Sad Times

[daveeho]

I lived and worked in Morecambe for a good number of years, when I moved abroad I continued to follow the Shrimps, I was very sad therefore that the club ended up being relegated. What is even sadder however is what has happened since, I looked at the Morecambe FC website to see if there was any sign of an early return to division one, there was none, I then looked at the Forest Green FC website, the team that could only muster 27 points in the season, what a contrast, celebrating the arrival of new personel, and giving off a real upbeat feeling. I sincerely hope such an atmosphere will develop at Morecambe in the coming months.

[Hodgie1978]

I think we all know that we're not in a good place at the moment and nobody knows what's going on behind the scenes.
I do know that the likes of Rod, Charlie, Graham, James and Ben will battle away in doing what's right for this football club.

[black morse]

I think we all know that we're not in a good place at the moment and nobody knows what's going on behind the scenes.
I do know that the likes of Rod, Charlie, Graham, James and Ben will battle away in doing what's right for this football club.

And that's all we can ask of them.

[Wild Bill]

Since Bond Group took over the board have been pretty much allowed to run the club the best they can. I don't think any money has been put in but largely it worked. Let's hope if Johal's bid is rejected by the efl, the board are able to get things ticking again and we can at least generate enough to complete in L2

[Andy D]

Since Bond Group took over the board have been pretty much allowed to run the club the best they can. I don't think any money has been put in but largely it worked. Let's hope if Johal's bid is rejected by the efl, the board are able to get things ticking again and we can at least generate enough to complete in L2

if Sarbjot Johal bid is rejected then who else is going to bank roll us?

if Sarbjot Johal(or father) as paid the wages for the past couple of months, then we've no choice but to go with that, we need to get a team together for L2 ASAP.

[KenH]

Since Bond Group took over the board have been pretty much allowed to run the club the best they can. I don't think any money has been put in but largely it worked. Let's hope if Johal's bid is rejected by the efl, the board are able to get things ticking again and we can at least generate enough to complete in L2

if Sarbjot Johal bid is rejected then who else is going to bank roll us?

if Sarbjot Johal(or father) as paid the wages for the past couple of months, then we've no choice but to go with that, we need to get a team together for L2 ASAP.

The club is clearly not sustainable or self supporting, if it can't pay the player's wages without cash injections at time of record attendances etc. Rod/Graham said a few months ago that the club was debt free, so it's not loan repayments and interest dragging us down anymore. Yet we still aren't sustainable without external funds. Something is going wrong. Either Jason has been withdrawing more money or the club have taken on too many extra non playing/admin/management staff.

[Wild Bill]

Not quite sure why we ran out of cash in March but I'd be surprised if Bond Group ever put money in to pay wages. I think the club gambled on cheap season tickets, which got good money in early. However, this model is dependent on fans then spending money at the stadium. The club has also invested in staff but it takes a while for these new roles to bear fruit.

[Gone_Shrimping]

Since Bond Group took over the board have been pretty much allowed to run the club the best they can. I don't think any money has been put in but largely it worked. Let's hope if Johal's bid is rejected by the efl, the board are able to get things ticking again and we can at least generate enough to complete in L2

if Sarbjot Johal bid is rejected then who else is going to bank roll us?

if Sarbjot Johal(or father) as paid the wages for the past couple of months, then we've no choice but to go with that, we need to get a team together for L2 ASAP.

The club is clearly not sustainable or self supporting, if it can't pay the player's wages without cash injections at time of record attendances etc. Rod/Graham said a few months ago that the club was debt free, so it's not loan repayments and interest dragging us down anymore. Yet we still aren't sustainable without external funds. Something is going wrong. Either Jason has been withdrawing more money or the club have taken on too many extra non playing/admin/management staff.

There are 5 charges still shown at Companies House. A couple of them are for Mr C M Hinchcliffe (former director). Another is Ascot & Ryley LLP and the directors are former MFC directors Nigel Adams and Graham Hodgson , this is secured on plot 1 which must be that land between the Hurley Flyer and the railway. The other charge is held by Charles Street Commercial Investments Limited which is a company formed 40 years ago so well established and is audited by Deloittes which is a top name in the auditing world. This is secured on "Leasehold Property known as The Globe Arena".

As KenH states if we can't make the monthly payroll without cash introduced then we are not self supporting and that is at the end of a season with a record average attendance of over 4,500 and it is hard to see our average in EFL2 next season being anywhere near that figure. We do seem to have increased the admin staff quite considerably over the last year which may be hard to sustain in EFL 2.

