Latest news with #Whittingham
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sheffield Wednesday and Morecambe woes show the problem with modern football
In what is now a 'normal' day for Sheffield Wednesday, one employee was asked how they were doing by a fan, only to burst into tears. They don't know if they're going to be paid, or what the future is, leading Clive Betts MP to lambast controversial owner Dejphon Chansiri in Parliament on Tuesday. Many Morecambe fans similarly felt like crying when the news came through on Monday that the sale of the club from Jason Whittingham's Bond Group Investments to Panjab Warriors wouldn't yet be completed. This was despite sources insisting that everything was in place for the sale to proceed, and finding its delay 'inexplicable'. Local MP Lizzi Collinge publicly said to Whittingham, also in Parliament, "Come on, sign the damn paperwork!" That's after three years where Morecambe have gone from League One to the National League and, potentially, oblivion. The stories of Wednesday and Morecambe warrant their own telling but there are striking parallels, that are now more pointed, since they come from different ends of a football pyramid that is finally about to see an independent regulator. The Football Governance Bill was voted through the House of Commons on Tuesday, meaning we now know what it will look like for the future. Fans of Wednesday and Morecambe can't say the same about their clubs, and the worry is it's too late. A feeling of 'helplessness' stands out. 'We really support the Football Governance Bill,' says Tarnia Elsworth, of the Shrimps Trust fans group, 'but my fear is Morecambe and Wednesday are going to be the last victims. 'We get fans coming to us, 'this is my club I've loved for 30 years, and you're saying there's nothing I can do about it?'' Ian Bennett, of the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust, says they're 'left in limbo'. His colleague James Silverwood warns the 'story has implications way beyond Wednesday for the whole of English football'. Geoff Walters, a Morecambe fan who is also a Professor in Sports Business at the University of Liverpool, argues 'this underpins the need for a strong regulator'. Morecambe fans are desperate for Jason Whittingham to sell (Getty) So many details are familiar, after all, going back through Reading and Derby County to the landmark moment of Bury's demise. It is about who owns clubs, governance, and a ruinous wage race. One of the great tragedies is that crowd sizes show the game is thriving on one level, and yet whole seasons can still be distorted by clubs entering financial ruin. Even at Morecambe, there have been record season ticket sales for a first season back in the National League, on the promise that Whittingham will be gone. Fans might instead lose hundreds of pounds as well as their club, if the worst happens. The game should be self-sustainable but isn't. Wednesday and Morecambe could easily be sold but aren't. Both clubs have numerous interested buyers. Chansiri is said to be looking for 'completely unrealistic prices'. The Wednesday story is currently more striking because of their historic stature, and the fact these issues have crept as high as the Championship. The EFL have warned for four years that the wage race from parachute payments would lead to this. Others, backed by research from the supporters' trust, feel this is specifically down to 'an owner who has run out of money'. There is the feeling that Sheffield Wednesday's woes are down to 'an owner who has run out of money' (Getty) This is despite Chansiri's profile as a member of the Thai family that controls the world's largest producer of canned tuna, Thai Union Group, leading Betts to question why money is no longer available. Players and staff were not paid on time in May and June, with that and money owed to other clubs and the HMRC leading to two EFL transfer embargoes. Meanwhile, at least £6m is understood to be needed for essential improvements to Hillsborough, which may yet pass to unknown new ownership if Chansiri can't pay loans taken against the stadium. Improvements may be impossible if players have to be paid, but many are expected to walk as free agents if not paid for July. 'We might start the season with no players and a three-sided ground,' Bennett says. Some sources even fear that basic utilities could be cut off. Bennett complains that communication has been minimal or just 'disdainful'. With barely any pre-season plans, it might reach the point where Wednesday have to show they can fulfil the season. Like at Hillsborough, Morecambe's most immediate issue is funding. A club that had previously been a 'good little business' has started to make losses. Prospective buyers Panjab Warriors have even lent Morecambe just over £6m. Morecambe captain Yann Songo'o apologising to his fans as their relegation from League Two was confirmed (Getty) An irony is that some supporters credit Whittingham with initially appointing a capable board, only for that to descend into farce when he began proceedings to sack them all from their intention to put the club into administration. The board has since resigned twice in a week over delays to the sale. 'We're powerless,' Elsworth says, amid another common complaint in English football: owner disengagement. Meetings have led nowhere. Fans don't even know the price wanted. More remarkably, Whittingham could have got a much better price when Morecambe were in League One in 2022-23, only for the value to now be decreasing every day. A primary question, raised by Betts, is why the current system can't take retrospective action to remove ownership once issues become apparent. The National League are conscious their potential sanctions would just punish Morecambe rather than the owner. The EFL have similarly been trying to avoid punishing Wednesday as much as they can. Supporters have pointed to how Dai Yongge was eventually disqualified by the EFL as Reading owner, but that is understood to have been enabled by business matters in China. 'Sell before we Dai' - Reading fans feared their club would go under (Getty) Non-payment doesn't meet what is a high threshold. It's also not without risk, since the next step is expulsion of the club. 'You would think consistently not having the resources for the club to be a going concern should be grounds enough,' one prominent source argues. All of this leaves the clubs with three scenarios in the current system if there is no sale. One is more lenders, and both somehow persevering. Two is going into administration, which would bring a points deduction, but where buyers sense opportunity. Three is liquidation, and potential phoenix clubs. Bennett admits Wednesday fans have considered that last option, but hope for a potential sale through administration. Elsworth fears Morecambe wouldn't come back, as a fan-owned club would struggle to survive. 'This isn't Wimbledon. The west end of Morecambe is one of the most deprived areas of the country. A community is being destroyed.' The footballing resurgence of Wimbledon will not be easy to emulate in Morecambe (Getty) That sense of powerlessness is palpable. 'There's players not getting paid and you're listening to the Man United situation, Alejandro Garnacho… that doesn't need more airtime.' Such stark statements raise questions about English football's priorities, and issues the regulator has to square. As Elsworth surmises, 'a sale isn't going to solve everything.' A mechanism for intervening with owners where issues arise is still essential. 'There's a lot to think about,' Walters says. 'Even a perfect system isn't going to ensure every football club is sustainable, but it's about where you can step in.' Bennett puts it plainly. 'The football regulator is going to have a hell of a job.'
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Calamity club once sponsored by Tyson Fury face being kicked out of league within days as local food bank steps in
MORECAMBE football club are days away from calamity amid their "soul-destroying" financial woes and collapsing takeover deals. The Shrimps face the possibility of being banned from playing their first National League game of the season, which is just three weeks away, after Advertisement 3 The future of Morecambe FC has been plunged into uncertainty Credit: Rex Morecambe are owned by Jason Wittingham's Bong Group Investments, but have been up for sale since 2022. Financial issues in that time has seen the club slapped with transfer embargoes and impacted on-field performances with Morecambe relegated twice in the last three years. Now players and staff are seeing their livelihoods impacted as the club have been unable to pay wages. The club's playing staff were paid just a third of their wages in June and will be able to leave Morecambe for free if they are not paid their next paycheck by Friday. Advertisement READ MORE IN FOOTBALL Financial issues have also meant that school proms, weddings and wakes that were scheduled to be held at their ground, the Mazuma Stadium, have been cancelled. Fans have even tried to raise funds for the players themselves, generating £362 in a whip-round that was politely refused by the team. Lifelong fan David Freer, 62, has described the whole ordeal as "soul-destroying" to the Guardian. Advertisement Most read in Football 3 Morecambe fan groups have voiced their concerns with the club's situation Credit: Rex Fans have been The Bond Group had previously announced their intentions to sell the club to London-based investment firm Panjab Warriors - who have since loaned £6million to Morecambe. However, Panjab Warriors have since accused Bond Group of "deliberately jeopardising the very existence of the club in a last-ditch effort to alter terms that were already agreed". Advertisement And things came to a head when Whittingham announced last week that he is selling the club to a mystery third party and not the Panjab Warriors - who had already been ratified by the EFL. SunSport have contacted Morecambe and the National League for comment. Labour MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, Lizzi Collinge, suggested that Whittingham is using the club to leverage his own finances. Using parliamentary privilege in the Commons last week, she said: "I suspect that Jason Whittingham has built a house of cards, and it is now falling down around his ears. Advertisement 'Morecambe FC is being held hostage, and it breaks my heart … The likes of Jason Whittingham should never have been allowed to buy a football club.' Panjab Warriors have also announced that is is considering legal action against the Bond Group for possible "misrepresentation and bad faith dealing'. The club is on the brink of collapse and could be the latest to fall victim to the gaping holes in rules surrounding football governance. It all comes just four years after Morecambe were playing at the highest level they ever have in their history in League One. Advertisement The Shrimps have even had sponsorship from local fan Tyson Fury in the past. Former boxing heavyweight champion Fury has even floated the idea of purchasing the club himself in the past. Speaking to TalkSPORT in 2022, he said: "I'm thinking about buying Morecambe Football Club, they're in League One at the moment. "So I was thinking I invest X amount of millions in them. Basically throw it at them and keep them going up. Advertisement "I've been offered to buy Morecambe Football Club. I own all the training facilities anyway and the training gym. So who knows? "You might be looking at a football club owner." 3 Tyson Fury has worked with his local club before Credit: Morecambe FC
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Calamity club once sponsored by Tyson Fury face being kicked out of league within days as local food bank steps in
A local Indian restaurant has had to help out by feeding players for free MORE PROBLEMS Calamity club once sponsored by Tyson Fury face being kicked out of league within days as local food bank steps in Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MORECAMBE football club are days away from calamity amid their "soul-destroying" financial woes and collapsing takeover deals. The Shrimps face the possibility of being banned from playing their first National League game of the season, which is just three weeks away, after their owners have been unable to pay staff and players. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The future of Morecambe FC has been plunged into uncertainty Credit: Rex Morecambe are owned by Jason Wittingham's Bong Group Investments, but have been up for sale since 2022. Financial issues in that time has seen the club slapped with transfer embargoes and impacted on-field performances with Morecambe relegated twice in the last three years. Now players and staff are seeing their livelihoods impacted as the club have been unable to pay wages. The club's playing staff were paid just a third of their wages in June and will be able to leave Morecambe for free if they are not paid their next paycheck by Friday. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL BOAT OF BOTHER Harry Redknapp left stunned after 50ft boat crashes into garden of mansion Financial issues have also meant that school proms, weddings and wakes that were scheduled to be held at their ground, the Mazuma Stadium, have been cancelled. The dire financial straits have seen a local food bank offer to help employees struggling to make ends meet, while an Indian restaurant fed players for free earlier this month, according to the Guardian. Fans have even tried to raise funds for the players themselves, generating £362 in a whip-round that was politely refused by the team. Lifelong fan David Freer, 62, has described the whole ordeal as "soul-destroying" to the Guardian. 3 Morecambe fan groups have voiced their concerns with the club's situation Credit: Rex Fans have been left in the dark as a public war has played out between the club's current owners, their prospective buyers and the board of directors. The Bond Group had previously announced their intentions to sell the club to London-based investment firm Panjab Warriors - who have since loaned £6million to Morecambe. However, Panjab Warriors have since accused Bond Group of "deliberately jeopardising the very existence of the club in a last-ditch effort to alter terms that were already agreed". And things came to a head when Whittingham announced last week that he is selling the club to a mystery third party and not the Panjab Warriors - who had already been ratified by the EFL. SunSport have contacted Morecambe and the National League for comment. Labour MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, Lizzi Collinge, suggested that Whittingham is using the club to leverage his own finances. Using parliamentary privilege in the Commons last week, she said: "I suspect that Jason Whittingham has built a house of cards, and it is now falling down around his ears. 'Morecambe FC is being held hostage, and it breaks my heart … The likes of Jason Whittingham should never have been allowed to buy a football club.' Panjab Warriors have also announced that is is considering legal action against the Bond Group for possible "misrepresentation and bad faith dealing'. The club is on the brink of collapse and could be the latest to fall victim to the gaping holes in rules surrounding football governance. It all comes just four years after Morecambe were playing at the highest level they ever have in their history in League One. The Shrimps have even had sponsorship from local fan Tyson Fury in the past. Former boxing heavyweight champion Fury has even floated the idea of purchasing the club himself in the past. Speaking to TalkSPORT in 2022, he said: "I'm thinking about buying Morecambe Football Club, they're in League One at the moment. "So I was thinking I invest X amount of millions in them. Basically throw it at them and keep them going up. "I've been offered to buy Morecambe Football Club. I own all the training facilities anyway and the training gym. So who knows? "You might be looking at a football club owner."
