National League to 'discuss Morecambe sanctions'
Whittingham put the club up for sale in September 2022 but a deal has still not been done, with the club tumbling from League One to the National League having been relegated in two of the past three seasons.Panjab Warriors have been part of a takeover attempt of the club for more than a year and the EFL approved their takeover earlier this summer after their relegation from League Two was confirmed, but that deal has still not got over the line.Meanwhile, another takeover bid from a consortium led by Jonny Cato was also accepted earlier in July, but it is unclear where that bid - or that of Panjab Warriors' efforts - stands with just over two weeks remaining until the start of the season.It has been a fraught summer for the Lancashire club, as the Shrimps' board previously threatened to put the club into administration if a deal was not completed.The board were then sacked by Whittingham but then swiftly brought back to help the deal with Panjab Warriors take place.Soon after, the board resigned as that deal stalled, with Cato's "last minute" bid later accepted, however he has not been seen or heard from in public since the deal was announced.
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The Independent
24 minutes ago
- The Independent
‘It's time to pay up', says Starmer in late payments crackdown
Firms which persistently pay their suppliers late are set to face fines worth potentially millions of pounds as the Prime Minister warned that 'it's time to pay up'. Sir Keir Starmer has said 'too many hardworking people are being forced to spend precious hours chasing payments' in a process which he described as 'exhausting'. As part of a drive to support small businesses, the Government is set to unveil plans to give the small business commissioner bolstered powers to fine large companies which persistently pay their suppliers late. The commissioner will also receive new powers to enforce a rule that customers must pay their supplier within 30 days of receiving a valid invoice, unless otherwise agreed, with spot checks to help identify breaches. Upcoming legislation will also introduce maximum payment terms of 60 days, reducing to 45 days. 'From builders and electricians to freelance designers and manufacturers — too many hardworking people are being forced to spend precious hours chasing payments instead of doing what they do best – growing their businesses,' Sir Keir said. 'It's unfair, it's exhausting and it's holding Britain back. 'So, our message is clear, it's time to pay up. 'Through our small business plan, we're not only tackling the scourge of late payments once and for all, but we're giving small business owners the backing and stability they need for their business to thrive, driving growth across the country through our plan for change.' The crackdown on late payments is part of a wider Government package and sits alongside a move to pump £4 billion of financial support into small business start-ups and growth. This is set to include £1 billion for new firms, with 69,000 start-up loans and mentoring support. 'This country is home to some of the brightest entrepreneurs and innovative businesses in the world, and we want to unleash their full potential by giving them back time and money to do what they do best – growing our local economies,' Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said. 'Our small business plan – the first in over a decade – is slashing unnecessary admin costs, making it easier for businesses to set up shop and giving SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) the financial backing they need.' Andrew Griffith, the Conservative shadow business secretary, said: 'Cracking down on late payments will be welcome for small business but will mean nothing for the 218,000 businesses that have closed under Labour. 'The reality for businesses under Labour is a doubling of business rates, a £25 billion jobs tax and a full-on strangulation of employment red tape. 'Only the Conservatives are on the side of the makers and will support businesses across Britain to create jobs and wealth.'
BBC News
25 minutes ago
- BBC News
Brady queries Rooney's 'work ethic' at Birmingham
NFL legend Tom Brady has questioned Wayne Rooney's attitude during the ex-England captain's tenure as manager of Birmingham City, where Brady is a minority a new Amazon Prime documentary series, due to air on Friday, seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady tells colleagues: "I'm a little worried about our head coach's work ethic," before adding: "I mean, I don't know, I don't have great instincts on that."Brady, who also calls Blues players "lazy and entitled" in the series, made his comments about Rooney following a visit to the club's training ground in November conversations between the former quarterback and then manager Rooney appear awkward. In one exchange, the ex-Everton and Manchester United striker tells his employer about some of the cultural problems he perceives at the club."Why they're playing in the Championship and not the Premier League," Rooney says, "is because... we've all passed a ball, kicked the ball and run, but it's a focus, concentrated for 90 minutes."In scenes that follow, Brady is filmed watching a training session, saying: "We've got a long road ahead."The retired quarterback - widely considered the best player in NFL history - became a minority owner in the club in August 2023, following a takeover the previous month by Knighthead Capital Management LLC, co-founded by financier Tom club were relegated to League One in the first year under their new ownership after going through seven managers in 10 months after Brady arrived in 2023, manager John Eustace was controversially replaced by Rooney, with the Blues sitting sixth in the Championship. However, with the club then plummeting to 20th in the table, Rooney only lasted 83 days in charge at St Andrew's. At the time, Rooney said that he did not feel 13 weeks was "sufficient to oversee the changes that were needed". During the