[KenH]

We do seem to have increased the admin staff quite considerably over the last year which may be hard to sustain in EFL 2.

Indeed, I was quite surprised a few weeks ago to see the club advertise for a qualified accountant, which seems way over the top for the size of complexity of a small football club. Yes, there's wages and VAT returns, cash management, etc., but all of that can be done by someone with accounts experience at a lot less cost that a qualified accountant. I've worked in audit for a few decades and seen plenty of much larger and more complex businesses whose finance functions and financial management have been done more than adequately by unqualified/experienced accounting staff at a much lower cost than an FCA/FCCA. Especially as whoever is employed has the support of two local accounting firms, i.e. the auditors, Moore & Smalley, and Graham's firm (CWR) if they needed professional support/advice for the occasional more complex issue.

[redrobo]

Have to agree with Ken above as there appears to be a number of positions that as an EFL2 club we really can't afford....Accounting being the most obvious.

I appreciate that a club in EFL1 has possibly a need for a significant back room staff but surely not in EFL2.

The club may be looking for a quick return to EFL1 and therefore the temptation to hold onto what we have is worthy BUT with the current position of the clubs finances being somewhat perilous then I feel that cuts will have to be made if only for the short term.

[fulwoodshrimp]

How can we be planning a quick return to League 1 when we are so short of players? I am afraid National League is a more likely destination!

[redrobo]

How can we be planning a quick return to League 1 when we are so short of players? I am afraid National League is a more likely destination!

Sorry...... BUT such a defeatist attitude is not what we need....

[fulwoodshrimp]

I am not being defeatist but realistic. We currently have a handful of players, no money and no buyer. I don’t understand how we can prepare for the new season in those circumstances. I am also aware that several teams once they begin to slide find it difficult to halt this. Ask Yeovil fans or Scunthorpe. I would love new ownership with money to spend on players but how long will it be before there’s any chance of this and how is the manager expected to put a decent team together when most of the players available will be players released by other clubs? However I will still be at the games supporting our club but appreciate we are in serious trouble.

[Old Man Kensey]

How can we be planning a quick return to League 1 when we are so short of players? I am afraid National League is a more likely destination!

Sorry...... BUT such a defeatist attitude is not what we need....

Nothing defeatist about that post. We are in trouble, real trouble. Players and agents are in full swing trying to sort clubs out for next season right now. We cannot offer a contract to anyone it would seem. We are not even at the table at the moment.

[BerlinWaller]

Our club is at risk, worrying about next season is a milion miles from where we should be. If we can't show the EFL that we have finances in place to fulfill our fixtures, they won't let us in. Realism needs to set in with some fans and quickly.

Last Sunday was sad but now we have a different fight on our hands.

[Scouseport_Shrimp]

Our club is at risk, worrying about next season is a milion miles from where we should be. If we can't show the EFL that we have finances in place to fulfill our fixtures, they won't let us in. Realism needs to set in with some fans and quickly.

Last Sunday was sad but now we have a different fight on our hands.

Agree 100%. They're even arguing now on FB about the right venue to hold the Trust meeting....Just Do It!

[BerlinWaller]

If we have to hold it in the Arndale then so be it. The Trust have stepped up to the plate and seem to be on the front foot so we as a fan base need to get behind them with this. Next season, signing players and where we will finish in the league means nothing right now. It isn't defeatist at all, it is accepting where we are right now.

I just wish we had acted when Worcester Warriors were ran in to the ground and we were told that it wouldn't happen to us.

[black morse]

If we have to hold it in the Arndale then so be it. The Trust have stepped up to the plate and seem to be on the front foot so we as a fan base need to get behind them with this. Next season, signing players and where we will finish in the league means nothing right now. It isn't defeatist at all, it is accepting where we are right now.

I just wish we had acted when Worcester Warriors were ran in to the ground and we were told that it wouldn't happen to us.

Not sure there was much we could have done.

[BerlinWaller]

If we have to hold it in the Arndale then so be it. The Trust have stepped up to the plate and seem to be on the front foot so we as a fan base need to get behind them with this. Next season, signing players and where we will finish in the league means nothing right now. It isn't defeatist at all, it is accepting where we are right now.

I just wish we had acted when Worcester Warriors were ran in to the ground and we were told that it wouldn't happen to us.

Not sure there was much we could have done.

It was pretty clear by then that JW&CG were wrong un's and it was only a matter of time before they would do something similar with us. We were reassured that there was nothing to worry about at the time but we should have been worried and been battle ready.