CHAIRMAN Anthony Glossop says Worcester Warriors must stretch their footprint over the entire West Midlands.

Glossop says they have made progress towards attracting recognition in the region — but insists more needs to be done.

New chief executive Jim O’Toole is joining Warriors from Premiership outfit London Irish on Monday, February 2.

“In the long-term, we have got to stretch our footprint over the entire West Midlands,” said Glossop, who officially replaced benefactor Cecil Duckworth as Warriors’ chairman this week.

“Worcester is a small base for a club of this potential and we have got to get into the whole of the West Midlands, including Birmingham, to make them think we are a West Midlands club. We have been making progress — but not enough.

“We are putting an academy centre footprint right around the region and we will be rolling out a clubs and schools programme over the next year.

“Jim O’Toole is 100 per cent committed to the strategy involved. He is coming in to execute what is already in place. I have got great confidence he can do it.”

Glossop was disappointed with the club’s lack of home fixtures in the firsthalf of the Championship campaign.

But he was delighted with Warriors’ biggest home gate of the season — 6,415 — who watched last weekend’s 62-26 success over Cornish Pirates at Sixways.

“We had a diabolical fixture list with only four home games in the first four months and that’s no way to build continuity with supporters,” said Glossop.

“The home gate against Pirates was our biggest so far this season. I am hopeful those numbers will start to move up.”

Benefactor Duckworth is Warriors’ new president and the club will continue to be a huge part of his life.

“If we are successful and continue to build the infrastructure and capacity of our support, then Worcester will become more of a rugby city in a similar way to Gloucester or Bath,” said Duckworth.

“If we can give our supporters success, we could probably double the size of our facility. To get 12,000 fans to Sixways for a big match, which we have done, coming from 100 or so when I first got involved in the club, is quite a journey.”