WORCESTER City chiefs have welcomed the ‘real options’ on the table to bring the exiled football club home as council chiefs prepare to debate ambitious proposals to revamp land on Claines Lane.
Council bosses will decide on Tuesday (December 10) whether to grant a £750,000 loan to the Worcestershire FA towards the revamp of the County Sports Playing Field which could finally give City a home after six years away.
A bid to lease the site from the Worcestershire FA was one of the options discussed at a meeting of shareholders and Supporters Trust members last Thursday (November 28).
However club bosses have refused to rule out re-opening discussions with Worcester Warriors over moving the club to Sixways, a move which looked doomed last month when Warriors bosses revealed discussions with City’s owners over a possible takeover had come to an end.
City have been in exile since the final whistle was blown at St George’s Lane in 2013 and were then forced to ground-share with Kidderminster Harriers. They have been sharing Bromsgrove Sporting’s Victoria Ground since 2016.
The club has seen a possible return to Worcester at Perdiswell thrown out by planning chiefs, although the decision was overturned on appeal, while efforts to find another site in the city have so far proved fruitless.
Speaking after a meeting with Conservative candidate Robin Walker and Sports Minister Nigel Adams, Mr Goode said:
“We’re really pleased for the support which is now being shown by the council.
“Since I became chairman of the club only 15 months ago we now have real options of where we can go which is a great achievement by all the directors of the club and of the trust.
“It feels things are moving in a more positive direction.”
Mr Adams encouraged the City chairman, David Wood, chairman of the Supporters Trust and Luke Cox, a director of the club to embrace the Claines Lane option.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Walker said: “I am really pleased the new proposal for a site which would be on land owned by the Worcestershire Football Association seems to have cross party support on the City Council.
“I have previously encouraged the rugby club to consider offering them a home but now Worcester City is fully supporter-owned I understand the desire of many fans for them to remain independent.
“If the Claines Lane proposal works out, in my view, it will allow them the best of both worlds,” he added.
