Norwich City chief explains summer of change at Carrow Road

City chief David McNally has issued a open letter to fans - thanking them for their support and pledging complete financial commitment to manager Paul Lambert.

McNally has overseen big changes behind the scenes since he was appointed chief executive last summer when he was faced with a debt that had risen to �23m.

The intention was to restore lost pride after the drop into League One. Phase one of that was achieved in May when City were crowned champions, with phase two beginning tomorrow, when City kick off their Championship campaign.

The changes have continued over the summer, with McNally thanking fans for their continued support, which has seen record season ticket sale sof 20,500 which he says is, “the envy of many Premier League clubs and speaks volumes for the commitment of supporters”.

“Thank you once again for your fantastic support and we look forward to seeing you on matchdays, at Carrow Road and at 23 other grounds around the country,” says McNally. “In return, you have my word that we will all be working extremely hard at both Colney and Carrow Road, and we will do all we can to bring some success to this great football club.”

In his letter, published on the club's official web site, McNally outlined the changes at Carow Road.

“With the new season now days away, I wanted to take the opportunity to mention a few of the changes we have made during the close season,” he wrote.

“As a club, our over-riding priority has been to give Paul and his team all of the support they need as we return to the Championship. Most importantly, it was essential to give Paul a competitive budget and the opportunity to develop his squad with his new additions arriving, in the main, prior to the start of pre-season training.

“Of course, the squad development needs to be compatible with our commercial budget and a key part of that has been the installation of over 1,000 new seats in home areas. The vast majority of these seats are already in place and have been installed at the front of three of the stands. Our aim is to help enhance the fantastic atmosphere you create at Carrow Road by moving our supporters ever closer to the pitch, whilst satisfying the increased demand of Canary fans.

“You will notice that the Carrow Road shop has also been improved recently and is now better placed than ever to look after you. The new home kit currently takes centre stage and there are exciting new products arriving.

“Within the catering kiosks, you will notice the introduction of new brands, products and sizes to compliment our food and drink offer. With larger products comes new prices but with greater value. We have had to raise prices on some existing lines too in order to create round pricing, which helps reduce queuing times, and in order to improve our margins. Any monies we make in catering, as indeed in any of our commercial outlets or enterprises, is reinvested back in the Club to support the first team squad, and so we hope you appreciate the need to make some changes.”