GET behind the Warriors and be part of a very long journey.

That’s the simple but clear message to fans from the club’s new chief executive Jim O’Toole.

O’Toole has seen the passion of Warriors supporters in matches at London Scottish and Moseley.

“I would ask fans to get behind the team and come and be part of this little, short phase of a very long journey,” he said.

“I went to London Scottish and Moseley and I was amazed at the noise the away supporters were making.

They were nearly half the crowd at London Scottish among the tartan and tweed.”

O’Toole says that, before coming to Warriors, he saw the club as well run with a great set of fans.

“I would have seen them as a well run business with a great set of supporters which had obviously been a yo-yo club over the last few years which Dean Ryan and the guys are now addressing on the rugby side,” he said.

“There’s a good, positive vibe about it as a club and as a brand. I did a lot of research on the business potential and the opportunity to build.

“Premiership rugby and professional rugby needs a strong professional team in the West Midlands and all the research will tell you that your key catchment area is an hour’s drive to a match.

“In our case because, of the density of population of various towns and areas around, the catchment area is probably quite a few million people.

“We only need 10,000 or 12,000 of them so it’s about identifying the right people, the right communications channels and making them a compelling offer to come and watch.

“When we get this place back cooking and jumping on the numbers that we’ve had in the past, we will be up there in the top five or six in terms of the crowds.”

The new boss admits he’s been “incredibly impressed” by the quality of the people employed at Sixways in his first week.

He added: “We are two businesses – the rugby match experience – and then there is the fact we are a conference facility.

“First and foremost we are a rugby business. We have to give Dean Ryan and his team the best possible support resource to get back in the Premiership, consolidate and be the best possible professional rugby team.

“In terms of our relationship with customers, we will become a customer- centred business, more so than we are at the moment.

“You have got to put your customers at the centre of everything you do because they are the people paying the salary. I hope you will see a different way of communicating with people, in an honest and an open way.”