On Norwich

I recently wrote a piece for @MyFootballWriter regarding the failures at Norwich City. Here is is below:



"My name is Ian, and 52 weeks ago this week, my Father took me to Carrow Road for the first time. Norwich lost to Spurs, which was expected I guess.

We caught the 11:15 train from Oulton Broad North to arrive in Norwich by midday, then walk along Riverside Road past Boulton and Paul's metal store, where in spring and autumn months, he'd by me a cone from the Dairyland van that used to park there.

We would be at the turnstiles for the old South Stand for half twelve when they opened, so I could get to the front to stand on a Corona pop box so be able to see. We stood there, as that's where he stood, as did his Father, among friends he didn't know the names of, but met every home game.

When the South Stand was turned into seating, we got two seats for the 1974-75 season near to where he used to stand. Money issues meant that was for just one season. But we went to carrow Road when we could.

A love of Norwich City is hard to shake, I have been a fan since then, travelled up and down the country when I could, and a season ticket holder when I could afford it.

I now support the club from The Garden of England, not having seen a game since before COVID, so get my information and passion from BlueSky and through MyFootballWriter. I retired this year, and for the last 15 years I was a quality manager, and an auditor of management systems, which is a deeply dull as it sounds. Quality Management is spelled out in an international standard, ISO 9001:2015, and details how management should act and behave in all aspects.

Section 4.2 details how an organisation (a football club, for example) should act in relation to "interested parties".

"Interested Parties are those stakeholders who receive your products or services, who may be impacted by them, or those parties who may otherwise have a significant interest in your organization."

I think you can see where I'm going with this.

But, the club should identify its interested parties, monitor what those interested parties want and feel, and communicate with them.

It is clear from the backlash relating the the "plan" to relocate away fans in the River End that no such communication with interested parties (the season ticket holders affected) before the plans were announced.

Chapter 9.3 of ISO 9001:2015 covers Management Review, and dictates how strategic management decisions and the strategic direction of the organisation is decided upon.

One of the nine inputs to be considered is the needs and requirements of interested parties.

Again, you can see where I'm going with this.

With my auditor's hat on, I see this as a fundamental failure of senior management in its obligations, and raises my auditor spider senses as to what else in management could be non-compliant.

If management is dysfunctional in its dealings and decisions regarding its loyalist supporters, how then are other decisions made regarding coaches, managers and players?

The final requirement is in change management. In making a decision regarding a change: what analysis was done requiring a change, and once the decision to change has been made, did that change bring the improvement as required. And this monitored on a regular basis.

What analysis was done in deciding that sacking Johannes Hoff Thorup and replacing him with the apparently similar Liam Manning? We can't demand the club reveal that evidence, but clearly the results have not improved. In fact they have got worse, so what analysis is being done to ensure that the decisions to fire and hire are correct?

I look at other clubs and wonder the same thing: Tottenham, Manchester United, West Ham, but didn't think my club, our club, would be another one."

Since I wrote the above, the club's majority shareholder, Mark Attanasio, has flown in from the US and took part in a supper call-in on Radio Norfolk. The stadium plans are on hold until consultations take place, but he has placed faith in Liam Manning, which he is entitled to do. But it also said there was no CEO who Zoe Webber and Ben Knapper report to, then the question from me is who decides the strategic direction of the club, if there is no CEO?

Who decides when things are not going as planned.

Wo approves the plan.

Is there a plan?

Up the creek without a paddle, heading towards a waterfall that will carry us back to League 1.