WORCESTER Raiders Joint Manager Mark Owen is "delighted" with how the club is taking shape since his arrival just over a month ago.

The former Worcester City striker teamed up with Karl Gormley in the dugout at the beginning of October, bringing with him a new-look coaching set-up as well as a raft of new players with Premier League clubs on their CV's.

With the likes of former Aston Villa winger Jordan Cox and ex-West Brom full-back Aksum White making the move to Sixways, a string of players have gone the other way with Owen saying he wants to build an identity and culture at the club.

He said: "I'm really pleased with the players that we have brought in to the football club in terms of their age and experience, and it's also pleasing to see how it is coming together off the field too.

"When I first took up the position at Worcester Raiders it was highlighted in the local news that the players were not using all the facilities, however that was because of the restrictions imposed due to Covid.

"We now have a permanent training base on the main elite grass pitch within the Sixways complex, which League One side Morecambe used during the summer.

"It is floodlit and we also have use of the showers and changing rooms within the stadium, so we can't ask for anymore than that.

"The club has looked after us brilliantly and I must give a special mention to head of stadium operations Gene Willis, who has worked tirelessly to get everything sorted for us."

Raiders have won their last two league games under Owen's stewardship - an impressive 4-2 home win over fellow promotion chasers FC Stratford and Saturday's 7-0 dismantling of Shortwood United.

"The Stratford game was a turning point and you could see a real sense of togetherness at full-time," added Owen, who was also keen to point out that some of the former set-up have bought into the new vision and values for the club.

"Whilst some of the players from the old dressing room have bought into what we are striving to achieve, it was always going to take time as there were still three or four players from the old regime that didn't want to be at the club.

"Everyone's goal is to get better and better with each game, and even when we were 5-0 up against Shortwood United at the weekend, I reiterated the fact that we needed to keep a clean sheet and maintain the intensity that we had shown in the first half."