The Morecambe FC Board slams owners Bond Group for attempting to back out of an agreed sale to Panjab Warriors.
Bond Group Investments are now attempting to back out of their agreed sale to Panjab Warriors — despite 12+ months of assurances and EFL clearance.
On the same day they failed to meet the June payroll, it was revealed that a third-party is blocking the share transfer.
The Board accuses Bond Group of putting livelihoods at risk and playing with the future of the club and its community.
The Board is staying on only to protect the club, its staff, and supporters. Panjab Warriors have also commented on the matter.
National League new boys Morecambe FC have failed to pay their players on time this month and the club’s management team have been told they cannot sign any new players at present. #morecambe #UTS pic.twitter.com/pdp4LEXgbA
— Pete O’Rourke (@SportsPeteO) June 27, 2025
The Board of Directors of Morecambe Football Club wish to make the following statement.#UTS 🦐
— Morecambe FC (@MorecambeFC) June 27, 2025
MORECAMBE BoD STATEMENT:
The Board of Directors of Morecambe Football Club wish to make the following statement.
Bond Group Investments Limited, despite agreeing a sale with Panjab Warriors, giving the Board assurances for more than a year that they intend to sell to Panjab Warriors, and working with Panjab Warriors to enable them to gain EFL clearance for the acquisition to proceed on 6th June 2025, now appear to be considering reneging on the deal and attempting to engage with alternative buyers, on the same day that they have failed to provide the funds required to meet the Club’s June payroll, despite understanding exactly what that requirement is.
They have also, at the last minute, informed the Board of Directors and Panjab Warriors that they are not actually in a position to transfer their shares to a buyer without consent from an unspecified third party.
Bond Group Investments Limited are playing with people’s livelihoods, threatening the very existence of this proud club, and risking serious damage to the community it serves.
They have consistently proved to be deceitful, and the Board of Directors call upon them to, for once, do the right thing and sell the club immediately to Panjab Warriors, the only potential buyer that has passed the EFL’s fit and proper test and proved willing to engage properly with a sale process that has now been ongoing for over two and a half years.
The Board of Directors have, once again, considered resigning, and only remain in post to attempt to protect the interests of the club, staff and everyone associated with it.
Panjab Warriors Statement on Morecambe FC Sale Delays pic.twitter.com/i5szr4eBdQ
— Panjabwarriorsofficial (@Panjabwarriors) June 27, 2025
Panjab Warriors Statement on Morecambe FC Sale Delays
Since the English Football League granted clearance for the purchase of Morecambe FC almost a month ago, the Panjab Warriors team has been working tirelessly to progress and finalise the sale of the club.
From our perspective, the final transaction now in the hands of our solicitors—has been ready to proceed for over a week. However, despite repeated efforts to move things forward, it has become appar ent that Bond Group, through their representatives, has adopted an uncooperative stance. This is now obstructing the completion of the sale.
To date, a sum of £3,800,000 has already been paid to Bond Group, alongside an agreed sum of £630,000 to clear the outstanding loans against Morecambe FC. In addition, over the past 14 months, £1,700,000 has been loaned interest-free by the Panjab Warriors team to meet the club’s monthly working capital needs and ensure its ongoing survival.
We now see no option but to publicly disclose the current situation, as the continued delays have become untenable.
To be clear: the delay lies solely with Bond Group (Jason Whittingham) and Colin Goldring. It now appears they are deliberately jeopardising the very existence of the club in a last ditch effort to alter terms that were already agreed upon and formally ratified by the EFL. This is a blatant attempt to extract additional funds from the Panjab Warriors team by using Morecambe FC’s future as leverage.
Disturbingly, further proof of this emerged today when the Bond Group informed Morecambe FC’s Board of Directors that they are unable to facilitate the club’s payroll, due today, for players and staff displaying a shocking disregard for the livelihoods of those who serve the club day in, day out.
We firmly and publicly criticise the actions and approach of Mr Whittingham and his associates and implore Bond Group to honour the agreed terms and finalise the sale without further delay. Morecambe FC, its supporters, staff, and players deserve better.
Wages unpaid. 1,029 days up for sale. 9 contracted first-team players. 11 days to pre-season.
Still no clarity. Still no leadership.
Where’s the money gone?#EnoughIsEnough pic.twitter.com/YUPTYVLUzZ— 1920Union (@The1920Union) June 27, 2025
@The1920Union statement
Once again, we find ourselves reacting to deeply concerning news: players and staff at Morecambe FE have reportedly not been paid on time. This is the third time this has happened under Jason Whittingham’s ownership since the club was placed up For sale 1,029 days ago.
