Morecambe Football Club: Totally Unofficial Preview of the season 2025-26.
Panjab Warriors: ON A MISSION!!!!!
Well – following unparalleled months of crisis for Morecambe Football Club over the summer – where on Earth do we start this time?…
I’ve decided to start with a memory from the evening of Thursday, 18th May 2023.
I was at the Exchange pub in Morecambe. The event I was attending was an emergency meeting of the self-styled representative of all Morecambe Football Club supporters: the Shrimps Trust. The actual Shrimps had just been relegated for the first time in its 103-year history – from League One in the English Football League. This Division was the highest point in the English Football Pyramid that our amazing small-town club had ever reached.
The purpose of the gathering was supposed to be to address the crisis which had recently overcome Morecambe FC: the disastrous ownership of one Jason Whittingham and his appalling Bond Group – and what we were going to do about it.
The meeting was an absolute shambles from start to finish but one thing is still indelibly stamped on my mind as a memory of it.
At one point, a young lady stood up in the audience and asked the assembled Panel what their opinion was about a potential link between the Bond Group and a putative new buyer, a Mr Sarbot Johal. Did they think – she asked them – that Mr Johal might actually be nothing more than a Stalking Horse introduced by Jason Whittingham and his cronies to stall the sale of the club and keep its asking price artificially high?
I looked at her – clearly an educated, intelligent and articulate professional, with a sophisticated understanding of how such a nefarious arrangement might work – and then I looked towards a Panel exclusively made up of men.
My heart sank.
If she had asked them to explain the Holy Grail or whether – in their collective opinion – Einstein had not paid sufficient attention to the effect of Gravity when formulating his Universal Theory of Relativity, they could not have looked more nonplussed or astounded. They gawped at her with open mouths as if she was an alien who had just landed in their midst from another planet.
And answer came there none…
I went home feeling really depressed and despondent: in my view, if this was the best that we could do collectively to head-off the disaster which was clearly already beginning to engulf our club, we might just as well hand the keys of the stadium over to the owner right there and then and ask the last person to leave the premises to switch all the lights off behind them.
“God help us! The wrong people are in charge!” I thought, despairingly. “If only that young woman – whoever she is – could take over!”
I had no way of knowing then that this woman was one Tarnia Elsworth. Although I’d seen her – however briefly – in action, I had no way of knowing way back then either that what I had witnessed for the first time that evening was just the opening salvo of what has subsequently turned out to be nothing less than an absolute Force of Nature as far as our club is concerned.
Within no time at all – as some of its disaffected members tried to shake up the Trust from the inside and the Old Guard tried to keep things exactly as they had always been – radical change started to happen. Many toes were trodden on, noses pushed out of joint and lots of egos bruised in the process but finally, Tarnia Elsworth was confirmed as the new Chair of the Shrimps Trust just over a year after the disastrous meeting at the Exchange had been the catalyst for this revolution from within.
Seemingly by sheer strength of will alone, she shook-up the organisation she had taken over virtually from top to bottom and knocked it into sufficient shape to take-on whatever threats, Weasel Words, phoney promises or outright lies any dodgy `businessmen’ from Essex and their Shyster lawyers might throw at them in the future.
Regular updates began to appear on a monthly basis – at last, the Rank & File started to learn what the Trust was at least trying to achieve on their behalves. For the first time ever, too, members’ questions and suggestions were not only actively encouraged – but acted upon as the Trust told everybody not only what these inputs had been – but what it had done to get them addressed.
What a contrast to the past….
The old Shrimps Trust executive was gradually replaced virtually in its entirety and, finally, the totally revitalised new incarnation of it chose the moment to take the gloves off.
Over the last tortuous few months, Tarnia Elsworth and her team have – almost single-handedly – kept our end up in the absence of a Board of Directors as the club teetered on the very brink of extinction. They did everything they could to support the ownership bid by Panjab Warriors whilst refusing to be intimidated by the very long shadow cast by the diabolical owner of the time and his poisonous cronies. Easy to say – but almost impossible to do with people as duplicitous and slippery as these were. But they succeeded.
I’ve done my best to keep Shrimps’ supporters (and myself) abreast of what has been a quickly-moving situation as Whittingham dismissed our Board of Directors and softened-up what was left of the club to be liquidated by writing articles on this site starting with Breaking Point; The Empire Strikes Back; The Empire Struck Back plus more and – latterly – All’s Well that Ends Well?…
Quite frankly, I don’t think any of these articles have paid sufficient credit to the extraordinary means by which which Tarnia and her Board at the Shrimps Trust – unpaid volunteers as they all are – have finally faced-down the appalling Jason Whittingham and his toxic Bond Group.
Jason is a man, we must remember who – along with his malevolent cohort – has forged a career out of wrecking organisations like Morecambe Football Club in order to enrich himself and his hangers-on as a result of other people’s misfortune or bad luck for more years than these vultures might care to remember.
So I want to start this Review of a season which it looked might never start at all only a matter of a few days ago with the Morecambe Board of Directors.
They effectively called Whittingham’s bluff by threatening to put the club into Administration. So he sacked them all.
I suspect this was a threat which the Board never actually intended to carry-out because they knew, collectively, that the results for the club could have been catastrophic.
It didn’t work either but you can’t fault them for trying. So it’s a big thankyou to Charlie Appleyard; Michael Horton; Graham Howse; Rod Taylor and James Wakefield.
To Shrimps Trust now retired Chair Tarnia; former Vice-Chair Pat Stoyles; Secretary James Main; Treasurer Jack Steer; Matthew Newsham; Ben Cassar; Ian Lyons; Joel Shooter; Joe Kennedy and – last but definitely not least – Paul Crabtree, I would like to say – for what they have done on all of our behalves:
Thankyou SO much, one and all!!!
Without these wonderful people, we would no longer have a club to support. So god bless each and every one of them. This also applies to everyone else (known or unknown) who has ensured that – instead of the dark pit lying in store for it somewhere out in the shadows only a week ago – there is now at least a hope of a sunny, bright future for Morecambe Football Club.
There is no doubt that our local Labour MP – Lizzi Collinge – and Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for Sport, Culture and Media have both played a very positive role in getting rid of the malevolent hold the Bond Group has had for far too long on our club. It has also been really refreshing to see the way the media – nationally and internationally – have taken the plight of the Shrimps to heart and put pressure on Jason Whittingham to `do the decent thing’.
But even better still has been the support of other football clubs and their fans in our hour of need.
Top of the list must come Bury – who have come through the sort of crisis we have endured recently themselves – as a Phoenix club. The tremendous gesture they made of inviting Morecambe fans to watch their first game of the season at Gigg Lane for free will never be forgotten – Come On You Shakers!
Other clubs and individuals who offered their support or their sympathy are so numerous it would be difficult to know where to start. But it has all been greatly appreciated by Shrimps fans in general as well as the whole population of Morecambe as a community.
