Worcester players turn against owners after statement blaming squad
Worcester players turn against owners after statement blaming squad: After Jason Whittingham and Colin Goldring, co-owners of Worcester issued a statement seemingly blaming the team and fans for the club’s problems, the players and staff have turned on the co-owners.
When it was revealed that the business that owns their contracts, WRFC Players Limited, is set to go into insolvency next Wednesday due to a winding-up order from HMRC, the statement was made on a sad day for Worcester.
ITV
After club captain Ted Hill told ITV Central that a “apology is needed from not only the owners but also from other people high up within the firm,” Whittingham and Goldring issued a stunning statement.
After being criticized by Worcester players on social media, Whittingham and Goldring issued a statement called “laughably pathetic” by the club’s forwards coach Nick Easter.
“We are thankful to all of the staff that supported the club through Covid in accepting a significant reduction in their salary,” the owners said to “staff, supporters, and community of Worcester Warriors.”
“We are sorry that the playing squad could not accept a similar level of reduction and, in some players’ instances, would not accept any pay cut at all,” the owners added.
“We are grateful to the government for the furlough support that allowed us to keep every single staff member fully employed throughout the pandemic. “
It is when many clubs and businesses were making redundancies and to all of the fans who continued to support the club in any way they could, including many who donated their season ticket payment during the lockdown.”
The club incurred massive debt, but we were convinced it was necessary.
Even though we have invested a lot of our own money into the club, we are grateful to the regular fans who show up to cheer on the team, and we regret that there aren’t enough of you to keep the team afloat financially.
Facts
We regret not having the insight to reduce the squad budget during the epidemic, as we were determined to give the team the greatest possible chance of being competitive.
The announcement came the same day that employees were expected to get paid for September. It is believed that those payments were not made, allowing players to submit their resignations from the club.
If the team doesn’t make such payments within 14 days, the players have the option to leave.
However, the winding-up order for WRFC Players Limited is scheduled to be heard in court next week, at which point all players and staff contracts will be terminated.
WRFC
Although WRFC Trading Limited has been placed under administration, the company’s division responsible for the players’ and employees’ contracts has not been, and a delay to the winding up order has been requested but is expected to be denied.
Administrators for WRFC Trading Limited, Begbies Traynor, were quoted in an article by Julie Palmer, saying that HMRC had indicated its determination to continue with the 5 October hearing rather than consent to a delay.
Therefore, liquidation seems likely, while a two-week delay in finding a buyer for WRFC Trading Ltd. is still possible.
Of course, some players might be able to find other clubs, and several rumored transfers have already been finalized. Those who are committed to the club will have to hold their breath in the hopes that new investors will step up fast and Worcester will be readmitted to the Premier League.
Many employees are in a tough spot because they haven’t been paid for August.
EBC
The administrators are concentrating on discussions with multiple potential buyers and are working to a target of “weeks rather than months,” with the middle of October being a particularly important date.
Worcester’s Saturday encounter against Gloucester has been postponed, and they will likely postpone their home match against Harlequins the following week, also on a Saturday. If any more games after Worcester’s bye week are postponed, it’s hard to see how they’d make a comeback to the Premier League.
Because the IT supplier, EBC Group, is also one of the club’s creditors and the wifi was shut off in early September, it is believed that the administrators have been slowed down by their inability to access important records.