A Statement from the Working Group behind plans for a Worcester Warriors Supporters Trust:
"We note the statement from Atlas WWRFC issued on Twitter this afternoon regarding their completion of the purchase of Worcester Warriors. As potential representatives of the Worcester Warriors fan-base it would be remiss of us not to bring attention to the fact that this will come as a huge disappointment to the vast majority of Worcester supporters. The announcement that Wasps have applied to play their matches at Sixways next season has proved to be an equally bitter pill to swallow. The plans of the Atlas Consortium, as presented on 18th February, revealed no genuine attempt to resurrect the Worcester Warriors men’s team. The vast majority of the club’s supporters do not want to watch or support Stourbridge RFC or Wasps – they want to support a Worcester Warriors team in more than just name.
The supporter-base was overwhelmingly in favour of the bid proffered by the Steve Diamond / Adam Hewitt consortium, believing that they would have saved elite level men’s rugby at Sixways, played by a Worcester team, not a magpie team from London or Coventry.
Unlike Atlas, the supporters therefore do NOT thank Begbies Traynor for making them preferred bidders. Neither do we thank them for accepting the bid of the only consortium that declined to pay rugby creditors, thus making it impossible for Worcester Warriors to take their place in the RFU Championship next season.
In their statement Atlas “thank the fans for their patience and support.” This is a disingenuous assertion. The lack of candour from the Atlas consortium over the last 7-8months has been astonishing, especially considering how let down the supporters felt by the previous owners.
We hope that once a Supporters Trust is set up and officially regulated, Atlas will do all they can to attempt to regain the goodwill of supporters that has been severely eroded by their actions thus far. Engaging positively with the fan-base and ensuring that supporters have representation on the club’s board of directors may go some way to achieving this. A Supporters Trust will be acting solely for the good of supporters and will not condone plans that are not in the interests of Worcester Warriors supporters and the wider community. The Worcester Warriors supporters are all that is left of the club. We are the club.
Comments