CONCERNED members of Worcester City’s Supporters Trust have pleaded with club chiefs to engage in ‘open and honest dialogue’ in a bid to save the cash-strapped club.
Trust members issued an open letter to City chairman Anthony Hampson and his directors after the club’s newly-published but unaudited accounts revealed a loss of £289,997 in the year to April 2017, nearly double the amount of losses sustained between 2015 and 2016.
Members called on club bosses to release any relevant documentation on the state the club is in financially including any current and future liabilities.
“Before the Supporters’ Trust can make any decision on the viability of the football club as a going concern we are offering the services, via Supporters’ Direct, of Nick Igoe to give an independent review of the state of the business,” the letter read.
“Nick is currently engaged as a financial consultant with Supporters Direct Development and is a Chartered Accountant with 32 years’ post qualification experience including 27 years as finance director. Between 1997 and 2012 Nick was West Ham United’s Finance Director.”
The trust also used the letter to raise the prospect of Worcester City becoming community owned in a bid to secure the club’s future in Worcester.
“It will take a change in the current constitution of Worcester City FC to allow this to happen. Whilst you have previously directed influential shareholders to reject such constitutional change the Trust would once again request an open and honest dialogue to save our club. As you know none of the above is new as this has been the stated position of the Trust for some time,” the letter read.
City were demoted two leagues following their relegation from the National League North last May and are currently challenging at the top of the Midlands Football League Premier Division.
The club has been homeless since the sale of it’s historic St George’s Lane home in 2013 and is currently in exile in Bromsgrove, having also played two seasons in Kidderminster.
In response, City chiefs said: “The board has considered the request and will provide all information to the trust’s financial advisor which will allow him to ascertain the most robust model the club can adopt to attract grants and further finances to bring city home and help guarantee its future viability.
“The board will be happy to work with the trust’s nominated advisor to enable this to happen.
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