Morecambe FC could be heading for catastrophe if no buyer for the club is found, that’s according to their Board of Directors this week.
In a statement, the directors at the Shrimps pleaded with owner Jason Whittingham to accept an offer to avoid any “catastrophic outcome.”
Morecambe FC has been owned by Whittingham from Bond Group Investments since 2018, but now the club’s fans, players and board want him gone.
The club has been up for sale for almost two years, and Secretary of the Shrimps Trust, Morecambe’s supporters’ club, James Main, says it’s causing “uncertainty”.
The club has been up for sale for almost two years
GB News
He told GB News: “There's just such a sense of uncertainty at the moment and really it’s sort of a make-or-break situation now.
“People at the club are worried about whether they’ll receive their next pay packet.”
There has been success under Whittingham's time at the club, with promotion to League One, England’s third division.
However, over the last few years, failure to pay staff wages on time, relegation and a points deduction means relationships at the club have boiled over.
Earlier this season, Morecambe fans staged a protest demanding the club be sold as soon as possible, and stressed the need for a football regulator.
A separate issue of a transfer embargo on the club over funds owed to HMRC, means it’s unclear how many players they will have at the start of next season.
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Earlier this season, Morecambe fans staged a protest demanding the club be sold as soon as possible, and stressed the need for a football regulator
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Main told GB News how he would feel if the club went bust.
He said: “That would be absolutely devastating. I’ve had friends say to me which team would you support if Morecambe went out of business, well in reality, Morecambe is my club. I don't think I'd feel at home anywhere else.”
Two minutes down the road from the stadium is The William Mitchell pub, and Landlord, Steve Ulyatt, is also worried at the prospect.
He said: “It’s home and away fans, so losing Morecambe Football Club would be a mega miss for trade, especially on matchdays.
“There are a lot of big clubs, away clubs, so it would make a massive difference if anything happened to the club.”
In March, the government introduced the Football Governance Bill which set out to establish the Independent Football Regulator. However, with the general election called, that bill has been put on hold.
MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, David Morris, says the bill includes tougher tests before a potential takeover.
He told GB News: “It would be both stricter tests for someone to become an owner in the first place, and obviously legislation in place to ensure good governance and good housekeeping.
“This is so we’re not in a position where we’re at a stalemate; where we’re seeing financial irregularities going on with the club, meaning players not being paid, and management not getting paid, and we’re in the position where we can't sell the club.
“We don’t want to see this club go under, that’s the last thing we want to see.”
Labour's candidate for Morecambe and Lunesdale, Lizzi Collinge, said: “This is a crying shame for Shrimp fans.”
She added: “The Independent Football Regulator needs to be up and running as soon as possible.”