Phew!…
Now let’s get on with looking at what we can all look forward to at our newly-resurrected club during the forthcoming season…
For the first time in eighteen years, Morecambe Football Club face the prospect of playing matches this term as exiles from the English Football League. The downsides of this major regression in the club’s fortunes are many and mostly fairly obvious: loss of considerable status; loss of money from the EFL; loss of terrestrial TV coverage every Saturday night; Also-Rans as far as local and national media coverage is concerned; loss of an automatic place in the FA Cup First Round – and plenty more besides: the list is pretty endless.
But the up-side is – first and foremost – to be able to do so at all.
So – giving thanks for the survival of our club before anything else – we must welcome the possibility of winning the FA Trophy again and visiting old friends – Altrincham and Boston United, for instance – plus a host of clubs which the Shrimps have never encountered before: Eastleigh, Truro City and Brackley Town being just three of several.
So what’s the state of our club as it emerges from a struggle to find the basic resources and the resolve to take on the challenge of a completely new league?
The (former) Manager.
Derek Adams has ridden the storm of the only two relegations in the club’s one hundred and five year history during the last three seasons with a mixture of gritted teeth – and despair.
As the fate of his team of journeymen, lower league cast-offs, loanees and kids became increasingly obvious last time out, he stated what is both a realistic and hopefully achievable goal for this season: to reach the National League Play-Offs at the end of it.
But given that his budget was slated under the previous ownership to be lower than that of almost half of the clubs he would have been competing against this term – and that the carrot of playing for a Football League club to tempt would-be permanent signings or loanees has now disappeared completely – he already faced an even steeper hill to climb than usual during this Closed Season.
One by one, his better players: Jamie Stott; Tom White; Harry Burgoyne and Harvey Macadam, for instance, took offers from elsewhere as the stalemate in ownership at Morecambe looked set in stone and – as professionals – they had to think of their own careers.
So Derek was left with a rump of a squad consisting of a single new signing (who seems to be perennially injured) and very few players of actual quality such as Gwion Edwards and long-term stalwart Yann Songo’o.
He had some promising young players too but also some that simply aren’t good enough to play at National League level: Ben Tollitt (I’m sure Ben is a perfectly delightful human being but how on earth did he win `Player of the Season’ last year?) and Paul Lewis being the most obvious in my humble opinion.
Once the ownership crisis was resolved, the King would basically have had less than a week to find some New Blood to strengthen a really weak squad and I thought that if he managed to just keep us in the National League this season, he would have performed another miracle at the club.
But we shall never know if he might have been able to do so.
One of the first things the new ownership did was to fulfil rumours that they had their own man lined-up for Derek’s job.
They sacked him. They also got rid of Mr Adams’ Assistant Manager, Danny Grainger.
Derek’s admission at the end of last season that he had not been involved in any planning for the future – and was actually unaware that a Plan had already been formulated by the Board – put Mr Adams in a difficult position. It’s therefore hardly surprising that some people have speculated subsequently that his position at the club was no longer secure. Some of these rumour mongers would have had us believe as long ago as June that he had actually been sacked and that Panjab already had a Chief Warrior in mind to take over the team.
Choosing to get rid of him now is undeniably a real kick in the teeth for the best Manger we have ever had. Derek has been loyal to the club throughout the ongoing crisis and he surely deserved at least a modicum of loyalty in return – the new regime could surely have found a place for him until the end of the season at least.
But football has no room for sentiment – and little for loyalty – and the Panjab Warriors (as we will see) are On A Mission – and Messrs Adams and Grainger were never going to be part of their plans.
Derek is probably pretty sanguine about this. As a seasoned professional in the dog-eats-dog world of football, he probably saw the writing on the wall quite some time ago anyway.
But however good, bad or indifferent his replacement – Ashvir Singh Johal – turns out to be, King Derek with his forthright opinions and no-bullshit style (not that he would ever have used such a word) will be really sadly missed. As will his undoubted passion for the game and particularly our club. I’m not keen on the way the Panjabis have dumped our stalwart Manager (or the fact that Danny Grainger’s departure didn’t even merit a mention on the official website) but I understand – as I’m sure both men do – why this has happened.
I can’t see any circumstances in which Mr Adams might return in the future, having been the Morecambe boss on three occasions already. I just hope he manages to get another job quickly and I’m sure all Shrimps supporters wish him the very best of luck in the future. This man single-handedly transformed our club from `little old Morecambe’ and gave it a new list of aspirations.
I make no apology for repeating what I wrote on a previous occasion when – having taken us to the dizzy heights of League One – Derek chose to leave:
Adam was the original
But Adams is the Finished Article.
God bless him.
But now, the new owners have their own list of aspirations and a clear plan of how to achieve them.
Things aren’t going to be done as they have been in the past at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium and the new regime clearly intends to keep as few ties as possible with Morecambe’s past. Having said that, Rod Taylor has been re-appointed to the Board of the club and (probably a few) others may follow. But that’s for the near future. Now let’s look, briefly, at the recent past.
The Ownership.
This could have been summed-up in a couple of words for the last several years:
Nothing Changes.
The pattern of domination by the Bond Group and Jason Whittingham of our club has led directly to the two relegations Morecambe have suffered during the last three years due to a long-term lack of investment in the team by these shameless chancers.
For the last few years, rumours of take-overs – by some alleged Indian Soft Drinks Magnate; an unidentified consortium from the USA and other shadowy individuals and organisations – have come and gone with depressing regularity only to disappear without trace as Whittingham continued to hold onto the purse strings and then tightened them to breaking point year after underperforming year.
The Board at Morecambe and others have been prone to get over-excited about the possibility of a New Dawn from time to time – only for nothing then to change. But – on 6th June 2025, the following message appeared on the official Morecambe website:
“Panjab Warriors is delighted to announce that it has received clearance from the English Football League (EFL) to proceed with the acquisition of Morecambe Football Club — marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the club’s proud history. Kuljeet Singh Momi and his Panjab Warriors team will now finalise the deal in the coming days.
Since mid-2024, Panjab Warriors have been providing financial support and outlining a vision built on sustainability, inclusivity, and long-term success.
“This is more than a business venture; it’s a commitment to the fans, the town, and the future of Morecambe FC,” said Gurpreet Singh, Head of Communications for Panjab Warriors. “Our aim is to build upon the club’s rich heritage, ensuring stability and fostering unity across all parts of the community. Panjab Warriors would like to extend their thanks to the club and its Board of Directors for their co-operation in obtaining EFL approval, and also to the EFL for their patience and support in getting to this stage”.
But the Board and the Warriors had both jumped the gun.
It took over two months of negotiating on a knife edge; brinksmanship; the threat by the Board to put the club into Administration; the wholesale dismissal of them by a desperate owner trying to save his own sinking ship (to which the Cash Cow at Morecambe and the loans he was making to it was vital to keeping afloat) until the entire saga – thanks to the unwavering leadership of the Shrimps Trust – was finally resolved.
