was necessary.
It’s gone; it’s over……but the substitutions still baffle me. 3 – 0 down at home and we take off a central defender to replace him with a bit of creativity or goal-scoring threat?? Not at NCFC where it’s for a full back so that the guy at full back can move to central defence…..confused?? I most definitely was.
And given our parlous state, once again the craziest thing has to be, where is Sorensen? He truly has to be one of the worst performers at Colney in recent history. I cannot see that he is any worse than the rabble we’re seeing at the moment.
We stuffed Burnley, but just look at where they are now!!
O T B C
When Webber pointed his finger at Daniel, he should have looked where the other three fingers were pointing.
Giving Daniel the sack it was partly to take the heat of himself.
Now his wife is on the board…………..no chance of him following Daniel out of the door.
Perhaps hopefully Neil Adams will have the final say on recruitment in the next window, heaven bid should SW waste any more of the cash.
Hi Ken
Webber was [allegedly] using a few hand gestures to fans on Saturday but surely the index finger should point to himself?
#shameful
Hi John
Cojones? Nada.
The absence of Sorensen continues to amaze me, particularly now his injury is apparenty behind him. I just don’t get it, I really don’t.
Jackson has done great things with Burnley for sure and at least they’ve mad a fighting chance for themselves. I don’t like the way they play but [genuinely without being vindictive to their wonderful supporters] I’d love to see the look on Funtime Frankie’s face if they dropped through the trapdoor with us and Watford.
#shameless
Some while ago, I read a quote in a daily national that described Norwich City as the Manchester city of the Championship. It was noted that upon every recent promotion that they reverted to the Norwich City of the Premiership.
It’s not easy to work out why , is it, or.
Norwich assemble a squad in the championship that plays good football above championship average. Players transferred out of that side to an established Premier outfit fit in fine. Madison , Godfrey, Murphy ( Newcastle).Buendia. Most of them anyway.
It’s when they go up en mass that there is a shortfall. What’s missing , established Premier league players with a bit of nous about life up there .
Enter the recruitment team , it’s ok going for overseas kids who can develop but they don’t have the premiership nous I’m looking for. But in both summer windows after promotion that’s what we got, being told we can’t afford players with that nous. Tsolis and Sargent , nice lads cost £25m so don’t tell me we couldn’t have picked up a bit of premiership experience to bolster that midfield .
And that’s down to the model and Webber’s recruitment.
As I said yesterday the self funding model relies on the gamble of finding a Maddison each year to subsidise our inadequate owners. This means instead of spending £60M on two or three proven quality players we buy a bunch of hopefuls who aren’t up to the challenge of the premiership.
I don’t think Webber is required to spend money on anybody without a potential sell-on value. We have to keep the private party going after all.
Hi Bernie
Between them Sergant and Tzolis seem the biggest waste of money since Naismith.
Webber used to chirrup on about paying for the sins of the past but surely they were no worse than the sins of the present.
Precious little will be made available for summer recruitment, basically what we can get from the sales of Cantwell and Aarons and a large slice of that will be diverted into the great black hole that is known as self funding.
#shameful
I got lucky, I missed the game because it was our bowls club green opening day for the new season. I couldn’t bear to watch our game highlights (?) on MOTD, but did watch last night’s MOTD2, so I’ve seen the goals. My son was at the gam, and tells me that for almost thirty minutes, we were quite good, but capitulated after the first goal.
I don’t know where we go from here. I’ve not been one of the Delia out brigade up to now, but I think we’re at the point now where something has to change.
Confidence is everything with this team and they are fairly brittle – so can crumble quite easily if they go behind.
I still think the issue is on the coaching ground – under Farke and under Smith, the same mistakes are seen. Players coming through midfield unmarked, players coming in at the back post unmarked, losing the ball around our box etc. If a player gets caught in possession and it results in a goal, surely the coaching should be just to give it to someone else quickly or hoof it and get it out of danger …. I would like to lose 11-0 and have every player all make their mistakes in one game and get it over with rather than make them all in different matches and we lose most games
Hi Dave
As much as your final comment is spot on, it made me laugh 🙂
Too much same old, same old isn’t there?
