Stadium Development Proposals
- The Canaries Trust
- Jan 22
- 6 min read
Stadium Development Proposals - what did we learn at the Club’s AGM?
The club’s recent AGM was held against a backdrop of a recent change in club ownership, poor performance on the pitch and a bungled attempt at moving fans around the ground. Laurie Egan picks apart the happenings of the evening and explains what lessons may have been learned.
As a member of the Canaries Trust board I was lucky enough to be able to attend this year’s AGM. But this one was rather different to previous AGMs I had attended…I wanted to ask a question!
Before the AGM, held on Wednesday 3 December, I had taken soundings of what other fans were feeling about the stadium development proposals since they’d been put on hold by Mark Attanasio. I’m generally happier listening and observing, so I spoke to City fans, some online, some at my golf club and some in the Butterfly Cafe on King Street (my favourite pre-match breakfast haunt). I also spoke to fans in Yellows and others at the Supporter’s Hub, in the Lower Barclay Blocks B and C and the King’s Arms on Hall Road. I asked the same question each time: “if you had the opportunity to ask one question at the AGM what would you ask?”
Kevin and his wife Doreen from the golf club sit in the South Stand and had received an email from the club telling them they would have to move. They had been paying a premium for those specific seats and had sat in them for many years. They were incandescent. They felt disrespected and poorly treated.
Sarah sits in the Joma Corner and first came to Carrow Road with her father and grandfather, both of whom have passed away. She brings her children to home games now; they’re all keen City fans and travel from South London whenever they can. Her son has autism, although you’d never know it when you meet them. Sarah said they were really pleased at the start of the season because the club had opened a ‘sensory room’ in their stand. It’s a safe refuge where those feeling overwhelmed can go and watch the game quietly away from the crowd. At last they had a place of refuge on a match day. Sometimes, previously, they had made it to County Hall car park but if her son was overwhelmed by the crowds then they couldn’t attend the game because there was no place of refuge - they’d just listen to the game driving home in the car.
News that the away fans moving next to the Joma Corner was devastating for the family. The announcement that away fans would be congregating at the back of the Regency Stand was, understandably, difficult to accept and would become another unexpected and unnecessary barrier to them attending games together as a family.
I learnt that two delegates on the Supporters Panel sit in the Lower Regency Stand and were at the meeting held on 20 August when the proposal was presented to them in strict confidence. They were told this proposal is going ahead and there would be no changes. This section of the meeting was not minuted.
I understand there was a strong reaction against the proposals in what has been described since as a highly charged and emotional meeting. The Supporter Panel minutes of the following meeting of 4 November make interesting reading. The panel felt so disconnected they read a prepared statement to the club representatives which included this section: “we volunteer our time and energy in this role because we care deeply about the club and its supporters. We want to contribute meaningfully, not just react to decisions already made.
“We’re committed to engaging constructively with all topics, including the stadium improvements. But it felt right to start by voicing the panel’s collective sentiment, and to ask for accountability moving forward.”
Thankfully, by the time of the 4 November meeting, Mark Attanasio had put the proposals on “pause”.
Another friend, Bridget, sits in the Lower Barclay. She felt club executives should apologise for how the whole thing had been handled.
I agreed with this and so my question was going to be: “In my view an apology from Zoe [Webber] and Anthony [Richens] on how this issue has been handled is warranted and tonight is a good opportunity. We know the proposals have been “paused” because of fan vehement opposition, but if Zoe and Anthony aren’t prepared to apologise for their errors of judgment then just how much more upset, bitterness, frustration, anguish and despair the club executives need to cause within the fanbase before they would issue an apology?”
Did I ask my question?
No.
Why not?
As I listened to Mark Attanasio and Richard Ressler they effectively apologised. They said enough for me to realise that although Mrs Webber and Mr Richens were responsible for fronting the project and facing the fans, they hadn’t been given the authority to change or halt the process. That was something only Mr Attanasio and Mr Ressler could do.
The whole AGM demonstrated very clearly that Mark and Richard are in charge.
I think Mrs Webber answered one question; Mr Richens maybe three or four. My interpretation is as Executive Directors they have clearly defined briefs on what they can do but also clear understanding of the things they cannot do.
Mr Ressler made it clear that Mr Attanasio took the decision to pause the project. “It's on hold. We’re not doing anything at the stadium this coming season,” said Mr Ressler. “How did we get into a testing situation with something that we, in management, thought was a very good programme to do? “It’s very simple. We thought we had two seasons to go before we would be able to upgrade the stadium. Mark [Attanasio] said it best earlier today, he said we have three choices with Carrow Road:
1 - let it decline and fall apart,
2 - upgrade the stadium to maintain its historic greatness, meet Premier League requirements, and make it a great place where we can continually improve the experience fans have when they're there, or,
3 - let it decline and ultimately build a new stadium somewhere else outside of Carrow Road.
“Those are your three choices. We made the assumption that everybody wanted choice two. That may be right, or it may be wrong, but that was the assumption we made, and we thought it would take at least two years.
“Even then, I think we’ve all known up to now that how we did communicate was not to the standard we expect,” Attanasio admitted. “We just need to do better, and we will do better next time. I promise everybody that.”
He added that a big part of the discussion was how to better communicate with the supporters broadly, not just in how they initially did with the stadium plans, but broadly on all topics.
“I don't have the exact game plan for how we're going do it, but we're going do it in every area that we can,” he said, adding: “and I’m going to commit that we're going to do better because we are committed to not only having a team that sustainably wins, but also to a great fan experience, being a leader in the community and being a great place to work. We are going to communicate better with the supporters in those areas in multiple ways. We want to be more visible.”
The reinforcement of the commitment to listen over how the stadium moves forward is very welcome to fans, the Supporter Panel and the Trust.
The owners made repeated references to a Premier League requirement for away fans in the Premier League where ticket prices are limited to £30, which my colleague on the board has explained in an excellent MFW article
No one should be in any doubt that the stadium development will have consequences and some fans will be adversely affected. The planning applications that were filed in October are going through due process. Once approved they have three years to start work, if they don’t start work the application can either be extended or allowed to lapse.
The Trust will continue to work alongside the Supporter Panel to ensure the voices of the fans are heard within the boardroom and across the Pond. We find talking quietly, patiently making a reasoned argument but with passion on behalf of the fans is the best way to operate. We’re keen to engage constructively in this process with club staff and executives but we’re under no illusion the next stages will be very difficult but the key decisions will be made by Mark Attanasio and Richard Ressler.
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