Morecambe fans get set for ownership protest this weekend

Saturday’s home match with Port Vale will see fans demonstrate their anger at Whittingham’s failure to offload the club, which was prepared for sale in September 2022.

In that time, the Shrimps have experienced a first relegation in the club’s history, twice failed to pay wages on time, been deducted points and operated under an EFL embargo.

The protest starts with a meeting at The Exchange on Regent Road (12pm) before a slow march from there to the Mazuma Mobile Stadium at 2pm.

Shrimps Trust members are asked to be at the ground no later than 2.30pm, when black balloons will be handed out for fans to take into the ground.

Banners containing the slogans ‘Save Our Club’ and ‘Save Our Shrimps’ will also be provided for fans to display throughout the match.

The balloons will be released at kick-off before fans turn their backs to the pitch for a two-minute spell in the 26th minute: the number of months the club has been up for sale.

At the same time, fans with ‘For Sale’ placards will hold those up during that two-minute period.

A Shrimps Trust statement said: “We have assurances from the club and the stewarding team that none of the items referred to here will be confiscated and possession of them will not lead to refusal of entry to the Mazuma (Mobile) Stadium.

“Banners will only be refused entry if they do not have the relevant fire certificates.

“Protests are most effective when there is mass participation. We urge everyone that will be at the match on the 16th of November to take part in planned protest action.”

Details of a protest were initially revealed by the ‘1920 Union’ organisation, previously known as the ‘Shrimps Protest Group’.

Describing itself as ‘a group of Morecambe supporters from all walks of life who have simply had enough of the fiasco over the past 2 years”, it has embarked upon its own course of action.

Banners have been placed across the area, as well as outside the EFL and Lancashire FA headquarters.

Posters were also displayed around Buckhurst Hill, Whittingham’s home town, as well as a mailout in the area containing a poster and a timeline of events at Morecambe between July 2022 and October 2024.

While it operates independently from the Shrimps Trust, Tarnia Elsworth – the Trust chair – explained the thinking behind joining their protest on Saturday.

She said: “They were in touch with me through my chair email address to say they knew we had a members meeting (last Friday) but they had already organised their protest.

“We took the view from our members that it would be daft to do anything different because we have to be stronger together.

“I’m sure there were members of that group at our members meeting but, as a Trust, we want to be doing the same thing as long as what they are doing is on the right side of the line.”

It’s the second such public show of annoyance at the club’s ownership position this year, with the Trust having organised a demonstration of support for the board prior to the home match with Wrexham in March.