I’ll rever to *Cheers* for your comment.
Hi Jim
Yes we were quite bright for the first 30 and had a couple of good chances.
Delia is an immovable object as she has created foundations for herself far deeper than Medieval castle constructors could manage when they built the keep.
#shameful
A fine read martin and some great responses.
Captain cock up was again in residence on Saturday, it seems that no player at either end of the pitch is immune to this torpor.
I sat in total silence during the duration of the second half, unable to muster a vestige of excitement at our flurries in the opposition box or the efforts on our goal, all thankfully repelled by krul.
With regard to Webber, nobody should be surprised. We knew what we were getting. His successes have earned him a modicum of leeway, leeway which has long since expired.
He has a propensity to poke a stick at City fans, in much the same way that delia Smith likes to have a snide dig. Often they use the same medium, the slimy Henry winter.
What is clear though, is webber desire to unburden himself from norwich city. Why else follow up his ridiculous interview by engineering a number of confrontations, there was at least one other, with supporters he knew full well would be disgruntled and volatile? He’s no fool, webber.
Where he may have miscalculated is the impact all this has on his wife’s position. Guilt by association and a direct link to delia and the dozy board of directors.
Who knows, when the dust settles webber might just have done us all a favour.
Hi Chris
Well done for sitting out the 90 mate – I just couldn’t I’m afraid.
Henry Winter seems to have no affection whatsoever for NCFC so I agree it’s a strange choice of outlet but surely no coincidence that he is used by both Delia and Webber.
Sometimes it seems like the Norwich Board are akin to the Nogdam End Village Hall Committee – if such a thing even exists.
#shameful
Hi Martin. In refereeing to winter I had in mind the spiteful article he published a few weeks ago.
Strangely, in a diatribe that damned our “model”, supporters, players, attitude to top flight football et Al. He managed to omit any mention of dear auntie delia.
I contrived to miss the article you refer to.
From what you’ve said I won’t be searching it out.
Martin;
I was in Nogdam End yesterday afternoon, and jolly nice it was too.
There’s no village hall, and consequently no committee. However, if there was, I am certain that there is no way whatsoever they would pi$$ the money up the wall as another board have (once again) done.
#utterly, totally shameful
O T B C
Ha!
I should have used Trimingham as an example really as I live on its border with Mundesley but *Nogdam End* has a certain ring to it 🙂
Great pieces from yourself and Gary in what is becoming an increasingly depressing, but somewhat predictable end to the season despite Webber going increasingly off piste. His position is now untenable, though any departure will leave Delia very exposed.
The board has shown yet again this season it has no desire or interest in the Premier League and any fan who wants otherwise will be disappointed. Quite how a EPL club can get away which such an attitude is bewildering as it uses the club as a battering ram against the league they are actually in. No wonder the media treats us with such contempt, because contempt is not just a one way street.
The club blames the system. The system isn’t the problem, because it is what it is. Nobody is going to change it and certainly not Norwich City. The problem is club not willing to play the system. Therefore we have the most unsuitable owners that any club could ever have. They’ve made it their ball and they’re not for playing. How does that benefit the fan? It doesn’t.
It would be nice to write about the positives about Norwich City, but the insular way of running the club in an obtuse fashion wins out every time. More the pity.
Hi IR
As seemingly always I agree with you at every turn, which is a bit scary 🙂
Anybody like me who grew up in the 60s and 70s gets the idea of *kicking against the pr*cks* but this issue is on a different level.
I mentioned Father Ted earlier and Dermot Morgan who played him said of his character: *Father Ted is an eejit who doesn’t think he’s an eejit*.
Maybe the upper echelons at NCFC might take that comment on board.
Thanks – great comment.
#shameful
Not the first time this season Stuart’s been less than appreciative of the fans. If he’s not with us, then he’s against us. Suspect he won’t be at the club this time next season.
I think he could well be gone before this season finishes.
A year ago I’d have said *be careful what you wish for*.
Right now I hope you are 100% [not 90%] correct.
Once he’s gone I suspect we’ll get all kind of stories, from him (blaming the club for his failure), and staff the club too afraid to talk.