So where does that leave us now?
It leaves us with Panjab Warriors in charge. We don’t know much about them; why they are interested in our club or what plans they have for it in the short or long term.
All we can do is hope that these Warriors will prove to be a more reliable owner than the Bond Group or other charlatans such as a certain Senor Diego Lemon (that’s right, isn’t it?) prior to that ever were.
But it’s hardly a high bar to jump, is it?…
In one of my previous postings, I wondered about the nature of the new ownership and why they are interested in our club at all. I make no apology for this because a little healthy scepticism is never a bad thing but some of what I unearthed wasn’t very positive:
However – setting all doubts to one side – it is indisputable that Panjab Warriors kept our club going last season in a situation where the piece of detritus otherwise known as Jason Whittingham would have let it sink without trace.
So – as a starting-point – the Warriors have to be eternally thanked for actually not only keeping our club afloat but actually saving it when push came to shove.
This is how the new owners unveiled on the Morecambe FC website the man they have clearly planned to replace Derek Adams for quite some time:
“Morecambe Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Ashvir Singh Johal as the Club’s new First Team Manager.
He arrives at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium with an excellent reputation as a forward-thinking coach and leader, bringing with him a wealth of experience in player development, tactical innovation, and building high-performance cultures.
Ashvir spent 10 years at Leicester City, coaching players in the academy setup from U7s all the way through to U18s, during that time Leicester City went through their most successful period as a football club.
His first experience at first team coaching came when he joined Wigan Athletic in 2022 as first-team coach in the Championship.
In June 2025, at 30 years old, he completed his UEFA Pro Licence with the FA, the highest qualification in management and football coaching.
His appointment marks an exciting new era for the Shrimps as the Club continues its journey under fresh ownership and renewed ambition.
Speaking on his appointment, Ashvir said: “The immediate priority right now is going to be to identify the players that we need in this building to ensure Morecambe Football Club can perform well in the National League.”
Ashvir takes charge with immediate effect and will begin preparations for the upcoming season.
Morecambe FC would like to extend a warm welcome to Ashvir and wishes him every success in his new role.”
For me – and I’m probably showing my age here because this seems to be the way social media works these days – I think this is a bit Over The Top and perhaps needlessly propitious (er – too positive) but nobody can deny its upbeat message.
What it doesn’t say is that we now have the youngest Manager in any of the top five tiers of the English football triangle and – perhaps even more unusually – a man who has never actually played the game professionally himself.
Going back to the above statement, though, what it does say starts to shed some light on one of the key questions anybody who wonders about the reasons a Sikh company without any local links whatsoever has any interest in our club with a fanbase seemingly totally devoid of Sikhs in the first place.
Clearly, it is that they are seeking (no pun intended) a vehicle with which to enhance the visibility of their own community both at home and abroad. They have chosen (for whatever reason) Morecambe FC and – in a situation where most other bidders to take over from the Bond Group would be dissuaded by the Essex Barrow Boy tactics of the previous owner – have hung on in there through thick and thin.
So their determination to succeed in this mission is without question. But it would appear that among the many reasons which might underpin this determination, some of them have absolutely nothing to do with football.
For example, Ashvir Singh Johal is the first Sikh to take charge of any English football club at the level Morecambe currently find themselves. No Sikh has ever been the boss of an EFL club but this is a situation the Warriors explicitly intend to remedy by getting Morecambe back into it at the first possible opportunity.
Ashvir’s sheer enthusiasm alone at his first press conference as new Morecambe Manager was really infectious, as have been the statements made by many of his colleagues from the Panjab team in the last few days.
I’m sure that – by now – that we have all seen or heard the vision the Warriors have for our club on the telly; the radio or primarily on social media channels.
It is unremittingly positive and optimistic: and a real breath of fresh air after seven years of negativity; pessimism and relegations under the previous regime.
As I’ve already said, the Panjab Warriors really are On a Mission. The vision they have for our club – one that Sikh communities in Britain and right across the world now see as their own – is one we all need not only to support to buy into in my humble opinion..
Because of the intransigence of the former owner as he committed business suicide in front of an international audience which increasingly loathed him, Morecambe FC is now in a unique position. Albeit for all the wrong reasons, we are now known right across the planet in a way that has never happened before. The club enjoys universal sympathy currently and a phenomenal amount of people wish us well – many of whom, until a few weeks ago, had never previously even heard of our little town in north-west Lancashire nor its football team either. The media spotlight is fully focused on Morecambe Football Club at this moment in time – for the first time ever. And as long as the roller-coaster ride onwards and upwards back into the EFL and up the divisions continues, it will stay there.
It’s not exactly Wrexham and its Hollywood-based international adulation.
But in a way, our situation is even more unique: a small-town club now becoming a household name right across the Indian subcontinent – and beyond.
According to Statista, there are currently just over twenty-six million Sikhs to be found on the planet. About twenty-five million of these people live in India. Over half a million live here in the United Kingdom and almost half a million more can be found in the USA.
That’s a hell of a lot of replica shirts, isn’t it?
Domestically, coach-loads of Sikh families have already visited the Mazuma Mobile Stadium from all over the country. Our club is an object of pride for them and I’ve no doubt that they will share our own passion for the Shrimps in no time at all.
So – for this reason alone – Panjab Warriors really could usher in a new dawn for our club. Their ambitions for it are on a different plane to those expressed by any previous owners.
It could be a really powerful ride with them onwards and upwards. So I suggest we embrace their vision, strap ourselves in – and go with it.
The Squad.
King Derek was only able to make one signing as most of his better players left for Pastures New as the season started and they had not been paid for ages.
Striker Jack Stretton signed on June 19th.
The 23-year-old – who has played for Scotland Under-19s – was released by League One Burton Albion at the end of last season. He had previously played for Derby County – close to where he was born in Newhall, Derbyshire – until he was sent to Carlisle United on a season-long loan from which he was recalled and sold to Stockport County (for whom he had played briefly when they were still a non-league club).
Here, he picked-up an ACL injury and was out for a year as a result. Since then, he has struggled in the National League at both Oldham Athletic and Woking whilst still on the Hatter’s books before signing for his brief spell at Burton last season. He only featured for the last three clubs on ten occasions altogether but his goal tally in these games was precisely nil.
So – at face value at least – this would seem to be a case in which Jack will be hoping to kick-start a once promising career which has not gone to plan since he was released by Derby.
We must all hope that the influence of Derek’s replacement on the young man will see him freely scoring goals again for his new team.
When Ashvir Singh Johal took over, only defenders Luke Hendrie and Captain Yann Songo’o plus midfielder Paul Lewis as well as strikers Ben Tollitt and Gwion Edwards were still on Morecambe’s books from League Two days.
But – with the purse strings cut and the club looking at proper funding for the first time in seven long years – the new regime was not slow to sign some sorely-needed New Blood.
With the opening game only four days hence, Ashvir announced two additions to his miniscule squad. The first one was not a player. It was his new Assistant Manager, Lee Tomlin.
