Administration threat as Morecambe FC owner given sale ultimatum

The board of directors at Morecambe FC say they will "begin the process of putting the club into administration" if a proposed takeover deal isn’t completed by 4pm today.

The board, led by co-chairmen Rod Taylor and Graham Howse, gave owners Bond Group the ultimatum on Tuesday, saying they must sell their shares to prospective buyers Panjab Warriors by the deadline.

This comes as all staff and players at the club are still waiting for two thirds of their wages for June, after the wage bill couldn’t be met on time by the owners.

A statement released by the board accuses Jason Whittingham, director of Bond Group, of "refusing to sell his shares in the club to Panjab Warriors" and said he risks "the destruction of people's livelihoods, the truly wonderful football club that we love, the community that it sits at the heart of, and 105 years of proud history.’’

Fans of the Shrimps held a protest on Monday night outside the ground, frustrated at the length of time it has taken to complete the sale of the club.

The statement issued by the board said: "Following multiple meetings with Bond Group throughout the weekend and yesterday, in several of which Jason Whittingham stated once again his desire and intention to sell his shares in the club to Panjab Warriors, in line with the sale agreement reached and announced weeks ago, the board of directors met at 9am this morning to discuss the fact that, despite all parties apart from Bond Group doing everything possible to complete the sale yesterday, as of last night Jason Whittingham was again refusing to sell his shares in the club to Panjab Warriors.

‘’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.

‘’We have been crystal clear in spelling out what this might mean for all staff, for the club, and for the whole community that is built around it, and we have left Jason Whittingham in no doubt as to the fact that his unwillingness to complete a transaction that he has repeatedly agreed to is the sole reason we are in this position.

‘’As a board of directors we will continue to do absolutely everything that we can to apply as much pressure as possible to make the sale happen before today's 4pm deadline.  It is now down to Jason Whittingham and Bond Group to do the right thing, and not risk the destruction of people's livelihoods, the truly wonderful football club that we love, the community that it sits at the heart of, and 105 years of proud history.’’

The board later extended the deadine to 6pm.

Rod Taylor, in a further statement on Tuesday afternoon, said: ''New information has come to light, which is currently being investigated, therefore the deadline that was set for 16:00, has now been extended to 18:00.

''We have been working diligently all day and are in communication with the current owner, Jason Whittingham and Panjab Warriors.

''We will provide an update as soon as we possibly can.''

All staff at the club were due to be paid on June 28, but this date falling on Saturday, wages were due on June 27.

Employees were informed before the weekend that there would be a delay in payments being made, leading to scathing statements being released by both the club’s board of directors and Panjab Warriors.

Last month, Panjab Warriors were cleared by the English Football League (EFL) to proceed with the purchase, having satisfied the requirements of the stringent owner and director tests that are in place.

Below, Mr Taylor and Mr Howse with Gurpreet Singh from Panjab Warriors, pictured after the EFL gave clearance in June

It was expected the sale would complete shortly afterwards, but this has not happened.

And in statements released on Friday, the Shrimps' board accused Bond Group Investments of "considering reneging on the deal", and that it was being delayed by a previously unreported involvement of a third party, while Panjab Warriors took the unprecedented step of revealing that they had sunk around £6m into their efforts to purchase the club.

Beyond Radio understands that a third of the wages has been paid since then.

There has been no comment from Mr Whittingham or Bond Group.

Read more: 'Where is the money?' Morecambe FC sale on brink of collapse after wages delay

On Monday evening, a group of supporters held a demonstration outside the Mazuma Mobile Stadium, to protest against the delay of the sale process, which has been ongoing since September 2022.

It was quickly arranged by fan protest group, The 1920 Union.

A spokesperson for the group said afterwards: ‘’A massive thank you to everyone who came down to the Mazuma this evening to show their support for the staff and players during this difficult time.

‘’We appreciate this was organised at quite short notice due to the circumstances, and the timing meant some fans couldn’t attend. We’re working on further ideas to get our story more media coverage, as well as showing our unwavering support to the team and staff.

‘’It’s more important than ever that we stand united as a fanbase at times like these.’’

A statement from the Shrimps Trust supporters group on Tuesday said: "The Shrimps Trust thanks the board of directors for their recent update and clarification regarding the club's position.

Below, Tarnia Elsworth (centre), chair of the Shrimps Trust, during a protest held last season about the lengthy sale process

"We fully support the actions taken.

"We continue to urge Bond Group to proceed with the immediate sale of the club.

"Regardless of the outcome of today's developments, the Shrimps Trust remains steadfast in our commitment to support the club, our members, the board of directors and Panjab Warriors in any way we can.

"Stronger together. UTS (up the Shrimps)."

A further statement from the trust, following the deadline extension, said: "We have been in contact with the EFL and the National League and are keen to understand the impact administration would have on the club.

"We have spoken with Panjab Warriors, and they confirm they will engage with the administration process if it comes to that. They have confirmed that they would still want to acquire ownership of the club."

The trust has also said that the Citizens Advice North Lancashire charity can offer support to Morecambe FC staff at this time.

They said the charity "are abreast of the situation, and are prepared for contact should MFC staff want to get in touch with them".

The PFA (Professional Footballers' Association) also issued a statement on Tuesday, which said:

"As the professional players' union, we have been speaking to our members at Morecambe following this month's partial payment of wages.

"Players and club staff, like any other workforce, deserve to be paid in full and on time, in line with the terms of their contracts.

"During this period of uncertainty, both players and staff have continued to show unity and professionalism in their commitment to the club.

"When payments are delayed, it has a real impact on their working and personal lives, as well as their families.

"Clear and timely communication is vital whenever payment issues arise, especially when payment dates are missed, creating concern for everyone affected.

"We recognise the situation is complex and urge all parties involved to work together to find a resolution as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we will continue to support our members at Morecambe to ensure they are kept fully informed and their rights are protected."