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Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 4:07 pm
by KenH
https://www.morecambefc.com/news/2023/m ... announced/

Basically everyone gone except the six under contract for another season.

Donald Love, Max Melbourne, Farrend Rawson, Jake Taylor, Jacob Bedeau, Adam Mayor

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 4:08 pm
by twosheds
Looks like we're playing 5 a side next season, then...

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 4:15 pm
by Freez
Surprised with Gibbo, Ash and Connor, but they may well have said we want to stay League 1, as the wages are better.
Hey ho, one door closes, another opens!

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 4:19 pm
by Born again Bill
Not one player offered a new contract !!! , WOW we are in a mess !

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 4:23 pm
by Keith
If Derek has decided the retained/released list, does that mean he will be staying?

Surprised that the players who are leaving were not even offered a contract? No player was offered a new contract? There are some decent League Two quality players going, and De Silva Mendes has been highly spoken about as one for the future. I'd have thought he'd have been worth keeping for the bench. Neither Ripley or Smith wanted to stay, or not offered the chance to?

"Retained list -wow!" indeed.

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 4:35 pm
by CityShrimp
Yeah, wow :shock:

My reading of the situation is that the players need to know their futures now but we can’t offer any new contracts and the board have had to just be brutally honest and tell everyone to assume that they will need to find new clubs.

Perhaps certain players have been told that we will come back in for them and offer terms if and when we are able to? I am still holding out hope that the door might be left open for some of them to come back…

What a horrible situation. Our fears are now already coming true in terms of preparations for next season being impacted.

Also, I bet the players knew or strongly suspected that this would happen which gives me more admiration for their professionalism and effort over the last few games - knowing that they were getting released.

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 4:36 pm
by Wild Bill
Worrying times. Club cutting down to the bare bones, but it's going to effect season ticket sales, so a vicious circle. Perhaps we couldn't afford Ripley's wages but at least offer him something. The optics now are pretty bad. Derek has been allowed to speak quite candidly recently. No doubt his thoughts are echoed by the board too but you have an owner who's hands off, unwilling to put a penny in. I just hope Adams can be kept to at least make a fight of L2.

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 4:39 pm
by Gone_Shrimping
Keith wrote:If Derek has decided the retained/released list, does that mean he will be staying?

Surprised that the players who are leaving were not even offered a contract? No player was offered a new contract? There are some decent League Two quality players going, and De Silva Mendes has been highly spoken about as one for the future. I'd have thought he'd have been worth keeping for the bench. Neither Ripley or Smith wanted to stay, or not offered the chance to?

"Retained list -wow!" indeed.



I hope it does mean Derek is staying. His has been the voice of reason coming out of the club over the last few weeks/months.

I am disappointed that neither Graham or Rod has put out a statement just to calm the nerves even if they don't know much more than us.

I hope some of the players released have been told that if we do end up with a new owner then contracts will be offered although that is clutching at straws as I would think players like Gibson , Ripley , Stockton will have received offers already from other clubs.

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 4:47 pm
by redrobo
Gutted BUT thanks to our owner(s) for creating this situation....I hope you are proud of the mess you have created.

Just hope that the deal with the current bidder fails and that you have to take what you can get.....you greedy sod.... :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

And we have to keep Love and Melbourne....unbelievable....and what about DA....is he staying because if he is this will be his biggest ever challenge. Wish him all the best.

No blame attached to our current BoD but a word of the situation re the sale of OUR club would be welcome.

Can't get my head around letting both Ripley and Gibbo go.... :o :o :o

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 4:49 pm
by black morse
Gone_Shrimping wrote:
Keith wrote:If Derek has decided the retained/released list, does that mean he will be staying?

Surprised that the players who are leaving were not even offered a contract? No player was offered a new contract? There are some decent League Two quality players going, and De Silva Mendes has been highly spoken about as one for the future. I'd have thought he'd have been worth keeping for the bench. Neither Ripley or Smith wanted to stay, or not offered the chance to?

"Retained list -wow!" indeed.



I hope it does mean Derek is staying. His has been the voice of reason coming out of the club over the last few weeks/months.

I am disappointed that neither Graham or Rod has put out a statement just to calm the nerves even if they don't know much more than us.

I hope some of the players released have been told that if we do end up with a new owner then contracts will be offered although that is clutching at straws as I would think players like Gibson , Ripley , Stockton will have received offers already from other clubs.