Lee is 36 (still young enough to play?) and has worked at Sheffield United as a Coach and then at Leicester City, where the two men first met each other. The new boss said the following about this key development:
“Lee is someone I have known for a very long time. I knew that when I became a manager Lee was the person I wanted to be my assistant manager. He had a fantastic playing career and has played in all the divisions of English professional football, including the Premier League. He’s now gone into coaching after playing, and he’s worked at some great clubs. Lee has experience at Leicester City and then he was at Sheffield United so for me to bring him here as assistant manager is something that I’m really proud of.”
Since then, Ashvir has also signed eight new players to date.
The first one is former Accrington Stanley midfielder Mo Sangare. The 26-year-old Liberian international has moved from Swiss club AQC Bellinzona and was once a youth team player with Newcastle United. His squad number will be 20. The Manager said the following about his first signing for the club:
“He has a lot of EFL experiences and he has got the required skill set that is going to help us compete straight away in the National League. He has the mentality we’re looking for, he’s got that winning mindset and he wants to push to improve and get better and ultimately win games. Mo’s characteristics as a player will exactly fit the style of play we’re trying to build here. I can’t wait to work with him.”
Forward Harrison Panaviotou has also signed for the club. This Leicester native is thirty years old and started his career with his home-town club before being loaned to Port Vale and then Raith Rovers. He has been a St Kitts & Nevis International since 2014. `Harry’ signed for Barrow in 2016 but has had a chequered career since, playing abroad in Greece, Malta and Gibraltar as well as in Northern Ireland and for other clubs such as Nuneaton Borough; Maidenhead United, Livingston and twice for Morecambe’s National League rivals Aldershot. (He scored 16 goals in 66 appearances for them between 20019 and 2021 but only hit the net once in 28 appearances for them during 2022-3.) His scoring rate is not prolific but his opportunity with the Shrimps could transform his career. Let’s hope he takes it. His new Manager expressed these hopes for the Shrimps new Number Nine:
“It was important for us that we had players in the building who have experience in the league so he understands exactly what it takes to win games at this level. As equal to that, from a style of play point of view, he’s exactly what we’re looking for. We’re looking for someone who is going to press aggressively, who’s going to give us all in the games, someone who is never going to give up and win the ball, he’s got the quality to drop and link play between the lines, or who can run in behind.He’s someone who we think can be really effective in the final third and help us create and score goals this season and hopefully help the team play an entertaining brand of football.”
The third signing – Raheem Conte – is a 22-year-old defender who will wear the Number Three shirt for the Shrimps. The Londoner’s greatest claim to fame was playing for Cardiff City when the Bluebirds were still a Championship club. He only played three times for the first team and then featured in only eight matches as a loanee at our rivals Woking last season. But the Manager had this appraisal of his latest signing once Raheem put pen to paper last Wednesday:
“I’m delighted that Raheem has joined us at Morecambe. He is someone whose career I have followed for some time now. He has had good exposure to Cardiff’s first team, playing in the Championship and EFL Cup. Raheem is a versatile player. He’s a midfielder but he can also play full back. We see him as a full back, he’s left footed. We think he has all the attributes that can help us get to the next level. He’s athletic, he’s quick, but most important is his intelligence and his football brain to help us be successful on the football pitch.”
A familiar – and welcome – face has also returned to the club. Archie Mair – who was on-loan to us in the final Derek Adams era from Norwich – has signed-up to become first choice goalkeeper in the new team. The 24-year old Scot played on-loan for Motherwell in the Premiership North of the Border last season but joins the Shrimps on a permanent contract. It’s good to see him back: this lad has played for Scotland Under 17s; 18s; 19s and 21s and has a potentially tremendous future ahead of him. Ashvir said about him:
“Archie was our number one target as a goalkeeper, we were eager to get him in the building and he’s excited to get going. He’s a young goalkeeper but the experience he’s had will help shape the mentality we have here He will use this opportunity to springboard his career, and if he can help the club back to where it needs to get to, that will help him take his career to the next level. His skillset is outstanding, the way he plays with the ball at his feet is a perfect fit for how we want the team to play.”
Next to have a virtually guaranteed place on Saturday’s teamsheet against Altrincham was another defender with experience at Newcastle United. 26–year-old native of Guadeloupe Ludwig Francilette has also had EFL experience with Crawley Town and with current Shrimps’ rivals Eastleigh. The six foot four inch (1.9m) defender has scored quite a number of goals during his career, presumably from set-pieces.
Mr Johal said of Ludwig:
“He is someone who fits the profile we’re looking for in our defenders. On the ball, he is very comfortable, drawing players in, or playing into space. He is a very intelligent player, he understands how to use the pressure of the opponent to make the most appropriate pass and defensively he is fantastic.”
Another player who is no stranger to the Mazuma Mobile Stadium is 26–year-old Hesketh Bank native Ben Williams. He has been on-loan to Morecambe in the past and worked with Stuart Drummond and Neil Wainwright at the Academy during 2014. He has also scored a winning goal against Morecambe as a Carlisle United player in the Blues’ 1-2 victory in the EFL Trophy game last season at the Maz.
Ben started his career with Blackburn Rovers before moving to Barnsley, for who he played 36 times as a very young lad. He moved to Cheltenham Town in 2022 and then to Carlisle on a short-term contract last year.
Ashvir said of his new Number Fifteen:
“Ben is a player who I’ve known of for a long time. He is a left back who has played multiple games in the League One and League Two so he is very experienced across the EFL and at a high level. He is someone who we know will be ready to make an impact straight away in the National League and help us push towards our objectives as a club.”
Jake Cain is a 23–year-old midfielder who was once at the Liverpool Academy and has played almost 90 games in total in the EFL for Swindon Town and on-loan at Newport County.
I can’t tell you what the Manager’s words of welcome for Jake were because whoever is responsible for the Morecambe FC website forgot to add them. All I can say is that of he has even a fraction of the impact Morecambe favourite and namesake Ian did at the club, we are all in for a real treat.
Finally for now, Sierra Leone international defender Alie Sesay has also signed on the dotted line for Morecambe. At 31, he is actually older than his Manager, who first came across him when Alie was a member of the Leicester City Academy. He has played in the EFL with Cambridge and the National League with Barnet and has a wealth of experience with other clubs at home and abroad. Ashvir said of him:
“He is someone who will definitely help us compete and win games in the National League. Alie is a leader and a model professional, he leads by example and the younger players can look up to him.”
Even as you are reading this, other newcomers are almost certainly signing for the Shrimps. But if I delay uploading this `preview’ of the season any longer, it won’t be a `preview’ at all, will it?
Where are they now?
Adam Lewis was offered a new contract to stay at Morecambe at the end of last season. Instead, he has managed to retain his status as an EFL player by signing for Chesterfield. Who can blame him? The diminutive full-back with an occasional wand of a left foot will be missed at Morecambe if only for his infectious enthusiasm on the field and his electrifying interaction with the fans off it. The Spireites’ gain is very much our loss and I’m sure we all wish him well at his new club, which seems to be going places again under the excellent management of Paul Cook at the moment.