series, Blues fan Paul Collins speculates that the appointment had been based on a desire by the ownership to hire "one of the most recognisable English footballers of the last generation" in order to "put a load of eyes on Birmingham City".Collins asks: "What qualifies Wayne to manage Birmingham City? Nothing."Brady also reflects on the owners' disastrous first season in charge."There was some good advice that I got that was like, 'listen, don't go in there and make these big, sweeping changes - you guys have time'," he said."And of course we make sweeping changes." Relegated players 'lazy and entitled' - Brady Relegation from the Championship at the end of 2023-24 meant Birmingham dropped out of English football's top two tiers for only the third time in their the series, Brady reflects on where things went wrong, blaming the players."Well we've already changed the coach, so it's really the players because the coach doesn't go out there and put the ball in the goal," he says. "They were lazy, they were entitled and when you're lazy and entitled, you don't have much of a chance to succeed."We've got to change all the people that are associated with losing, so I think this summer there's going to be a lot of people gone."That summer, the club invested £30m in transfers, an unprecedented figure for League following year, Birmingham broke the Football League record for most points in a season, finishing top of League One with a tally of 111. Brady struggles to find the Blues' training ground During one scene, on his way to visit Birmingham's training ground, Brady's manager Ben Rawitz jokes about the NFL legend struggling to locate the club's Elite Performance and Innovation Centre on a map."That's the owner right there, he doesn't know where his training facility is," Rawitz says, later comparing the facilities to a "high school".In another scene, during a separate visit to the city, Brady asks a colleague "What's the other team here?", following up by asking "is Aston Villa in the Premier League?". Ambition 'bigger' than Wrexham's - Wagner There are comparisons throughout the series to fellow Championship club Wrexham, who have enjoyed three consecutive promotions since the Welsh club's £2m takeover in February 2021 by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob dismisses the idea that the two clubs should be considered in the same bracket."They've done a spectacular job at bringing attention to a small club," he says."I think what we have here is a club that's already a very big club and so, from our perspective, it's a bit different. The ambitions for us in the context of what we'll build is bigger than what they'll do at Wrexham."In a separate scene, he says: "Our target's not Wrexham. Our target is to play Premier League football against Villa."
The Guardian
25 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Labour says firms will be penalised for late payments to suppliers
Keir Starmer has warned businesses who persistently delay payments to their suppliers that it is 'time to pay up' as the government prepares to impose fines and penalties on repeat offenders. In what Labour has billed as the toughest crackdown on late payments in a generation, the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, will say on Thursday that the changes will slash a cost to the economy that has escalated to £11bn a year. As many as 38 businesses shut down each day partly owing to late payments, the government said, hurting tradespeople, shopkeepers, startup founders and family-run firms. The planned changes will include handing the small business commissioner powers to impose fines, potentially worth millions of pounds. Established in 2016 to tackle late payments, the watchdog will also be able to carry out spot checks, verify claims and impose deadlines to clear a backlog of disputes. As part of a wider Labour drive to provide more support for small businesses, Reynolds will also announce startup loans for 69,000 companies worth £4bn 'to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and small business owners'. The move is backed by the prime minister and the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, who is keen to focus on rebooting the economy after two consecutive months of negative growth and mounting speculation about tax rises. According to the Office for National Statistics, the economy contracted by 0.1% in May after a 0.3% monthly fall in April. Sir Keir said it was important for the government to support small- and medium-sized firms, which employ 60% of the workforce and generate £2.8tn in turnover. 'From builders and electricians to freelance designers and manufacturers, too many hardworking people are being forced to spend precious hours chasing payments instead of doing what they do best, growing their businesses. 'It's unfair, it's exhausting and it's holding Britain back. So, our message is clear: it's time to pay up.' Reynolds is expected to say legislation will include maximum payment terms of 60 days before a reduction after an introductory period to 45 days, 'giving firms certainty they'll be paid on time'. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Ministers said last September that they would consult businesses about the most effective way to tackle a 'culture of late payment' after several attempts by previous Tory administrations to toughen existing codes of conduct. Reynolds will say new laws were needed to give the commissioner extra powers and force large companies to be more transparent about how they pay subcontractors and suppliers. As part of the plan, audit committees will be required to scrutinise payment practices at board level, 'placing greater pressure on large firms to show they're treating small suppliers fairly backed by mandatory interest charges for those who pay late'. The small business minister, Gareth Thomas, said: 'I hear all too often about businesses who just don't have the cash needed to start up or grow. Today, we've announced measures as part of our plan for change to tackle all of those issues and beyond.'
