AWAY from the frenzy of football, the club has proved to be at the very heart of the city with a wide range of community and charity work.

With its Supergold competition the club has always forged strong links with charities and this year Leukemia CARE is benefiting from the association.

Since April this year another 1,500 households have signed up to the weekly competition, which now has 10,000 members.

The blue and whites have also arranged a charity match to support the group.

It all means vital funds are raised for the charity's millennium project to fund all-year-round holidays for people with life-limiting conditions and their families.

The club has also been instrumental in attracting new recruits to the local Army regiment.

It played host again to the Worcestershire & Sherwood Foresters as part of the Keep the Army in the Public Eye initiative.

This year a crowd of 2,000 turned out to its mini Royal Tournament to see bayonet fighting, drums and physical education displays.

The annual drive is an essential event for the Army.

Massive firework displays are also set to attract thousands to St George's Lane on Friday, November 2.

The event this year is set to feature music from around the world along with stalls and a guest DJ. The events all receive tremendous support from fans and organisations in Worcester, who could all benefit from the move.

The story of the blue and whites

IT has been a rollercoaster ride for the blue and whites, a journey through 100 years which has brought the club to the verge of a new ground fit for the new millennium.

The club was formed in September 9, 1902, when another Worcester-based club, Berwick Rangers, went into liquidation. The Birmingham League agreed to let City take over Rangers' fixtures and City played in the division for the next 36 years before joining the Southern League.

The club moved to St George's Lane in 1905.

City's first honour was the Worcestershire Senior Cup, which they won for a record - breaking six successive seasons between 1908 and 1914.

City were Birmingham League Champions 1913/14, 1924/25 and in the 1929/30 season, when they scored 153 goals in 34 league games winning every single home match.

They were Southern League Cup winners in 1938/1939.

In 1957, former Wales captain, Roy Paul signed for Worcester only 12 months after leading Manchester City to victory in the FA Cup Final. City had never before enjoyed a long cup run, but Paul's team took Aldershot to a second round replay in the first round proper, going out at St Andrews, Birmingham, in front of a crowd of 22,926. The following year, City beat Millwall and then Liverpool, before going out to Sheffield United in front of a record home crowd of 17,042, in round four.

In the early 1960s, the club almost went out of business, but recovered by adopting a bold policy of signing star names like Peter McParland and Norman Deeley. City finished third in the Premier Division in 1964/65, but two seasons later were relegated for the first time in the club's history. Having bounced back at the first attempt, a second relegation followed in 1973/74.

In 1976/77 City won the Division 1 North championship, gaining 69 points from a possible 76, losing only one league match 1 the final one. Two years later the Southern League Premier Division was won for the first time.

In 1979, City joined the newly-formed Alliance Premier League (now the Football Conference) and finished third in its inaugural season. The side were relegated in 1985.

In November, 1999, John Barton replaced Graham Allner as manager. He guided City to success in the Dr Martens Cup with a 4-1 aggregate win over Crawley Town.

St George's Lane now has a Football Conference grading and City are now hoping to return to the non-league top flight.