However – and yet again – the fact that Adam was a free agent because King Derek was not able to offer him a longer contract when he signed for us last year is yet another black mark against the Bond Group and their disastrous ownership of our club. As has happened to so many other promising players on their watch, clubs who have scouted individuals on our books have been able to swoop and pay no transfer fee to take them away to Pastures New as soon as their short-term contracts have expired.
How much money have the club lost out on in the last couple of years alone as other clubs have taken our better players without having to pay Morecambe any sort of fee? It must amount to more than King Derek ever had in the pot to attract the waifs and strays that the financial position of the club had forced him to sign over the last two seasons in particular.
Lee Angol has also managed to secure himself an EFL contract with a move to Cheltenham.
I was never entirely sure about this guy, personally. He seemed like a one trick pony to me: rough; tough; aggressive (sometimes far too aggressive) but with a really obvious lack of any finesse as well. Good luck to the lad all the same: to be fair, the injury he picked up Early Doors was never going to help his Morecambe career, was it?
David Tutonda has decided to line-up against us this season by signing for Rochdale. His personal discipline went a bit haywire at times last season but David has been a tremendous servant to our club in recent campaigns and he will be missed as well.
Defender Ross Millen – released by Derek Adams after rarely appearing in the Morecambe first team last term – has returned North of the Border and signed for `Cally’: Inverness Caledonian Thistle of SPFL League One, who are about to start the new season on a points total of Minus Five. Good luck to them both.
Although he was on-loan to us from Salford City, I really liked – and rated – Marcus Dackers. He didn’t score many goals and has been widely slated for that. But his skill with the ball at his feet – particularly for such a tall man – was absolutely phenomenal. He could read the game too – and he always gave one hundred percent (which is more than can be said for some of his team mates…) Most of all, though, I thought his temperament was extraordinary. Despite the physical hammering he received each and every time he played, Marcus never showed even the slightest sign that he might react. So very good luck to him: he’s still young and in my opinion at least, the permanent move he has made North of the Border to Kilmarnock is very much their gain: there’s a gem still to be unearthed in this player.
Dynamic midfielder Callum Jones was another loanee – for the second time – from Hull City. He has returned to his parent club but I’m sure he would be welcomed back for another stint by the Lancashire seaside with open arms.
Striker Jordan Slew was also not offered a new contract at the end of the last campaign. He’s in his early Thirties now and had a generally disappointing season at the Maz last time out. But he has sufficient skill and guile to be worth at least another go somewhere. Let’s hope that a very popular player among Morecambe fans, players and staff alike manages to get himself fixed-up very soon.
Hallam Hope is another forward who flattered to deceive last season at Morecambe and was released. It’s becoming a regular pattern for the lad. But there’s a decent player in there somewhere – it would be good for Hallam if he is able to re-discover his obvious talent, even if it is somewhere else.
Max Taylor was another defender deemed Surplus To Requirements at the end of last season. I thought he played well enough to more than merit a place in the new National League squad – but what do I know? I know that he is currently without a club: let’s hope he gets himself fixed-up soon and is able to continue a career which seemed to be blossoming at Morecambe after his recovery from testicular cancer as a younger man.
George Ray was unlucky enough to be injured in his League Two debut for Morecambe – an injury bad enough that it has not only put an end to his career at the club, it has caused him to retire altogether. This must obviously have been a very hard decision for him to take and we must all hope that his luck improves – and does so soon.
Tom White bid an emotional farewell to the club when he accepted a contract at Boreham Wood a couple of weeks ago or so. He will be missed too.
Jamie Stott has crossed the Irish Sea to play for Derry City. He improved immensely under Derek’s tutelage and he will be missed as well.
Harvey Macadam never really showed his full potential in a Morecambe shirt until later in the season last time out – and then he got injured. He has signed for Carlisle.
Harry Burgoyne also left the club – on August 7th – but is still a free agent. Harry is a tremendous shot-stopper and his command of the penalty area – weak when he first joined the club – improved immensely as the season progressed. The reason he got so much game time was that sometimes catastrophic first-choice goalkeeper Stuart Moore suffered another really serious injury. I personally feared for his future given his recent physical misfortunes but am delighted that he has been signed by Wycombe Wanderers. Good luck to the lad – he deserves some.
Good luck to all of them.
Barry Roche.
The Dubliner the club signed from Chesterfield- seventeen years ago (so right at the beginning of Morecambe’s EFL adventure) decided to leave his post as Goalkeeping Coach right at the end of it.
I remember Barry playing for Chesterfield at Christie Park in what must have been our first season in the Football League. As I watched from the incomparable North Stand, I noticed that every time the visitors conceded a corner, the Irishman would take the opportunity to punch star forward – and one of my personal favourites – Wayne Curtis in the back whenever he knew the Referee wasn’t looking.
One of the reasons I liked Wayne was that he had a really tremendous temperament and was never going to react to this sort of stuff. I’m sure he looked at Roche at one point and basically said: “Why?”…
A year or so later – with Baz between the sticks for Morecambe – the goalkeeper was trying to organise his defence from an opposition corner.
Was I imaging it? – but the only player who never seemed to respond to his ministrations was… guess who? – Wayne Curtis… (Maybe he didn’t want to get within striking range again.)
I have the impression – perhaps completely wrongly – that Barry was pretty feral when he arrived at our club.
But that soon passed. As a goalkeeper, he was a tremendous shot-stopper but sometimes let himself down with an inability to deal with crosses – which, for a man of his sheer size – should have been second nature to him.
Having said that, I think the second best save I have ever seen in real life occurred when he somehow scooped a certain goal-bound effort from a Dagenham & Redbridge player from almost behind the line during the `Mission Impossible’ second leg Play-Off during the last ever game at Christie Park.
A few years later, he single-handedly kept his mate Jim Bentley’s feeble side in the EFL with two truly world-class saves at Coventry in the last game of the season. If it hadn’t already happened before, he cemented his place as a Morecambe Great in this game alone. (And who will forget the day in 2016 when he came up from the back to score from a corner against Portsmouth to draw the game in the 94th minute?) Big Sigh – happy days indeed!…
As Captain of the team on many occasions, Barry indulged his degree in journalism with the most witty and clever articles in the match day magazine that I have ever personally read: this man has a brain in his head and an uncanny ability to express himself which he will hopefully be able to demonstrate anew in the future.
But I also have a very personal reason for appreciating Big Baz.
When he first signed for the Shrimps, I was in the old Safeway supermarket one day here in Carnforth with my Mother; a native of County Mayo in the Emerald Isle. She was well into her eighties at the time and beginning to suffer from the vascular dementia which finally did for her at the age of 94 last year.