What could Graham or Rod say to 'calm the nerves'? I think we can now see we are on the edge of a disastrous situation. I would have thought that if the EFL were going to give the go ahead they would have done so by now but if they're not going to give the go ahead we should now be told.
One of the reasons The Shrimps Trust was set up was for times like these but we haven't heard from them since February. Have they been in contact with the EFL? Have the Board? Surely they must have been.

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 4:55 pm
by Gone_Shrimping
black morse wrote:
Gone_Shrimping wrote:
Keith wrote:If Derek has decided the retained/released list, does that mean he will be staying?

Surprised that the players who are leaving were not even offered a contract? No player was offered a new contract? There are some decent League Two quality players going, and De Silva Mendes has been highly spoken about as one for the future. I'd have thought he'd have been worth keeping for the bench. Neither Ripley or Smith wanted to stay, or not offered the chance to?

"Retained list -wow!" indeed.



I hope it does mean Derek is staying. His has been the voice of reason coming out of the club over the last few weeks/months.

I am disappointed that neither Graham or Rod has put out a statement just to calm the nerves even if they don't know much more than us.

I hope some of the players released have been told that if we do end up with a new owner then contracts will be offered although that is clutching at straws as I would think players like Gibson , Ripley , Stockton will have received offers already from other clubs.


What could Graham or Rod say to 'calm the nerves'? I think we can now see we are on the edge of a disastrous situation. I would have thought that if the EFL were going to give the go ahead they would have done so by now but if they're not going to give the go ahead we should now be told.
One of the reasons The Shrimps Trust was set up was for times like these but we haven't heard from them since February. Have they been in contact with the EFL? Have the Board? Surely they must have been.


They may know what the position is with the EFL and whether the Fit and Proper test has been failed. If that's the case the next best bid should be considered. My worry is that Del and Rodders are like Kamikazi pilots , they have wrecked a rugby club so why not wreck a football club.

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 5:03 pm
by black morse
What could Graham or Rod say to 'calm the nerves'? I think we can now see we are on the edge of a disastrous situation. I would have thought that if the EFL were going to give the go ahead they would have done so by now but if they're not going to give the go ahead we should now be told.
One of the reasons The Shrimps Trust was set up was for times like these but we haven't heard from them since February. Have they been in contact with the EFL? Have the Board? Surely they must have been.[/quote]

They may know what the position is with the EFL and whether the Fit and Proper test has been failed. If that's the case the next best bid should be considered. My worry is that Del and Rodders are like Kamikazi pilots , they have wrecked a rugby club so why not wreck a football club.[/quote]

Yup, I don't think they give a sh*t. :twisted:

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 5:05 pm
by fulwoodshrimp
Obviously we are in serious trouble and the news about the released players comes at a time when we are trying to sell season tickets- not much chance of that at the moment. I am puzzled why we made several off-field appointments if money is so bad. Also I wonder what the board are trying to do about it? Silence is not the best way forward. We are in crisis and we need to pull together. Can the board appeal to fans for some financial help? This season has seen a huge surge in gates but we are still broke. Why? Again silence is not the way forward.

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 5:07 pm
by Born again Bill
redrobo wrote:Gutted BUT thanks to our owner(s) for creating this situation....I hope you are proud of the mess you have created.

Just hope that the deal with the current bidder fails and that you have to take what you can get.....you greedy sod.... :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

And we have to keep Love and Melbourne....unbelievable....and what about DA....is he staying because if he is this will be his biggest ever challenge. Wish him all the best.

No blame attached to our current BoD but a word of the situation re the sale of OUR club would be welcome.


Especially when we are being asked to part with our hard earned for season tickets

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 5:15 pm
by Little Shrimp
Keith wrote:If Derek has decided the retained/released list, does that mean he will be staying?


I think it's worth saying - Derek absolutely did not have a choice over this retained list (or lack of).

RE comments about the board from a few - why the hell are people venting frustrations at them? This is Bond Group's fault. The board are playing an incredibly difficult game to try and influence the sale of the club in a positive direction. There'll be all kinds of legal stuff and many reasonable reasons that they have to remain quiet.

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 5:34 pm
by fulwoodshrimp
I am sorry Little shrimp but I think we need to know the truth and silence isn't really an option. It's our beloved club and surely we are not to standby and see our club destroyed. I think the board and the trust need to tell us what's happening and what anyone can do to help. Again, who made the decision to increase the off-field staffing when clearly we couldn't afford it?

