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Post by Croc on Nov 29, 2019 18:36:00 GMT
Hypothetical situation - what would be the preferred option for those here?
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Post by bardar on Nov 30, 2019 16:20:24 GMT
Its a no brainer to me. Football clubs get sold every day and Warriors is the only option, if it is still there, to keep the club going in the long term, attract new fans and allow for moving up the pyramid. The only reason to prefer the Claines Lane proposal is to remain community owned but we face the risk of still not breaking even and going out of business in a couple of years if we go that way. It isnt a free option and there is no guarentee that the crowds will grow especially if Sixways has a team anyway (would fans rather see a successful team in a nice stadium or watch a team with a very limited playing budget so little prospect of getting higher than Step 5, playing in a field? There is also no guarentee of money from the council so the money that we do have and it aint much, could well be spent very quickly gettting Claines to where it needs to be. I want City to progress and I think Warriors is the only possible way that can happen
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Post by ossie1981 on Nov 30, 2019 16:43:02 GMT
Absolutely agree, this is just common sense to me.
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Post by citytillidie on Nov 30, 2019 17:11:11 GMT
Plus the board has said we will still have to pay rent on the clains lane land and it won't be far off the rent we are paying at bromsgrove,and raiders will be the main team with city being the second choice team,I think it should be the warrior choice,the board will have to make the choice soon I think they intend the move back to worcester by the start of next season.
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Post by Mark on Nov 30, 2019 17:35:53 GMT
Go with the Warriors.
It’s a no brainier as far as I’m concerned
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Post by simples on Nov 30, 2019 18:49:56 GMT
I haven't posted for a while and not been to a game since dropping down to the MFL. My feeling since we left St George's was to support the Perdiswell project, that was the best setup IMHO. Providing a sporting hub and a focus for football at a place synonymous with football for as long as I can remember (50 plus years).
It appears from the news this week that Perdiswell is now a no go. I was originally against a move to sixways. However it appears the owners of Warriors want to make a go of it and are suggesting that if City don't want to be part of it then they will 'form' a team anyway. I have only been to watch the rugby barely a handful of times since they reached the top level but have noticed a lot of faces there that one used to see at St George's Lane. I would suggest that these people might be enticed to watch footy there as well. Perhaps they would offer joint season tickets.
For me I think Claines would be a poor second to Perdiswell, and can't believe that the council are pushing it when so many seemed against Perdiswell for reasons of traffic. At best it would get the team back in Worcester but then we would be sharing a ground that would be adequate for the current level and maybe the one above.
So my choice is to go with the Warriors although I am not party to any details other than that disclosed in the press.
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Post by The sound and the fury on Nov 30, 2019 19:21:43 GMT
Perdiswell is dead in the water. City will join it unless we go down the Warriors route (which I'm sure is still on the table). Claines Lane is a very limited solution that would be restricted in terms of scope for expansion. Mind you, are people assuming the Warriors option would be on the first team pitch? I'd be surpriaed!
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Post by nickw68 on Nov 30, 2019 19:31:48 GMT
It will be on the main stadium pitch that the team will play,the board said at the meeting on Thurs 28th.
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Post by zeke on Nov 30, 2019 20:16:09 GMT
If it's a matter of survival, then yes. But tiny crowds in large stadiums is a horrible atmosphere. I remember Gateshead.
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simon
Reserve Teamer
Posts: 83
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Post by simon on Nov 30, 2019 22:51:16 GMT
I also haven't posted for a long time but I am still watching most home games. Perdiwell may be dead in the water now but the planning application can still be resubmitted periodically to keep it open.You never know what might happen in the future.Staying at Bromsgrove is not viable and Claines Lane is a poor option. If the Warriors option is still available,that would be my choice.They are a big club with more money and more opportunities,we could well be back at National North level with a bit of serious investment. You know the old saying....If you can't beat em...join em!
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Post by auldreekie on Dec 1, 2019 11:15:16 GMT
I initially liked the idea of the Claines Lane proposal as a poorer alternative to the Perdiswell project. However, the parking/traffic issues, the limited scope for improvement beyond the grade required for the Southern League and the news that costs would work out equivalent to playing at Bromsgrove put me off the idea.
