Hunt for new goalkeeping coach as Crichton leaves

The post of Norwich City goalkeeping coach is vacant again - following confirmation that Paul Crichton has left the club. Crichton was not at Saturday's League One game against Brighton and the Canaries enlisted the help of former Woking goalkeeper Lawrence Batty to assist with their pre-match preparations.

The post of Norwich City goalkeeping coach is vacant again - following confirmation that Paul Crichton has left the club.

Crichton was not at Saturday's League One game against Brighton and the Canaries enlisted the help of former Woking goalkeeper Lawrence Batty to assist with their pre-match preparations.

The 41-year-old Crichton, who spent three years as a player at Carrow Road, was on duty for last Wednesday's reserve game at home to Ipswich, but his exit comes a year after taking the job.

"It was done amicably and it has happened," said manager Paul Lambert, who did not expand on the reasons for Crichton's departure. "It's one of those situations which happened.

"We have to get a goalkeeping coach in one way or another."

Crichton was brought in from Brighton as goalkeeping coach by former manager Bryan Gunn early in 2009.

Batty, who was Lambert's goalkeeping coach during his time at Wycombe, is the man former City 'keeper Robert Green cites as one of his inspirations when he watched him play for Woking.

"We had to get somebody in pretty quickly to give us a hand and Lawrence was my goalkeeping coach with Wycombe and came to the play-offs with us.

"I know what he's like and we had to get somebody in really, really quickly who could give us a hand," said Lambert."Lawrence was really kind and has given up what he had to do.

"Paul did great with me but that's the decision."

The position of goalkeeper coach at Colney has changed hands several times since James Hollman left the club in 2007, soon after Glenn Roeder's arrival as manager.

Gunn, Stuart Murdoch - for just two days - and Tommy Wright all filled the post before Crichton's arrival.