Furious Worcester staff DEMAND ownership change after helping club avoid suspension
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Furious Worcester staff DEMAND change of ownership after helping club avoid suspension from ALL competitions… with ‘broken promises and lack of communication from those above’ fueling calls for change
- Worcester Warriors staff have called for an urgent change of ownership
- They spoke of ‘broken promises and lack of communication from those above’
- The RFU confirmed in a statement that Worcester had met the 12 noon deadline
- Worcester had provided the RFU with safety certification to host competitions
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Worcester’s angry staff publicly demanded a change of ownership on Friday after helping the club avoid suspension from all rugby competitions – as the RFU approved two games at Sixways this weekend.
On Saturday afternoon, the University of Worcester Warriors will face Harlequins Women in the Allianz Cup, for a reduced capacity of 1,999.
On Sunday, Steve Diamond’s Worcester men’s team will face Exeter in a Gallagher Premiership meeting, with a crowd cap of 4,999.
The fact that both matches can go ahead is a tribute to the remarkable commitment of the club staff, who are still awaiting deferred wages from last month.
A statement released on their behalf gave a “watered down” hint at the mood of simmering unrest that could boil over at any moment – and called for the departure of beleaguered co-owners Colin Goldring and Jason Whittingham.
It read: “Despite not receiving our remaining 35 percent salary for August – and some players and staff from both teams nothing at all – we have chosen to do everything we can to ensure that the weekend’s two games can be played.” Get on.
“We cannot promise that this goodwill will continue indefinitely. We remain angry at the broken promises and lack of communication from those above and hope to see a new owner with a clear break from those currently in position.”
At first glance there was some dark humor.
The official Warriors Twitter account posted team news with an ironic intro that read: “No photoshop, no emails, no WiFi, but we do have a game on Sunday!” Behind the scenes, however, morale is at an all-time low.
A Worcester employee said: Sports post: ‘The club has acted disgracefully, without morals or integrity.
“Those involved should be ashamed and ashamed of themselves. I have shown respect to the club when no one has shown me. I have to show myself some respect and draw a line. How can I go on?’
With lawyers continuing to work out the details of a potential sale of the club – days after it was announced as a groundbreaking development – the staff’s clear message is that future matches are questionable. But this weekend, the show pretty much goes on.
After giving Worcester until Friday afternoon to prove that they could safely host matches, the RFU gave them the assurance for the time being.
Meanwhile, the Professional Game Board has announced changes to the Minimum Standards Criteria, which govern entry into the Premiership.
When championship clubs looking to qualify for promotion are checked in January, they must have a ground capacity of 5,000, with planning permission to develop it to hold 10,000 fans, money to do so and an agreement with a contractor.
The capacity expansion should be completed by the start of the 2024-25 season.
At the end of last season, Ealing Trailfinders were banned from promotion despite proposing a schedule with plans to expand their Trailfinders Sports Ground in west London.
RFU had required proof of safety certificates to allow their matches to continue at Sixways