SUPPORTERS’ Trust chairman Dave Wood insists he is happy to go back to the negotiating table with Worcester City – but only with the green light from members.

Talks over the terms of the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) put in place to enable an independent report on City’s finances, commissioned by the trust, stalled on Thursday.

A trust statement said the club had requested to see the report first and decide who beyond Wood and trust secretary Rob Crean could have access to it as part of an amended three-way NDA.

The club responded with a lengthy statement of its own yesterday (Sunday), understood to have been authored by director Mark Wilcox, claiming Wood had “agreed with this approach” and encouraged contact with Nick Igoe of Supporters Direct, the man tasked with performing the report.

The club statement also said the initial NDA “did not provide equal terms to both parties” and that the club had requested a copy of the report in advance of it being issued to the trust board “as a matter of courtesy”.

It confirmed “the club has also requested a copy of report to be provided under the NDA prior to being formally issued”, terms the trust deemed “unacceptable”.

The impasse is the final straw for some fans who are suggesting via social media that the trust forms a phoenix club but Wood, who confirmed the trust board would meet imminently to discuss its next move, remains keen to keep open all options.

“Personally, I am still open to holding discussions but I have to go back to the trust board and members to see where we go,” said Wood.

“I would be happy to review it but I have to talk to the board, get their opinions and, if needed, go to the membership to decide what we do next.

“That’s the way we work. We are a membership-driven organisation, decisions are not taken individually.”

On his talks with Wilcox over amendments to the NDA, Wood said: “My answer was to send his response to Nick (Igoe).

“We did talk about a three-way NDA but that did not need to involve the trust. We would have received the report we commissioned but any financial detail would have stayed confidential between Supporters Direct and the club.

“From my point of view, the three-way NDA was not a problem. It was limited to two names, me and Rob, probably because he (Wilcox) felt people might have leaked information.

“We never asked to see the detailed financial accounts. They would have been seen by Nick Igoe and not released to us. We would only have seen the report.”

Asked whether he thought Wilcox understood that intention, Wood replied: “He said he did. I don’t know whether he did at the time.

“Maybe there was a misunderstanding but we believed, as did Nick, that the club wanted to restrict the report to (being seen by) two people.

“It came across that they wanted to tie us up with the NDA so we could do nothing with the report.

“Our belief is that they wanted to take the report before it was issued to us, to be able to review or veto it.

"That was not what this was about, it was about the supporters’ trust doing due diligence over the viability of the club.

“Mark told me yesterday (Sunday) that it was not like that at all. It was out of courtesy that they should see the report as well. I am not sure that was the case but that’s just my opinion.”

Wilcox declined to take part in a pre-arranged interview on the matter on Saturday.

Prior to the release of the statement, Wilcox called the Worcester News sports desk on Sunday. He did not pick up when we returned the call and has not tried to instigate contact since. 

CITY STATEMENT IN FULL

Statement following recent NDA

On the 23rd March, The Club received a request from Rob Crean, Secretary, Worcester City FC Supporters Trust to engage with Supporters Direct to review the financial status of the Football Club and update on the Stadium Development at Parsonage Way.

An NDA was provided to be signed between the Football Club & Worcester City Football Club Supporters Ltd permitting all members of the Trust board along with Nick Igoe & James Mathie of Supporters Direct to assess and report on the financial viability of the Club.

The NDA requested a number of confidential items to be supplied, to be provided along with a term “in an excel format to allow it to be edited, manipulated and moved into other files as necessary “

The NDA did not provide equal terms to both parties in a number of aspects.

A Face to Face discussion was held with Dave Wood, Chairman of the Supporters Trust to discuss the above and it was proposed to have a three way NDA to add Supporters Direct to the two named parties above. The new NDA had terms protecting all parties equally.

It was advised that due to previous occasions where Confidential information had been leaked that this would be two named recipients; Supporters Trust Chairman & Secretary. Dave agreed with this approach and to forward to Nick Igoe for comment.

The discussion was very positive and confirmation was given that the Club would support the request to produce a Financial Report on the Club with support from Andy Jones (our Fully Qualified Chartered Accountant with considerable knowledge & relevant experience ) along with any valid recommendations in changing its ownership model.

During the correspondence the Club also contacted Nick Igoe directly to gain clarity on details of requested information and related outcome to represent figures. One aspect was regarding income from the final season at SGL regarding income from bar and catering.

This was not a true representation as both aspects were conducted by third parties with the Club gaining a percentage of takings. It was therefore not deemed relevant and calculations should be made on an income value per head attending the game – which Supporters Direct would have more meaningful information working with their client base and season attendance records are readily available. It was agreed to provide the final seasons accounts to assist with the report.

On the 12th April The Football Club had confirmed in writing to provide the following Information to be made available under NDA (with a summary commentary on the relevant aspect to assist in documentation provided)

• Current state of the Balance Sheet.
• Financials 2017 / 2018 season
• Financials 2016 / 2017 season
• Summary Financials last season at SGL (2012 /13)
• Expected projections 2018 / 2019 season
• Committed costs to enable calculations of likely cash position should any ownership transfer occur.
• Details on ground share agreements at the Victoria ground
• Calculations on the CGT - notification that roll over relief is not available
• Share Holding update
• Anthony Collins - Report “OPTIONS IN RELATION TO CAPITAL AND COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP”
• Parsonage Way update in relation to ongoing Monthly Project meetings with the City Council & WFA. 

Although it was noted we are happy to provide an update of where the project is and ongoing works, although we have our own confidentially terms in place with the Council and WFA and are therefore restricted in what we can provide (although will be as helpful as we can).

Trust Information to be made available under the NDA to the Football Club.
• Update on Perdiswell planning application (Appeal)
• Current Financial Projections and timetable for the Stadium

This information will be very important for the Director’s to determine whether they should recommend to Shareholders a change to the business structure following the report from Nick Igoe.

Further to the conversations with Dave Wood and Nick Igoe the agreed information to be provided under NDA would allow a detailed report to be prepared and shared with the Supporters Trust Board, with the detailed information being provided to the Named recipients within the NDA.

As a matter of courtesy the Football Club requested a copy of the report in advance of this being presented to the Trust Board.
The Club has also requested a copy of report to be provided under the NDA prior to being formally issued.

For Clarity regarding the above, it was made very clear to Andy Mitchell at yesterday’s game that a response to the failing NDA would be made via our Club website in the first instance and forwarded to the Worcester News following this.

The Worcester News were today not available for further comment on written quotes made in reference to the above.