A takeover by Bond Group Investments and a move to Sixways Stadium is the only option. I particularly liked the proposal to have an advisory board for the football club and for the club to be able to use the skills of the Warriors back office team in marketing, finance, etc. I can fully understand the point made about the football club playing before a small crowd in an 11,000 capacity stadium. However, that is by far a better option than playing in an under-developed ground and crucially looks to be a quicker option.
Clearly Warriors see association football as being part of the future offering at Sixways and to utilise further their state-of-the-art artificial pitch and off-field facilities. City should be a part of that.
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bj
Squad Member
Posts: 182
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Post by bj on Dec 1, 2019 12:41:34 GMT
I was hovering between the two options until the statement regarding the high rent (in my opinion) payable to WFA for effectively playing on a field.
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Post by cloud on Dec 1, 2019 14:37:57 GMT
Are there any mins etc from the meeting available for trust members and shareholders to view?
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Post by zeke on Dec 1, 2019 17:05:59 GMT
My worry with Warriors, is the amount of money they're losing every year with quite decent crowds. Is the whole set up really long term financially viable?
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Post by ossie1981 on Dec 1, 2019 18:07:10 GMT
All good valid points imo. Better facilities, experienced back room, professional set up can only do City good. Hopefully the weight of opinion will help get this done with Sixways and maybe we might be coming home.
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Post by ossie1981 on Dec 1, 2019 18:07:34 GMT
All good valid points imo. Better facilities, experienced back room, professional set up can only do City good. Hopefully the weight of opinion will help get this done with Sixways and maybe we might be coming home.q
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steves
Squad Member
Posts: 180
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Post by steves on Dec 1, 2019 18:48:48 GMT
I was hovering between the two options until the statement regarding the high rent (in my opinion) payable to WFA for effectively playing on a field. Yeah, this has pushed me away from Claines Lane as well. Seems to me we'd need to be making a hell of a lot of money on food, drinks, hospitality etc, just to break even.
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Post by Tim Munslow on Dec 2, 2019 16:48:16 GMT
I'm undecided: I can see the obvious advantages in having the admin facilities, publicity machine and off-field support from the Warriors, but we have spent all this effort on becoming a fan-owned club, only to cast that all away.
Football owners get bored unless there's success and go broke all the time, leaving the club they owned a mess - I can think of Darlington, Kettering and Rushden & Diamonds - and I'm sure those with a better memory than me will name a few more. So has anyone done due diligence on the two folk who made a bid for the club?
I would hate for the parent club to go broke and leave us in a worse mess than we are now.
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harley
Squad Member
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Post by harley on Dec 2, 2019 19:40:52 GMT
I had two concerns about Claines Lane and a third was added during the meeting. First pedestrian access. There is a single, narrow, paved footpath along a poorly lit 40mph road from the Cornmeadow Lane area of Claines. Second the maximum grading possible for the ground is Step 3 and that is one level below Conference North/South. Is that the limit of our ambition? If we want to progress to higher leagues we will then need to find a new ground and where will that be? Perdiswell is dead, Parsonage Way was a non-starter, Nunnery Way is currently being occupied by the ugliest warehousing in creation, The Old Porcelain Ground is slated for the new hockey project. There is nowhere to go and so we will never return to the second step of the Conference and as things stand never play league games against Hereford FC and Kidderminster Harriers. The third concern is the cost. Dave Wood said "Comparable to the rent at Bromsgrove" during Thursday's meeting and that is just too much to be paying, not just for short-term but what will be in effect our permanent home. It is a continuous outflow of funds that will hamper the growth of the team.
Like others here I am a shareholder and have supported votes for change since the "rebel shareholder" meeting at County Hall. I have voted for all the resolutions and attempts to change the club's constitution at AGMs and EGMs some of which were acrimonious to say the best. I was delighted when the change to fan ownership succeeded and I would never have believed that a few months later I would be putting my hand up in favour of a return to private ownership with the investment from the owners up at Sixways. When I did that I felt like I was letting down the people who had worked so hard over all those years to change the club.
