Will Worcester City continue to back manager King Carl?

9:00am Wednesday 20th March 2013 in Sport Photograph of the Author By Steve Carley, @stevecarleyWN

UNDER PRESSURE: Manager Carl Heeley has overseen Worcester City’s worst run of results in nearly 30 years. UNDER PRESSURE: Manager Carl Heeley has overseen Worcester City’s worst run of results in nearly 30 years.

WORCESTER City’s worst run of results for nearly 30 years and its impact on the club’s future will be top of the agenda at tomorrow night’s board meeting.

Monday’s 3-0 defeat to Gainsborough Trinity at St George’s Lane was the first time City have lost seven league games in a row since the 1984-85 season, when they were relegated from the Alliance Premier.

It also took the number of games without scoring a goal to five, something which last happened back in 1966.

With player morale and supporter apathy at rock-bottom just weeks before the club leaves the Lane after 108 years, the board are preparing to act after the side slipped to 13th in Blue Square Bet North.

Vice-chairman Colin Layland says the alarming run cannot continue if the club want to get anywhere near their target of selling 1,500 £100 season tickets for the move to Aggborough.

He also would not confirm whether manager Carl Heeley, who is coming under increasing fire from fans, would be in charge when the club begin their exile.

“It’s a situation that we will be discussing at a board meeting tomorrow,” Layland said.

“It’s not just the fact we have lost seven games on the trot, it’s other things like the season tickets which people are not going to buy if they are watching a team that’s losing all the time.

“With crowds dropping off it’s not helping the playing budget for next season. What the answer is I don’t know.”

He continued: “We have monthly meetings when the manager comes and talks to us so maybe he can give us some answers. It will be a general discussion but I can’t say what the future of the manager is.”

Fans have taken to internet forums and Facebook to vent their frustrations about the plight but the Supporters’ Trust have reiterated their backing for the club.

Spokesman Rob Crean said: “As it is our last few games at St George’s Lane it would have been nice to go out with a bang rather than a whimper.

“But, whatever happens between now and the end of the season, we are looking to the future and no more than two years ground-sharing at Kidderminster Harriers.

“We have still got confidence in the club and we are still working together.”

Keith Chambers, vice-chairman of the supporters’ club, added: “I think Heeley needs to go back to basics and field what he thinks is his best team that did well earlier in the season and give them another chance.

“He’s tried changing the team and it hasn’t worked.”

  • What do you think? Tell us by sending an e-mail to sc@worcesternews.co.uk

Comments(10)

Carthaginian says...
9:21am Wed 20 Mar 13

Are people a little confused, or am I?

What have recent results got to do with whether the Club sells 1,500 season tickets? That 1,500 season tickets is a base for minimal survival of THE CLUB, at Step 2 level, not for a push into the Conference National.

1,500 season tickets being moreorless given away at 100 quid may give us a playing budget at the most AT, and probably, LESS THAN the current playing budget. Remember, the 100 quid season ticket is instead of 800+ fans paying 12 quid on the gate, or 200 quid on a non-discounted season ticket.

The bigger fallacy by the Club would be to market 1,500 season tickets on the basis that we are going to be more successful on the pitch at Aggborough.

As Steve says, Worcester have had runs like this in the past, and will have them again in the future.

Report this post »

upton kid says...
10:03am Wed 20 Mar 13

I think it is a bit late in the day to think about changing Managers.
To be honest I cannot see a new man getting any better performances out of the present crop of players. I still think that the players are not supporting the manager regarding the team he is putting out, it has happened before even in the top leagues.
I think we will have to whether the storm and if we do have to change Managers do it at the end of the season. A new manager, new ideas and different surroundings will possibly get the fans returning.
It may well be we do need to leave SGL and look for a fresh start. Who knows it may be a good starting point for the future.

Report this post »

adecrean says...
10:15am Wed 20 Mar 13

We have short memories. We haven't had a sniff of success in the league for decades - and Carl Heeley has given us a fleeting chance of that in the past 2 seasons. At least he has provided some hope. Yes we are on a terrible run - but Heeley is a young manager and will be better for the current experience. The club should give him its wholehearted support

Report this post »

WS1991 says...
10:28am Wed 20 Mar 13

Completely agree adecrean. He shouldn't be sacked for arguably his first proper bad run of games. OK so we are out of the play off chase now, but we were well and truly in that race until about a month ago and that would've been unheard of as little as 2 seasons ago.

Getting rid of CH would be the wrong option at this stage IMO.

