Morecambe Fc Fans Set To ‘lose Everything’ Without 11th-hour Takeover

Fans of Morecambe shot nine said they were astir to “lose everything”, pinch nan 105-year-old institution facing closure connected Monday without an 11th-hour takeover.

Shareholders astatine nan National League nine said it would “officially shut” and look “total collapse” successful 72 hours unless nan owner, Jason Whittingham, agreed to waste up.

In a statement, nan prospective buyers, Panjab Warriors, and number shareholders said nan nine had “£0 successful nan slope and nary rate connected tract [meaning] operations cannot continue”.

The illness of nan century-old club, known arsenic nan Shrimps, has added urgency to plans for a caller shot regulator aft akin crises astatine historical clubs including Bury FC, Macclesfield, Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton Wanderers.

Lizzi Collinge, nan Labour MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, said connected Friday she was “devastated that this situation is still dragging on, pinch nan harm being done worsening each day”.

The club’s early has hung successful nan equilibrium since Whittingham, an Essex businessman, appeared to renege connected a woody pinch nan London-based finance patient Panjab Warriors and was readying to waste alternatively to a enigma 3rd party.

Weeks of hold led to nan nine being suspended until astatine slightest 20 August by nan National League, nan 5th tier of English football, meaning it cannot play its opening 3 fixtures, which are owed to footwear disconnected adjacent Saturday.

Collinge said nan situation would person been “entirely avoidable” if Whittingham had sold nan nine erstwhile nan EFL approved nan woody successful early June.

She said: “I americium urging Jason Whittingham erstwhile again to conscionable motion nan damn paperwork. This authorities of affairs shows precisely why we request nan caller shot regulator.

“I’m evidently disappointment that this won’t beryllium successful spot successful clip to make a quality to nan existent business but I cognize it will extremity towns for illustration Morecambe suffering successful nan early by preventing rogue ownership and strengthening financial governance.”

Pubs and cafes adjacent nan club’s 6,400-capacity Mazuma Stadium said they were already suffering from nan deficiency of football.

Pat Stoyles, interim chair of nan Morecambe supporters’ group, nan Shrimps Trust, said it was “absolutely devastating” to look losing nan club.

All junior-level operations astatine nan nine ended connected Friday owed to a deficiency of insurance, bringing an extremity to “every kid’s dream of playing for their section club”, said Stoyles.

He said: “I dont deliberation group thought it would impact each level of shot done nan club. We are going to efficaciously suffer everything.”

He said location was “anger and frustration” astatine Whittingham, but added: “As clip goes connected that anger starts to dispersed into nan governing bodies for allowing it to get to this business and not learning from experiences for illustration Bury and Macclesfield.”

The Guardian has contacted nan nine and Whittingham for comment.