But the future of Worcester City FC is what is at stake. If there is any chance that this offer from Bond Investments can be saved then it should be made. The Letter of Intent stated Bond Investments would protect the club name, the club badge and the club colours. They will allow an advisory board of Trust and current FC Board members to help with the transition and future direction. I understand the concerns about the size of the stadium. We could go there, pick up 3,000 new supporters and they would still be rattling around inside Sixways. But there is much more to the infrastructure up there than the playing area. The training facilities are so good that the England Rugby team have used them in the past. This will not turn our team into world class players but the management, staff, and players will have the opportunity to access international class facilities and the support that goes with them in the rehabilitation of injured players.
So, yes, I put my hand up in favour of Sixways and it hurt to do so, but I think it is the only option open to us now.
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althom
Squad Member
Posts: 185
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Post by althom on Dec 2, 2019 21:01:11 GMT
My thoughts exactly Harley!
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Post by jupu on Dec 2, 2019 21:11:16 GMT
I'm undecided: I can see the obvious advantages in having the admin facilities, publicity machine and off-field support from the Warriors, but we have spent all this effort on becoming a fan-owned club, only to cast that all away. Football owners get bored unless there's success and go broke all the time, leaving the club they owned a mess - I can think of Darlington, Kettering and Rushden & Diamonds - and I'm sure those with a better memory than me will name a few more. So has anyone done due diligence on the two folk who made a bid for the club? I would hate for the parent club to go broke and leave us in a worse mess than we are now. All the above-mentioned clubs reformed and now play at a higher level than us.
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Post by The Verner on Dec 2, 2019 21:31:28 GMT
I had two concerns about Claines Lane and a third was added during the meeting. First pedestrian access. There is a single, narrow, paved footpath along a poorly lit 40mph road from the Cornmeadow Lane area of Claines. Second the maximum grading possible for the ground is Step 3 and that is one level below Conference North/South. Is that the limit of our ambition? If we want to progress to higher leagues we will then need to find a new ground and where will that be? Perdiswell is dead, Parsonage Way was a non-starter, Nunnery Way is currently being occupied by the ugliest warehousing in creation, The Old Porcelain Ground is slated for the new hockey project. There is nowhere to go and so we will never return to the second step of the Conference and as things stand never play league games against Hereford FC and Kidderminster Harriers. The third concern is the cost. Dave Wood said "Comparable to the rent at Bromsgrove" during Thursday's meeting and that is just too much to be paying, not just for short-term but what will be in effect our permanent home. It is a continuous outflow of funds that will hamper the growth of the team. Like others here I am a shareholder and have supported votes for change since the "rebel shareholder" meeting at County Hall. I have voted for all the resolutions and attempts to change the club's constitution at AGMs and EGMs some of which were acrimonious to say the best. I was delighted when the change to fan ownership succeeded and I would never have believed that a few months later I would be putting my hand up in favour of a return to private ownership with the investment from the owners up at Sixways. When I did that I felt like I was letting down the people who had worked so hard over all those years to change the club. But the future of Worcester City FC is what is at stake. If there is any chance that this offer from Bond Investments can be saved then it should be made. The Letter of Intent stated Bond Investments would protect the club name, the club badge and the club colours. They will allow an advisory board of Trust and current FC Board members to help with the transition and future direction. I understand the concerns about the size of the stadium. We could go there, pick up 3,000 new supporters and they would still be rattling around inside Sixways. But there is much more to the infrastructure up there than the playing area. The training facilities are so good that the England Rugby team have used them in the past. This will not turn our team into world class players but the management, staff, and players will have the opportunity to access international class facilities and the support that goes with them in the rehabilitation of injured players. So, yes, I put my hand up in favour of Sixways and it hurt to do so, but I think it is the only option open to us now. Spot on. Training facilities is another big expenditure.
