SUPPORTERS of Wycombe Wanderers have called for owner Steve Hayes to make his plans for the future of the club clear after proposals for a new stadium were blocked by councillors this evening.

It had been claimed Wasps Rugby Club, which Hayes also owns, would be forced to move away from Wycombe if the plans were rejected as staying at Adams Park would reportedly not be financially viable for them.

Wasps, who have debts of just over £3m, currently rent Adams Park from Wycombe Wanderers, which is currently running at a loss of £1m.

And fan Dale Hurman, a member of the Black and White anti-stadium campaign group, told the Bucks Free Press after tonight’s decisive Wycombe District Council cabinet meeting: “We can’t continue to run at these losses and we can’t continue to support these levels of debt. Steve Hayes needs to make his intentions clear where he wishes to move this club without a stadium to move into.

“I appeal to Steve Hayes to give ownership of the club back to the Wycombe Wanderers Trust, or at least consider it.”

Fellow fan Will Schafer-Peek, who wore his black and white campaign scarf in the council chamber during the meeting, said: “It’s a big victory for Wycombe Wanderers Football Club, although maybe not for Steve Hayes.

“For the football club, the most important thing is we retain ownership of the stadium. Putting the club in the ownership of the stadium development group would be putting the club in serious danger in the long term.

“We need to fight to get it running on an even keel, which has been the biggest worry since Steve Hayes bought the club.”

He rejected claims Wasps were now set to move away from Adams Park: “Their problems aren’t solved by moving to another stadium they don’t own. They have spent time building a fan base here and it would be brave to rip that up and build another elsewhere.”

David Cook of the Wycombe Wanderers Trust said: “The cabinet has come to a decision that doesn’t give great joy to the Trust. It’s never been our intention to protest against it, our intention has been to ensure the long-term financial stability of Wycombe Wanderers.

“We have to work together with the council and Steve Hayes to find a way forward. They made a very interesting comment towards the end that the cabinet will now work with sporting organisations, which I took to include Wycombe Wanderers.”

Asked about what the council’s decision would mean for Wanderers, Mr Cook said: “It’s very dependent on Steve Hayes as owner. It depends on his reaction to this.

“It’s to be hoped, given his declared devotion to Wycombe Wanderers, that he’ll be able to sit down with Wycombe District Council and with the Trust and come up with a solution that safeguards Wycombe Wanderers’ future.”