This is what I wrote in her eulogy at her funeral, commenting on the time she met Brian Clough, as part of her duties as the Occupational Health Sister at Nelsons Acetate (remember them?) in Lancaster:
“He made a tremendously deep impression on a woman who normally had no interest whatsoever in football. Having said that, she was once in a supermarket during her later years when her eyes alighted upon a very striking-looking young man in the store. (You could hardly miss him – he is about six foot seven tall and built to match.)
“He’s a fine specimen of a man!” she said.
“That’s Morecambe’s new goalkeeper – Barry Roche” I told her.
“Roche?” says she – “Isn’t that an Irish name?”
“Yes – he comes from the Dublin area.”
As her health deteriorated and dementia started to get its remorseless grip on her, my Mother would often forget to ask about family members, friends – or anyone else for that matter. But – right until the end – she would always say, without fail:
“How’s Barry Roche doing?”
So good luck to him as the new Head of Goalkeeping at Fleetwood – and in whatever life throws at him after that (he’ll probably push it all round the post for a corner kick…)
Former Manager Derek Adams said this about Big Baz’s departure:
“I would like to thank Barry on behalf of the players and backroom staff for his huge contribution to Morecambe Football Club as a player and as a coach. When I took over as First Team Manager in 2019, my first decision was to promote Barry to my coaching staff. He will be leaving behind many friends after his long association with the club, and we all send him best wishes in his new role.”
Co-Chairman of the time Rod Taylor added:
“All of us as directors would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Barry Roche for his outstanding service to Morecambe Football Club. Barry has demonstrated unwavering dedication, professionalism, and passion throughout his time with us. His leadership and commitment have been instrumental both as a player and as a coach and his presence will be greatly missed. We wish him the very best and will always welcome him back as a friend and is a true club legend.”
Fair Game.
Fair Game is a group which, according to their website, exists for the following reasons:
“Fair Game is a growing band of clubs committed to the same principles and determined to improve the governance of our national game for the wider interests of football.
We are focused on delivering real and long-lasting solutions…
There is no doubt that football is broken. The Football Governance Bill represents an opportunity to fix the game once for all.
We need a Bill that will tackle the growing financial inequality in the game, that ensures the regulator is truly independent, and rewards well run clubs.
It is now up to the new Labour Government to deliver a fairer future for football.
Football is in crisis in the UK. The cost-of-living crisis has left dozens of clubs on the brink of survival. Yet, the game remains the richest sport in the UK. It is time to reboot the game and Fair Game is bringing together ‘value-driven’ clubs to call for change.
We are led by clubs, supported by experts and backed by politicians. We believe in sustainability, integrity and community. We wish to see Football governed with fairness, openness and transparency at its core; honouring the mantra that the game can be a force for good and putting clubs at the heart of the communities they serve.
Central to all changes is independent regulation that works, and that incentivises good management of football clubs.
A regulator free from vested interest, with the best skillsets to deliver, and representative of all elements of football and society.”
They are asking all football fans to contact their local MP to urge them to support Fair Game’s aims and if you go on their website at fairgameuk.com there is a step-by-step guide as to how to do this.
In recent times, Fair Game has joined forces with 22 fans’ groups from the Premiership right down to the National League in order to pursue the sort of changes it wants to see implemented in the recently-passed Football Governance Act. Morecambe is one of the clubs now represented by Fair Game and the Shrimps Trust – in the shape of Ben Cassar to whom I am indebted for the following explanation – had the following to say about this development:
“The Trust recently joined this movement as part of a growing alliance of supporter groups pushing for legal protections for fans, greater financial fairness, and safeguards for clubs like ours. A key part of this work is the Trusts First campaign, which aims to ensure that supporter trusts are formally recognised in legislation and given a meaningful role in the decision-making processes at their clubs.
In short, we believe this gives us a stronger collective voice. Many of the challenges we’ve faced at Morecambe FC uncertain ownership, lack of communication, and governance issues are shared by other clubs across the country. By working together, we can push for changes that protect fans and clubs for the long term, not just in moments of crisis.
The key outcomes we’re hoping to achieve include:
Legal recognition of supporter trusts as key stakeholders at every club.
Improved fan influence in areas like financial oversight, ownership changes, and community engagement.
Protection of our club’s long-term future by embedding fan engagement into law.
Specific safeguards around who can own football clubs and stronger redistribution of football’s finances.
For Morecambe FC, this is about ensuring that fans are no longer treated as optional voices but as essential partners in how the club is run and protected. Our involvement with Fair Game strengthens that case nationally, and we will continue to push for provisions that reflect the realities we’ve faced here in recent years.”
Pre-season Friendlies.
Tuesday, 8th July: Longridge Town 1:2 Morecambe.
Morecambe’s first practice match of the season was at North West Counties League members Longridge’s tidy little Inglewhite Road ground in the shadow of the Bowland hills.
The first thing that was a relief was to see that we still had a Manager and an Assistant (dressed in black; extreme left and centre of photo) – and some players as well:
The team-sheet Derek had concocted, though, was noticeably shorter than the opposition’s and one name was notable by its absence – new striker and so far the only signing of the closed season; Jack Stretton.
It was dry and quite sunny as the game started. The Ridge started best and should have scored when one of their forwards got clear on their left but put too much curl on his shot, which just missed Harry Burgoyne’s left-hand post.
But Morecambe soon settled down and controlled things until the water break and the inevitable coaching on the side-lines. After this, the home team had another good spell.
The Shrimps were the better team for most of the half but some of the old worries of last season were there aplenty.
Ben Tollitt had the first shot of the game: walloping a powerful effort on target which home keeper Olly Bellizia did well to push over the bar for a corner. He then took most of the dead ball kicks – badly – and kept giving the ball away. For once, he actually tried to recover it on a single occasion but all he managed to do was concede a free-kick.
So he was a liability in my view, as was Paul Lewis. He wandered all over the park and you wondered if he didn’t have a set role – or just didn’t understand what it was he was supposed to be doing.
Whatever, in the only notable bit of skill during the first half, Tom White indulged in an outstanding bit of control before sliding a perfect pass through for Lewis – now in the centre forward position – to score easily. But Paul delayed his shot; keeper Bellizia made another fine stop – and it turned-out that he was in an off-side position anyway.
Longridge’s Mitch Marshall had to leave the field with blood running down his face from an injury around his eye before half-time and with him, whatever threat the home team actually possessed was considerably blunted: he had been having a really good game. I just hope we didn’t nobble the lad…
Morecambe were a bit more assertive at the start of the second half and after a well-worked move, Harvey Macadam – who once played for the Ridge – scored after just a few minutes of the re-start. He then shamelessly dived in the area later on in the vain hope of being awarded a penalty. In my opinion at least, he should have been booked – it was pathetic.
