steven naismith signing for £8 million

[JF 694]

That''s strange I must have imagined that conversation I had in Curaçao in the Caribbean with a local about Norwich the place and football team....

[morty 0]

Oh, don''t we have any international footballers then?

[Indy 3,297]

After 4 out 5 seasons in the premiership, I find it very hard to believe any players hasn''t seen or doesn''t know where Norwich is!

We just use it as an excuse, th fact we have been linked with big profile players who see us as a side step rather then a good move. Let''s be honest a player moving from Inter Milan or Chelsea to Norwich or Swansea or Bournemouth is always going to be hard to pull off or expensive.

[T 190]

I must have imagined the hundreds of people who didn''t know where Norwich is having spent my life living and working overseas. No one said the BPL wages are not an attraction or that it is a good option for players that are settled down but that Norwich is not a destination of choice for outsiders and the local transport links are limited from an outsiders perspective. There is a whole world outside Norwich believe it or not. Maybe some people on here know more about football transfers on here than big Sam but I doubt it. Doesn''t mean you can''t get players just that Norwich is not the destination of choice so harder to compete for young and foreign players.

[JayNCFC 14]

£10 Norwich airport fee is a big negative too - short runway as well, some people don''t like when landing.

[Buh 0]

Linked is a hilarious word!

[nutty nigel 7,528]

As is the pedestrianisation of London Street....

[Indy 3,297]

Well can''t believe you T, I''ve been to Prague recently and Sweden for work, all the people I''ve spoken to recently have a very good knowledge of where Norwich is.

Agree that we might not been seen as a great place, but that''s down to money more than location, Manchester and Leeds are shiteholes compared to Norwich.....that''s from work colleagues who live there.

Still hope you meet someone soon who knows where Norwich is......good jod Hitler didn''t win, he was going to make Norwich his UK capital.....if rumours are to be believed 😊

[T 190]

I don''t doubt that people have met people overseas who know where it is but I live and work overseas and I have not. And why should - it is hardly a well connected overseas tourist destination. I''ve never said it is not a nice place. Not one of the best places I''ve spent time in but still a nice place. I can see it from a local perspective but also an outsiders perspective. Relatively low wages and a provincial destination make it harder to compete. Some people may think they know more about transfers than big Sam but I don''t as I''ve never been a football manager.

[Katie Borkins 1]

The Holiday Inn corner infill and lack of big video screen has put off a number of internationals from signing for us.

[Indy 3,297]

You said hundreds of people, that I find very hard to fathom that many who don''t, but then if it''s America, I could.

It''s not the attraction to young or old footballers outside the UK but a stepping stone into the premiership, it''s about money 90 % of the time and agents advice.

[T 190]

Also not widely known in Europe. Why would they? What is Norwich famous for? What are it''s internationally known tourist attractions? How do you get there easily if you are not Dutch? Still the BPL wages make it attractive but tough sell compared to other clubs. I suspect though that because we didn''t get the players we wanted and saved on half a seasons wages there is a bit more to play with. Also helps we are not in relegation zone and on a good run - still in the bottom 6 most likely relegation candidates but Villa and Sunderland more in trouble so probably players are looking at a 25pc risk of joining then being subject to a relegation clause.

[Mr Jenkins 0]

Norwich is know internationally BECAUSE of the football club. The PL is shown all over the world, I watched the World Cup in the US and Norwich as a club was well known by those interest in football there.

Whether it is known as a great place to live is surely down to what each individual is looking for.

Getting players to come is about money IMO for the sorts of players we are looking to attract, their not coming here cos they want Champions League are they. But what they would want is some confidence than we ain''t going to be in the Chump next season, our recent run has assisted us greatly in that respect and our recruitment task should be easier than it was in the summer in that respect.

[Indy 3,297]

Well I''m sorry but like Morty I''m all over Europe and Scandanavia and I''ve not come across hundreds who didn''t know about Norwich, most new where it was and certainly heard of Norwich!

