NEW chairman Steve Goode says he is determined to show council bosses that Worcester City “mean business” in their efforts to return home.

And he has described the Perdiswell stadium bid as the “best option” for the Midland League Premier Division outfit.

City have been in exile since 2013 and are preparing for their third season at Bromsgrove Sporting’s Victoria Ground.

Plans to build a ground on Parsonage Way were all but ruled out by Worcester City Council on Monday following a publicly-funded feasibility study which deemed the site to be an “unrealistic option”.

There is also an ongoing appeal process to the Planning Inspectorate by the club’s supporters’ trust after permission to create a stadium at Perdiswell was rejected last year.

Council leader Marc Bayliss has encouraged the club to look at other sites but Goode has thrown his support behind the Perdiswell plan.

“Our focus is to get back to Worcester, like it always has been,” Goode said.

“I don’t want to comment too much about Parsonage Way because I wasn’t on the board so I wouldn’t know what has gone on there until I have looked at all the paperwork.

“Regarding Perdiswell, I have always been a trust member and gone by what they have said which was positive.

“But there were a few things that were blocking us. For me, Perdiswell is still the best option to get us back to Worcester.

“I just hope that the council will let us know whether they want us back in Worcester or not. That’s the main issue.

“With all the changes and things we hope to get planned in the not-too-distant future I think (the council) will know that we mean business as a football club.

“I just hope that everyone rallies around, gets their hands dirty and makes this club great again.”

City’s board and supporters’ trust have long been at loggerheads but Goode insists the two parties working together is the “only way” Worcester will end their nomadic lifestyle.

Goode has succeeded Anthony Hampson as City chief while trust chairman David Wood, Tom Swan and Simon Gregory have joined existing directors Colin Layland and Martin Pinches to form a new-look board.

“I think going two different directions has never helped the football club,” Goode said.

“The only way we can get back to Worcester is if everyone wants the same thing.

“It is very awkward in Bromsgrove as people have got to travel to games.

“But if Snapper (John Snape, manager) and Ashley (Vincent, assistant boss) can get the players performing to a decent standard of football people will come back.”

City’s supporters’ trust are big advocates of community ownership as they published an open letter in March indicating a change to the club’s constitution “would be a prerequisite of any trust involvement in the current set-up”.

Currently, no one can own more than one per cent of the shareholdings but voting rights are based on the number of shares held.

The trust want to move to a fan-owned club with a one-member one-vote system.

Asked whether community ownership was on the board’s agenda, Goode added: “I am not going to comment on that because we haven’t discussed it.

“But that’s something that will most likely be discussed at some point.”