It was news that we kind of expected, but it still felt like something of a bombshell when it became real.
I talk, of course, of the news that Stuart Webber is to depart our club. We are yet to discover for where, and we’re yet to find out when, but we know it will happen at some point.
Armed with my impeccable sense of timing, I’d spent part of Tuesday morning penning a piece around how the sphincter was already twitching at the prospect of a Farke/Webber combo at Leeds United, given that rumours of Daniel to Elland Road had started to circulate.
If I’m being honest, the eagle-eyed among you may have caught a glimpse of that piece as I had actually posted it on MFW only for my dad to call me two minutes hence to tell me the Webber news. Yours truly with his finger on the pulse (as ever) 😀
But good ol’ Dad.
That piece was subsequently binned but had been driven by two things: a Nick Mashiter tweet that alluded to the fact changes were afoot in NR1 and that Webber had spoken to Leeds, and a report in the Daily Record that said despite Farke being high up on Celtic’s wanted list, they may lose out to Leeds.
Except it isn’t. Not quite. Because Norwich City’s propensity to do things differently even extends to handling the departure of key figures.
In theory, given that Webber tended his resignation to a heartbroken Delia Smith and Michael Wynn-Jones in March, his contract is such that he could still be here in March 2024.
He won’t of course. Things may end up playing out very quickly, but the preposterous notion that he could be here for a while yet, including playing his part in the handover when a new sporting director arrives, doesn’t sit particularly comfortably.
Not when, all of that time, he will be either be applying for new jobs or else doing the groundwork for one he has already acquired.
I tweeted out my concerns around the potential conflicts of interest a situation of that type could throw up but was reminded of both his professionalism and the fact that any club he joins is unlikely to be shopping in the same aisle as Norwich City.
But I remain unconvinced.
Let’s enter dreamland and imagine we are able to generate some decent funds through the sales of, say, Andrew Omobamidele and Max Aarons, and as a result we end up competing with, say, Leeds United for a player. And let’s imagine, for the sake of argument, that Webber’s future destination is Leeds.
With the best will in the world, how does that not create a huge conflict of interest?
I admire the sentiment. It’s laudable he’s agreed with our owners that he will hang around until a replacement is sought, but it still doesn’t feel right.
And that’s no slight on said professionalism.
I don’t doubt for one second he’ll give all he can to Norwich City in the time he has left. But he’s human. And it’s a fact that when that crossover time arrives, we’ll be getting nothing like 90 per cent of Webber.
However hard he tries, the laser-like focus so prevalent in the first half of his Carrow Road reign cannot possibly be maintained when he has so many other plates to spin.
I don’t know about you, but I want everyone at my football club straining every sinew to make it better than it is right now. And my god there are a lot of things that need to be done better and need to improve.
So many unknowns. So many loose ends. So much uncertainty. All of which helps precisely no one, including the supporters.
Our Martin penned a cracker of a piece on Friday in which, among other things, he went through the questions that the current state of limbo leaves unanswered. And, in addition to his fine prose, there were some equally cracking comments from our readers, some of which cut deep but highlighted the current state of flux.
Here are a few:
Jinxy: “It’s in an unholy mess in terms of all levels of management at the moment. Webber’s legacy would’ve been a very credible one had he just gone during our second recent stab at the Premier League, now it’s up for debate sadly.”
Kurt: “Under the current owners … we have lurched from one crisis to another, seemingly with neither sufficient cash or vision to move on from Groundhog day. Without a change of ownership, we are going nowhere.”
Ali: “Delia’s greatest achievement has been successfully convincing a significant number of supporters that mediocrity is the best we can hope for and that she is the person to deliver it.”
John: “A decade on from Lambert leaving we are left with a team that needs rebuilding, a £60 million deficit, and an owner who, despite this fact, keeps repeating the self-funding mantra.”
Roger: “It seems asinine to me he has the luxury of working his notice when he clearly has lost belief.”
