A FURIOUS war of words has erupted after county MPs called for Worcester Warriors to be put into administration, promoting an angry response from the club’s under-fire owners.
Worcester’s MP Robin Walker and Malvern’s MP Harriett Baldwin were joined by Redditch MP Rachel Maclean, Wyre Forest Mark Garnier and Bromsgrove’s Sajid Javid who spoke out and said ‘enough is enough’.
However, owners Jason Whittingham and Colin Goldring reacted strongly to the statement and slammed the MPs who they said had not offered any support or help or presented them with any potential bids for the ailing Premiership side.
The five Worcestershire MPs called for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to step in and place the club into administration.
With just a few days before the start of the professional Premiership season, the group want to see ‘rapid progress’ to secure the position of the Warriors in English rugby’s top flight.
As the largest of the club’s debts is owed to the Government via Sport England, the MPs are calling for the DCMS to trigger an administration as swiftly as possible.
Mr Walker said: “Enough is enough. I have been determined to secure the future of the Warriors, who are a huge asset to our city and county.
“I wanted to give every opportunity for a solution to be found which would avoid the club going into administration, but it is now clear that this is not in sight. ”
“Throughout this incredibly difficult situation players and staff at the club have conducted themselves with dignity and shown their determination to keep the Warriors together. We need to do all we can to support this objective.”
“It is clear to us now, after all the chaos and worry of the last week that the best route to that is now through administration.”
Mrs Baldwin said: “With great regret, the appalling mismanagement of the club under the current owners means I do have to support this difficult decision to place the club into administration.
“This now appears to be the only way forward to find a new fit and proper owners to take the club forward to the future we all want for it in Worcestershire.”
In response, Warriors owners said they were ‘disappointed’ by the calls and confirmed the DCMS had been kept informed of the situation throughout.
“Avoiding administration is in the best interests of the club’s creditors, not to mention its players and staff,” the statement read.
“Pursuing a deal which includes payment to all creditors as well as working capital best serves the club and the local community. Therefore the DCMS has been giving us the time to pursue viable options.
“On the other hand, forcing Worcester Warriors into administration as these MPs have asked risks the club losing its players and staff, losing its P share, wiping off the debt owed to local businesses and to HMRC, and incurring severe RFU sanctions.
“At no point have any of the MPs who put their names against the statement today been in touch with the club, with Colin, or with me. There has been no attempt at engagement whatsoever.”