But the hosts didn’t give up and a counter-attack which saw them spread the ball quickly and accurately from wing to wing resulted in substitute Leighton Hewitt equalising. His was a tremendous first-time volley from a lofted pass from the left which gave Harry Burgoyne in the away goal no chance at all. Alfie Scales came on to replace him and the only other substitute sitting on the bench – Oscar Wright – got a run-out too. The match was won, though, when by far the best player on the pitch – Gwion Edwards – managed to score after being fed by a superb pass from sub Oscar with virtually the last kick of a pretty forgettable game.
403 people were in attendance and the overwhelming bulk of these had travelled over from the Lancashire coast.
Longridge will struggle to get a larger gate all season – but good luck to them: this is clearly a club on the up with very dedicated individuals within it. We were in their position once and – the way things were going at the time – might have come to envy their position even in the lower strata of the pyramid of football in this country which they currently inhabit before too long…
Given the circumstances – of which just one was that not even one of the visiting players and management on view have been paid for the last few weeks – it was a miracle that Morecambe was able to field a team at all, let alone travel to the fixture.
Most friendly matches are pretty meaningless but even though they won, Morecambe looked alarmingly weak tonight: there wasn’t a lot in it. I fear that this was confirmed by the fact that in their next practice match, Longridge were hammered 0-4 at home by Bamber Bridge, who – however good they might be – are miles away from National League standard.
That said, a really nice statement – written by one Connor Philipson, god bless him – about our wonderful club duly appeared on the Ridge’s official website after the game:
“For our visitors, we want to thank them for their outstanding support and wish them the very best for the season. Everyone at Longridge Town hopes for brighter days at Morecambe FC. We hope you get your club back. Thank you to all of the 403 who came down tonight.”
Tuesday, 15th July: Hyde United 2:5 Morecambe.
If the new regime had been in charge when this game took place, I could have wheeled-out a very corny headline – but one I would definitely have used: “Hyde and Sikh”…
Whatever, on a sometimes torrentially wet – and unseasonably chilly – evening in Greater Manchester, Morecambe’s squad made their own way to Hyde’s Ewen Fields to play in strips which they had presumably washed themselves against Northern Premier League (Premier Division) members Hyde United.
Morecambe were three-one up by half time: all headed goals as Hyde’s marking left an awful lot to be desired. Ex-Shrimp favourite and United Skipper Jack Redshaw made it all-square at one point by converting a penalty. But this was a routine victory with two goals for rookie centre-forward Billy Whaite and a brace, too, for Paul Lewis
I had to leave with about a quarter of an hour left to trudge through the pouring rain to Newton for Hyde station – or be faced with being stuck in Manchester overnight. It was 2-4 to Morecambe when I left but before the match ended, Captain Yann Songo’o scored a fifth for Morecambe and there was apparently a mass brawl on the field as well. What was that all about?
The Red Mist presumably settled quickly enough and the official Hyde United website posted the following welcome sentiments shortly after the `friendly’ had finished:
“We wish everyone at Morecambe all the best and we hope for positive news for you soon. Many thanks for your support this evening.”
Morecambe fans contributed towards their club’s expenses tonight as someone handed the hat round. They presented Derek Adams with over £300 in the changing rooms after the game – but he refused it. He explained that Hyde had made sure his team had been fed and watered and suggested they give the dosh to Morecambe Food Bank instead. Says a lot about the man… They decided to keep the money until the Marine game on Saturday – assuming that it was actually going to happen. No doubt everyone added to the pot then. If it was again refused, I would expect the Food Bank to get it – apparently, they were one of the first local groups to be on the scene when Morecambe staff weren’t paid earlier in the month.
Personally, I think they should have sent the bill to a certain Mr J Whittingham – but we all know how that would have worked-out, don’t we?…
Saturday, 19th July: Marine AFC 1:1 Morecambe.
We all owe a lot to Marine AFC. When Morecambe first entered the Football Conference way back in 1995, it was in the Crosby club’s place. Marine had actually won the Northern Premier League but their ground – Rossett Park – was deemed not to be of Conference standard. So Runners-Up Morecambe went up in their stead. But a lot of money has been spent in recent times upgrading Rossett Park to an acceptable standard, which is why Marine is now a member of National League North. It is an ambitious club and we can only watch in awe as the plans to move to a brand new £8 million State of the Art stadium on a green field site on Edge Lane in Crosby have been unveiled recently. Good luck to them – you can see some impressions of the new ground here:
https://marinefc.com/marine-fc-announce-edge-lane-stadium-plans/
Anyway – virtually the same Morecambe squad that Derek Adams had named to play in the last two friendlies turned-up today. Marine were also obviously up for it. Big Lump of a Centre Half Number Five (Wardle?) flattened young Billy Whaite off the ball a couple of times and their goalkeeper was shamelessly playing for time from the moment the Mariners took the lead. (One of the most memorable moments of the game was when he was out of his goal, loudly yelling at someone-or-other only for the Referee to bawl at him: “Get back in your goal and shut up!” – and he meekly obeyed. I’m sure that even some of his own team-mates joined-in the general laughter which followed…)
But the Merseysiders were the sharper team in the first half and had several shots at goal to Morecambe’s none. Harry Burgoyne earned his corn with a few good reaction saves but he was beaten after just four minutes by George Newall.
Marine Manager Bobby Grant shook things up after an hour with six changes. He admitted afterwards that this lost them the opportunity to win the game: he said that they lost both their shape and discipline and allowed the visitors to equalise. When it came, it was a really good goal: Ben Tollitt redeemed yet another poor performance with a superb cross from the Shrimps’ left which Whaite – undaunted by the bruising he had received so far – headed under the bar with a brilliant effort which was far too good for the loud-mouthed home keeper.
Tuesday, 22nd July: Morecambe v Barrow FC 1945hrs.
As the crisis deepened off the pitch, this fixture was progressively downgraded. First of all, it was a standard friendly with fans from both clubs able to watch. Then it was scheduled to be played behind closed doors because of the dire financial straits Morecambe found themselves in: they could not afford either staff or a Safety Certificate to legally allow the public to watch. Finally, as things looked ever darker for the future of the club, it was scrapped altogether,
Saturday, 26th July: AFC Fylde 1:1 Morecambe.
I was personally amazed that this game took place at all, given the lack of progress of any sale off the field and the failure to pay staff and players yet again by appalling owner Jason Whittingham.
But ahead it went anyway and the first thing I thought when I arrived at Mill Farm was “Wow! This makes our ground look distinctly shabby!”
The stands have a bit of style to them – they’re not just square boxes like the things at the Maz. The entire arena is roofed, furthermore: no Berlin Wall for Coasters fans to stand in front of to be soaked by the rain or burnt by the sun.
