Norwich sporting director ran transfer business from a Stoke stadium room while his team lost

On 1 September 2026, 27 EFL matches were played on transfer deadline day for the first time in the modern era. Norwich City sporting director Ben Knapper called it "chaos" and "unnecessary pressure" after running deals from a room at Stoke's bet365 Stadium while Norwich lost 1-0. Knapper told the BBC's 72+ EFL podcast that EFL clubs view the scheduling as "far from ideal."