Morecambe have been censured by the Independent Football Regulator.

Morecambe FC and the club owners have been admonished by the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) after receiving a censure statement.

The Shrimps, along with directors Kuljit Singh Momi and Harjit Singh, had received a warning notice last month after it was deemed they had failed to provide requested information in a timely fashion under the Football Governance Act.

They had until July 28 for any response to that notice, with the club having said it planned to take legal advice.

However, in the censure statement dated August 5, the IFR outlined the club would be censured ‘for failing to provide a timely and complete response to information requirements imposed on it under Section 65 of the Act.’

As for the owners, they were reprimanded ‘for failing to provide a timely and complete response to information requirements imposed on them under Section 65 of the Act.’

The notice continued: “The provision of accurate and timely information to the IFR is essential for the IFR to effectively fulfil its role.

“Clubs and others must fully comply with information requirements imposed by the IFR using its statutory powers.

“The IFR considers it appropriate to publish this censure statement in order to ensure transparency and awareness across the industry, and to act as a deterrent for future non-compliance.

“This is also consistent with the publication of the Warning Notice and the Decision Notice in accordance with section 80 of the Act.”

A decision notice was also issued on August 5, under section 77 of the Act, explaining the action that the IFR was taking.

A request for information had been submitted to the club in February 2026 but it failed to meet a deadline the following month to provide that detail.

It was acknowledged Momi provided an email response in April, it said the reply did not fully address the questions previously asked.

A new deadline of April 14 was not met before an investigation notice was served in June, requiring the missing information to be provided along with an explanation for non-compliance by June 12.

It was noted Momi sent an email on the 12th to say a detailed and comprehensive response would be provided by the 15th.

An email was received on the 16th, which the IFR said contained some of the missing information but left other questions unanswered.

Then, on the July 28 deadline Morecambe CEO Ropinder Singh sent written representations via email to the warning notice.

The decision notice said: “The representations put forward the following views on behalf of the Respondents:

“They inherited a club facing significant financial and operational challenges.

“They sought to engage openly, constructively and transparently with all relevant football authorities, including the Independent Football Regulator.

“They met with the IFR in person and openly shared both the challenges they had inherited and the plans they were implementing to address them.

“They have made every effort to provide the information requested by the IFR.

“They acknowledge that there were occasions when information was submitted later than requested and do not seek to dispute that fact, nor do they seek to avoid responsibility for those delays.

“The delays were never the result of any unwillingness to cooperate or any attempt to withhold information.

“Rather, they reflected the practical realities of managing a football club in exceptionally challenging circumstances.

“Whilst they accept shortcomings in relation to the timing of certain submissions, they expressed a concern that the IFR’s proposed sanction was disproportionate to the nature of the breach and that the impact of the sanction would extend beyond the club’s ownership, vis-a-vis supporter confidence, and discouraging existing and prospective commercial partners.

“Looking ahead the representations also sought to highlight ongoing efforts to stabilise the club and. a commitment to working constructively with the IFR in the future and to strengthen internal processes to ensure that future information requests are met promptly and efficiently.”

However, while considering that Morecambe and its owners provided some responses by June 16, it was not done in a timely manner.

The notice continued: “The IFR has given careful consideration to the written representations provided on 28 July 2026.

“The IFR’s overall assessment of the written representations is that they do not set out any additional facts or circumstances over and above the information previously provided in the 16 June Response which causes the IFR to depart from the view set out in the Warning Notice (that the Respondents do not have a reasonable excuse for failing to comply with the RFIs).

“The written representations, as a whole, seek to emphasise the overriding point previously made in the 16 June Response, namely that the Respondents took over the club in challenging circumstances.

“The IFR remains of the view that the Respondents could and should have done more to engage with the IFR in relation to both RFIs in a timely manner.

“The annexes to the RFIs clearly set out the likely consequences of non-compliance, of which the Respondents should therefore have been aware.

“The IFR further notes the Respondents’ acknowledgment that there were occasions when information was submitted later than requested.

“In summary, the IFR concludes that the written representations do not provide a reasonable excuse for the information breaches, nor do they alter the IFR’s proposed sanction, which is the lowest form of sanction which could be applied.”

The Shrimps have been contacted for a response to the censure statement.