Local MP Lizzi Collinge has highlighted the ongoing issues over the future of Morecambe Football Club in parliament.
The member of parliament for Morecambe and Lunesdale was speaking in a House of Commons oral questions session lead by Lisa Nandy MP, The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
She was speaking on Thursday morning, following the news that the directorships of Morecambe Football Club Ltd of every existing board member – Rod Taylor, Graham Howse, James Wakefield, Charlie Appleyard and Mick Horton – had all been terminated, according to records at Companies House.
Minutes from the latest meeting of the Shrimps Trust on Wednesday evening revealed that all five directors had resigned, after Jason Whittingham (below) from current owners Bond Group, had issued a statement saying he was starting the process to remove them from the board.
Read more: ‘Crisis point’ - Morecambe FC owner sacks board of directors as administration row rumbles on
This move was in response to the announcement on Tuesday that the board had informed Bond Group - of which Mr Whittingham is sole director - that they intended to put the club into administration, due to the proposed sale of the Shrimps to prospective new owners, Panjab Warriors, not being completed and claims that Bond Group's director was now "refusing to sell his shares in the club" to the buyers.
But on Wednesday morning, in a statement on the Morecambe FC website, Mr Whittingham (below) said he wished to "take control over the situation", so he can "resolve the matter of staff salary and the sale".
Read more: Administration threat as Morecambe FC owner given sale ultimatum
Addressing the minister, Ms Collinge said: ‘’Morecambe Football Club is in crisis. The current owner is delaying the sale despite us having EFL approval already.
‘’The staff are only paid one third of their wages (for June). The board has been dismissed without proper process. Can the minister outline how the government is working to prevent other towns like Morecambe suffering in this way?
In response, Lisa Nandy MP said: ‘’I'm really grateful to her, not just for raising it in this house, but she's raised it with me and my honourable friend as well and we are determined to support her in this.
‘’Having been through this appalling experience with my own club, Wigan Athletic. We are determined to make sure nobody ever has to go through this ever again. My honourable friend has been working very hard with members of this House to pass the legislation on the Football Governance Bill to make sure that we rectify this situation and prevent it happening elsewhere.
‘’But in her particular case, with her particular club, I am extremely keen to see a sale as soon as possible.’’
Yesterday’s statement from Jason Whittingham of Bond Group, Morecambe’s current owners, said that a further update would be given on Thursday morning. At time of publication of this article, no such update had been made.
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