Another key departure for Canaries

It was a day of departures both on and off the pitch at Norwich City yesterday, with a key official following players Julien Brellier and David Strihavka out of Carrow Road.

It was a day of departures both on and off the pitch at Norwich City yesterday, with a key official following players Julien Brellier and David Strihavka out of Carrow Road.

In stark contrast to that under-performing pair, chief financial officer Shaun O'Hara, who is leaving the club to pursue a fresh challenge in the bio-fuels industry, gave nearly eight years of high-quality service to the Canaries.

He joined the club in June 2000 and three years later played a key role in arranging the complex securitisation deal with AXA which provided funds to rebuild the old South Stand and re-structure existing debt, while helping the club keep its head above water during a particularly testing period.

O'Hara was also heavily involved with helping the club negotiate its way through the on-going re-development of Carrow Road and the surrounding land and was instrumental in the development and design of the new stand.

He is to leave the club to take up a new role as chief financial officer at Redox Biofuels Ltd, teaming up with Kim Ogaard-Neilsen, former chief executive of Lotus, to develop the technology and production of bio-fuels. The new business is based at Hethel.

“I have had an excellent eight seasons at Carrow Road, during which time we have experienced all the highs and lows of the football industry,” said O'Hara, 42. “I sincerely hope the current turnaround in performance continues and that the team climbs the table.

“However it is time for my career to take a new direction and I look forward to the challenges that the bio-fuels industry will bring.

"I would like to thank all the board and staff at Norwich City for working with me over the last very challenging eight years. I wish my replacement every success in one of the most exciting finance roles in Norfolk."

City chief executive Neil Doncaster paid tribute to O'Hara, saying: “Shaun has made an invaluable contribution to the club in his eight years and I would like to thank him and wish him well with his future career.

“The role of director of finance is a challenging one in any organisation, but the increasing wealth gap between the Premiership and the Football League means that in a Championship football club the role is incredibly difficult and very demanding.”

Toni Cook of Reed Accountancy has been appointed to deal with the recruitment process for O'Hara's successor.