"I will be keeping a close eye on progress": Morecambe MP hopes for a swift Shrimps sale

Bond Group Investments announced on Friday that terms had been agreed for Panjab Warriors’ long-awaited buyout, with completion due to take place on Monday.

That announcement was also followed by news that the club’s board of directors, who had all resigned last Wednesday, were back in place to help facilitate the sale.

A statement from Collinge said: “I welcome the statement from Jason Whittingham that a sale of Morecambe FC will be completed by Monday and I am glad to see the reappointment of directors to facilitate this.

“I urge Bond Group to ensure that the sale is completed as soon as possible, with wage payments being prioritised as soon as the sale is completed.

“All of Morecambe, including myself, wants this deal to happen as quickly as possible.

“I have been meeting with the Shrimps Trust and other interested parties, who have all been unwavering in their support for Morecambe.

“The volunteers at the Shrimps Trust really have gone above and beyond.

“I know that all interested parties are ready and willing to work over the weekend to facilitate the sale. I will be keeping a close eye on progress.

“Ministers are aware of developments and I thank the Secretary of State Lisa Nandy MP for her statement in the House of Commons that she wishes to see a sale proceed as quickly as possible.”

Collinge had raised Morecambe’s plight last week, coming after the directors’ departure and with staff still awaiting two-thirds of June’s wages.

Nandy, the secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport, said: “I have been through this appalling experience with my own club, Wigan Athletic, and we are determined to make sure that nobody has to go through it ever again.

“The Under-Secretary of State (Stephanie Peacock) has been working very hard with Members of this House to pass the Football Governance Bill, to ensure that we rectify this situation and prevent it from happening elsewhere, but in the particular case of my honorary friend’s club, I am extremely keen to see a sale as soon as possible.”