BOSSES at Worcester City are considering allowing potential investors to claim a large stake in the cash-strapped club.

Chairman Anthony Hampson has put forward a suggestion to lift the limit on the number of shares held by an individual.

The move, outlined by Hampson at a meeting with Worcester City Supporters’ Trust representatives, could help the National League North outfit secure much-needed funds by selling more shares.

Although the trust backed the idea, they warned the club to guard against being taken over by an “unscrupulous owner” who could “make the situation worse”.

The proposed change would need to go to a shareholders’ vote at a general meeting.

“We have got no objection to raising the share limit as long as there are safeguards in place to ensure that if anyone did buy a lot of the shares they would need to have the football club’s best interest at heart, not just asset-stripping,” trust secretary Rob Crean said.

“We agreed at the meeting we would like to see some caveats in place to prevent any unscrupulous potential owner just buying 51 per cent of the shares and then saying, ‘It is my club now, let’s shut it all down’.”

The club’s constitution has a restriction on anyone owning more than one per cent of the company, meaning they can only hold a maximum of 3,000 shares.

But Hampson and his directors are looking at getting rid of the cap to help City, who have about £530,000 left in the bank, gain further investment.

It is understood just over 50 per cent of the club’s existing 300,000 shares are in use with 140,000 yet to be sold.

Crean added: “We also made the point it is a good short-term stop-gap to release some money into the club. But it does not secure the long-term future as we are losing money and £140,000 isn’t going to last very long even if there is a big appetite for individuals to buy shares.”

As the Worcester News revealed earlier this week, Hampson offered to quit as City chief to allow trust chairman Dave Wood to take over the reins.

Hampson also revealed he gave the trust the chance to gain an “increasing influence” in the club by securing a “portfolio of shares”.

“Alongside my offer to stand down, I also outlined my thoughts on further amendments to the club’s constitution, which I felt could help the supporters’ trust to build a portfolio of influence in the club,” Hampson said.

“This involved the removal of the individual limit on the number of shares held by an individual so that shareholders could gift their shares to the trust if they so desired.

“Such a proposal would also allow the trust to purchase some of the 140,000 shares in the club.”

However, Crean insisted there was “no point” gaining a greater financial stake if the club “cannot ensure the long-term future”.

“If cash is raised by the sale of shares, that will keep the club going,” Crean said.

“But it is certainly not what the trust will be doing with any money we raise as we are still determined to put that money into Perdiswell and the community plans.”