Shrimps Trust issue a statement with a possible phoenix club planned if Morecambe face expulsion from the National League.
The league confirmed on the 28th of July that Morecambe have been suspended until August 20th, due to unpaid wages and ownership issues.
Staff wages remain unpaid, and the club faces expulsion if not sold by the deadline.
The Shrimps Trust blames Bond Group for the crisis, criticising their handling of a potential sale to Panjab Warriors, who have gone silent despite the Trust’s attempts to communicate.
The Trust has the below update following the events of the past few days. pic.twitter.com/G7tBizuO8t
— Shrimps Trust 🦐 (@shrimpstrust) July 28, 2025
The Shrimps Trust wrote a statement just hours after the National League confirmed Morecambe were suspended from the National League…
MFC Staff
Wages were due again today, and we know that they haven’t been paid. We send our support to all paid staff at the club; we can’t begin to understand the toll this is taking. This situation clearly cannot continue as it is.
Bond Group
Bond Group released a statement on Sunday (27″) calling for Panjab Warriors to make contact and suggesting that the ‘Donny Cato’ deal had paused. We strongly condemn Bond Group blaming these current delays on anyone but themselves, they are in a mess of their own making. We also publicly ask Panjab Warriors to contact any involved party, so that we understand their current position in relation to purchase of Morecambe FC.
Panjab Warriors
For full transparency, the Trust have not had communication from Panjab Warriors since our last update last week, despite numerous attempts to contact them. We appreciate that PW have been through an ordeal with the purchase of Morecambe FC, and Bond Group, have behaved appallingly towards them. However, at this very critical juncture, we politely ask PW to make contact in order that Shrimps fans understand their current position.
National League
As per their statements of Friday and today, the National League are now imposing sanctions on our club. We are in touch with the NL, who continue to update us on their planned next steps. The update today is that they have suspended us until the 20th August, if this situation is rectified, we will rejoin the league, and our missed fixtures will be rearranged. We see this as the club now surviving on a pulse, rather than a heartbeat. The club needs to sell to someone before that date, or we will be expelled. If the Club is expelled the company which controls the Club will be a worthless asset and, given the debt that company holds, the only solution will be to reform as a phoenix Club. The Club must be sold by the 20 August.
Shrimps Trust
Overview
The Shrimps Trust believe that the only comfortable way out of this position is if Bond Group manage to sell to Panjab Warriors, or if a new robust buyer comes forward now. The other consortium clearly was and is a non-starter, and we believe it was just a mechanism for Bond Group to try and extract more funds from PW, which has backfired and led to PW retreating from a deal.
There have been details published by various parties in relation to court action against Bond Group. It is our belief that either those processes will take too long, or they will not be successful. We have had meetings over the past few days with politicians, and the Football Governance Act/ Independent Regulator will not be in place quickly enough to support us.
Whilst the Trust hope for the best, we are preparing for the worst, and should we be expelled from the National League, we will use the strong footing we are on as a trust, both from a regulatory and financially, to take steps to form a phoenix club in Morecambe. We will rely on members for support with this. If you are a fan of Morecambe FC, and not yet a member of the Trust, now is the critical time to join: https://shrimpstrust.co.uk/membership/
AGM
It is our AGM on Thursday; we look forward to seeing members then. Thank you to everyone that has already booked on. Please remember this is a ticket only event, entry will not be permitted unless pre-registered. Those that have nominated themselves to be Trustees next term are already pre-registered.
BREAKING: Morecambe FC have been suspended from the National League with immediate effect 🚨 pic.twitter.com/C1BO8u6LGv
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 28, 2025
@The1920Union: “A Plea To Panjab Warriors: Don’t Walk Away
“We are now officially suspended from the National League until Wednesday 20th August. Our first three fixtures have been postponed, and players and staff have gone unpaid for two months. Panjab Warriors have gone silent, not just with Bond Group, but with everyone.
“Panjab Warriors, the fans welcomed you because we believed you had genuine intentions to complete the takeover. If you still intend to buy the club, now is the time to show it.