Report this post »

Doogie 46 says...
11:05am Wed 20 Mar 13

Well at least Carl hasn`t been given the dreaded vote of confidence.
There haven`t been many managers at any level of football as loved and respected by fans as him. After the disastrous tenure of Richard Dryden he has worked a minor miracle on a budget probably more suited to the Evo-stik leagues (or maybe below) and given the fans hope of better things - possibly making us guilty of over - optimism, the curse of all football fans.
To question his future right now is somewhat unjust and maybe destabilising for him and the team.
He may of course feel he`s done as much as he can for City and seek a job at a club with better prospects and less off-field issues - it wouldn`t be hard to find one. If he does leave, I for one will wish him well and say a big thank you for saving the club from the edge of oblivion when he took the job.

Report this post »

CityBlueBoy says...
11:18am Wed 20 Mar 13

Whatever you do don't mention 'small budget' that's seen as an excuse in some fans eyes.

Lets put Dryden back in charge and bring back players like Wilding, Adaggio etc etc who got us relegated from Conference South !

Carl and Matt are doing fine and it's maybe time everyone got behind them. Keep The Faith !

Report this post »

charlie the cat says...
11:37am Wed 20 Mar 13

Having read all the comments there has been a lot of sense spoken and agree with the fact that CH should retain is Managers job and MG to remain has his Assistant when CH took over we were in a worse position than we are today he got the team playing with pride and they looked and played as if they were proud to wear the shirt and results home and away showed that, the problem we had was we were victims of our own early success did we really think that we could finish in a play off position? or were we just getting involved in the hype surrounding our league position and never thought that a run like we are on could ever happen to us, what we really need to do as fans is get behind the team at SGL for the rest of the season as we do when we are away it is a totally different atmosphere at home because we as fans expect another defeat so lets get behind them at home till the end of the season. COYB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Report this post »

Carthaginian says...
11:44am Wed 20 Mar 13

Blimey, somehow I've become Carthaginian, but what the heck.

Anyway, I'm with the above posts - Carl and Matt to stay.

The Board to discuss the right messages into the public domain for the 100 quid season tickets, and why 150k is aiming to be raised by 3rd May.

Perhaps messages that talk of the 'rationale' of the season ticket sales at that price, and the importance of timing.

Fans should, and probably already do, know that buying a season ticket is not buying results on the pitch. I paid 216 quid for my season ticket this season. In August, I was not guaranteed what results would be in February or March, and I knew and accepted that. So, I pre-paid 10.50 for Monday nights defeat, unlike the 300 plus who decided not to go along on the night. I have already pre-paid 10.50 for Hinckley United even if we have lost 9 on the trot by then. Everyone buying a season ticket for next season must surely be making the same kind of pact with the Club. At 100 quid for 21 games (less than a fiver a game), the Club needs to be clear on what that pact is, from their side. I understand that pact to be about Club survival, not the vagaries of results on the pitch. Andy

Report this post »

Hillbilly1 says...
2:09pm Wed 20 Mar 13

I totally agree with all these comments, its far too easy in football to see a bad run of results and say "Sack the manager" It hardly ever has a long term positive effect. The average lifespan for a football manager is measured in months, that is simply stupid!
The Board must stand by the management team, and work with them to overcome this blip. This is the same management team who got the same players into the play off plces earlier in the year, and the same Board that has had to restrict the managements chances of success with such a small playing budget. The Board will understand the consequences of not being able to finacially support the manager, and should fully respect the fact that the manager hasnt already left due t the conditions he has had to work in.
I think common ense will prevail and if the manager wants to carry on, he should be allowed to.
The club isnt going to be relegated, the season is probably going to end up with WCFC exceeding the expectations of many pundits by not being relegated. And because the Board have been prudent with cash, the club has been able to survive long enough to be playing at Aggborough next season.
Unfortunately there are too many fans who believe that WCFC is a big club, have a big playing budget, and also believe that it is their right to be entertained with wins, because they have paid for it. I am sure that still the majority of fans do not understand how close the club is to going under, and that a potential 500k capital gains tax bill will need to be found somehow, from money hat the Board would really love to give to Carl Heeley!

Report this post »

Jim F says...
5:47pm Wed 20 Mar 13

Just wait and see you guys. Regardless of who the Manager is the lads will do really well next year in the professional surroundings of Harriers Ground.
I forecast that the home form next season will be a sensation. They will job very few points.
You local lads who haven't bought into the £100 offer will very much regret it. Wish I still lived in Worcester to see the lads

Report this post »

click2find

Get Adobe Flash player
About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree