Latest news with #LizziCollinge
The Guardian
01-08-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Morecambe FC fans set to ‘lose everything' without 11th-hour takeover
Fans of Morecambe football club said they were about to 'lose everything', with the 105-year-old institution facing closure on Monday without an 11th-hour takeover. Shareholders at the National League club said it would 'officially shut' and face 'total collapse' in 72 hours unless the owner, Jason Whittingham, agreed to sell up. In a statement, the prospective buyers, Panjab Warriors, and minority shareholders said the club had '£0 in the bank and no cash on site [meaning] operations cannot continue'. The collapse of the century-old club, known as the Shrimps, has added urgency to plans for a new football regulator after similar crises at historic clubs including Bury FC, Macclesfield, Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton Wanderers. Lizzi Collinge, the Labour MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, said on Friday she was 'devastated that this crisis is still dragging on, with the damage being done worsening every day'. The club's future has hung in the balance since Whittingham, an Essex businessman, appeared to renege on a deal with the London-based investment firm Panjab Warriors and was planning to sell instead to a mystery third party. Weeks of delay led to the club being suspended until at least 20 August by the National League, the fifth tier of English football, meaning it cannot play its opening three fixtures, which are due to kick off next Saturday. Collinge said the crisis was 'entirely avoidable' if Whittingham had sold the club when the EFL approved the deal in early June. She said: 'I am urging Jason Whittingham once again to just sign the damn paperwork. This state of affairs shows exactly why we need the new football regulator. 'I'm obviously frustrated that this won't be in place in time to make a difference to the current situation but I know it will stop towns like Morecambe suffering in the future by preventing rogue ownership and strengthening financial governance.' Pubs and cafes near the club's 6,400-capacity Mazuma stadium said they were already suffering from the lack of football. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Pat Stoyles, interim chair of the Morecambe supporters' group, the Shrimps Trust, said it was 'absolutely devastating' to face losing the club. All junior level operations at the club ended on Friday due to a lack of insurance bringing an end to 'every kid's dream of playing for their local club', said Stoyles. He said: 'I dont think people thought it would affect every level of football through the club. We are going to effectively lose everything.' He said there was 'anger and frustration' at Whittingham, but added: 'As time goes on that anger starts to spread into the governing bodies for allowing it to get to this situation and not learning from experiences like Bury and Macclesfield.' The Guardian has contacted the club and Whittingham for comment.
BBC News
29-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Consortium 'ready' to buy ailing Morecambe
London-based sports investment company Panjab Warriors have released a statement to say they are "ready, willing and able" to buy Shrimps were suspended by the National League until 20 August on Monday over failing to comply with the league's Warriors have been in talks with the club's owner Jason Whittingham for over a year and a deal had looked set to be concluded earlier this have now said in a joint-statement with minority shareholders, the Shrimps Trust and Lizzi Collinge MP that the National League is ready to sanction the deal and "immediately lift the suspension and embargo should it be agreed". As it stands, Morecambe's fixture away to Boston United on 9 August, their first home game against Brackley Town on 16 August, and the trip to Scunthorpe United on 19 August, will no longer take place as who has been looking to sell the club since 2022, announced a new buyer, named as a consortium led by Jonny Cato, had been found earlier in July, but it remains unclear where that bid also said on Sunday he had "not heard from" Panjab Warriors in the past week and talks with Cato were Lancashire side, who were promoted to League One in 2021, were relegated from League Two last season - their second relegation in the past three seasons.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Morecambe owner agrees to 'last-minute' takeover
Morecambe will begin their 2025-26 National League campaign against Boston on 9 August [Getty Images] Morecambe's owner says a deal to sell the National League club has been agreed after a "last-minute bid" came in. Shrimps owner Jason Whittingham had previously said terms had been agreed with a Panjab Warriors consortium with a deal set to be formally completed on Monday. Advertisement The club's board of directors had stepped down with the deal still to be concluded. But in a statement on Wednesday, Whittingham said an unidentified buyer had worked over the past 24 hours to pay outstanding wages as well as agreeing contracts pending the approval of a sale by the National League. "He has already started preparing documentation for the National League to give their approval for the sale and confirmed his financial support for the club this coming season, provided his takeover is approved," the statement continued. "This buyer will make their own statement shortly to introduce themselves and set out their plans for the club over the coming seasons." Advertisement Further announcements are set to follow on Thursday, the statement concluded. The announcement of the latest bidder comes after a turbulent few weeks for the club before the 2025-26 National League season, following their relegation from the English Football League last term. Morecambe's MP Lizzi Collinge said last week Whittingham's Bond Group should "get on with" the deal to sell the 105-year-old club after the Shrimps' board of directors threatened to put the club into administration if a sale was not completed. Whittingham later announced he had "started the process to dismiss the board of directors", while denying claims he was stalling on the deal. Advertisement The board later returned when a deal to sell the club to Panjab Warriors looked set to take place. That deal had been approved by the EFL in June with the group previously saying they had already paid £3.8m to Whittingham's Bond Group, alongside a separate payment of £630,000 to clear outstanding loans against the club. The group also claimed they had also loaned a further £1.7m to the club over the past 14 months to "ensure its ongoing survival". In a further statement issued on Tuesday, Panjab Warriors claimed the takeover was "seconds away from completion" despite the latest delay.
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Morecambe owner agrees to 'last-minute' takeover
Morecambe's owner says a deal to sell the National League club has been agreed after a "last-minute bid" came owner Jason Whittingham had previously said terms had been agreed with a Panjab Warriors consortium with a deal set to be formally completed on club's board of directors had stepped down with the deal still to be in a statement on Wednesday, Whittingham said an unidentified buyer had worked over the past 24 hours to pay outstanding wages as well as agreeing contracts pending the approval of a sale by the National League. "He has already started preparing documentation for the National League to give their approval for the sale and confirmed his financial support for the club this coming season, provided his takeover is approved," the statement continued., external"This buyer will make their own statement shortly to introduce themselves and set out their plans for the club over the coming seasons."Further announcements are set to follow on Thursday, the statement announcement of the latest bidder comes after a turbulent few weeks for the club before the 2025-26 National League season, following their relegation from the English Football League last MP Lizzi Collinge said last week Whittingham's Bond Group should "get on with" the deal to sell the 105-year-old club after the Shrimps' board of directors threatened to put the club into administration if a sale was not later announced he had "started the process to dismiss the board of directors", while denying claims he was stalling on the board later returned when a deal to sell the club to Panjab Warriors looked set to take deal had been approved by the EFL in June with the group previously saying they had already paid £3.8m to Whittingham's Bond Group, alongside a separate payment of £630,000 to clear outstanding loans against the group also claimed they had also loaned a further £1.7m to the club over the past 14 months to "ensure its ongoing survival".In a further statement, external issued on Tuesday, Panjab Warriors claimed the takeover was "seconds away from completion" despite the latest delay.
BBC News
01-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Morecambe on edge of admin without sale, says board
Morecambe's board of directors say they will begin the process of putting the club into administration later on Tuesday if its owner does not sell the Shrimps.A protracted takeover of the club by the Panjab Warriors consortium has still not reached its conclusion, and on Friday the board alleged that owner Jason Whittingham's Bond Group Investments were "considering reneging", external on the MP Lizzi Collinge said on Monday that Bond Group should "get on with" the deal to sell the 105-year-old in a fresh board statement made on Tuesday lunchtime, the directors said an ultimatum had been issued to Whittingham as he was "again refusing to sell his shares in the club" which would result in staff wages going Radio Lancashire have again contacted Whittingham for Tuesday's statement,, external Morecambe's board said: "Because Bond Group do not have the required funds to meet the club's full payroll commitment, despite being entirely responsible for paying wages until a sale completes and aware of that responsibility and the requirement, this means that wages cannot be paid until the sale completes."Panjab Warriors do have the funds available to pay all wages, and are ready to transfer these immediately, but they are not able to do so unless the sale completes and they are the owners."As a result, we have had no choice but to issue an ultimatum to Jason Whittingham at 9:52am this morning, Tuesday 1st July 2025, that unless Bond Group's shares are sold to Panjab Warriors by 4pm today, the board of directors will be left with no option but to begin the process of putting the club into administration." Whittingham, who oversaw the takeover of the club in 2018, previously told BBC Radio Lancashire that he "could not wait to get out" of the then-League Two club in an interview in then the club have been relegated from the English Football League, meaning they will play in the National League next season for the first time since deal to sell the club to Panjab Warriors was approved by the English Football League earlier in Warriors said last week, external they had already paid £3.8m to Bond Group alongside a separate payment of £630,000 to clear outstanding loans against the group claimed they had also loaned a further £1.7m to the club over the past 14 months to "ensure its ongoing survival".
