Morecambe board urges owner to avoid ‘catastrophic outcome’

A meeting was held on Monday between the board and the owner, Jason Whittingham of Bond Group.

The letter lays bare the board’s dissatisfaction with the club’s present position, warning of a possible ‘catastrophic outcome’ if a sale does not come to pass.

“We are writing this open letter to reiterate what was said to you during our meeting with you today, where you provided us with an update on the crucial issues of funding and the Football Club’s sale,” the letter states.

Unfortunately, in the absence of significant cash from Bond Group arriving in the Morecambe Football Club account, your future financing commitments have now been so often broken that they appear meaningless, and we must treat them as such in order to be accountable.

Regarding the prospective buyer from the Middle East that you initially said us was interested in purchasing the club around a year ago, you haven’t given us any concrete proof or introduction to take them seriously or credibly during this time.

“From what we can see, you have received one seemingly serious offer from a potential buyer situated in the United States. This is the most genuine offer we have seen since you listed the club for sale more than 20 months ago.

“In order to increase the likelihood that a sale will be completed and prevent a disastrous outcome, kindly accept this second offer now.”

Morecambe was put up for sale in September 2022, but no deal has been reached, so the property is still in ownership limbo.

Prior to a lengthy period of time when Sarbjot Johal was associated with a buyout, a fans’ forum was informed in February that ‘serious people’ were considering a potential acquisition.

The letter was also made public shortly after the club’s retained list was made public. That list showed that, in addition to the five players who are under contract, four players declined deals, and another twelve players have not received any offers.

Other concerns include the need to find a manager to replace Ged Brannan, the lifting of an embargo relating to HMRC, and the expectation that May’s wages will be paid on schedule following April’s late payment.