1
Worcester owners blame players and fans in statement branded 'shameless'
Worcester Warriors owners have apportioned blame on the playing squad and on their supporters in a statement branded ‘despicably shameless’ by one journalist.
ADVERTISEMENT
Warriors have been placed in administration with the club facing debts totalling more than £25million, including at least £6m in unpaid tax, and have been suspended from the sport by the Rugby Football Union.
Now owners Colin Goldring and Jason Whittingham have taken aim at the players and the supporters for the club’s failure in a remarkable missive.
In a lengthy statement issued to ITV News, the pair hit out at players for not taking the same salary cuts as staff and bizarrely, blamed supporters for not turning up at Sixways in sufficient numbers.
“Dear Staff, Supporters and Community of Worcester Warriors, we are sorry to you all that the Club is in this current position and for the emotional distress this must have caused but we remain hopeful, through the process of Administration, that the Club can find a new Owner and emerge in a stronger position in order to preserve Rugby at Sixways.
“We are thankful to all of the staff that supported the Club through Covid in accepting a significant reduction in their Salary but sorry that the Playing Squad could not accept a similar level of reduction and in some Player’s instances would not accept any pay cut at all despite our openness at the financial impact this would have on the club.
“We are thankful to all of the Supporters who continued to support the Club in any way they could, including many that donated their season ticket payment during the lockdown, and to the Government for the Furlough support that enabled us to keep every single staff member fully employed throughout the pandemic when many Club’s and Business’ were making redundancies. In doing so the Club took on enormous debt like so many others but we felt it was the right thing to do.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We are thankful to those supporters who turned up week in week out to support the Club but sorry that there were not more, nor enough of you on a regular basis to help make the Club financially viable despite the significant personal funds we put into the Club.
“We are sorry that we did not have the foresight during the Pandemic to cut back on the Squad budget but instead remained committed to giving the Club the best chance of being competitive.
“We are thankful for the highlights on many match days but sorry that we were not able to win more games for those Supporters that did turn up.
“We are thankful to the DCMS for the Financial Support they gave to all Clubs during the Pandemic but sorry that the post-pandemic recovery did not happen overnight and that many Clubs, like Worcester, are struggling with the debts we incurred during Covid.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Despite this we remain committed to working with the Administrator, and DCMS, to deliver the best possible outcome for this Club, Supporters and the Community of Worcester.”
Head of player affairs at the RPA, Christian Day slammed the statement, writing: “I’m not one to speak out of line, and I’m not even going to give airtime to that disgraceful statement from 2 ex-owners that should have been consigned to the bin. The Worcester players and staff have been a credit to that club, it’s supporters and city. Show some dignity.”
I’m not one to speak out of line, and I’m not even going to give airtime to that disgraceful statement from 2 ex-owners that should have been consigned to the bin.
The Worcester players and staff have been a credit to that club, it’s supporters and city. Show some dignity.
— Christian Day (@christianday) September 30, 2022
Rugby journalist and commentator Jamie Lyall described the statement as ‘beyond shameless’ and ‘cowardly’.
“Latest statement from the Worcester owners is beyond shameless. As though Donald Trump has taken up residence at Sixways. Blaming players, fans… anyone but themselves. A cowardly offering.”
Latest statement from the Worcester owners is beyond shameless. As though Donald Trump has taken up residence at Sixways. Blaming players, fans… anyone but themselves. A cowardly offering.
— Jamie Lyall (@JLyall93) September 30, 2022
Irish journalist Andy McGeady described the statement as ‘despicably shameless’. “The Worcester Warriors ownership. Shameless. Absolutely, despicably shameless. It’s really odd that they didn’t mention the car park.”
The Worcester Warriors ownership.
Shameless. Absolutely, despicably shameless.
It’s really odd that they didn’t mention the car park 🧐 pic.twitter.com/zWnc0Z4zFw
— Andy McGeady (@andymcgeady) September 30, 2022
Telegraph writer Charlie Morgan branded it ‘utterly grim’.
Statement from Worcester Warriors owners essentially reads like “sorry, not sorry”. Utterly grim. https://t.co/mqvcIRqEif
— Charlie Morgan (@CharlieFelix) September 30, 2022
Current Warriors back row Matt Kvesic poked fun at the statement, suggesting a Public Relations Officer was urgently needed at the club.
‼️URGENT JOB VACANCY: Public Relations Officer.
Salary: TBC
Start Date: 4 weeks ago https://t.co/KMJ8k31w44— Matthew Kvesic (@mattkvesic) September 30, 2022
Two consortiums, one involving former Worcester chief executive Jim O’Toole, are understood to have expressed interest in buying the club out of administration, but it could take place after a player exodus.
Contracted personnel were due to be paid on Friday but the PA news agency reports this has not happened, meaning staff are entitled to move elsewhere after a statutory two-week notice period.
additional reporting PA
Comments on RugbyPass
Ever so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
24 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
24 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
24 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
24 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to comments