Bath chief blasts back at club critics

May 22 2007 Western Mail

BATH chief executive Bob Calleja yesterday responded to criticism of the club from two senior players and insisted, “There is certainly no lack of ambition here.”

Bath’s defeat to Clermont Auvergne in the European Challenge Cup final condemned the once mighty club to a ninth straight season without silverware. And Steve Borthwick and David Barnes accused officials of doing nothing to halt the sliding reputation.

They attacked the state of the club’s facilities and demanded officials implement an immediate recruitment policy. Bath have announced five signings for next season, none of them household names, while the likes of Gareth Delve, Chris Malone, Andy Williams and David Bory are moving on.

Calleja welcomed the “constructive criticism” but insisted Bath are working hard to meet the expectations of both fans and players.

“As for our ambition, let’s be clear that the money is available to strengthen the squad with further high-quality players and the process of securing them will continue until the right players sign for the club,” he said. “We want to reassure everyone that there is no financial restraint on this score and the negotiations are ongoing.”