OUTGOING mayor Jabba Riaz is calling on fellow councillors to watch Worcester City games and “feel the love and passion for the game” before considering new stadium proposals.

The civic head of Worcester City Council led out the homeless club’s team, which plays out of Bromsgrove, at a match against Westfields in Hereford last month.

Cllr Riaz had been invited by Hereford counterpart Sue Boulter for a charity fundraising drive but his presence raised eyebrows among some City fans.

The club and its supporters’ trust is in the throes of trying to secure a homecoming by building a community sports facility on council-owned land at Perdiswell, a matter that has proved divisive for councillors and residents.

“The irony was not lost on me,” said Cllr Riaz. “I would much rather be leading out a team in Worcester, wherever the ground may be, than anywhere else. I understand the heartache, pain and suffering of being in exile for so long for the long-standing Worcester City supporters. They want their club back home.”

Worcester City Supporters’ Trust has planning permission for Perdiswell following a successful appeal to the Planning Inspectorate and is now hoping to secure council support for access to the land.

"We know from all the sites we have discussed before that Perdiswell looks like a genuine case for a site, added the mayor. “I want that discussion to happen and for councillors to be objective, look at the facts and come down to games to understand the frustrations and experiences of people.

“Look at Westfields and how they manage it. In Hereford there are three grounds within 500 yards of each other – Hereford FC, Hereford Lads Club and Westfields. Look at how they manage their parking, traffic flow and green space. There was a crowd of more than 250 there, maybe Worcester City will get about 500 or 600 but that’s about manageable.

“Has it (Perdiswell) got ease of access? Has it got parking facilities? Has it got the facilities to manage crowd dispersal? You’d probably argue yes to all of those in my limited estimation. Local residents have a say but what councillors need to understand is what it means to have a club in the city and what the supporters’ frustrations are.

“Whatever way the decision goes, if they don’t come down and experience the matches like the supporters do, go out and look at other cities where clubs are managing alongside local residents and get that feel for the love and passion for the game I don’t think it will be fair.

“You have to come to a solution that is acceptable to all. There has to be give and take on both sides.

“We want as many people as possible to have a say but we have to realise there is a real need for the club to be back home.

“At the moment, out of all of the sites we have gone through consultations on, it always comes back to Perdiswell.”