Stuart Webber is set to leave his role as Norwich City’s sporting director after a six-year spell at Carrow Road. During his time at the club, Norwich have twice won promotion to the Premier League, but were relegated 12 months later on both occasions. Webber informed the board of his decision in March and work to find a replacement is already underway. Neil Adams has been appointed as Norwich’s technical director as part of the transition process.
Webber courted controversy in May when he said that women’s football was of “zero interest” to him and that he would not be forced out by critics after they finished 13th in the Championship. Joint majority shareholders Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones said they were “devastated” when Webber told them he wanted to leave at the end of his contract.
Webber began his career in Wrexham’s youth set-up and had a three-year spell as Liverpool’s director of recruitment before becoming head of scouting at QPR and later Wolves. He joined Huddersfield in the summer of 2015 and five months later oversaw the appointment of David Wagner – now in charge of Norwich – as head coach. Webber’s first task at Carrow Road was to oversee the appointment of Daniel Farke as head coach, who twice guided Norwich to the top flight before being sacked in November 2021.
During Webber’s tenure, Norwich broke their transfer record for selling players six times, including the departures of James Maddison, Ben Godfrey and Emiliano Buendia. Webber said he was grateful for the support he had received from the board and wished them all the best for the future. Following the news of his departure, mixed opinions will be held among Norwich City fans; some will point to his success in bringing two Championship titles to Norfolk, while others will highlight his failure to lead a competitive Premier League campaign.