Hi Dave
On leaving the Met I had to sign an OSA declaration, which I’ve never breached in public nearly 40 years on, tempted as I’ve been over the years, as I just thought oh shucks, it’s not worth it.
I did the civvy equivalent at BASF but as I never had a bad word to say about them anyway it has never bothered me.
What NCFC’s stance is on this issue I have no idea.
#shameful
.
Hi Trunchy
I’ve known quite a few of the staff who have worked for NCFC over the years and they have been uniformly loyal, hard working and dedicated – fair play to them for that.
After a few beers the truth about certain happenings sometimes emerges, and it isn’t always reassuring.
Nuff said.
Hi Martin
Webber is sadly a full qualified coach he got his badges while at Wrexham I understand from an ex RAF friend he did them at the same time as Steve Cooper the Forest Manager when they were both at Wrexham.
Webber joined the Loserpool academy as a youth coach them into recruitment there before moving on to a few DoF roles prior to Huddersfield then us and on joining City his previous clubs owners said this club will survive without him it’s not all about Webber so was that an early warning shot over the City bows.
As you know I have never been a Delia supporter and think that Geoffrey Watling made a bad choice in selling his shares to these owners but like many was bamboozled by them and now we have no GW to come riding to the rescue as we are so often lead to believe.
We have seen many back room staff from coaches, recruiters and head of finance leave for pastures new and we will never know the truth of their departures, many are being successful at their new clubs so is it how the club is run that drives these people away or a toxic atmosphere where they aren’t being allowed to preform to their best ability again we will not know it will be all behind closed doors.
Will SW see out the remainder of his 1st year rolling contract or will the plug be pulled only time will tell but he has proved a good firewall to the Smith and Jones but has he gone one step to far and if he went would they put Neil Adams in that slot????
Hi Alex
Going back in time I think Sir Geoffrey would have sold to absolutely anybody as he knew he was getting too old for all the hassle of high-profile involvement with a football club and I can’t find it within me to criticise him, I really can’t.
There is a reason why the folks you refer to left. Steve Stone, Ben Kensell and Kieran Scott were the key departures for me but we will all have our own thoughts on what their reason for going was. I’ve got a hunch anyway as in the new, empowered kid on the block likes to dispense with potential rivals.
A bit like lions in the Masai Mara in a way.
#shameless
Morning Martin, Mistakes-R-Us 😂😂😂that was brilliant.
I said a lot yesterday so I will keep it brief today.
Whoever thought it was a good idea to let that Times interview go out on Friday is either incompetent or has a touch of the machiavellian about them.
I think it may have been the latter. I just cannot believe the contempt the powers that be at the club have for the fans.
I am surprised that we haven’t heard from Stuart Webber by now. I suppose he is waiting for the inevitable relegation to be confirmed and then speak. But the trouble is with him now being something of a part-time employee I just cannot understand why he can’t see the problem this interview has caused.
If we sat in Brentford’s position in the EPL would there have been this fuss over his adventures ? Raised eyebrows maybe but nothing like this understandable outrage.
Surely Stuart can see the optics in this ?
I do think it is time for a parting of the way. I feel Neil Adams is an excellent replacement who will do his utmost in the city cause.
Over the years the club have shot themselves in the foot with diabolical PR so I suppose it is just
” Here we go again” 😡
Talking of Brentford …. In addition to all the Webber stuff that has been written in the last 48 hours (with which I agree, pretty much 100%) I was SO impressed with how Brentford set about Spurs at the weekend.
Energy, commitment, closing down the opposition with fierce (and generally fair) tackling and no little inventiveness in their forward (not sideways/backwards) play. How I wish our team had served up just 50% of all that over the past 30 odd games.
We were 10 points ahead of Brentford last season, and the only 2 differentiators I’m aware of between us and them this season are that
1. They didn’t sell their best player on promotion
2. They brought Eriksson in a brave but inspired move to bolster their defence and to provide inspiration and leadership.
The rest of their success this season seems to be down to individual commitment and collective organisation – the sum of the parts being much greater etc etc
Hi Bertie
I 100% agree with you.
