AMBITIOUS Warriors chiefs Jason Whittingham and Colin Goldring have revealed their target is English rugby’s top six as soon as next season as they unveiled their hopes for the Sixways side.
The duo became sole owners last month with the departure of former director Jed McCrory and vowed to be part of the Warriors story for the long-term during a question and answer session for the club’s fans.
Whittingham and Goldring, who also own League Two EFL side Morecambe, unveiled a bold vision of the future which included stability for the business, success on the field and a radical revamp of the Sixways site.
Director of rugby Alan Solomons has also been backed with a new contract and his vision for Warriors’ future on the field was endorsed by the pair.
“Alan has a clear vision for the club and that’s why we have extended his contract as we back him 100 per cent. He has a wealth of experience and we are lucky to have him with us,” Goldring said.
“There is a belief from Alan which we buy into that the core of the squad should be from the academy. That’s an important part of building a team in the top flight.
“We retained our young players this year by investing in those players and the academy itself. We have made it very clear to the players and to Alan that top six is our aim and I am quite confident we will get there in the coming years.”
In response to a question on their ambitions for the Sixways side, Whittingham said: “We don’t want to be in a dogfight next season, we have made some very good signings so we should be expecting to push for mid-table.
“In terms of a three-year-plan, I hope would hope we maintain a mid-table position and would be looking to push for a top four finish.”
Concerns over funding were addressed by Goldring who said: “We had a discussion before taking over the club and repeated it when we took over. You have to spend up to the salary cap to compete properly in this competition.
“The Premiership is a top competion, if you aren’t spending up to the cap you aren’t competing.”
Warriors look to have completed their summer signings as the duo confirmed the club had spent up to the limit of the Premiership’s salary cap but said mid-season signings were possible in the event of injuries.
The pair also revealed a dramatic transformation of the 39 acres around Sixways could take place as they seek to increase the non-rugby-related revenue.
“We have big plans to develop the non-rugby income for the club, we have amazing Premiership-leading facilities in hospitality, conferencing and 39 acres of land,” Whittingham said.
“We know Cecil had a vision 25 years ago to develop the whole site and we want to develop all of the other land we have to make this club sustainable.
“We have a five-year plan, some of those projects would deliver income for the club. It hasn’t previously been done, there aren’t any diggers out there and we intend to do so as soon as we can.”
The duo refuted suggestions there had been a turnover in ownership at Sixways in recent years but vowed their long-term commitment to the cause.
“Cecil (Duckworth) as an owner was here for more than ten years and after him the Allens were here as owners for ten-plus years too. I don’t think it’s fair to say there has been a turnover in ownership,” Whittingham said.
“We have come in and intend to beat them all, there are no plans for us to come in for the short-term, we want to develop this club and more.
“I can’t see any reason why we would want to sell this club,” he added.