Morecambe could be a step closer to a new ownership group after it was announced that terms had been agreed with a new consortium.
The club has been on the market for 26 months now and delays in the process, alongside points deductions and transfer embargoes have pushed supporters to stage a protest this weekend as The Shrimps play Port Vale.
Whittingham Confirms Progress
ITV’s Granada Reports programme have confirmed that current owner Jason Whittingham has agreed terms to sell the Lancashire side to an unnamed party in July and that the prospective owners are UK-based.
Whittingham and his Bond Investments Group have been in charge at Morecambe since 2018 when the club were in a similar position to now. They lifted the side into League One and spent two seasons there before going back down to the fourth tier.
Current co-chairman Graham Howse said to ITV:
“It’s not moving as fast as we would all like. They (the potential new owner) are included in that process and they are keen to bring it to a conclusion.
“They see this as a long term project, they don’t want to be here for five minutes. They want to develop the football ground, they want to develop the land around the football ground, they want to look at improving the squad.
“But they also accept this is a community football club and they want to maintain that close connection with the community of Morecambe.”
Supporters’ group Shrimps Trust responded to the article with skepticism at Whittingham’s claims via their social media channels.
Terms were agreed months ago in July, so we do not view Jason’s attempted stalling as a significant development. We believe nothing until confirmed by the EFL.
Writer’s View
Morecambe fans will be pleased that there is some movement but they are still going to be frustrated with the delays in the process. Their status in the Football League is at real risk and if the investment isn’t there for the January transfer window then it might be too late to give the club the best fighting chance of survival. They have been down this road before under these owners, but if this latest development is to be believed it will be a positive sign for the supporters and hopefully they can get their club into hands that want to benefit and support the local community.
1st Class Honours in Multimedia Journalism at Salford University. Writing mainly about League Two.