Still the attraction is no different to any smaller city in any top flight country, Germany, Italy or Spain, we are certainly known by all agents and footballers, money and ambition is key to our signings, we won''t ever get huge signings here but were in the game for 80 % off players in Europe along with about 100 other clubs battling for the better player like Bologna, Celta, or Nuremberg.

[A Load of Squit 5,161]

So that''s why all those tourists that visit each year look completely baffled, they no idea why they''re here, what they''re meant to be seeing and how they got here.

[Mr Jenkins 0]

Most of the, clearly arrive here by mistake. Easily done😄

[Tetteys Jig 830]

Have to say I think that most may have heard of Norwich of people I have met abroad but often they know little about it or where it is.

Yes, older and wiser folk know it and often know the odd bit of history etc about it but the sad fact is that people will know more about the cities of London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, liverpool and Newcastle to name a few. Smaller cities similar to us like Coventry, stoke etc are seen as "close to Manchester or Birmingham" etc.

There will be foreign potential signings and indeed English potentiapotential signings appreshenseve about moving to Norwich because they don''t know enough about the place and how great it is. They will worry about transport links for seeing friends and family and worry about lifestyle. In most cases, they will do a bit of research and see its a great place but it doesn''t make for a great first impression when your agent touts a move to somewhere you don''t know about or know where abouts it is.

[Mr Jenkins 0]

If you''ve got half a brain you''d find out about the place.

Contacts with existing players can help, like when Mkobani came.

[Keith Scott 244]

Jesus why can''t people accept Norwich is not, never has been, and probably never will be an exciting destination for young people with money, ambition, and dreams of living the fast life. It''s a fine place for people with families who want the quiet life which is why many former players retire here. Many football clubs are based in unfashionable towns/cities but virtually all of them are an hour or less from a big vibrant city. Norwich is slow paced, isolated, and is supported by third world transport links.

[Hairy Kenneth 0]

Is it that much of a hardship for players to travel 1 1/2 hours to Stansted if Norwich airport isn''t good enough? They could probably afford a private plane anyway.....

[T 190]

If they are into football they have heard of it but don''t know where it is - maybe knowledge depends on where in Europe you are. The point is though even if they do no one sees it as a place to go to and it is a pain to get to internationally. Big Sam said agents say players first choice is London. Then it will big cities with international airports. Location always a factor when people make job decisions which is what footballers are doing. For sure if you are playing in one of the smaller leagues then BPL wages will attract you - we are talking about how attractive Norwich is compared to other BPL clubs and major leagues.

[Hairy Kenneth 0]

Believe it or not-not all players want to live the fast life. Most of ours are settled with families.

Third world transports links? Not really.

[Mr Jenkins 0]

I don''t accept it Keith, it''s your opinion, mine is that they are all looking for different things, Norwich will appeal to some and not to others.

[Mr Jenkins 0]

Norwich is highly rated by students, they have a remarkable resemblance to young people to me.

[king canary 7,603]

@Mr Jenkins- do you really think students and professional footballers have the same priorities?

[Mr Jenkins 0]

I think that young people are young people all the world over.

[A Load of Squit 5,161]

[quote user="Keith Scott"]Jesus why can''t people accept Norwich is not, never has been, and probably never will be an exciting destination for young people with money, ambition, and dreams of living the fast life. It''s a fine place for people with families who want the quiet life which is why many former players retire here. Many football clubs are based in unfashionable towns/cities but virtually all of them are an hour or less from a big vibrant city. Norwich is slow paced, isolated, and is supported by third world transport links.[/quote]

Norwich is less than an hour away from Norwich, a big vibrant city with an international airport. I can''t say that I''ve noticed a shortage of young ambitious people with money.

 

[JF 694]

Can someone please explain to me how Swansea signed Bony?

[JF 694]

Actually don''t bother it''s obvious. Swansea is a big vibrant city with great night life that appeals to youngsters with money and is just a stones throw away from London

[Buh 0]

A series of fortunate events that started with Brendan Rodgers going to Liverpool and then getting huge compensation for it and then selling Joe Allen for a price that was probably arranged by Sepp Blatter.

War chest

And their owners are richer than ours