Morecambe FC - another club in a shocking situation

[ClaretTony]

It's that bad at Morecambe that their board of directors have felt compelled to issue a statement this week.



The Board of Directors of Morecambe Football Club wish to make the following statement.

Bond Group Investments Limited, despite agreeing a sale with Panjab Warriors, giving the Board assurances for more than a year that they intend to sell to Panjab Warriors, and working with Panjab Warriors to enable them to gain EFL clearance for the acquisition to proceed on 6th June 2025, now appear to be considering reneging on the deal and attempting to engage with alternative buyers, on the same day that they have failed to provide the funds required to meet the Club’s June payroll, despite understanding exactly what that requirement is.

They have also, at the last minute, informed the Board of Directors and Panjab Warriors that they are not actually in a position to transfer their shares to a buyer without consent from an unspecified third party.

Bond Group Investments Limited are playing with people’s livelihoods, threatening the very existence of this proud club, and risking serious damage to the community it serves.

They have consistently proved to be deceitful, and the Board of Directors call upon them to, for once, do the right thing and sell the club immediately to Panjab Warriors, the only potential buyer that has passed the EFL’s fit and proper test and proved willing to engage properly with a sale process that has now been ongoing for over two and a half years.

The Board of Directors have, once again, considered resigning, and only remain in post to attempt to protect the interests of the club, staff and everyone associated with it.

[MrTopTier]

Interesting to note though that the Panjab Warriors (who are hoping to become the new owners) have already paid £3.8 million plus £630,000 to clear the debt. as well as loaning the club £1.7 million and are still not yet the owners.

Someone, somewhere is making a lot of money and to the detriment of the club.

[ClaretTony]

Another club that could just go out of business unless the current owners do the right thing.

[Woodleyclaret]

There was mention last year of Tyson Fury, a very wealthy Morecambe resident being interested in investing in the club.Maybe it's time to talk to him again.

[ClaretPete001]

Looking at the Accounts you wonder why anyone would want the club from a financial perspective.

A million loss on four million quid's worth of turnover. I hope common sense prevails......!

[Cooclaret]

There’s a lot of issues with the club and the land surrounding it that’s affecting the commercial income considerably.

That needs sorting and the club will be on a much better footing.

They play Barrow and then Lancaster on consecutive Tuesday pre season, Lancashire police are going to be busy!

[Bordeauxclaret]

4pm deadline to avoid Adminstration.

[Taffys milkman]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... 3gp0py2vgo

[The Shire Claret]

Who would ever want to own a football club

Throwing money in the bin for a load of hassle

Hope this gets sorted

[IanMcL]

There was mention last year of Tyson Fury, a very wealthy Morecambe resident being interested in investing in the club.Maybe it's time to talk to him again.

He could be the arbitrator!

[ClaretTony]

In response to the directors, the owner at Morecambe has come back with this.


Public Statement on behalf of Bond Group Investments & Jason Whittingham.

There is no doubt that the Club is in a precarious position and is at a crisis point. We also appreciate the stress this is causing for all connected with Morecambe FC.

As majority shareholder we are making every effort to resolve any issues that have arisen and are working to protect the best interests of the Club.

Bond Group Investments has started the process to dismiss the Board of Directors with immediate effect in order that we can take control over the situation giving us the required additional time to ensure that the Club has the best chance to avoid Administration.

We hope the The Board of Directors put the interest of the club before any personal grievances and during this delicate time of negotiation to save the club, refrain from their propensity of issuing negative statements.

The notion that Bond Group Investments is stalling is not true. Bond Group Investments need to ensure that any transfer of shares, in a sale, is done in a way that holds no recourse for either the Club or Bond Group. The safety of the Club’s future is paramount.

Our focus today is to work to find solutions to resolve the matter of staff salary and the Sale of the Club to avoid Administration at all costs.

The staff, players and management team at the club have all been notified as have the National League. We will be communicating with the Supporters Trust.

We are deeply sorry for the distress and uncertainty this is causing. Our next communication will be tomorrow morning to confirm the outcome.

Thank you.

Jason Whittingham,
On behalf of Bond Group Investments

[Taffys milkman]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... 53nvp2pqeo

[claretonthecoast1882]

https://fanbanter.co.uk/morecambe-suspe ... er-notice/

Latest news

[ClaretTony]

Statement from the National League


The National League’s Compliance and Licensing Committee reconvened this afternoon to debate the on-going concerns surrounding Morecambe Football Club and its compliance with National League rules.

Discussions regarding the Club's ability to meet its financial obligations for the 2025/2026 season have again taken place.

It was decided further sanctions must be imposed, with the Club’s membership to be suspended with immediate effect.

The Club will also remain under embargo ahead of the new season.