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 5:36 pm
by Andy D
Freez wrote:Surprised with Gibbo, Ash and Connor, but they may well have said we want to stay League 1, as the wages are better.
Hey ho, one door closes, another opens!

my sentiments exactly.

apparently Conner Ripley said last week that he wouldn't stay if we were to get relegated. i was pre informed .

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 6:12 pm
by KenH
The Board members have probably decided they can't offer any new contracts at the moment given the perilous state of finances. If they did, and the players weren't paid their wages, then the directors could find themselves personally liable. The Board need to be as certain as possible that any contracts/obligations they enter into can be met by the club. Under the current circumstances they can't do that.

I think the Board are probably trying to force through a sale to get rid of Jason as the club itself must now be pretty much worthless, maybe they're trying to force through the sale to the "local consortium" we keep hearing about.

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 6:13 pm
by P/T Indie
Someone must be able to get a statement out of the EFL such as the shrimps trust or National supporters Federation. The EFL must have a timeline for these things eg 6 months.

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 6:30 pm
by black morse
KenH wrote:The Board members have probably decided they can't offer any new contracts at the moment given the perilous state of finances. If they did, and the players weren't paid their wages, then the directors could find themselves personally liable. The Board need to be as certain as possible that any contracts/obligations they enter into can be met by the club. Under the current circumstances they can't do that.

I think the Board are probably trying to force through a sale to get rid of Jason as the club itself must now be pretty much worthless, maybe they're trying to force through the sale to the "local consortium" we keep hearing about.


Perhaps the name Tyson Fury could come back into the reckoning if he likes living in Morecambe so much he may not wish to see us go under?

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 7:19 pm
by BerlinWaller
Little Shrimp wrote:
Keith wrote:If Derek has decided the retained/released list, does that mean he will be staying?


I think it's worth saying - Derek absolutely did not have a choice over this retained list (or lack of).

RE comments about the board from a few - why the hell are people venting frustrations at them? This is Bond Group's fault. The board are playing an incredibly difficult game to try and influence the sale of the club in a positive direction. There'll be all kinds of legal stuff and many reasonable reasons that they have to remain quiet.


Spot on. This isn't a retained list at all, it is the club being unable to offer a player a new contract. The impact of that is massive. We can not sign a player, we can not offer terms which means we are up shits creek. We have 6 players under contract who will spend the summer worrying whether or not they will get paid.

I suspect Derek's contract runs until the end of June and if nothing is sorted, he will leave when it expires.

There is only one person to blame and that is the Owner. We, as fans need to make a stand.

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 7:35 pm
by redrobo
Wonder how many long standing fans like myself have said over the last 60 years or so....'time for a clear out'....well it's now come to pass....unfortunately, due in no small measure to an owner who wants rid and doesn't give a fig for the fans or for the club other than the money he can get for a sale.

Jason .....thank you for nothing.... :evil: :evil: :evil:

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 7:37 pm
by BerlinWaller
redrobo wrote:Wonder how many long standing fans like myself have said over the last 60 years or so....'time for a clear out'....well it's now come to pass....unfortunately, due in no small measure to an owner who wants rid and doesn't give a fig for the fans or for the club other than the money he can get for a sale.

Jason .....thank you for nothing.... :evil: :evil: :evil:


It isn't a clear out.

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 7:38 pm
by Andy D
it might be just as simple as Jason as accepted the Sarbjot bid and nothing is moving until the EFL make a decision with the fit n proper test.

so doing this makes the EFL wake up and make a decision quickly, if Sarbjot as paid wages for the past few months, then thats good enough, beggars cant be choosers.

Re: Retained list -wow!

PostPosted: Mon May 08, 2023 7:53 pm
by black morse
BerlinWaller wrote:
Little Shrimp wrote:

I think it's worth saying - Derek absolutely did not have a choice over this retained list (or lack of).

RE comments about the board from a few - why the hell are people venting frustrations at them? This is Bond Group's fault. The board are playing an incredibly difficult game to try and influence the sale of the club in a positive direction. There'll be all kinds of legal stuff and many reasonable reasons that they have to remain quiet.


Spot on. This isn't a retained list at all, it is the club being unable to offer a player a new contract. The impact of that is massive. We can not sign a player, we can not offer terms which means we are up shits creek. We have 6 players under contract who will spend the summer worrying whether or not they will get paid.

I suspect Derek's contract runs until the end of June and if nothing is sorted, he will leave when it expires.

There is only one person to blame and that is the Owner. We, as fans need to make a stand.


How?