Morecambe boss Brannan leaves for Accrington role

Ged Brannan has had spells at Morecambe as both a player and manager

Morecambe boss Ged Brannan has left the club to join League Two rivals Accrington Stanley as assistant manager.

Brannan, 52, took over at the Mazuma Stadium initially as caretaker manager after Derek Adams left for Ross County in November before signing an 18-month deal.

He was previously on the coaching staff at Stanley before moving to the Shrimps in September 2023 and has rejoined on a three-year deal after the clubs agreed compensation.

"I'm absolutely delighted to be back working with John [Doolan], he's a fantastic manager, and he's a great friend of mine as well," Brannan told the club website.

"I'll always have a place in my heart for Morecambe and there's a lot of lovely people over there."

Brannan ended his playing career with the Shrimps in 2007 after helping them win promotion to League Two.

His departure is the latest twist in what has been a turbulent spell for the club.

They were placed in a transfer embargo in March, deducted three points at the start of this month by the English Football League for failing to adhere to an agreed decision imposed in August 2023, and players and staff received their April wages late.

Brannan, who guided them to 15th in League Two this season, said he did not "see a way in which I could continue given the current situation".

“Leaving Morecambe has undoubtedly been the hardest decision of my life and one which wasn’t taken lightly, though I feel it is the right time for me and my family to step away," he told the Morecambe club website.

“I mean every word when I say it truly saddens me to leave, though I don’t see a way in which I could continue given the current situation.

“To be up against what we have been with staffing issues, ownership challenges, the embargo, points deduction and late wages, I couldn’t be prouder of what we have achieved this season."