Morecambe Football Club will also be removed from the National League Cup for the forthcoming season.

The Committee will meet again on Wednesday August 20 to determine if outstanding items have been satisfied, and to decide the Club’s ability to retain Membership in the Competition.

[ClaretTony]

Due to the statement today, it means we will no longer be playing Morecambe in the National League Cup.

https://www.uptheclarets.com/morecambe- ... league-cup

[Vegas Claret]

grim stuff

[Leisure]

Morecambe have been suspended from the National League with immediate effect and will not play in the division during the first weeks of the new season.

[AlargeClaret]

I hope this doesn’t end up like Bury .

[Milltown1882]

Absolute neglect once again from inept owners.

[ClaretTony]

Morecambe have been suspended from the National League with immediate effect and will not play in the division during the first weeks of the new season.

I posted the statement above, they've also been removed from the National League Cup and were one of our opponents

[Acting Claret]

Will York take their place?

[NickBFC]

Doesn't look good for them, at all. The beginning of the end sadly.

[ClaretTony]

Today's Statement

Morecambe Statement.jpg (88.75 KiB) Viewed 2877 times

[claretburns]

Will York take their place?

York are in the National League anyway. If Morecambe cannot be saved then it will be likely the National League continues this season with 23 teams and only 3 relegated.

[The Shire Claret]

Got to feel for their fans .... something has got to be done to stop this happening.

Football is eating itself

[Aclaret]

Not really up to speed with whats going on at Morecambe, so the Bond group, who are owners of the club are refusing to sell up, yet they can't afford to pay their debts or to keep the club afloat ?.....what a mess !

[JR1882]

Not really up to speed with whats going on at Morecambe, so the Bond group, who are owners of the club are refusing to sell up, yet they can't afford to pay their debts or to keep the club afloat ?.....what a mess !

(I think) the owners allowed a group to pump some money in to cover costs on the understanding they would then be able to purchase the club. The owners then sidelined them and started talking to another group. The original would be buyers, Punjab Warriors are now ignoring all contact leaving them in a hole (that the owners have dug themselves allbeit).

[Clarets4me]

The owner, Jason Whittingham, has already had a 12 month disqualification from being a Company Director .. and was the owner of Worcester Warriors, the Premiership Rugby Union team that folded in 2022 ...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... 60979gg64o

[CharlieinNewMexico]

It seems that he has no money but is holding out for a sale to the Scandinavian group because it’s worth much more. But at some point (as in the case of Sheff Weds) you will lose everything because you’ve devalued your company to nothing, surely

[AfloatinClaret]

Morecambe may be the first of many: The spiralling cost of running a modern football club means that the days when a wealthy and sympathetic businessman can bail out/save his local club are over. Substantial outside investment is required and as many on here struggled to grasp (some still do) when ALK took over, such investors want to see a return on their money; a lower league football club is not the place to go looking for that.
England must have >120 full time professional football clubs and that's more (far more) than the market can support.

[ClaretTony]

All football now suspended at Morecambe

[Quickenthetempo]

Send Tyson Fury round to the owners house.

Slap a bit of sense into him.

[ŽižkovClaret]

Send Tyson Fury round to the owners house.

Slap a bit of sense into him.

Knowing how some football fans can be, i do wonder if some of these rogue owners don't risk a shoeing, especially in the lower echelons

[Clarets4me]

All football now suspended at Morecambe

No choice, as they've failed to renew the necessary insurances ...

[NickBFC]

Morecambe may be the first of many: The spiralling cost of running a modern football club means that the days when a wealthy and sympathetic businessman can bail out/save his local club are over. Substantial outside investment is required and as many on here struggled to grasp (some still do) when ALK took over, such investors want to see a return on their money; a lower league football club is not the place to go looking for that.
England must have >120 full time professional football clubs and that's more (far more) than the market can support.

I agree. I cannot see how most clubs in League 2/National League etc can survive long term. The ridiculous wages in the PL have, I think, meant lower league players want more money than their probable value. Some of the money even at level 9/10 being paid to players isn't sustainable given the respective clubs' income. Not really sure what will happen, we'll either lose a lot of clubs or they'll have to go back to being part time and wages will in turn reduce.

[ClaretTony]

No choice, as they've failed to renew the necessary insurances ...

It's criminal that this can be allowed to happen to a football club

[AfloatinClaret]

It's criminal that this can be allowed to happen to a football club

Criminal or just an economic reality?
Earlier in the thread there were figures quoted suggesting that £4m+ had already been invested and £1.7m more loaned yet the club is still skint/in debt. I'm guessing that Morecambe get around 2000 spectators to their games, but let's be generous and say 3000, so that's £2000 per spectator down the pan already; how can any investor recover that sort of money, on top of general running costs by continuing to play football on the site?

