Morecambe FC Hours From Administration Following Ultimatum

The Board of Directors at Morecambe FC have issued an ultimatum to club owner, Jason Whittingham, to say they will put the club into administration if a proposed takeover deal isn’t completed by 4pm today (1st July).

In yet another bombshell to hit the Shrimps in recent days, the board have issued the sale ultimatum, against a backdrop of the protracted completion of the sale of Morecambe FC from current owners, Bond Group, to prospective new owners, Panjab Warriors.

All staff and players at the club are still waiting for two thirds of their wages for June, after the wage bill couldn’t be met on time last week.

A statement from the Board of Directors said: ‘’Following multiple meetings with Bond Group throughout the weekend and yesterday, in several of which Jason Whittingham stated once again his desire and intention to sell his shares in the Club to Panjab Warriors, in line with the sale agreement reached and announced weeks ago, the Board of Directors met at 9am this morning to discuss the fact that, despite all parties apart from Bond Group doing everything possible to complete the sale yesterday, as of last night Jason Whittingham was again refusing to sell his shares in the club to Panjab Warriors.

‘’Because Bond Group do not have the required funds to meet the club's full payroll commitment, despite being entirely responsible for paying wages until a sale completes and aware of that responsibility and the requirement, this means that wages cannot be paid until the sale completes.

‘’Panjab Warriors do have the funds available to pay all wages, and are ready to transfer these immediately, but they are not able to do so unless the sale completes and they are the owners.

‘’As a result, we have had no choice but to issue an ultimatum to Jason Whittingham at 9:52am this morning, Tuesday 1st July 2025, that unless Bond Group's shares are sold to Panjab Warriors by 4pm today, the Board of Directors will be left with no option but to begin the process of putting the Club into administration.

‘’We have been crystal clear in spelling out what this might mean for all staff, for the Club, and for the whole community that is built around it, and we have left Jason Whittingham in no doubt as to the fact that his unwillingness to complete a transaction that he has repeatedly agreed to is the sole reason we are in this position.

‘’As a Board of Directors we will continue to do absolutely everything that we can to apply as much pressure as possible to make the sale happen before today's 4pm deadline.  It is now down to Jason Whittingham and Bond Group to do the right thing, and not risk the destruction of people's livelihoods, the truly wonderful football club that we love, the community that it sits at the heart of, and 105 years of proud history.’’

In a statement following the revelations, the Shrimps Trust, the official voice of Morecambe fans, said: ''We thank the Board of Directors for their recent update and clarification regarding the club's position.

‘’We fully support the actions taken.

‘’We continue to urge Bond Group to proceed with the immediate sale of the club.

‘’Regardless of the outcome of today's developments, the Shrimps Trust remains steadfast in our commitment to support the club, our members, the Board of Directors, and Panjab Warriors in any way we can.

‘’Stronger Together.’’

All staff at the club are due to be paid on the 28th of the month, but this date falling on Saturday, wages were due on Friday, 27th.

Staff were informed before the weekend that there would be a delay in payments being made, leading to scathing statements being released by both the club’s Board of Directors, and Panjab Warriors, the company aiming to take over the club from current owners, Bond Group.

Earlier this month, prospective new owners, Panjab Warriors were cleared by the English Football League (EFL) to proceed with the purchase, having satisfied the requirements of the stringent owner and director tests that are in place.

It was expected the sale would complete shortly afterwards, but this has not happened.

In a statement released on Friday, the Shrimps' board of directors accused owners Bond Group Investments of "considering reneging on the deal", and that it was being delayed by a previously unreported involvement of a third party, while Panjab Warriors took the unprecedented step of revealing that they had sunk around £6 million into their efforts to purchase the club.