Worcester fans rally behind stricken team in spirited defeat to Exeter

In the mellow afternoon Worcestershire sunshine they did their best to keep the faith. Yes, the Warriors had just been beaten by an Exeter team who have now started the season with two successive wins. Yes, the club is up to its eyebrows in debt. But as they applauded and cheered their team’s resolve in adversity at the final whistle, even Worcester’s most loyal supporters could feel time fast running out.

Tuesday is now looking like D-day, with the club currently not even in a position to pay the £45 a head registration fee to cover the loan players needed to fulfil Wednesday’s Premiership Cup fixture against Gloucester. After that? For all the swirling talk of an imminent deal being signed which would keep the club going and not involve administration, these remain the most unsettling of days.

It was summed up when, after 65 minutes, there was a massed round of applause to respect those staff who have still only had 65% of their August wages. It was only through the admirable willingness of unpaid staff to volunteer their services for free that this fixture went ahead. But as the Worcester director of rugby, Steve Diamond, bluntly put it: “I’m thinking they should have clapped at zero minutes for those who haven’t had any money.”

What a sad mess it all is. At least local contractors also did the decent thing and emptied the overflowing bins to satisfy health and safety requirements. And 4,999 spectators, the maximum number permitted, made more noise than anyone had a right to expect in the circumstances. You learn more about people in adversity and the strength of community spirit locally in recent days has been remarkable.

Outside before kick-off, three longtime Warriors fans in fancy dress certainly did their best to