Dorset Canary: “In my view, there are more negatives than positives regarding our Mr Webber. I am glad he is going and he should go now. I also worry about our ‘love in’ with Huddersfield.”
Inside Right: “Why do Norwich City always have to ‘do different’ because of the inadequacy of its owners?”
The above merely amounts to a fraction of the comments, but are all centred around an obvious theme. So for the sake of balance…
Stewart: “Delia and Michael instigated the new share issue which will end their majority ownership. It’s not the final step, but surely the largest one, to their ceasing to be owners of Norwich City.”
Ian: “I want it [the club] to be better, but I don’t want a murderous faceless regime as backers and I believe building the infrastructure is critical to avoid having builders waiting on site to see if the last playoff penalty goes in.”
All of which is, I accept, merely a snapshot of views of a few good people who are kind enough to read MyFootballWriter (thank you one and all) but does give a flavour of the in-limbo place in which our club finds itself at the moment from the perspective of some of the fans.
- The sooner the ownership issue is resolved (and made public), the better.
- The sooner a new sporting director is sought, the better.
- The sooner Webber leaves, the better.
- And the sooner we have on-field rather than off-field stuff to write about, the better.
But until then…
Nice one, Gary. Kurt has it right. We no longer need a muti-millionaire – or even a single billionaire – we need a foreign state to fund us to even have a hope of competing. Sadly, the cause is lost. The days of Nottingham Forest, Watford and Southampton seriously challenging the status quo went out with man perms.
So what is success in current terms? Probably about what we have. Sadly…
My understanding of a rolling contract and being an ex contract worker didn’t mean that I always had a 12month deal.
It meant that no new terms need to be agreed and that everything stayed the same with pre agreed rises unless one or other parties decided otherwise.
Webber saying he resigned in theory his notice isn’t 12 months he should have walked the day before the renewal date,
It really is a poor term its more an open ended contract until either party terminate the deal and Webber did that on the day he resigned.
Chris see below
Meaning of rolling contract in English Cambridge Dictionary
A contract that continues until someone decides to end it, rather than one that continues until a particular date: You may be asked to consider whether you prefer a rolling contract, i.e. one which continues until the required period of notice is given. Compare. fixed term.
So unless Webber’s deal is a 12 month notice period then he run off to Loiners after agreed period, who in their right mind agrees to a 12 month notice unless its for money reasons but no future employer will wait that long.
Very much in limbo ATM, when does Webber climb Everest, can’t be helping any future plans, better for other clubs if he’s still being paid by us before he becomes available .
Leeds followers seem convinced he’s going there, if he is, this as you say is a massive conflict of interest.
Put him on gardeners leave.
The Club is a private fiefdom that dislikes the press. They understand that they need supporters to hand over their dosh so allow some publicity regarding the players but anything else is none of our business. The concept that the Club belongs to the fans and the Directors manage it on our behalf is alien to them. Some of them own the club which is a different matter, for example who owns the Crown Jewels and who do they belong to? Just to muddy the water a bit more, how much dosh have the owners put into the Club and how much would they get if they sold, compared to how much have the supporters collectively paid with no financial return? Is a bit more transparency too much to ask? Are we in this together? Apparently not.
Hi Cutty
You say *the concept that the Club belongs to the fans and the Directors manage it on our behalf* is alien to them.
But hasn’t Delia said very many times during their incumbemcy that MWJ and herself are mere stewards whose role is to preserve and nurture the club for us, the fans?
Perhaps her idea of preservation and nurturement is different to yours, hey?
And different to mine.
And far more importantly, maybe it is different to that of the vast majority of City fans from Penrith to Penzance and Dartford to Darlington.
Marty, sounds like the National Trust.
My suggestion is for NCFC to confiscate (and/or make an evidential log of all calls on) the Webbers phones until SW has left the room. He should be put on gardening leave with immediate effect. Any player / agent negotiations (calls texts and emails) should be monitored and kept in a locked box until his relationship with NCFC ends, his P45 is issued and he is banned from Colney and Carrow Road.