We have campaigned for months For answers, accountability, and action regarding the ownership and financial management of our club. We have consistently raised the alarm about the lack of communication and transparency, and the growing signs of Financial instability.
If wages are late again, then serious questions must be asked: Where is the money? We are reminded that season ticket sales are up compared to last season. Prize money and gate receipts From our FR Cup run, as well as solidarity payments From the EFL, have been received. Yet the staff and players who keep this club going are once again left in limbo.
We also wish to draw attention to our statement dated 5th June 2026, where we referred to a large sum of money allegedly loaned From Panjab Warriors to Whittingham. Whittingham has reportedly disputed that this sum should be deducted from the sale price. We once again call For urgent clarity and honesty on this matter.
Our solidarity lies entirely with the players and staff, who are once again bearing the brunt of off-field failures that are not of their making. They deserve better. We all do.
Meanwhile, we are just 11 days away From our first pre-season fixture, and the club has only nine contracted professionals. There is no clear plan for squad building, no clarity on Derek Adams’ future, and no public reassurance that the situation is under control. This is not normal. It is not acceptable. It is not sustainable.
We note that the Trust has now called for communication from the ownership, which is a positive step, although one that has come far too late given the severity of the situation. Supporter voices must be unified and loud if we are to see change.
Enough is enough. We need a sale. We need answers. And we need a future we can believe in. Our club cannot continue to drift aimlessly; it must be secured, stable, and supported.
Here’s how fans reacted as Morecambe FC Board slams owners Bond Group for attempting to back out of the agreed sale…
@Hopey_Media (to @Panjabwarriors): Massive respect to you guys, we’ve all felt the pain of Bond group. We’re all in it together.
@HrDesert (to @Panjabwarriors): Excellent statement, thanks leaders.
@Awoogatron (to @Panjabwarriors): Great statement. Clear and concise and clearly they are at the end of their tether. Current owners need to move aside and do the agreed deal for the sake of the club going forward
@MorecambeFCFeed (to @Panjabwarriors): Excellent transparency. The EFL has deemed you fit to govern our football club and you deserve a fair chance at proving yourselves.
@TerraceCarl (to @Panjabwarriors): Whatever it takes, get it in place. The fans won’t forget it nor fail to reward it. I can vouch for that, they’re one of a kind.
@laticsian: It’s a shame it won’t get much SSN coverage. Was the same with us at Wigan. There’s no interest unless you’re in the Prem. Liverpool spending over £200m in transfer fees is more important than the very existence of smaller EFL teams. Always been the case. Hope it gets sorted!
@LeeMichaelas: Southend United fan here. Reading this gives me PTSD after my club went through something similar last summer. Fingers crossed you get your club back 🙏🤞
@harryy6666: Getting flashbacks from this. Surely there has to be a way of stopping this behaviour. No club should go through this. The trouble is too many have and still are. Football has an ownership problem. It also has a governance problem.
@tomednn: My head is on mars, what on earth
@Spireiteswrite: Bond Group, sell up and bugger off. Fed up of clubs being ruined by shocking owners.
@Keith9646: As a Barrow fan this gives me no pleasure to see this happening to your club. Hope you get it sorted out soon.
@cllrdclifford: The slow inexorable march to oblivion reaches yet another nadir. Built on selling nonsense to the naive and the ovine who’s doe eyed enthusiasm for a once great club has been utterly exploited. The staff can’t pay their bills, the board must be stressed out of their minds NAPM
@dingjoseph1871: Thought it was all sorted?? This is fucking grim, wish you the best
@Nickclarky97: I dont normally comment on this, but we have been through this countless times now. But with the small protection of the EFL. National league Morecambe cannot fight this alone. No football club should go through this. I’ll be surprised if we make the opening pre season game. 😞
@LenM4: A club dying right in front of us and it’s barely getting a mention of press coverage.
@Tom_Coughlan: Jason Whittingham and Colin Golding killed Worcester Warriors and are now trying their hardest to kill Morecambe. These two cowboys should be nowhere near a position of power of any business. The amount of livelihoods they’ve put at risk over the last few years is a disgrace
@MorecambeFCFeed: This could be the worst day in the Club’s history. A community asset faces an existential threat, graver than even the darkest chapters in our recent history of ownership turmoil. I beg everyone, no matter your club, to share this statement, and get it into the national press.
@_McCluskeyR: Club on the brink, community holding it’s breath and a pub next to ground that relies on the foot fall. A whole towns livelihoods could be affected hope someone steps in with a rescue package because I’ve always enjoyed visiting
@K3ll_mari3: While all other football clubs are announcing signings, new kits, fixtures… here we are, hurting, frustrated, and concerned if we will even have a team, let alone a club. Difficult times 😢
#JasonOut