[ClaretTony]

Criminal or just an economic reality?
Earlier in the thread there were figures quoted suggesting that £4m+ had already been invested and £1.7m more loaned yet the club is still skint/in debt. I'm guessing that Morecambe get around 2000 spectators to their games, but let's be generous and say 3000, so that's £2000 per spectator down the pan already; how can any investor recover that sort of money, on top of general running costs by continuing to play football on the site?

Criminal if you’ve been following it. An owner who should never have been allowed in there.

[ŽižkovClaret]

I agree. I cannot see how most clubs in League 2/National League etc can survive long term. The ridiculous wages in the PL have, I think, meant lower league players want more money than their probable value. Some of the money even at level 9/10 being paid to players isn't sustainable given the respective clubs' income. Not really sure what will happen, we'll either lose a lot of clubs or they'll have to go back to being part time and wages will in turn reduce.

The future might well be a formalisation of "farm club" system where "smaller" clubs serve as effective B teams for their "Big Brother" clubs, with dual registration, so that players not selected for 1st team action can get some minutes in their legs.

Plenty won't like it, i'm sure, but if it is that or death?

"Morecambe Rovers" or "Accrington Clarets"?

[ksrclaret]

I can't really bear to think that we've just got to accept that smaller clubs like Morecambe will simply be casualties of the uncontrolled finances involved in the game at the top. Football is supposed to be for the ordinary people.

I hope this football governance act does something to help, but I suspect the dirty money men at the top will simply find ways around new rules like they did with PSR.

[ŽižkovClaret]

I can't really bear to think that we've just got to accept that smaller clubs like Morecambe will simply be casualties of the uncontrolled finances involved in the game at the top. Football is supposed to be for the ordinary people.

I hope this football governance act does something to help, but I suspect the dirty money men at the top will simply find ways around new rules like they did with PSR.

They may continue to exist, however the days of 92 professional League clubs, not to mention the majority of the National League clubs being pro, is surely numbered.......

[ClaretTony]

The future might well be a formalisation of "farm club" system where "smaller" clubs serve as effective B teams for their "Big Brother" clubs, with dual registration, so that players not selected for 1st team action can get some minutes in their legs.

Plenty won't like it, i'm sure, but if it is that or death?

"Morecambe Rovers" or "Accrington Clarets"?

No damn chance

[ClaretTony]

I can't really bear to think that we've just got to accept that smaller clubs like Morecambe will simply be casualties of the uncontrolled finances involved in the game at the top. Football is supposed to be for the ordinary people.

I hope this football governance act does something to help, but I suspect the dirty money men at the top will simply find ways around new rules like they did with PSR.

Absolutely. Rogue owner allowed in with a history of issues that should have sent red lights flashing in front of the league.

We need the bill and we need to regulator to start preventing people like this getting our football clubs. Just look what happened when that bloke with no interest in the game bought Bury.

People on this thread are turning this into economics. It’s about the bloke owning the club.

[ksrclaret]

They may continue to exist, however the days of 92 professional League clubs, not to mention the majority of the National League clubs being pro, is surely numbered.......

Let's hope not. In 10-15 years time, Burnley could well have dropped down the leagues again and then be faced with such a dilemma. And all so that that those at the top can get richer year on year.

[boyyanno]

I too think there's two separate issues here:

One is with the general state of football. But two is about the dodgy owners who ruin clubs. I liked Colburn_Clarets post on the Sheff weds thread because I think owners should be held accountable for how they run a football club and that they should be policed at both ends. They need to get much better at point of sale but they also need to be able to prevent these types of situations happening at this end too. It's heartbreaking seeing this happen to a club because of the actions of one man/ownership group.

[Milltown1882]

https://x.com/sanny_rudra/status/195097 ... t8RcPk2mPg

Gone by Monday.

[ClaretLoup]

Will there be another Phoenix club to follow the likes of Stanley, Macclesfield and Bury?

[JR1882]

The problem is allowing owner investment in the first place, no one complained when Wednesday were in the playoffs they even had a Chansiri song. Then the money runs out and sh1t hits the fan.

And conversely that’s how you sometimes end up with a dodgey owner because the only other alternative would be go to the wall. Imagine if a club went out of existence because someone who could have saved it failed the test, there would be an outcry.

It’s really complex with no easy answers, aside from live within your means and if that means competing at a lower level then so be it. As with our friends down the road, being asked to operate on the income you generate is an alien concept to some.

[Woodleyclaret]

As a young kid our village team played Morecambe in the Cheshire league and we travelled to Christie Park many times.They were a well run club back then but clearly things have deteriorated since.How on Earth did they get £4m in debt?

[Boxy]

Club now saying if the deal isnt dome by monday they will close