WARRIORS fans have won praise for their loyalty during the club's troubled start to the Premiership campaign.

Crowds at Sixways have remained high despite Worcester's failure to win at home in the league and the club's Christmas fixtures are on their way to being sold out.

Fewer than 600 tickets remain for the clash with Harlequins on December 27, while there are around 1,000 available for the visit of London Irish on December 22.

Warriors have averaged 9,668 for their four home Premiership games this season, which is only down by 46 on the average for the whole of last season.

"The fans have been great," said chairman Cecil Duck-worth. "We don't want to let them down and the players don't want to let them down. We are very appreciative and hopefully we can get the support behind us in these games."

The club's attendances also compare favourably with other teams in the Premier-ship. Although Worcester are 11th in a league table of cumulative attendances this season, those figures are distorted because some clubs have played an extra home game.

In addition, Saracens and Harlequins played their opening home' games at Twickenham.

In terms of average attendances at clubs' own grounds, Worcester are in seventh place, ahead of Sale, London Wasps, Saracens, London Irish and Newcastle.

Warriors chalked up their first league success at Saracens at the end of November and followed it up with two wins in cup competitions.

Duckworth believes the mini-revival will help to keep the fans coming through the turnstiles.

"We think we have turned the corner and we are confident we will see some great results," he said. "We have never been annihilated. We have been a little bit ineffective but we are getting back to being on the front foot."

Both the London Irish and Harlequins games kick-off at 8pm and Duckworth hopes the feel-good Friday night atmosphere usually generated at Sixways can be replicated.

He added: "There is a great atmosphere and we are hopeful the support will stay with us.

"We could have possibly put the match on December 27 in the morning but we thought people would be coming back from holiday and some would be working that day."

Seats for the Harlequins game are available in the North and East stands but selling out rapidly for the South Stand.