Exclusive: Shrimps Trust make plea to Morecambe FC owner as crisis deepens

A key figure with the Shrimps Trust has called on Morecambe owner Jason Whittingham to ‘see sense’ and bring an end to the crisis that has enveloped the National League club by completing the potential takeover deal with prospective owners the Panjab Warriors.

As it stands, the Shrimps are suspended from the National League and scheduled fixtures with Boston United, Brackley Town and Scunthorpe United have been postponed after the club failed to comply with league regulations. The embargo will remain in place until Wednesday, August 20 when the National League’s compliance and licensing committee will meet once again amid a warning the Shrimps could face further sanctions that will only deepen the crisis at the club.

Current owner Whittingham initially put the club up for sale three years ago and a rescue deal appeared to have moved a step closer earlier when it was confirmed sports investment group the Panjab Warriors had entered into talks about a possible takeover almost 12 months ago. However, their attempts to finalise an agreement have been continually frustrated and there was further confusion when Whittingham suggested a new takeover bid with a consortium led by an individual named Jonny Cato was in the works.

Neither deal has come to fruition and the situation has now reached breaking point amid calls from local MPs, government ministers and key figures from within the world of football for resolution to be found and a sale to be completed that would allow Morecambe to move into a brighter future.

With concern rising with every passing day, Shrimps Trust secretary James Main told the LEP: “Ultimately, we want Jason Whittingham to sign the club over and let us move on. He has put us through hell over the last few years. We have been up for sale for three years now and it’s been a long, hard, drawn-out sales process. A potential buyer has been EFL approved, they passed all of the tests, they are ready to clear debt and get us up and running and back on our feet once again. We need Jason Whittingham to see sense and transfer the shares, complete the deal that is on the table. It was agreed, he has reneged on it but we need him to sell the club, complete the deal and allow us to move on.”

Resolution

Potential Morecambe owners, the Panjab Warriors, released a joint statement with the Minority Shareholders Action Group last week suggesting the club’s academy operations would end on Friday and stated the doors could be locked on Monday with all football operations coming to an end due to a lack of funding.

However, despite not being paid in full for almost nine weeks, several figures within the Morecambe setup remain at work and although there remains concern over the Shrimps long-term future, there is a determination to ensure everything is ready to go should a takeover deal be completed over the next fortnight. Main revealed the Shrimps Trust has been in dialogue with the current and potential owners of the football club and called on both to find a resolution’ in the near future.

He explained: “We’ve had meetings with Panjab Warriors, they have been in touch with us and we have had dialogue with them and we have been in dialogue with Jason Whittingham too. We have been kept up to date and we have updated our members when we were allowed to. We have met Panjab Warriors and they are wanting to make a lot of changes. I don’t know what those changes are and we haven’t heard a lot about their plans but they are committed to the deal and they are the only party that are ready and waiting to save the football club and we are very appreciative they haven’t walked away. We need a resolution and we just hope we have a team to support this season.”

Community

Main also gave an insight into the impact the crisis has made on the local community as businesses within the town have suffered as doubt remained over the future of their football club. There was a major show of support for the Shrimps and kit manufacturers ‘The Terrace’ when hundreds of loyal supporters queued for hours to purchase the newly-released kit - and the Shrimps Trust official believes that shows just why there should be a determination to haul the club back from the brink of going out of business.

“The football club means so much to the community,” he explained. “It’s not just football matches during the week and on weekends, it’s the community foundation, which runs things like veterans coffee morning. There is the academy system, and the club hosts funeral wakes, weddings and school proms, all have been cancelled recently. It just means so much to the community and it’s impacting on local businesses. We just want a club to support and one to do the community proud.

“There are 200 employees that haven’t been paid for nine weeks. They are going to the Citizens Advice Bureau for advice because bills aren’t being paid. People are leaving the club, it’s an absolute mess and you look at what happened yesterday (on Tuesday) to see how it can coming together. Our kit manufacturers, Terrace, set up a pop-up shop at the Beach Cafe cafe and supporters queued for hours to get the new kit. Core sizes have sold out, goalkeeper shirts have sold out, Terrace have been overwhelmed with support. The Terrace have lost money because they couldn’t launch the kit when they wanted and they’re a good business that have supported us. The whole situation is having a massive impact on so many businesses and it’s heartbreaking to see.”

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