INTERVIEW: Morecambe FC co-chairmen look to future after relegation to National League

The co-chairmen of Morecambe Football Club have given their first interview to Beyond Radio since relegation from the football league.

Rod Taylor and Graham Howse appeared on our weekly local news show 'Beyond the Headlines' on Friday, days after defeat at home to Salford City on Easter Monday confirmed that the Shrimps would be dropping down to the National League.

Mr Taylor and Mr Howse spoke about their feelings on relegation, the second for Morecambe in the past three seasons, having dropped from League One in 2023.

They also gave an update on the ongoing sale of the club to prospective buyers Panjab Warriors.

"Let's hope the (new) ownership does come to fruition," said Mr Taylor.

"We've got to galvanise everybody together. Divisions do not help the overall situation.

"We need to kick off the new season in the National League in the best possible shape we can be in."

LISTEN to Rod Taylor and Graham Howse on Beyond Radio

Feelings on relegation

Mr Taylor said: "It is hurtful and hurting. My emotion (the day after the Salford game) was akin to a bereavement. It was that sickness in the pit of your stomach feeling, that heartache.

"But as the week's gone on, you've got to get off feeling sorry for ourselves and look at pushing forward. We've got to look to the future, regroup."

Mr Howse said: "We've seen some tremendous highs but this is low. I felt before the Bromley game, that it was almost like waiting for something to die. It's horrible. I think it will really hit home for me at that final game against Harrogate.

"It's a horrible situation to see something that you've devoted so much time to, essentially fail. Everyone has had the best intentions, throughout the season, to ensure that we maintain our league status. The players have tried their best, the manager, we all have. But in the end, it wasn't good enough and the league table doesn't lie."

Below, Jordan Slew in action for Morecambe.

Impact on the club on dropping down to non-league football

Mr Taylor said: "Central funding alters massively from the EFL to the National League. We've got to counter that and look at how we can save more money and earn more money. We've got to, not blindly, but galvanise everybody in, bring all these factions in who are warring, and make a really good effort to bounce back next season."

Mr Howse said: "In the first season we still get core funding from the EFL. We don't get the solidarity payments from the Premier League and that's quite a bit of money. We come into the FA Cup a round earlier. We're not in the Carabao Cup so we lose revenue from that but we are in the FA Trophy. There is an equivalent competition to the (Vertu) Trophy. What will hit us, is the away followings. There are substantially more southern teams in the National League at present. So that costs us more, not only in away attendance being low, but we've also got overnight stays, coach bills to factor in. The change in minimum wage and national insurance, we calculated that was going to cost us well over £100K additional, whichever division we were in. We have some fabulous businesses who have stuck by us and we hope they will continue to do that."

On manager Derek Adams (below) and setting budgets for next season

Mr Taylor said: "We are still playing football (this season). We haven't had any discussion about anybody's future because why would you do so right now. Derek is committed, he loves the club and he's done his utmost to keep us in the football league. We have a lot of things to consider about staffing. We want to miminalise any potential damage to staffing level. We operate on very low levels anyway. We've got to look after staff, we've got to make sure the club functions as well it does. Nobody has been sat twiddling their thumbs. Budgets have been prepared but they do need pinning down and finalising."

Mr Howse said: "We were looking at the infrastructure in the club anyway. (General manager) Rob Smith is working on different strategies to make sure we have more money to give to the manager to enhance the squad going forward. Success around the football team, allows us to improve the infrastructure in the football club. We need to make a move on (playing budget for next season) very shortly. Those figures are being worked on at present."

On the sale of the club and new ownership

Mr Howse said: "Regrettably it's still ongoing. It's a stuck record as far as we're concerned. We had a meeting at the EFL at the start of February with representatives from Panjab (Warriors), the Sikh community in the UK, Jason (Whittingham) was there on a video link, and we went through quite a few items that the EFL had questions on. It was a very detailed, full and frank meeting. Subsequent to that further information and they had a meeting with the EFL where all the financial backers of Panjab were present, and that's the first time that's happened. The EFL appreciated that meeting and the quality of information they've been provided with recently. We are now hopeful they have all the documentation they require. It's at quite an advanced stage, more than it's been along this long and winding road. (This week) we should get some feedback from the EFL and I am expecting some questions, to be honest."

Jason Whittingham

"We are still members of the EFL. They will endeavour to bring this to a conclusion as soon as possible. The hope is that this will be cleared up before we are removed as members of the EFL officially (by the time of its summer Annual General Meeting). Part of the financial requirements of the EFL is that whoever takes over the football club has to prove they have source and sufficiency to finance the football club for at least two years and that they can buy the football club in the first place. It's the owner's responsibility to source funds to ensure the football club continues to thrive and flourish.

"We've been given assurances that should anything go awry with the current deal, (Bond Group) will continue to try to sell the football club. We've heard this before. But we are more confident in terms of the quality of submissions that have gone in recently, we would hope that Panjab pass muster and become owners of the football club sooner rather than later."

Mr Taylor and Mr Howse also spoke about the changes to season ticket pricing for the 2025/26 season and answered other questions submitted by Beyond Radio listeners.

Morecambe's final game of the League Two season is this Saturday May 3 at home to Harrogate Town. 

You can hear full match commentary on Shrimps Live on Beyond Radio.

Read more: Morecambe FC directors express ‘profound disappointment’ after relegation to non-league - Beyond Radio