Worcester have been issued with a ‘winding-up petition’ by HMRC; the owners have said the move to sell the club is happening “rapidly”; Four MPs from the area have called for the club to be placed into administration which would most likely mean relegation for the side
Last Updated: 05/09/22 10:12pm
Worcester Warriors await news of whether a sale of the club will go through or whether the DCMS will place them into administration
Worcester Warriors’ owners say a deal to sell the club is moving at “rapid pace” with three “serious propositions” being considered after four MPs from the area called for the club to be placed into administration.
In a joint statement released by co-owners Colin Goldring and Jason Whittingham, they expressed their disappointment at the four MPs, Robin Walker, Harriett Baldwin, Rachel Maclean & Mark Garnier, that called for the club to be placed into administration and revealed that all deals being considered “would avoid the club going into administration”.
The club has been facing grave financial uncertainty with debts that are thought to exceed £25m plus HM Revenue and Customs freezing Worcester’s finances in its pursuit of unpaid tax thought to be more than £6m.
It was only confirmed on Wednesday that they would be able to meet the August payroll due that same day.
“We are disappointed to read the statement made by four local MPs which calls for the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport [DCMS] to force Worcester Warriors into administration,” they said.
“We would like to make it clear that we have kept the DCMS fully informed about the financial situation at Worcester Warriors.
“They are aware of the options which are on the table to save the club together with the disastrous implications posed to the club by any administration.
“The DCMS knows that three sets of buyers are in discussions with us.
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Worcester Warriors players and staff have pleaded for the club’s owners to find a solution to its financial problems in a series of social media posts
“All three buyers are serious propositions and all the deals being considered would avoid the club going into administration.
“One of the buyers is moving at an especially rapid pace.”
The MPs, who are all from the county explained in their own statement that they had called for the club to be placed into administration by the DCMS to “protect Premiership status”.
Their joint statement said: “Over the last week, staff and players at the club have faced significant uncertainty with deadlines for payroll missed and repeated assurances broken.
“Mobile phones have stopped working and cars have been taken away from players.
“Events due to take place at Sixways have had to be cancelled as suppliers and caterers have not been paid on time.
“Whilst there does appear to be interest in new investors coming into the club, the interested parties have been clear that they see the best hope of securing its future being a purchase via an administrator.
“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.
“The hope is that this can then result in a quick turnaround with new owners bringing capital into the club in time for the Premiership season.
“As well as the huge value of premier rugby in and of itself at Sixways, the MPs want to secure the future of the Warriors Community Foundation and the vital work it does to support thousands of vulnerable people across the two counties.”
On Friday afternoon it was announced that Whittingham and Goldring are selling League One football club Morecambe, which they own through their company Bond Group Investments.
