Morecambe: Shrimp and save us!

Morecambe fans were last night pleading for their unpopular owners to finally end the Shrimps’ takeover saga.

The National League new boys’ board and prospective owners, Panjab Warriors, say the club’s existence is at risk if Bond Group Investments don’t complete their sale quickly.

It looked as though Morecambe – up for sale since 2022 – were finally heading into calmer waters when Panjab Warriors were given clearance by the EFL to complete a takeover earlier this month.

However, that now appears to be in jeopardy following a sudden turn of events that has left followers of the Lancashire club fearing for the club’s future.

Morecambe fans protest against the clubs owners during their home EFL League Two clash against Port Vale. Credit: TeeGeePix/Alamy Live News

Bond villains

In a no-holds-barred statement on Friday, Morecambe’s board of directors expressed their anger at the club’s current owners.

“Bond Group Investments Limited 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 said.

“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.

“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.”

Fresh fears for Shrimps’ future

In a hard-hitting statement of their own, Panjab Warriors have also stated their shock and dismay at the latest turn of events.

“From our perspective, the final transaction – now in the hands of our solicitors – has been ready to proceed for over a week,” said the sports investment company.

“However, despite repeated efforts to move things forward, it has become apparent that Bond Group, through their representatives, has adopted an uncooperative stance.

“This is now obstructing the completion of the sale.

“To be clear, the delay lies solely with Bond Group (Jason Whittingham) and Colin Goldring.

“It now appears they are deliberately jeopardising the very existence of the club in a last-ditch effort to alter terms that were already agreed upon and formally ratified by the EFL.

“This is a blatant attempt to extract additional funds from the Panjab Warriors team by using Morecambe FC’s future as leverage.”

Disarray

Panjab Warriors have urged the Bond Group ‘to honour the agreed terms and finalise the sale without further delay’.

They claim to have already paid £3.8m to Bond Group, along with ‘an agreed sum of £630,000 to clear the outstanding loans against Morecambe FC’, and loaned £1.7m over the past 14 months to meet the club’s running costs.

The latest setback is another kick in the teeth for Shrimps fans, who have seen their club relegated twice in the past three seasons to drop out of the Football League after an 18-year stay.

The Shrimps Trust have called on the club to announce a fans’ forum ‘as soon as possible’ that would be attended by all the key parties involved.

It all leaves troubled Morecambe in a state of disarray with the new National League season set to kick off on Saturday, August 9.