Inside Panjab Warriors' First 48 Hours As Morecambe Owners

After spending much than a twelvemonth attempting to acquisition nan nine from erstwhile proprietor Jason Whittingham, caller owners Panjab Warriors group retired to make an contiguous belief connected Morecambe successful their first hours successful charge.

On nan time they arrived astatine nan club's stadium, nan group - nan first Sikhs to ain a master English shot nine - ensured unit wages were paid for nan first clip since May, held meetings pinch fans and section stakeholders to outline their plans, and announced nan sacking of highly-respected head Derek Adams.

BBC Sport brings you a behind-the-scenes look astatine Panjab Warriors' first days moving a shot club.

After arriving astatine nan Mazuma Mobile Stadium, nan BBC speaks to fans and unit pursuing confirmation of nan takeover.

Fans collecting play tickets show america really excited they are. On entering nan stadium, loose wires are hanging from nan ceiling - a contractor who was not paid for his activity antecedently has pulled retired nan lighting he installed successful nan barroom and dressing room.

Inside, unit are totting up really galore players nan nine has. The wide statement is five, pinch a fewer young scholars. Long-serving kit man Les Dewhirst is awaiting transportation of kit later this week.

The club's sole remaining groundsman - whose partner gave commencement during nan play unit went unpaid - is mowing a pristine-looking pitch.

Dewhirst, erstwhile co-chairman Rod Taylor, caput of nan Shrimps' Trust instrumentality group Pat Stoyles and section MP Lizzi Collinge show america of their alleviation and invited nan presence of Panjab Warriors while insisting they will clasp nan caller owners to account.

Doubts are expressed by various unit members arsenic to whether Saturday's scheduled location lucifer against Altrincham will spell ahead. Fundamentals specified arsenic stewarding, insurance, kits, and a large capable squad of players are not successful place.

Various members of Panjab Warriors statesman arriving successful abstracted cars and participate nan stadium for meetings.

Among them are Kuljeet Singh Momi - nan mostly shareholder successful Panjab Warriors and truthful nan nine - and Ropinder Singh, who says he will go nan club's CEO. Another has flown from Venice.

Some participate nan boardroom pinch nan likes of Taylor, Stoyles, and Collinge, while others bring boxes of belongings and documents into nan offices.

At nan aforesaid time, unit person a notification their salaries for June person been paid - nan first clip they person been paid since May.

Some talk their alleviation astatine nary longer having to interest astir paying their rent aliases worrying astir nan costs of nutrient shopping.

Panjab Warriors disagree among themselves astir whether to behaviour an interview. At different points of nan consequent hours, and by different people, nan BBC is told we will beryllium capable to inquire them questions astir their plans for nan club, and besides that nary interaction will beryllium permitted astatine immoderate point.

The group moves pitchside to person photos taken pinch nine scarves. They past merchandise a connection connected nan club's charismatic societal media accounts confirming their takeover.

The BBC is informed an question and reply is possible. The group insists it will only present a pre-written statement, and will not reply questions. It is yet agreed questions tin beryllium asked pursuing nan statement.

Ropinder Singh and Gurpreet Singh - Panjab Warriors' caput of communications - reply a assortment of questions while different members of nan group behaviour telephone calls successful nan boardroom. They insist they want to beryllium arsenic transparent arsenic imaginable pinch fans.

As nan question and reply is taking place, nan sacking of head Adams is being finalised and publically announced adjacent door.

The BBC was alert of nan scheme to occurrence Adams and switch him pinch Ashvir Singh Johal, a 30-year-old Uefa pro licence holder and younker coach who has ne'er managed a elder first-team, because we conducted an question and reply pinch him earlier this summertime erstwhile he primitively expected to beryllium announced arsenic manager.

Gurpreet Singh says nan nine will beryllium undergoing "a batch of changes" that will beryllium to its "betterment", and implores fans to spot nan decisions nan group is making.

Johal's installation arsenic head is confirmed. Images and quotes from his original unveiling and BBC question and reply successful June are utilized online. The BBC learns Johal is not conducting interviews this week arsenic he focuses connected trying to rebuild and hole Morecambe's squad.

Reaction to Johal's presence among fans is divided - immoderate consciousness a difficult reset pinch a young, talented coach makes sense, while others pity Adams' departure and consciousness keeping clasp of a acold much knowledgeable head would person been much logical.

It is confirmed, to nan astonishment of galore unit members, that Saturday's lucifer against Altrincham will spell ahead. Urgent preparations must beryllium made truthful a squad tin beryllium fielded and nan basal infrastructure is successful spot to invited fans backmost to nan stadium.

Employees person their salaries for July and each indebtedness owed to HMRC is paid off.

New head Johal arrives connected tract for his first time successful nan occupation and sets retired to rebuild a squad from nan ashes near down by nan erstwhile ownership.

The nine announces a flash waste connected play tickets - fans who acquisition earlier Friday will beryllium fixed a 20% discount for nan afloat run - while tickets for Saturday spell connected sale.

The embargo placed connected nan nine by nan National League is lifted, meaning players tin now beryllium signed to reenforce nan squad for nan agelong run ahead.

Kits get astatine nan stadium and Dewhirst sets astir preparing them. He will person to people up to 120 sets of names and numbers connected shirts, erstwhile nan squad is full.

The BBC learns players are travelling to Morecambe to acquisition medicals earlier signing for nan club. One of nan first is Raheem Conte, a 22-year-old midfielder antecedently astatine Cardiff City.

Now nan existent activity of nan rebuild begins.