What business has SW done since January when he made his mind up to quit? To who’s benefit?
(He says March he would say that wouldn’t he but January when he got Wagner the die was cast IMHO)
Good point Roger, as soon as it became clear that Kieran Scott was off to Middleborough SW put him on Gardening Leave as there was a conflict of interest.
Just as there is now with Stuart.
What is good for the goose….
Hi Gary, another great piece!
This is yet more proof of how inadequate the owners are running a business yet alone a football club.
Questions need to be raised by the board and fans?
If Stuart Webber gave his notice in March, then a search should have started then someone appointed? New players recruited under the new SD.
The current situation despite people’s opinions of Stuart Webber is worse.
We have somebody coming in with a mammoth task of operating under this ridiculous structure, a manager/players who are not his choice with no money?
Wagner was Webbers man. His track record is poor and last seasons last 11 games speaks for itself.
Our transfers thus far speak mediocrity at best.
I hold no hopes for this season and if we thought the atmosphere at Carrow Road was bad with Dean Smith, this season will take us to new lows!
The answer is simple, new ownership with solid investment, business leadership and ambition!
Hi Gary
Firstly let’s with gritted teeth congratulate are Scottish contingent on a nice win last night with McLean getting the winner, Gunny losing his clean sheet record to a penalty.
49ers group the new Loiners owners have a temp in place namely Nick Hammond on a 3 month rolling contract but expect to have a permanent man in place by September.
As you allude to the deal for Webber is done and dusted or why would they not give said Hammond a longer period.
As the song says Silence is Golden but in this case it’s deafening, there’s been to tantalising names thrown into the mix, no name about who’s leading the search or is that Webber.
City do things differently is the owners mantra is that good business practice or them just being obstinate and not wanting to listen to sound advice.
Stewart Lewis says that they instigated the share issue and tha due diligence is being done but didn’t the American bill of rights take less time to finalise and they had 13 states to agree on everything, yet a pre arranged 195k shares to an agreed buyer at an agreed price is taking on diplomatic proportions at a G7 meeting.
I’ll get back to my cricket and hope that things get resolved before my 73rd birthday in Oct but I’m not going to hold my breath
The only way is……sadly not up but down,while ncfc is a self funding club thats how it is.Only Delia and
her die hard supporters think its the right way,but the true fans know it will never bring success,Webber knows that too but he cant rightly come out and say it.Best if Webber went now,but we will still be in a mess on the pitch while the Geriatric’s are still in charge.
What gets me is the Daily Mail story about this , it has an official NCFC tweet in it in which the club states that Webber told the board about his decision to leave at the turn of the year.
Anyone think the turn of the year refers to anything rather than January.
So we have had not a lot of progress in getting in a new man have we ??
I penned something not dissimilar the last time it appeared Webber was nearing the end of his contract…
https://norwichcity.myfootballwriter.com/2021/11/04/two-exhilarating-championship-wins-but-a-failed-premier-league-survival-strategy/
It hasn’t exactly gone well since then.
But didn’t Delia say the first she knew was when he went round to her Chateau in Stowmarket for a cosy chat or tea and sticky buns
I really don’t understand why, having resigned, Webber wasn’t placed on leave in a high altitude garden. He really shouldn’t have access to information on how the future of the club is likely to proceed, given that he’s likely to work for one of our direct competitors. Having said that, I don’t suppose we can force him into a divorce so a complicated cross over of interest looks as though it will continue for a while.
The four bullet points at the end of the article are in line with my thoughts
It seems like we can’t afford to pay him off, I thought Adams at one time was meant to take over? I don’t want Adams but surely he can stand in. Basically he leaves when he wants between now and next march, what a set up we have.
What’s the latest off-field Leeds news?