They bought a couple of key players at the right time while we… didn’t.
Cheers
Hi Tim
My honest assessment is this, and as I write for MFW rather than Archant I feel I am at liberty to express it.
I would suggest that the head honchos at Carrow Road allow free rein for the PR guys to push out all of the genuinely fine work that the club does in the community to the local media, along with selective post-match quotes and the regular interviews with the players that are often reserved for the programme [sorry. Matchday Magazine] but even these will be checked by the green pencil before they are approved. You can just pick up on that feeling.
But as for Delia Smith or Stuart Webber giving somebody like Henry Winter of the Times exclusive interviews the PR team will only find about them afterwards, by which time it is very often too late to repair any collateral damage.
And that is why I said in the original article that I would never work in that capacity for NCFC as you cannot do a job with your hands tied behind your back and you are muzzled.
It must be extremely difficult for the Archant team that when an exclusive emerges via a national newspaper that they never, ever get a sniff.
I’m fed up with #shameful so from me it’s:
Cheers
If anyone wanted immediate proof of why promoting Zoe Webber to the board was a bad idea, a conflict of interests, then here it is.
Witnessing one Director escorting another back into the ground to avoid conflict with fans, over an interview that stated his disinterest at staying with the club, should shock even the happiest clapper. Yet here we are. That’s the trouble with journeymen.
The quicker he’s gone, the quicker we can progress.
Absolutely..
Nothing further to add.
#shameful
“As unpopular with the general public as both those institutions were then and continue to be even more so today, I would far rather do that than PR for Norwich City Football Club. At least both of these former employers were prepared to listen to the advice that I and others were well paid to give them.”
Never worked in PR, but as another graduate of Harlow College I do know how the media works. So I’m 100% sure that the first anyone at Carrow Road (other than ZW) knew about the Times interview was when it dropped late on Friday. Even if SW had told anyone about it in advance, the Carrow Road media team is now made up of a lot of faceless twentysomethings who are versed only in digital communications and hardly have the strength of character to be able to convince him that he was wrong to do it and then take some damage-limitation action. I’ve seen some comments suggesting that SW didn’t choose the timing of the interview appearing. Nonsense. He was in the driving seat here; his only concern might have perhaps been that the interview dropped after last week’s second season-ticket-renewal deadline. You’ll know this as much as anyone, Martin, but I’m surprised no-one has – at the time of writing – played the “I was misquoted” card. Or there’s the Delia Smith variation when it comes to dealing with Henry Winter: “I wasn’t given the copy approval that he promised me.”
SW cannot survive for long; at the very least I wouldn’t hope to see him at any of City’s remaining fixtures. If he’s stupid enough to attend then he – and the club – would deserve all the resulting flak.
I really don’t know where the club goes from here. The appointment of Neil Adams fills me with no confidence whatsoever, given that he was the manager who once signed Kyle Lafferty. The collapse in morale seen on Saturday does not give me any hope that the squad (because the bulk of it will still be here next season) can deal with what is going to be the mother of all relegation hangovers. And for all the talk of a string of great youngsters coming through I find it hard to believe that their potential can not only lead to a top-six challenge in 2022-23, but also be able to cope with any step up to the Premier League in the future.
And all these preparations for a gruelling Championship campaign have to be made during an incredibly short close season of just nine weeks, six days between May 22 and July 30..
Finally, as I mentioned to you before, I decided that after 20+ years I was not going to renew my season-ticket. To date I have had no communication from the club asking me if my failure to renew was an oversight, or if it wasn’t why I was walking away? (Other multi-million-pound operations would do this if long-serving users ended their custom.) The spirit of Stuart “if you don’t like it go and support another club” Webber clearly runs right through Carrow Road.
I posted my experience of cancelling my season ticket after 20+ years (and 60 years a fan, wherever I’ve lived) on MFW a couple of weeks ago.
I phoned them (a mistake – it took 40 minutes to get through) and only did so because I thought I’d missed a cancellation deadline.
