Morecambe FC becomes first club to face action from Independent Football Regulator

Morecambe FC has become the first football club to receive a warning notice from the Independent Football Regulator (IFR).

The notice was issued to Morecambe Football Club Limited and directors Kuljit Singh Momi and Harjit Singh under section 76 of the Football Governance Act 2025, on Tuesday.

The notice says they failed to comply with a request for information issued under Section 65 of the Football Governance Act 2025.

Kuljit Singh Momi and Harjit Singh became directors of Morecambe FC after Panjab Warriors bought the club in August 2025. Mr Singh Momi is club chairman.

The IFR was established by the government in 2025 to protect and promote the sustainability of English football, for the benefit of fans and the local communities that football clubs serve.

The IFR Warning Notice, publicly available on their website, says that on February 20, the IFR asked the club for information "necessary for the IFR to establish and oversee its Owners, Directors and Senior Executives (ODSE) regime and to implement the additional duties regime".

It says the club failed to meet the March 20 deadline to provide the information.

On March 31, the IFR made a further request "seeking information relating to the financial position of the club and its owners necessary for the purpose of administering the ODSE regime" giving a deadline of April 8 and included a further request for responses to the previous questions.

The IFR also sent a separate letter addressed to the club and owners "primarily relating to other matters".

"On April 8 2026 the IFR received an email from Kuljit Singh Momi stating 'Below is the information in relation to Morecambe Football Club Ltd'," said the IFR.

"The email purported to provide answers...however the replies did not fully address the questions."

The notice says the IFR then replied on April 9 asking for all missing information by April 14 and the deadline was not met.

On June 4, the IFR issued an investigation notice to Mr Singh Momi, Mr Singh and the club.

Morecambe Football Club

This said that "there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that the respondents have failed to comply with information requirements imposed on them...without reasonable excuse".

This gave a deadline for the missing information to be provided, and explanations for their non-compliance, by June 12.

On June 6, the club was formally relegated from the National League to the National League North as part of the National League’s Annual General Meeting, after finishing third from bottom in the league season which had finished in April.

This meant that the club was no longer a regulated club for the purpose of the IFR’s ODSE regime. 

The notice says that Kuljit Singh Momi sent an email to the IFR on June 12 stating that “detailed and comprehensive responses” would be provided to the IFR by June 15.

The IFR said that on June 16, some of the missing information was provided, while leaving several questions unanswered. 

The regulator therefore said that it "considers that each of the respondents has breached information requirements imposed upon them by the IFR under section 65 of the Football Governance Act without reasonable excuse".

The IFR decision notice also states that the club and directors had explained why they had “struggled to meet a number of previous deadlines”. 

"In summary, those representations relied on: a difficult situation at the club, which was particularly acute over Christmas (of 2025) and the new year through to February 2026 as a result of significant changes at senior management and board level; having to deal with a very large number of issues at once; having to take 'full stock of the situation at the club which made meeting deadlines difficult'; and the ill-health of senior personnel during the above period.

"The IFR has given careful consideration to the reasons provided by the respondents in the June 16 response. On balance the IFR does not accept that those reasons amount to a reasonable excuse for any of the individual respondents’ failures to comply with their obligations under the RFIs for the following reasons.

"The IFR expects clubs, owners, officers and other relevant persons to be 'familiar with the rules, obligations and other requirements placed upon them under the Act' and that they remain compliant with those requirements even during times where they are having to deal 'with a very large number of issues at once'.

"The IFR provided a reasonable period of time to respond to both RFIs (Requests for Information).

"In the case of the February 20 RFI, the club was given a full month to respond.

"The IFR’s Sanctions Guidance makes clear that 'Clubs, owners, officers and other persons should make known any difficulties and raise any queries with the IFR as soon as possible'.

"In this case, neither the club nor the owners raised issues with the IFR in advance, or sought an extension to the deadlines; and even after providing additional time to provide complete responses, firstly until April 14 and then June 12, the respondents still did not provide complete responses to the RFIs.

"In addition to the above points, both the RFIs included an appendix with a summary of the relevant legal provisions which included information setting out the possible consequences of non-compliance, which in the case of a failure to comply with an information notice could result in a censure statement or financial penalty."

The IFR said the respondents can make representations regarding the content of the Warning Notice within 14 days, and by no later than 5pm on July 28.

Lizzi Collinge, MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, commented on Wednesday on the IFR's statement.

“I welcome the Independent Football Regulator's statement regarding Morecambe FC, and the action it has taken to hold those responsible to account," said Ms Collinge, below.

"Supporters, staff and the wider Morecambe community deserve transparency and professionalism from those entrusted with the future of our football club.  

"This is exactly why this Government created the Independent Football Regulator.

“The regulator's concerns relate to repeated failures to comply and provide information that was legally required, despite multiple opportunities to do so. It is right that these matters are taken seriously, and I am pleased to see the regulator using the powers that this Government gave it to ensure accountability and proper standards of governance in the game.  

“At a time when Morecambe FC has faced significant uncertainty, fans and the Shrimps Trust have shown remarkable loyalty and resilience. My priority remains supporting a sustainable future for the club, protecting the interests of supporters, and ensuring confidence can be rebuilt both on and off the pitch.

“This Warning Notice is an important step in that process, and I hope it helps reinforce the principle that football clubs, their owners and directors must be open, transparent and accountable to the communities they serve.”

Ben Cassar (below), vice-chair of the official Morecambe FC supporters' group The Shrimps Trust, said on Wednesday:

"We’ve spoken to all parties involved today following the publication of the Independent Football Regulator’s warning notice. While this is not a final decision and those involved have the opportunity to respond, the optics around the situation are clearly not good for Morecambe Football Club.

"The trust is calling for clarity, transparency and a responsible approach from the club and its ownership, alongside reassurance for supporters and trust members that the issues raised are being dealt with appropriately.

"The trust itself is currently going through a period of transition, with responsibilities being handed over to the trustees who will remain in post beyond July 31. However, given the significance of this issue and the concern it has caused supporters, I’m sure it will remain a priority for the trust moving forward."

Morecambe FC is due to start the new season in the National League North on Saturday August 8 with an opening fixture at home to Spennymoor Town.

Beyond Radio has contacted Morecambe FC for comment on the Warning Notice.