The Whites are set for a busy summer after the 49ers Enterprises agreed a full takeover from Andrea Radrizzani last week.
A new manager and full-time sporting director are needed, although Leeds confirmed that they have brought in former Celtic and Newcastle man Nick Hammond to oversee the club’s short-term business as an interim football advisor.
Leeds are hoping to bring in a new permanent director of football by October who can then focus on the January transfer window, and it looks as if Webber could be that man after it was confirmed that he would leave Norwich following a smooth transition period.
According to Football Insider, Webber and Leeds are in advanced talks over a move to Elland Road, with the 39-year-old not expected to join until after the summer.
The report adds that discussions over a move are advanced and the expectations are growing that an agreement can be reached.
From Football Fancast Leeds
If Farke and Webber really are heading to Leeds, maybe they would see Pukki as their promotion maker again? We shall see…..
Soon to be ex-Norwich player Teemu again assisted both Finlands goals against Slovenia in a very important 2-0 home win. Transfermarkt rated Slovenias squad several times more expensive than Finlands, but joke page estimations have very little to do with player quality. Slovenian starting lineup was basically Serie A players, top turkish clubs players, top turkish clubs players. Their location next to Italy just makes player scouting a lot cheaper and easier. Because the majority of people are idiots and too lazy, they just look transfermarkt and their playstation fifa games ratings and make wrong conclusions. No matter how Finlands qualification games results tell others, they are just too thick. Based on those 2 Finland could never win any game, or are never a favorite against any team..
Finland played a 5-2-2-1 system, the system changed again and it depends on the opponent. Pukki didnt play as a striker, but as second striker, winger and attacking midfielder. His ability to make runs with a ball, keep a ball and challenge opponents defenders are incredible. His Messi type runs with a ball opened Slovenian defence and sometimes there were even 4 slovenian players trying to stop him. He was able to play for about 60 minutes, he had just been on holiday the whole month so was not physically in top form. Once again I was impressed. Local media has talked about how Kamara didnt start and Kaan Kairinen instead started. There was no drama behind that, with Rangers and Kamara there seems to be nothing else than drama. “Discussion” between Kamara and Rangers manager had become a situation where Kamara didnt play anymore and most likely will never play again in Rangers shirt. Finland plays the next game tomorrow against San Marino in Helsinki, again the game is sold out and the atmosphere has been praised as clearly the best one in sport in Finland. At the same time national team ice hockey games are claimed as the lamest ones.
Many fair points there, Gary.
I’d just offer this. If Delia and Michael had put Stuart Webber on gardening leave rather than agree for him to keep working, one person would have been dismayed: David Wagner. He sees Stuart (with justification) as someone on his wavelength, with the drive and skill to re-vamp a squad on the scale we need this summer.
Many Sporting Directors are wary of large-scale change in one window; Stuart is famous for embracing it. And it’s what we need right now.
This whole scenario makes watching paint dry positively enthralling.
What saddens me most is that despite being a staunch fan and supporter for almost 60 years, I gave up my season tickets over a year ago……..and now it doesn’t bother me a bit. Yes, I’ll still look out for the results, but towards the end of last season I didn’t even feel the urge to watch the highlights.
Even “poor billionaires” who own clubs are struggling in the Championship and below.
Until the Stowmarket duo relinquish control, or better, sell to rich people with long arms and short pockets (some hope), I fear the only way is down.
And that lot down the road appear to be everything we are now striving for which only makes it harder to bear!
O T B C
A starkly accurate summation and the usual well thought out replies.
The Attanasio “takeover” is now well into its second year, since naughty Rob Butler let the cat out of the bag with his pictures of Americans all over the Carrow Road pitch. During that time it seems like a dozen clubs have been bought and sold, one, in the case of Coventry being purchased by a City fan from Lowestoft – a City fan who, according to him, didn’t meet Lady Gaga’s stipulations for fit and proper owners of the Canaries. Presumably because he doesn’t share some DNA with her.