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Post by cloud on Dec 3, 2019 12:46:15 GMT
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Post by Noboddy aka Lord Ealing on Dec 3, 2019 13:20:30 GMT
I’m out of the loop these days but I’m confused as to the situation re Warriors. Just a few days ago they rejected WCFC’s advances. Has something changed? Are we chasing them? What advantage does the rugby club see in absorbing us? How good is the owners’ business history?
As far as Claines Lane goes it’s not suitable. Too small to develop as anything other than a training ground. The land behind the Raven would be ideal but would cost a fortune.
Is Perdiswell definitely dead? If so it appears Sixways is the only option. It’s just a shame we will have to abandon our hard won independence and sail into unchartered waters. But if we don’t we’ll sink anyway.
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Post by Brooksiders Return!! on Dec 3, 2019 13:44:03 GMT
I've kept out of this conversation, as I was hoping to present my point of view at last weeks meeting, but couldn't make it for work reasons. Just to clarify, many of the comments made by Worcester News are incorrect. The direction of the football club is a matter for the limited company, Worcester City Football Club Ltd., and not the Trust, although obviously as a majority shareholder, if such a decision is put to the vote, the Trust would vote as its members advise. Again, it might have been covered at the meeting, but, the Warriors plan was going to be presented to shareholders and trust members, but before that was possible, the City Council and WFA made their approach with Claines Lane. A decision was made that the Claines Lane plans should be discussed and understood, and all parties involved were made aware of this. Please also note, the Supporters Trust is NOT an umbrella organisation that acts above the clubs board. WCFC is still a limited company, owned by its shareholders, but governed by its Board of Directors.
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stamoo
First Teamer
Posts: 349
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Post by stamoo on Dec 3, 2019 18:42:53 GMT
Some really thoughtful and informative comments here so thanks to all contributors. It’s got to be SIX WAYS for me. I see the Warriors owners were previously involved with Morcombe FC so they know something about how to run a Football Club. I know It seems wrong to pass the Club’s ownership from supporters hands to private owners and things could go horribly wrong in future, but that could be said for almost any club further up the pyramid. The probability is that being a part of a much bigger organisation is likely to make us more secure and sustainable in the near to mid-term future. At the moment we are heading for extinction in the next couple of years or so when the money runs out. I really liked the idea of Claines Lane but the truth is we can’t even afford that and it would only mean further financial struggle and the likelihood we will be unable to afford to climb the pyramid even if the club survives. So I say let’s go for SIX WAYS it looks like a good option and it’s really the only realistic option on the table.
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Post by Noboddy aka Lord Ealing on Dec 4, 2019 9:00:51 GMT
Jem, do you have a preferred option to move forward?
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Post by cloud on Dec 4, 2019 10:48:52 GMT
www.worcesternews.co.uk/sport/18076170.city-finished-two-years-without-worcester-return/I can't see us being any better off at Claines. It's in Worcester - tick, but that's about all it's got going for it. The offer of a Sixways take over is much more appealing, & the only stumbling block seems to be a desire to not give up community ownership for some reason. Community ownership would have enabled us to get grants etc for Perdi, yes - but that's all over now.
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Post by The Verner on Dec 4, 2019 11:01:49 GMT
www.worcesternews.co.uk/sport/18076170.city-finished-two-years-without-worcester-return/I can't see us being any better of at Claines. It's in Worcester - tick, but that's about all it's got going for it. The offer of a Sixways take over is much more appealing, & the only stumbling block seems to be a desire to not give up community ownership for some reason. Community ownership would have enabled us to get grants etc for Perdi, yes - but that's all over now. Even bigger stumbling block......some moron told the Worcester News and it appears Sixways is no longer an option unless the board can bring it back to the table! It is, as it stands, only one option that is left
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Post by cloud on Dec 4, 2019 11:12:25 GMT
Even bigger stumbling block......some moron told the Worcester News and it appears Sixways is no longer an option unless the board can bring it back to the table! It is, as it stands, only one option that is left It said in the WN that the Trust made it clear that remaining community owned was their focus and the way they want to go (hence the rekindling).
Was that incorrect?
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