IN years to come, football supporters will look back on 2014 as the best 12 months for Worcester City since the Nobby Clark era of the late 1970s.

The extraordinary run to the FA Cup second round, including the victory at Coventry City and record-breaking penalty shoot-out defeat to Scunthorpe United, have written Carl Heeley’s team into the history books.

On top of that, the Blue and Whites lost just twice in 90 minutes at Aggborough in 23 home games in all competitions during 2014 - to Telford in February and Halifax in the FA Trophy last month - a statistic preserved by the Boxing Day Hednesford abandonment.

All this from a team who have been without a home for 18 months.

It has proved that City can survive away from Worcester, which was by no means guaranteed when they left St George’s Lane.

You could argue they are better off at Kidderminster because they don’t have a ground to maintain and have an excellent facility to attract players and supporters.

But it won’t last forever and returning to Worcester is the only way the club will survive in the long-term.

Which brings us to 2015. It isn’t an exaggeration to say the next 12 months will determine whether City have a future.

Not before too long, and hopefully prior to the General Election, a decision will be made on the supporters’ trust plans for a new stadium at Perdiswell.

It is a project that has taken a long time to come to fruition but has now reached the stage where something needs to happen.

Approval would give City the green light to seek funding and press ahead with the community scheme.

Rejection would likely spell the end, and unfortunately it prob - ably is that simple. Too much time and effort has been spent on this proposal by a dedicated group of people for it to fail. There would unlikely be an appetite for a second bid.

It has to succeed and, with modest designs, extra pitches, including an all-weather surface, and classroom and conference facilities, it has every chance of doing so.

At Aggborough, we have had a glimpse of the future. This is what it could be like for Worcester with their own home, albeit on a smaller scale but with scope to incorporate junior and community teams.

It is amazing what can be achieved with a group of determined individuals, volunteers and fans.

Everything is in place for Worcester to once again have a football club to be proud of in the city. All they need now is for Worcester City Council to back them with planning permission.

For 2015 to be the year when City were denied a future would be a travesty. They have made it this far, they need the chance to continue that journey.

Then there might be even more success to look back on in the years to come