EXITING co-manager Chris Cornes was sacked via email by Worcester Raiders but still prevented a player revolt according to one of his senior players.

Ex-Worcester City captain and current Raiders defender Jordan Stoddart revealed the squad had initially planned to walk away en masse ahead of tonight’s Hellenic League Division One trip to Cirencester Town Development (7.45) only for Cornes to intervene.

Raiders yesterday (Monday) announced that Cornes had “left his post as joint manager” and that co-boss Karl Gormley “will take charge of first team affairs with a replacement (to be) announced in due course”.

READ MORE: Backlash from players as Chris Cornes leaves Raiders

The news prompted a backlash from many of the squad on social media, claiming chairman Steve Harris had “pushed out” Cornes.

The news prompted a backlash from many of the squad on social media, claiming chairman Steve Harris had “pushed out” Cornes.

Stoddart told Worcester News that Harris had sent the email while was Cornes was on holiday and that the players had received no explanation ahead of playing tonight.

Neither Harris nor Warriors offered a response to the claim or Stoddart’s comments.

“We are in limbo,” said Stoddart.

“It came as a bit of a shock and everything is up in the air. We don’t know why it happened, all we know is that Chris got asked to leave via an email from the chairman.

“We have been told nothing else, we have had no contact from anyone at the club and Chris has not had word from above.

“The last word falls with the chairman. We have all tried to speak with him but he has basically blanked us, he said is it is nothing to do with him but then he said he had to do what he had to do.

“The only reason we were given was that it was down to results which is a load of rubbish. It is just not true, if the club is not happy with results then surely that falls on all the management team, not one individual.

“I don’t see how that is possible. If we win our games in hand we will be within a point of top spot.

“The players did stand up and said they would not play but Chris went out of his way to say ‘no, go and play’.

“That was nothing against Karl, we all love him and always wanted to play for him but at the same time we felt we wanted to make a statement to the chairman to say we were not happy with the decision and put the onus on him.

“Karl has told us he is carrying on for now which is brilliant, at least we still have someone with some knowledge of what is going on.

"As Chris said to us, no one wants to let Karl down so we all agreed to play tonight and hopefully we will be able to sit down with the chairman and find out what is going on.”

Raiders moved to Sixways Stadium, home of Worcester Warriors, in July 2020 with the rugby club’s owners Colin Goldring and Jason Whittingham (pictured below), also owners of League One Morecambe, becoming “joint majority owners”.

Worcester News:

However, Stoddart believes events in recent weeks point to Harris taking the decision over Cornes rather than the hierarchy at Sixways.

Stoddart continued: “We believe Chris has been forced out by the chairman.

“Steve sent the email while Chris was away on holiday, he found out when he got back. There had been no prior warning.

“The players have gone mad about it because we all love the management team, we all get on really well and work hard for each other. We played for the managers, they were the ones who brought us in. None of us saw it coming and personally, I think it is down to the chairman.

“There might have been discussions with those above, maybe the chairman has gone and spoken to them, that could have happened, but I think it started with the chairman.

“That is just my opinion, other people might think differently.”

Asked what had made him think that way, Stoddart replied: “There have been times where he (Harris) has messaged players without Chris or Karl knowing.

“I always said I would not be available for the FA Vase game (against Atherstone a week and a half ago) and I had a message in the week before asking what was going on, saying he had been told different things about what players we had or didn’t have.

“The chairman is meant to be concentrating on the running of the club, things behind the scenes. Why is the chairman getting involved in the availability of the players? I don’t really understand that.

“We have always given our availability to Chris, Karl and the rest of the management team and always with plenty of notice. It seems a bit strange that this happened shortly before Chris got let go, something does not sit right with the whole situation.”

As for the future, Stoddart says he and his colleagues are looking no further ahead than tonight’s game.

“Nothing has been decided yet,” he added.

“Everyone has committed for tonight and we want to put on a performance for Chris and Karl.

“We don’t want to let what has happened ruin what we have built so far so we will give our best, leave everything out there to get a result and then go from there.

“We have no answers yet so as it stands, we will do what needs to be done and hopefully get some answers.

“We want someone to take responsibility, come out and tell the players the truth about what happened, what the thinking is.

“If it comes out that this is what the club wanted then that’s fair enough, it is for them to decide, but as players we don’t understand it. The rest of the management does not understand it and it has been a bit of farce that has left the club looking like a laughing stock.

“We have been trying to change the stigma around us for a few years, now all of that has taken a step backwards again.”

Stoddart concluded by saying: “I would like to thank Chris for everything, I know the lads would too and we all hope he gets back into football soon.”