Morecambe FC directors express ‘profound disappointment’ after relegation to non-league

Directors at Morecambe FC said they won't give up after the huge disappointment of the club being relegated back to non-league football.

The board, led by co-chairmen Rod Taylor and Graham Howse, put out a statement on Tuesday after the loss to Salford City on Easter Monday ended the Shrimps' 18-year status as a football league club.

Morecambe's 3-1 home defeat kept manager Derek Adams' side bottom of League Two, and now mathematically unable to reach safety even if they were to win their final two games - away at Chesterfield this Saturday, and then at home to Harrogate Town on May 3.

Relegation back to non-league football comes 18 years after the Shrimps were promoted to the football league for the first time in their history, after a 2-1 win over Exeter City at Wembley Stadium.

Then in 2021, Morecambe reached the third tier of English football when they defeated Newport County 1-0, also at Wembley, to attain League One status.

This ended with relegation in 2023 after two seasons in that division, and now just two years later, the club finds itself in the National League.

Morecambe FC also remains up for sale, as it has been since September 2022.

An agreed deal by owners Bond Group - run by Jason Whittingham - with prospective buyers Panjab Warriors is yet to be ratified by the English Football League (EFL).

The directors' statement said: "This moment (of relegation) is one of profound disappointment for everyone associated with the club - players, staff, supporters, and the wider community.

"Derek, his staff, and our players have shown commendable determination and resilience throughout the season, overcoming the challenges of forming a squad almost from scratch and under embargo during the summer.

"They have worked hard and battled through every match with the spirit and fortitude we expect at Morecambe FC. Unfortunately, the results just haven't been forthcoming, and we will now drop into the fifth tier of English football for the first time since 2007.

"As directors and fans, we understand the frustration and anger that relegation, combined with our ongoing ownership challenges and the seemingly interminable sale process, creates. At times like these, it can feel impossible to look forward with any degree of optimism.

"It is also the case, in the absence of being able to confirm a change of ownership, communicating with everyone who loves the club is especially difficult. However, look forward and communicate we must; the only other option would be to give up, and we can't contemplate that.

"We extend our deepest gratitude to every Shrimps fan who has stood by the team through thick and thin. Your unwavering support has been a source of immense strength. We ask for your continued belief and support as we embark on this new journey in the National League.

"We are confident that, together, we can rise above this latest challenge in our 105-year history and reclaim our place in the higher echelons of English football.’’

Morecambe Football Club has been officially up for sale since September 2022, and as the time the club has been on the market approaches a thousand days, the board have confirmed the process remains ongoing.

‘’We can confirm the process of selling the club is ongoing and, as things stand today, there appears to have been real, positive and recent progress within the last two weeks,’’ continues the statement.

‘’We fully appreciate how much this sounds like a stuck record, but we are committed to providing updates which are as open and transparent as possible, and therefore we will continue to do so regardless of how they may understandably be received.’’

Above: Jason Whittingham, Bond Group

An update last month from the Shrimps Trust supporters group, after its chair Tarnia Elsworth spoke to two members of Panjab Warriors, prospective buyers of Morecambe, said that "Panjab Warriors feel that they are close to satisfying the EFL requirements", "are keen that this matter concludes soon" and "reassure that they are committed to purchasing Morecambe FC, and that will remain the position regardless of league status".

The board's statement also addresses the cost of season tickets for the 2025/26 campaign in the National League.

Some fans reacted with disappointment when over the weekend the Shrimps announced the pricing structure for the upcoming campaign, which revealed increases on many tickets, compared to the current League Two season.

Co-chairman Rod Taylor answered questions from fans about the season ticket costs, during a pre-match gathering in JB's Bar at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium ahead of Saturday's game.

The club said that some tickets, on both the club’s ‘Early Bird’ offer and general sale price, have seen a reduction compared to this season, including adults aged 22-24 and supporters aged 65 or over, but some sections of supporters, including adults over 24 years old, and most junior tickets, have risen.

The price hikes have been defended by the club, who point out the need make the club as financially sustainable as possible, while trying to offer as much value for money as possible.

The statement continues: ''The costs of running a football club, on and off the pitch, have continued to increase, as demonstrated by the huge losses of the majority of clubs in the EFL and National League. Only those clubs with owners willing and able to lose millions every season can operate without increasing prices from time to time, and we aren't one of those clubs.

"That said, we have to point out that our attempts to provide the best possible value do stack up next season.

''Our pricing sees us offering the 8th most reasonable adult seated season ticket and the 5th most reasonable adult standing season ticket in the National League.

''We understand that any price increase feels like a kick in the teeth when coupled with relegation, but we have to do all we can to return to the EFL as quickly as possible, and that means generating the funds necessary to be both sustainable and competitive."

‘’Finally, as directors, it would be remiss not to admit there have been times during the last two years where we have had no choice but to consider our own positions, both collectively and individually.

‘’Dealing with Bond Group's endless unmet deadlines and assurances, finding the time to run the club on a voluntary basis amongst family and other business commitments, and fielding the understandable but still tough-to-take criticism from some quarters have all taken their toll.

‘’Morecambe Football Club is more than just a team in whatever league the first team plays. It is a family, a community, and a part of us, and it will endure. We must face the next chapter with the hope, resilience, and determination required to see us rise again, and we ask that as many of you as possible do the same and stand alongside us.’’

A statement from the Shrimps Trust said: "We are, along with the whole fanbase and everyone at the club, devastated to be suffering relegation.

"Thank you to Derek, his staff, and the players for their efforts this season.

"And thank you to the fans, who have resolutely stuck by the team through thick and thin."