Worcester City are set to upgrade their digs to a stadium larger than that of Premier League outfit Bournemouth.
The Northern Premier League Midlands Division club will swap the familiar Claines Lane for the spacious Sixways Stadium at the end of this season. Sixways – previously home to the now-defunct Premiership rugby team, Worcester Warriors – has a seating capacity of 11,000, with an additional 500 hospitality seats and plans for further expansion.
In comparison, Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium – the smallest in the Premier League – can accommodate only 11,379 spectators. Non-league football life is challenging, and securing a permanent home is often key to a club’s long-term survival.
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Eighth-tier Worcester City had to play outside the city for years but returned to share Claines Lane with the Worcestershire FA in 2020. However, the arrangement at Claines Lane was far from perfect.
The ground has been under pressure due to increasing attendances, now the second-highest in the division. It also lacks the necessary infrastructure to support a team with ambitious plans.
Club owner Simon Lancaster acknowledged the difficulties as he said: “Claines is a good place to watch football on a good day and I think we all enjoy watching football there, but in the time that I’ve been involved with the club, the pitch has been a problem, and it would be very costly to improve that.
The ground has a maximum capacity of 11,500
(Image: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
“There were lots of costs involved in improving the ground following promotion to step four, and there would be even more costs if we were promoted to step three. If we were to get promoted, I think Claines would struggle to accommodate the sort of attendances we’d be looking for.”
The Blues are pushing for another promotion after securing a spot in their current tier last term and are currently third in the table. Meanwhile, they are moving forward with plans for a new permanent stadium at the Worcestershire Community Sports Park.
Sixways is scheduled to remain their home until the 2029-30 season, at least. The club is no stranger to adaptation, having left St George’s Lane, renowned for hosting a historic FA Cup upset over Liverpool in 1959.
Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium houses around 11,400
(Image: Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images)
The team had to leave the ground in 2013, leading them to share grounds with other clubs from Kidderminster to Bromsgrove, before making their way back to Worcester. And efforts continue despite the challenges in securing a permanent home, including failed council planning applications for new facilities.
“We’re working hard on getting our own home and we will continue to do so,” Lancaster continued. “But while we are doing that we need to simultaneously look out for the short term and secure the best available option.”
The Blues are on the rise in more ways than one
(Image: Morgan Harlow/Getty Images)
The relocation to Sixways is not just about increasing capacity; it also offers modern function rooms, additional parking, and space for the club’s expanding fan base. Plans to enhance the stadium with an events centre, padel courts, and improved hospitality services are underway, promising benefits for both the football club and the local community.
Sixways has its own complex past, having been the stronghold for the Worcester Warriors rugby team until they were expelled from the Premiership in February 2023 having gone into administration. For Worcester City, this presents a chance to revitalise the ground and a fanbase all at once.