Carrow Road stadium expansion on hold

Fans got a chance to put questions to key figures at a forum on Monday

The executive director of Norwich City FC has told fans that the planned expansion of the City Stand is too expensive at the moment.

Zoe Webber's comments came during a meeting of fans at the Forum in Norwich on Monday.

She confirmed that safe standing at Carrow Road would be in place for the England women's game on Friday.

She also hinted that players may have to be sold to realise the club's ambitions.

The fans' forum was the first opportunity to question the Canaries' new head coach, Johannes Hoff Thorup.

He shared the platform with Ms Webber and the club's sporting director Ben Knapper.

When asked about the progress on plans to expand the City Stand, she said: "If someone could do something about the price of steel, that would be hugely helpful.

"We have master plans of development for the whole stadium but, in terms of expanding the City Stand, it's just too cost-prohibitive at the moment, just because of the cost of materials, the cost of construction.

"But it's something that we constantly keep an eye on."

She added that the directors were looking at ways of making the plans for the stand more cost-effective and at ways of changing the current structure.

Zoe Webber was asked about City Stand expansion at a fans' forum

Ms Webber told fans that the club's ambitions were constantly being reviewed.

She said: "We identify what those priorities are, what comes first and it might be 'right, we can do this, but, if you want to do this, we're going to have to sell one'."

On the positive side, she said safe standing at the ground would be "ready for the game on Friday and it looks really good".

The American businessman Mark Attanasio is a majority shareholder

When asked about the involvement of Mark Attanasio, who became a majority shareholder in April, Ms Webber said: "I think we're in a solid position.

"I think Mark coming in has enabled us to keep any debt within our ownership structure which puts us in a much stronger position than if you're being financed by a third party."