Stephen Jones in today's S Times

[Heathen]

Losing Wasps and Worcester makes this the worst season ever
No amount of play-off magic can save this campaign
Stephen Jones

Jim O?Toole is the new owner of Worcester Warriors given that his Atlas Group now owns the venue where the Warriors used to play, along with the club?s proud name.

He has forged a business career containing many strands. One, according to a website, is his Sports Columbarium Company. This is a niche operation in more ways than one, aimed at sports stadium owners: ?Your most committed fans buy a niche inner wall for their cremated ashes ? an entirely new revenue category for venue owners.? A columbarium is an edifice which contains ashes of the deceased in its niches. No need to scatter them on the pitch, they can be preserved in the dry and warm.

O?Toole, heavily criticised by Warrior fans and almost everyone else, is on the button in one way: people can grow to love sports clubs with a vast passion. This was shown by the dejection of followers when both Worcester and Wasps lost their places in the Gallagher Premiership this season.

Sports clubs can become a huge part of life. I daresay that, as O?Toole suggests, some do indeed want to remain in death on the site where they most loved being alive. But as yet, O?Toole and Atlas have not applied this same philosophy to their recent acquisition. At present there is no prospect of top-level rugby to watch at Sixways. Every industry expert and every grieving fan is baffled as to what, after long and bitter months of attempting to complete the sale, Atlas are actually going to do.

The RFU is clear: there was an option for any prospective buyer to immediately relaunch Worcester at Sixways in the Championship. The tournament requires far fewer resources and far lower salaries than the Premiership but it provides a good standard of rugby and, hopefully, a route back to the big time. Atlas rejected that option.
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Wasps have recently arranged to play their Championship games at Sixways next season. Other than as a matchday venue for Wasps, what are the plans for Sixways? Analysts say that Worcester Raiders FC, who play well down the leagues in the Hellenic Premier, may be available. There is also a tenancy agreement yet to be confirmed with Worcester Warriors Women, the Allianz Premier 15s women?s team. There was also talk that there could be an amalgamation with Stourbridge RFC, a reasonably local side who have just been relegated down to the fifth tier of the league structure.

None of these are promising. The RFU has said that Worcester will not be allowed to take on a new club?s league status if they merge with that club. RFU sources point out that the only alternative is for Worcester to restart their existence in the tenth tier. Park-pitch sport.
There has been a disheartening lack of sympathy for Wasps? plight within the game


There was another bidder, a group led by Steve Diamond. A man with a dynamic edge, perfect for revitalisation; he knows every coach and player and agent in the land and his mother. He has tenacity and has coached at high levels throughout the Premiership, and his consortium had agreed to meet the debts of creditors. Atlas refused to do that. The bid was rejected. You would love to hear from Begbies, the administrators, as to how they made their call on the new owners.

Sixways is a great stadium and easily accessible, and there have been hints from Atlas that it will stage concerts there. However, I don?t expect that Ed Sheeran or Bruce Springsteen have been on the blower recently.
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So is this the most disastrous season in the history of the Premiership? Granted, the semi-finals and final of the tournament stir the blood. But then comes the realisation: along the way we have lost two great clubs in Wasps and Worcester, leaving dedicated players in panic for their careers.

On Friday, we were within minutes of losing London Irish into the ether. It was only after Mick Crossan ? who sincerely hoped to be the former owner of London Irish by now ? came good on the staff?s unpaid salaries that yesterday?s game was able to be held and the club could resume their optimistic noises that the American?based new owners would own up and pay up. Otherwise it has been horrible.

From where can a revival spring? It is disappointing to hear that Premiership Rugby is intent on only a ten-team league next season. That is not enough to renew the buzz. It is mute, as ever, on the subject of promotion and relegation, and has made no move to claim back players from the murderous demands of the England team.

The organisation recently briefed the media on its plans for the future. It probably has the best top-level administration of any rugby body in the UK but at the meetings the hierarchy still seem to sit behind old barriers to make their dispositions.