Shrimps Trust meeting: Two messages for Morecambe supporters

It’s been an eventful fortnight for the club with relegation from League One followed by a retained list which saw no deals offered to the 14 out-of-contract players.

Boss Derek Adams admitted he was waiting to hear what the playing budget would be for 2023/24 as the club awaits a decision on Sarbjot Johal’s would-be buyout.

With that in mind, the Shrimps Trust fans’ group issued a statement which effectively challenged Johal to put up or shut up.

That was followed earlier this week by a message from the board to the club owner, Bond Group Investments, which asked for a suitable sale to be completed quickly given the club was put up for sale eight months ago.

The statement also included the revelation that the club’s 2023 accounts would show a loss in the region of £750,000-£800,000, as well as a repayment of £1.8m to Bond Group.

Thursday night saw a meeting for Trust members and supporters, attended by more than 250 people who were either on site or watching remotely.

Opening the meeting, the Trust said: “We’ve had many members, over the last week or so, suggest withdrawing financial support in not buying season tickets: that’s not a stance we’re taking at the moment.

“If you look at other clubs, we aren’t in the same position as them: we have a decent financial position, although there’s this May 2023 financial loss.

“We’re here to convince people to put your money into the club.

“If you’re holding back on season tickets because that money will be taken away (by Bond Group), that won’t happen.

“The more money that goes in, the bigger playing budget there will be for Morecambe.

“All the money there is small money compared to what he (Jason Whittingham, Bond Group owner) is going to get from the (sale of) club.

“He only has proper money when the club gets sold to Sarbjot or someone else.”

The issue of trying to increase Trust membership arose during a discussion concerning the possible longer-term issue of eventual fan ownership.

Twenty years after their Trust was formed, Morecambe’s counterparts at Exeter City now hold a majority shareholding in the club.

A Trust spokesman said: “You look at Exeter, I think they have 4,000 members in their Trust – we had 200 out of 700 who didn’t renew this year.

“We have a reduced membership but there’s been a few encouraging signs in the last few weeks.

“If the fans want that (potential ownership), then we have to get bodies in the Trust.

“This Trust was on the brink of collapse because people weren’t stepping up to sit on this panel.

“Everyone on this panel has paid £10 to join the Trust this year. We need people to back the Trust in terms of finance and support.”

Anyone wishing to find out further information, or join the Trust, can do so by visiting its website at shrimpstrust.co.uk