Webber’s revelation that he no longer, if indeed he ever did, believes in “self funding” gave an almighty clue as to his intentions. It’s almost as if he enjoyed toying with the support he so obviously loathes while smugly being in possession of all the facts.
His job, in effect, is impossible. There is no way he can carry it out to the satisfaction of the majority of the support. It must be clear by now to all but the weirdo fanboy following of the ownership that the aims of the owners and those of the support do not correspond.
The Smiths’ gushing love ode to Webber stating their “devastation” at his imminent (or not) departure was typical. How did this genius deign to slum it with “little old Norwich”? How would we ever live without him?
Clearly they, and him, feel that Webber is bigger than Norwich City.
With some truly terrifying fire-selling in the month ahead and apparently not so much as a pot in which to piss, one wonders what will emerge blinking into the sunlight come August wearing the latest 80 quid shirt. One thing is for sure, a poor start and Wagner and the docile board of directors will be feeling the love before September.
In another article somebody mentioned trust in relation to the people running the club. Right now, I wouldn’t trust them to run a bath.
Some good points there, Chris.
Your penultimate paragraph, touches on something that one eminent City supporter mentined to me yesterday – what if we have an absolute stinker of a start to the season and Webber is still here steering the good ship when it becomes clear the Wagner experiement is a futile one? Who, if anyone, would be in a position to act?
Another great piece – nail and head spring to mind. While there are more questions than answers forthcoming and while Mr Webber should be weeding his garden instead of leaving them to spread in the club, we all overlook another important factor.
What of Mrs Webber? Does it bode well to have husband striving his best for a another club, and his wife still holding power at City?
I cannot say I am full of of trust on this situation. People can shout they are professional and we have to leave it to that word again – TRUST. Not good enough.
We vote at elections for people we feel we can trust, a quick scan of the state of politics shows that is a great folly. MPs are supposed to be beyond reproach, but that has been shot to pieces over the few years
We have another situation forming of conflicts of interests
From Happisburgh to Hackney many of us are thanking our lucky stars we don’t have asset strippers or criminals running our club. Take a look a Lai at WBA, Ian Herbert writes in the Daily Mail (no my paper but my wba mate drew my attention). WBA have a more successful club than us over last 20 years of course.
Surely when Webber leaves his wife has to go too?
You rightly talk of a “conflict of interest” while Webber is in no mans land between us, and our needs, and his new employer and their needs. But more importantly what happens when Mr & Mrs Webber are at home talking, over a take-away watching Coronation Street, about their separate clubs future transfer targets or their pillow talk about confidential boardroom matters?
D & M are likely to leave things as they are out of naivety in the short term but I live in hope that MA will see this as an issue and request Zoe furthers her career away from our club.
Employees can sign NDAs but a husband and wife situation is likely to circumvent that in reality.
Yes, he should be on garden leave. Furthermore his wife should not stay on the board after he leaves. Giving a notice period of a year is a joke. Who agreed to that condition in the first place?
It seems that he has been treated like a favourite son, and has run everything regardless. Fact is he should have gone instead of Farke, even he admitted he sent Daniel to war in the PL without any bullets.
It’s been nepotism at its worst.
Once again thanks for the therapy session. The situation at Norwich is a farce of epic proportion and it seems that perhaps the Attanasios may just be the latest prattfall. I’m a simple fellow and whilst I would love to see Norwich do a “Brighton” (remember that team that had no fans and the embarrassment of playing at a hockey ground) having a team that on paper and maybe grass look like they can play football against whoever turns up on a Saturday (win, lose or draw) isn’t too much to ask. Gaping holes at DM and No10 (even if signed from Gillingham for a handful of loose change) not to mention in management and ownership make trying to get excited about the new season seem like an extreme sport in itself. Not sure how much longer this can carry on. Time is up for Webber , Delia et al. If the Attanasios are not the solution they are part of the problem.