“If you are struggling to progress the deal with Bond Group Investments, tell us. If you are still committed, tell us. The club and community of Morecambe deserve a stable ownership.
“If you are walking away, at least have the respect to say so publicly. Leaving the fans in the dark is no better than the treatment we have had from Bond Group Investments for the last three years. #JasonOut #SaveMorecambe”
Henry Winter: “What’s happening to Morecambe is a disgrace. Terrible owner, unpaid wages, only 10 senior players, pre-season games cancelled, first three NL games postponed, expulsion a possibility, club’s 105-year existence in grave doubt. Huge credit to their fans like Shrimps Trust and players like Tom White who’ve fought on in such challenging circumstances. Morecambe’s owner, Jason Whittingham, is primarily culpable for this mess/impasse. He needs to sell but hasn’t.
“Authorities have let this situation drift despite constant alarms raised by fans. Echoes of what befell Bury. Morecambe’s plight is also echoed elsewhere with unfit owners damaging certain clubs and the national game. If we tolerate this, another club could be next.
“Is Whittingham a fit and proper owner? Clearly not. Would others like him get through even a tightened Owners’ and Directors’ Test? Possibly. Even if they pass are the checks on their financial viability frequent enough? At least with the Independent Football Regulator coming in there will be more robust and regular checks. And much needed.
“But will the IFR, the fans’ friend, this new body to protect clubs from unfit owners, be too late for Morecambe? Fans meeting @shrimpstrust agm Thursday. Good luck to them. Like Tom White, they’re fighting hard to keep Morecambe alive. Football needs more people like them – and less like Whittingham. #Shrimps 🦐”
THE TERRACE STATEMENT
As the current events at Morecambe FC unfold, we stand in unity with staff, players and fans during a turbulent time, following yesterdays suspension from the National League, with a deadline date of 20th August to resolve the current Ownership scenario.
Terrace as a brand has worked with Morecambe FC for over 3 years, throwing every ounce of support we have in to the club, whether that be in growing the clubs retail ability, to delivering unique and bespoke technical wear to players. The club and it’s management gave us as a brand, our first opportunity to supply technical wear to a professional level, for this we will forever be grateful to not only the opportunity from the club, but also the support and open arms the fans welcomed us with.
From the narrow defeats, to the last minute winners and the walk out at Stamford Bridge, we have stood side by side with fans and embraced everything this wonderful club has to offer to not only it’s local community and fan collective, but the wider football audience.
Over the last twelve months, there has been a brewing of rocky roads ahead, however we continued to work around the clock to deliver the fans a kit to be proud of in the 25/26 campaign, more connection, more thought and like every season a step above. Twelve months of research, development, sampling, adjustments and unravelling stories leads us to today. As we sit here writing a statement during a clouded tomorrow, after weeks of uncertainty of if the kit will ever be seen.
The fans support has been second to none, after consultancy with staff, fans and those in between, we have made the decision that the show must go on, after focussing support over recent months to staff and the club, ensuring we act as humans and respect the situations others are in, we must now respect our own situations we are left to deal with. As a brand we have stock to pay for, bills to pay and families to feed, much like every single member of staff within the club too, whether a bar manager or a kit supplier we are all in the same boat and must now stand together, whilst focussing on our own paths required.
Therefore we can confirm the kits and technical wear for Morecambe FC 25/26 will be released, in an effort to recover our supply costs laid out and recover some of the brands losses over recent months during the current challenges, after continuing to commercially support the club and proceed with stock orders at our own investment, we must now proceed to recover our losses.
Further information will follow soon of when and how we will release the retail stock of the 25/26 collection, this will be at first face to face, in Morecambe, to ensure club fans have first access, followed by an online release open to all.
Stock ordered by the club, will remain in holding, in hope of a brighter tomorrow before August 20th. Should this stock not be required by the club, this will then be released for general sale.
Finally, should a phoenix club emerge in the shadows of any negative final conclusions. Terrace would like to put on record that playing kit will be provided free of charge for players, for the first two seasons if required.
Together we stand united, we are Morecambe.