I explained my 20+/60 years of fan-hood and my sadness in cancelling, and the response was “Oh yeah?” That alone vindicated my decision and said SO MUCH about the NCFC attitude towards its fans. And there’s been no communication since, of course …. I’ve just been a useful idiot these past few years, it seems …..
I remember your post.
Not had that experience myself because although I’ve come very, very close I’ve not yet cancelled my ST – 22-23 will be my 34th or 35th so it would be a huge wrench but I can completely understand how you feel.
You get more sympathy if you cancel a broadband contract by the sound of it – at least those types endeavour to keep your business.
This season I’ve only had one verbal dealing with the ticket office, but the guy on the other end of the phone was rude, patronising and unhelpful. I was quite pleased I didn’t have to call back again.
I’ve usually always had good service from them. Maybe it was a one-off but I get the impression it isn’t at the moment.
When DC was in charge of the ticketing office operation he and his team were brilliant, they really were. Ever since some other folks have come along it seems to be altogether different,
A big question is how much did he get paid for the interview
It seems everyone has hunkered down with their tin hats on hoping the fallout isn’t going to cause big protests
I doubt he got paid anything at all to be fair.
Blowing his own trumpet would have been reward enough.
A key part of the Webber mantra is “Buy cheap, sell at a profit “
So considering the signings of the last few years by his own standards he is a massive fail
Hi Sam
He does have something of the Sir Jack Cohen about him to be sure.
Good post.
As previously stated, I too decided not to renew my 2 home season tickets for next season. Again, I’ve had them for more than 20 years,. Prior to that, you could often pay on the day, and I’ve been going (although not to every game) since the early 1960’s.
Having worked for most of my career in customer relations, I’ve been shocked at the total lack of communication from the club regarding my non-renewal. I guess that since there is a list of people wanting my seats, the club feel that there is no need to liaise with those who are fed up with being treated like sheep.
Plus, I guess no longer being an STH I’ll not be invited to partake in any future fan survey, to be able to vent my anger via that channel.
The club now is, in my opinion, totally divorced from the fan base. The divide is as bad as it ever was when names like Chase, Roeder and Moxey were in the building.
But why should I worry, as Mother is, of course, in charge.
#shameful
I wouldn’t worry about being excluded from fan surveys too much.
Lord knows how many I’ve completed since they went online and I’ve never had a single response and nor have any of my NCFC-supporting friends – and that amounts to quite a few people.
I received exactly the same attitude when I cancelled ST, during Hughton’s 2nd season. I could see the way we were going. Farke/Webber combo did make me think I had made a mistake, but now I feel justified. A few seasons have flowed under the bridge and yet here we are again. The same disaster we have seen many times.
I inquired a couple of weeks about STs as my lad wants to go, would cost close to £65 just to go on the waiting list, what a bleeding rip off. Stuff the money-grabbing bar stewards that run the club
Don’t you hold back Lad – say what you think 🙂
Hi O-t-A-S-T-h
Much of my reply to Tim Ball [above] refers but I’ll add that I was only at Harlow College for four months until my big lugs heard that the Editor of the Gazette group, John Yeats, was in the head of faculty’s office asking if the College had a ready-to-go trainee reporter.
Me and my big gob gatecrashed the private but open door meeting and I stopped pretending to study
and started working. Probably the best thing I ever did career-wise, looking back over time.
Your point about faceless 20-somethings is very valid and I don’t see trawling NewsNow to copy, top and tail and paste an article as very rewarding but equally MFW and its readers has enjoyed many great articles from Connor Southwell and Sam Seaman – both those young guys can write really well and have moved on to Archant.
I’m not sure I would want to do their job these days though as all the fun we had in the old days has well and truly gone. without a doubt.
As for the decline in supporter empathy from the club I couldn’t agree with you more. Even the ticket office isn’t the same since a certain charismatic gent quit a couple of years ago. A new broom often sweeps out a lot of good along with the bad.
Great comment – thank you.
Hi All,
My prediction for 2022-2023 at some point is a leadership three of:
Russel Martin (Manager), Neil Adams, Delia. Just in case we are not depressed now 😔
Cheers,
Hi Pjct87
I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if that came to pass.
The hard part might be prising Russ away from Swansea!
Cheers