EXILED Worcester City are having to plug a gap of £250,000 each year to keep themselves afloat, it has been revealed.

But Worcester City Supporters’ Trust believe becoming community-owned will give the club the “best opportunity” of creating a “sustainable” future with the ability to secure “substantial” cash injections.

Shareholders were informed of City’s financial situation during an open meeting before next Thursday’s crunch vote, which could see the club change ownership.

New statistics presented by the trust showed the National League North outfit’s deficit has grown from £150,000 to about £250,000 since leaving St George’s Lane in 2013.

With just over £500,000 left in the bank, the trust have warned shareholders the club could go bust within the next three years.

Trust member Jem Pitt, who is also on City’s board, insisted they cannot keep losing money and needed to find a way to generate ‘non-football income’ before it is too late.

“£250,000 is the gap we are having to try and plug year-on-year,” he said.

“If we had a fabulous clubhouse and a 4G pitch that we could rent out, we would be able to generate non-football income to fill those gaps. But we won’t have it at Bromsgrove and we didn’t have it at Kidderminster.

“That is why we got together and agreed there must be a better way to try to find income to bring into the football club to make it sustainable.”

One shareholder suggested slashing the playing budget and dropping a division to make savings but Pitt said it would make no difference.

He refused to blame current and former board members for City’s plight, saying they had worked “very hard” and had made “sound decisions” in the past.

But he insisted making the club a community benefit society (CBS) would allow shareholders to work together and apply for grants.

“What we are saying is we want to become a community club that can attract the kind of funding we need to bridge these gaps,” Pitt said.

“There is substantial funding out there and we want to get access to it.”

Among the grants on offer include the Big Lottery Fund’s £150million pot and the Blending Funding Programme, where community organisations can secure more than £250,000 from social investors.

Trust director Rich Widdowson said: “We are not going to get all these funds but there are a lot out there and they open and close all the time.”

Trust secretary Rob Crean added: “Let’s change the constitution now as it will give the club the best opportunity of sustainability.

“It is the best model to takes us forward.”

The trust believe changing the club from a limited company to a community benefit society will help raise the capital for the proposed new ground and boost negotiations with Worcester City Council to use the land at Perdiswell Park.

At least 75 per cent of shareholders must vote in favour of the trust’s plans to trigger a change in ownership.