Morecambe group Shrimps Trust have issued a statement pleading for more action to be done towards a sale of the club ahead of a protest.
Fans of the Lancashire club are preparing a demonstration towards the club’s current owners when they face Port Vale this weekend including a march to the ground and fans turning their back on the pitch for two minutes during the match.
“Increasingly Worried”
The club has been for sale for 26 months, with current owner Jason Whittingham claiming that there have been multiple interested parties over that timeframe, but no such moves have come to fruition. The Trust had previously stated that a bid had been turned down by the owners last year.
It is leading to effects on the pitch, with boss Derek Adams still unsure of what kind of budget he will be afforded to spend in the January transfer window as the club look to avoid the drop. Morecambe are currently last in League Two by a point despite a positive result against Harrogate Town in their last game.
Chair of the Shrimps Trust Tarnia Elsworth has released a statement ahead of this next round of protests. (Quotes via Lancaster Guardian):
“The current prospective owners have been made aware of the requirements from the EFL that they need to meet and the documents they need to provide for at least three months. Yet they have not done so.
“We are becoming increasingly worried about the lack of funding from the current owner, the lack of communication from them and the lack of progress from the prospective owners. This has led to concerns that we may be moving from one terrible situation to another.
“We want communication, we want the prospective owners to move at pace now and we want pressure to be kept on the process by keeping our story heard in the media.
“We campaign tirelessly for the introduction of the new Football Governance Bill and will continue to do so along with North West MPs Lizzi Collinge and Lisa Nandy. Sadly, that is too long a timescale to help our situation.
“We must keep our story heard and take action so that the owner continues to feel pressure to take meaningful steps for completion of a sale of the club.”
Writer’s View
Morecambe fans are rightfully fed up of their situation with the threat of relegation looming upon them once more. If this situation isn’t resolved soon then it could spell an end to the club’s Football League position despite what Derek Adams has done to save them last season. They are taking matters into their own hands and hopefully can force action from their owners.
Football journalist with The Real EFL since 2023. A 2024 Multimedia Journalism graduate from the University of Salford, Lewis specialises in Salford City FC and EFL coverage.
