WORCESTER City’s board are at loggerheads after some directors claimed there was a lack of “enthusiasm” and “ambition” to keep the club alive.

Chairman Anthony Hampson and vice-chairman Colin Layland faced heavy criticism on Thursday night after failing to produce an alternative long-term “vision” for the Vanarama National League North outfit.

Shareholders were invited to a meeting where board members discussed Worcester City Supporters’ Trust’s proposals to make the club a community benefit society (CBS).

Directors Jem Pitt, Rob Crean and Mike Davis, who are also trust members and were sat among shareholders, slammed Hampson and Layland for rubbishing the proposed changes to the club’s constitution without coming up with a different plan.

With just over £500,000 left in the bank, Hampson admitted City had “two or three years” left of survival, but he refused to back the trust’s proposals, which infuriated Pitt and Crean.

“You have just said as the chairman of the board of directors that you believe this club will only last two to three years,” Pitt said.

“Where is the board’s vision and why are you not keen for a group of people who are supporters and shareholders who are proposing a medium-term to long-term solution that may provide a future for the club.”

Crean added: “How do you intend to run the club?

“To be told that you’re against something that we have worked so bloody hard to put together makes me sick.

“There is no plan, no ambition - nothing.”

Proposed amendments to the club’s constitution include the removal of a restriction on anyone owning more than one per cent of the company and allowing current shareholders to gift their shares to the trust.

Members of the trust believe the move would help raise the capital for the proposed new ground and boost negotiations with Worcester City Council to use the land at Perdiswell Park.

However, Layland feared going down the CBS route could cause problems in the future after community-owned FC United of Manchester’s recently reported financial struggles and board resignations.

“We don’t have to go with your (the trust’s) plan,” said Layland, who previously told the Worcester News the club did have a ‘plan B’.

“If we go with yours we might end up becoming like FC United and see what is happening to them at the moment. They will see a loss next year.”

Director Mark Wilcox added: “The problem is there are discussions going on at the moment and we have got confidentiality agreements in place.”

Several shareholders criticised Hampson and many of his directors for not allowing them to look at the alternative plans before next week’s crunch vote.

“I cannot see the point of this meeting as you are asking people to vote without being in full possession of the facts,” a shareholder said.

“How can we make a decision when we don’t know what the alternative plans are.

“It’s all very well saying you believe it is possible (to survive), but that’s not enough.

“I am truly disappointed with the lack of leadership and enthusiasm which is coming from you.”

Another shareholder added: “This is supposed to be a board of directors and one half or the other half we will walk away.

“The club never recovered from the last time it happened and this is probably going to be the final straw.”