Stuart Webber, the former Norwich sporting director, has been accused of “racial profiling” and “lazy stereotyping” after suggesting a group of black footballers he worked with might have ended up in jail had they not forged careers in the game.
In an interview with Norfolk local newspaper the Pink Un, Webber, who has also been the sporting director at Huddersfield and worked as head of recruitment at Liverpool, said: “We want to help the guys who really need it, not the ones who are maybe privileged.
“I saw that with our young footballers. Jonny Rowe wouldn’t mind me saying it but him, Abu Kamara, Max [Aarons], Jamal [Lewis], Raheem [Sterling] back in the day at Liverpool, where they come from it had to work out for them in football, because the alternative is potentially jail or something else.”
Kick It Out, the anti-racism body, said in a statement: “The comments made by former Norwich City sporting director Stuart Webber where he has resorted to racially profiling several players in an interview are deeply offensive and concerning.
“To read such callous language being used by someone who until recently was a senior executive at the top of the English game paints a very damning picture. Resorting to lazy stereotyping is clearly upsetting for those who have been targeted, but also shows a complete lack of respect for their families, who have played a huge part in the journeys that the players have been on.”
On Saturday, Rowe, the Norwich forward, had told the Guardian of his pride in coming from the same Wembley neighbourhood as Sterling. Rowe said of the Chelsea player. “He’s the person that everyone looks to as someone that made a way in my area.”
Highly-rated Kamara was developed at Norwich and is currently on loan at League Two leaders Portsmouth where he has scored seven goals to help their promotion bid. Posting on X, the 20-year-old wrote: “My family and I are deeply saddened and shocked by the comments made by Stuart Webber. I want to say to all the black and ethnic minority children that you don’t have to be a professional athlete to avoid living a life of crime and it is important that younger audiences are not left with this false narrative.
“I am proud of where I come from and acknowledge the sacrifices my family have made in order for me to have a career in football. However, these remarks are a sign that there is still a long way to go to be treated equally. You can be whatever you want to be as long as you work hard, believe in yourself, and be consistent in what you do.”
Max Aarons’ mother, Amber, also posting on X, wrote: “I’m shocked at Stuart Webber’s casual racism and blatant disrespect for all of these black players and their families. Catriona Lewis, mother of Watford’s Jamal, also commented “That’s not true at all … very unprofessional comment to make!!! How can that assumption be made Stuart???”
It is understood that Webber has either apologised or made approaches to the players he named in the interview but had not been in contact with the complete list by Sunday afternoon.
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Webber, part of the Liverpool recruitment operation that signed a teenage Sterling from QPR in 2010, gave the interview to the Pink Un to publicise a charity climb of Mount Everest. The venture seeks to raise money to fund local youngsters seeking a career in sport.
Webber left Norwich in 2023 after six years with the club. Before roles at QPR and Wolves, he served as director of recruitment at Liverpool, working with managers Rafael Benítez and Kenny Dalglish. He has been contacted for comment.
In a statement, Norwich said: “Norwich City Football Club note the comments made in a recent media interview with the Eastern Daily Press by the club’s former sporting director, Stuart Webber. The club would like to make it clear that some of the comments in this interview do not in any way reflect the wider views of the football club.”