Scottish Sun
07-07-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Calamity club once sponsored by Tyson Fury sack entire board for second time in just five days
MORE MESS Calamity club once sponsored by Tyson Fury sack entire board for second time in just five days Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MORECAMBE have sacked their board for the second time in just five days amid a dispute over the sale of the club. Owner Jason Whittingham has released a statement affirming his commitment to selling the club. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Owner Jason Whittingham is overseeing a sale of Morecambe Credit: MORECAMBE FC 2 Tyson Fury once sponsored the club Credit: Morecambe FC But he has sacked the Morecambe board again - just three days after they were appointed after being terminated on July 2. EFL bosses gave the green light to the Panjab Warriors consortium headed by London-based businessman Kuljeet Singh Momi at the start of June. The takeover was expected to be completed today but Whittingham announced a delay, saying final details still need to be signed off. A club statement from Whittingham read: "Bond Group Investments Ltd remains committed to the sale of its majority shareholding in Morecambe Football Club. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL CAR BLIMEY Soccer Aid star arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage to F1 car "In doing so we also remain committed to ensuring that staff are paid as soon as possible and the Club avoids administration. "We made significant progress over the past few days, getting legal agreements drawn up and agreed in principle, subject to signing, with various stakeholders involved in the sale. "Despite the expectation to complete today, unfortunately there are some final items to get signed off and it's likely we will need tomorrow to complete the sale." The consortium initially set Whittingham a deadline of 4pm on July 1 and accused him of not having the funds to meet the club's salary bill while threatening to call in the receivers. BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Whittingham responded by sacking the board for the first time, insisting it was the only way for Morecambe to find a solution to keep the club going while denying he was 'stalling' on the sale. In a statement explaining the move to fans, Whittingham said: 'There is no doubt that the Club is in a precarious position and is at a crisis point. EFL club announce FIFTEEN new signings at the same time as fans hail 'Football Manager-style' transfer approach 'We also appreciate the stress this is causing for all connected with Morecambe FC. 'As majority shareholder we are making every effort to resolve any issues that have arisen and are working to protect the best interests of the club.' He added: 'Bond Group Investments has started the process to dismiss the board in order that we can take control over the situation giving us the required additional time to ensure that the club has the best chance to avoid Administration. 'We hope the board put the interest of the club before any personal grievances and during this delicate time of negotiation to save the club, refrain from their propensity of issuing negative statements. 'The notion that Bond Group Investments is stalling is not true. We are deeply sorry for the distress and uncertainty this is causing. 'Bond Group Investments need to ensure that any transfer of shares, in a sale, is done in a way that holds no recourse for either the Club or Bond Group. 'The safety of the club's future is paramount and our focus is to work to find solutions to resolve the matter of staff salary and the sale of the club to avoid administration at all costs.' Morecambe, who were once sponsored by boxer Tyson Fury, were relegated from League Two last season, ending their ten year stay in the EFL.
Scottish Sun
02-07-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Controversial non-league owner sacks ENTIRE board after they threatened to plunge crisis club into administration
He also set ambitious deadline for a final outcome over sale SHRIMP SHOCK-TALE Controversial non-league owner sacks ENTIRE board after they threatened to plunge crisis club into administration Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MORECAMBE are facing administration following their relegation from the EFL after the club's board was sacked as takeover talks hit a massive roadblock. Tyson Fury's beloved Shrimps were left stranded on the financial rocks following the row between owner Jason Whittingham and his directors over the proposed sale. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Morecambe's owner has sacked the entire board as the club face administration Credit: Rex EFL bosses gave the green light to the Panjab Warriors consortium headed by London-based businessman Kuljeet Singh Momi at the start of June. Despite the proposed new owners posing for pictures with Morecambe scarves, the deal has yet to be completed, with club directors suggesting Whittingham and his Bond Group Investments 'appear to be considering reneging on the deal'. They set Whittingham a deadline of 4pm on Tuesday, accusing him of not having the funds to meet the club's salary bill and threatening to call in the receivers. But Whittingham has now responded by booting the board - insisting it is the only way for Morecambe to find a solution to keep the club going and denying he is 'stalling' on the sale. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL 'SINCERELY APOLOGISE' Newcastle apologise and remove video after fans spot 'offensive' flag In a statement explaining the move to fans, Whittingham said: 'There is no doubt that the Club is in a precarious position and is at a crisis point. 'We also appreciate the stress this is causing for all connected with Morecambe FC. 'As majority shareholder we are making every effort to resolve any issues that have arisen and are working to protect the best interests of the club.' He added: 'Bond Group Investments has started the process to dismiss the board in order that we can take control over the situation giving us the required additional time to ensure that the club has the best chance to avoid Administration. BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS 'We hope the board put the interest of the club before any personal grievances and during this delicate time of negotiation to save the club, refrain from their propensity of issuing negative statements. 'The notion that Bond Group Investments is stalling is not true. We are deeply sorry for the distress and uncertainty this is causing. Abandoned EFL stadium left to rot with pitch covered in weeds just five years after hosting final match 'Bond Group Investments need to ensure that any transfer of shares, in a sale, is done in a way that holds no recourse for either the Club or Bond Group. 'The safety of the club's future is paramount and our focus is to work to find solutions to resolve the matter of staff salary and the sale of the club to avoid administration at all costs.' Whittingham promised a final outcome in the next 24 hours but 10 weeks after their 18-year EFL story came to a crashing end, the entire future of the club is under huge doubt.
