Morecambe board 'have no confidence' in owners overseeing sale of club

Morecambe appointed Ged Brannan as their manager last week, after Derek Adams left

Morecambe's board of directors says the club could be at "serious risk" unless the owners change their approach.

The Bond Group, who have owned the Shrimps since 2018, put the club up for sale 15 months ago.

But, in a statement, the board said they have "no confidence" in the owners overseeing the sale and urged potential buyers to deal with them directly.

They also sought to reassure fans that the Bond Group cannot take funds out of the club without the board's approval.

Jason Whittingham, Morecambe's controlling shareholder, has been contacted by BBC Radio Lancashire for a response.

The club had been in negotiations with entrepreneur Sarbjot Johal, but nothing came of that interest and the board expressed its frustration at what it described as "a stuck record of assurances not being met and deadlines missed".

World heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury, who lives in the town, also suggested he could take over the club.

Morecambe posted a loss of £800,000 after relegation from League One in the 2022-23 season, after making a profit of more than £1m in the previous season.

They were handed a three-point deduction, suspended until June 2024, for not paying their players on time in March, and have lost their past three league games to drop into a mid-table position in League Two.

The board urged supporters to abandon any plans of a stay-away protest, saying this would only harm the club itself, adding that the board was doing all it could to ensure "the club continue to meet all its ongoing obligations".

The statement added: "The largely voluntary board of directors, most of whom are staunch fans of the club, is making this statement because a significant change of approach is required by Bond Group.

"Without it, nothing at Morecambe Football Club can move forwards and the directors risk finding themselves in an untenable position, which puts the club, and the wonderful community that it sits at the heart of, at serious risk."

Last month, manager Derek Adams left Morecambe to take over at Scottish Premiership side Ross County, with his replacement, Ged Brannan, winning his first game since being appointed boss on Saturday as Morecambe reached the third round of the FA Cup with victory at League One side Wycombe Wanderers.