Shrimps Trust column: Morecambe have a big season coming up

The end of last season was absolutely gutting but, after a summer of Derek Adams moulding the squad a bit more in his own image as we head back into League Two, there is plenty to look forward to in the season ahead.

While the fourth tier is the strongest it’s been in years, we have one of the best managers about at this level and a starting XI that looks like it should be very competitive.

There have been plenty of new additions and I’m sure we’ll be ready to give them a great welcome when we kick off our season against Walsall next weekend.

Off the pitch, things seemed to have settled to some extent.

Interest from Sarbjot Johal appears to have quietened so, hopefully, the sale process can move on with a credible buyer.

The situation regarding the sale was undoubtedly a big factor in our relegation last season, so it’s hoped there can be more stability this season and that the process can be handled swiftly with a more credible potential owner.

As for the Trust, our election process has started given our AGM is approaching quickly.

The board has seen quite a bit of change this year, which has been a busy one with the ownership saga, and we look forward to seeing who has applied to help run the Trust going into this next year.

While there is only so much we can do in regards to the club’s ownership, we felt it was important to raise concerns and hold certain parties to account when necessary: which is what we have strived to do in these past few months.

On a lighter note, we also continued with our more community-based activities over the season such as the Christmas Toy Appeal, a couple of family parties and a race night.

All of these proved to be great successes and we welcome any ideas and suggestions from fans and members about what events they would like to see.

We’re also anticipating work starting on the construction of the memorial garden after lots of hard work to get to this point.

A special thanks goes to Derek Quinn for his fantastic fundraising efforts – and it may well be under construction by the time you’re reading this.

In terms of our activities going forward, please do keep an eye on our socials to stay informed on what’s going on.

We’ll also be making sure to send out email newsletters when we can with information as well.

We’ve got a big season coming up and all of us at the Trust can’t wait to get back into the swing of things again.

Despite a couple of relegation battles, playing at home has generally been a strength in recent years and a large part of that is down to fans making a great noise.

Let’s continue to do that going into the season and make the players feel welcome and ready to go come the start of August.