THE validity of Worcester City’s annual general meeting has been called into question by the Shareholders Action Group.

A board of 12 directors was comprehensively voted into power at County Hall last Friday, with the four SAG representatives, including club sponsor Martin Pinches, failing to win a seat.

However, the group say they will continue to put pressure on the St George’s Lane reg-ime and have complained to Worcester-based solicitors March and Edwards, who acted as independent adjudicators.

SAG claim company secretary Brian Lancaster was not present, no official minute-taker was named and are unhappy the directors in power before the poll were not required to sit at the top table.

They have also cast doubt about the counting of proxy votes.

In addition, SAG are also disappointed shareholders voted against Pinches, who has decided not to renew his deal with the club for next season.

Group spokesman Derek Jones, a former City director, said: “We have written to the adjudicators questioning the validity of it.

“We are not prepared to walk away. We still think there are things to be done to question the validity of everything that goes on in that football club.

“The result was as predictable as night following day. The saddest thing was the insult they have given their main shirt sponsor for the past four years.

“The group is still together and we are still optimistic.”

Pinches, a director of Pinches Transport Ltd, has provided City with a substantial five-figure fee each season.

He said: “We are committed to the end of the season and that’s our fourth year.

“The economic climate isn’t very good and I think we won’t be renewing our sponsorship deal with them. I don’t think we would have carried on anyway.

“I haven’t got any sour grapes because I wanted to help the people who got on. I am not bitter about it at all.”

Former chairman Dave Boddy, re-elected as a director, said: “We have spent the last six months fighting against SAG. I would have hoped that, having been given a clear mandate with a landslide majority, we would now be given the opportunity to go and do the necessary things to run the club.

“There was no doubt changes were needed and that is what has happened.”

He added: “I did speak to Martin about having the opportunity to join the board as part of our group and he declined that opportunity.

“They have been excellent sponsors and we will be talking to them again in the near future to see where we go from here.”