It made me wonder how much the place cost. (It’s difficult to find an accurate answer. The whole complex – which includes an Aldi supermarket and other retail outlets; practice pitches and a Sports Science facility – was £25 million; seven million pounds more than was initially budgeted.) So it didn’t come cheap: and it doesn’t look like it: this place would be the envy of many League One and League Two football clubs – and I felt positively green as I wondered how much the original Globe Arena had cost…
Once the game started, Harry Burgoyne came to the Shrimps’ rescue after just two minutes, making a tremendous save to keep out an effort from the Coasters’ Jack Morris on their right. He was beaten just two minutes later, though, when another fantastic effort from the hosts’ Danny Omerod beat him all ends up only to crash back into play from the angle of post and bar to his left. Throughout the game, Morecambe offered little going forward. Billy Whaite – so effective a week ago at Marine – met his match today and was so comprehensively played out of the game that King Derek took him off during the second half.
The young lad reminds me a lot of Michael Mellon when he first played for Morecambe. You could see all the attributes of a star forward in the lad but he was too small physically and not sufficiently strong to get the better of many older, bigger Centre Halves. But when he returned for his second stint, he was older, bigger and wiser – no wonder he scored so many goals. I suspect that Billy could well do the same.
The only really good chance of the entire game as far as the Shrimps were concerned came about mid-way during the first half. Tom White did really well to rob the ball from Taelor O’Kane in midfield, strode purposefully forward and took a shot which goalkeeper Zak Jones did brilliantly to keep out. But his Opposite Number was the busier throughout the game and without Harry, Morecambe could have lost two or even three nil. He saved the best until last, though and managed to get a strong hand to a Charlie Jolley rocket which seemed destined to win the game for the Coasters in one of the best goalkeeping reactions I have ever seen.
The game was a bit feisty towards the end: I thought Luke Henrie (who played really well otherwise) was lucky not to be sent-off when he stamped on a Fylde player who ended-up on the ground after he had committed a foul on him. There was a bit of a melee after this but the game was generally played in a good spirit.
Coming away, I have lost count of the number of Morecambe fans who expressed to me their dismay at the state of things: a dismay which I shared as I thought we might have just witnessed the last game the club would compete in – ever.
Tuesday, 29th July: Lancaster City v Morecambe 1945hrs.
At a time when many of our number (including myself) thought that the game at Fylde would be the last one for the original Shrimps, the gloom seemed to be deepened when this game was also cancelled. This wasn’t acknowledged on the official Morecambe FC website (which was still advertising the cancelled game against Barrow) – as Whittingham’s thoughtless and careless influence became dominant – but City was quick to advertise the fact. And many Morecambe fans told the club to keep the money they had paid for a necessary ticket to keep it as some recompense for the inconvenience caused. Good for them: unlike the owner of the time, at least some people have standards worth respecting…
Morecambe’s National League Fixtures (Kick-off1500hrs unless stated) as originally planned:
Saturday, 9th August 2025: Boston United v Morecambe. Postponed.
Saturday, 16th August 2025: Morecambe v Brackley Town. Postponed.
Tuesday, 19th August 2025: Scunthorpe United v Morecambe 1945hrs. Postponed.
Saturday, 23rd August 2025: Morecambe v Altrincham 1230 hrs.
Monday, 25th August 2025: Aldershot Town v Morecambe1945hrs.
Saturday, 30th August 2025: Morecambe v Woking.
Tuesday, 2nd September 2025: Morecambe v Forest Green Rovers 1945hrs.
Saturday, 6th September 2025: Boreham Wood v Morecambe.
Saturday, 13th September 2025: Solihull Moors v Morecambe.
Saturday, 20th September 2025: Morecambe v Wealdstone.
Tuesday, 24th September 2025: Morecambe v FC Halifax Town 1945hrs.
Saturday, 13th September 2025: Solihull Moors v Morecambe.
Saturday, 27th September 2025: Truro City v Morecambe.
Tuesday, 30th September 2025: Morecambe v Gateshead 1945hrs.
Saturday, 4h October 2025: Tamworth v Morecambe.
Saturday, 18th October 2025: Morecambe v Southend United.
Saturday, 25th October 2025: Eastleigh v Morecambe.
Tuesday, 4th November 2025: Hartlepool v Morecambe 1945hrs.
Saturday, 8th November 2025: Morecambe v Sutton United.
Saturday, 15th November 2025: York City v Morecambe.
Saturday, 22nd November 2025: Morecambe v Yeovil.
Saturday, 29th November 2025: Braintree Town v Morecambe.
Saturday, 6th December 2025: Morecambe v Boston United.
Saturday, 13th December 2025: Brackley Town v Morecambe.
Boxing Day, Friday 26th December 2025: Morecambe v Rochdale.
Tuesday, 30th December 2025: Carlisle United v Morecambe 1945hrs.
Saturday, 3rd January 2026: Altrincham v Morecambe.
Saturday, 17th January 2026: Morecambe v Scunthorpe United.
Tuesday, 21st January 2026: FC Halifax Town v Morecambe 1945hrs.
Saturday, 24th January 2026: Morecambe v Solihull Moors.
Saturday, 31st January 2026: Wealdstone v Morecambe.
Saturday, 7th February 2026: Morecambe v Truro City.
Tuesday, 10th February 2026: Morecambe v Tamworth 1945hrs.
Saturday, 14th February 2026: Southend United v Morecambe.
Saturday, 21st February 2026: Morecambe v Eastleigh.
Tuesday, 25th February 2026: Gateshead v Morecambe 1945hrs.
Saturday, 28th February 2026: Morecambe v York City.
Saturday, 7th March 2026: Sutton United v Morecambe.
Saturday, 14th March 2026: Morecambe v Braintree Town.
Saturday, 21st March 2026: Yeovil Town v Morecambe.
Tuesday, 24th March 2026: Morecambe v Hartlepool 1945hrs.
Saturday, 28th March 2026: Morecambe v Aldershot Town.
Good Friday, 3rd April 2026: Rochdale v Morecambe.
Easter Monday, 6th April 2026: Morecambe v Carlisle United.
Saturday, 11th April 2026: Woking v Morecambe.
Saturday, 18th April 2026: Morecambe v Boreham Wood.
Saturday, 25th April 2026: Forest Green Rovers v Morecambe.
Morecambe’s new Opponents.
You can find very basic Pen Pictures of the other clubs the Shrimps are going to be encountering in the National League this season if you trawl through the club’s official website. They tell us that if you take the trouble to travel to all Morecambe’s away games, you will be covering a minimum of 8,780 miles on the road in total there and back. It’s a hell of a long way for players, staff, coach drivers and fans alike.
Strap yourselves in – it could be a bumpy ride!
I’ve researched the new clubs the team is about to visit in a bit more detail and details of the first six of them have already appeared on this blog; the following being the last of four:
The Future.
So, to conclude: will the ethos of the new Panjab ownership and their Warrior Caste mentality cause Morecambe to take the National League by storm as they charge back into the EFL once more this season, obliterating all the obstacles before them on their warpath?
Or will another concept from India: Mahatma Gandhi’s satyahraha (the polar opposite of being a Warrior but potentially equally effective via non-violent protest) come out on top?
We’ll all have to wait and see.
But in the meantime – whether you’re a Warrior or not and as Mr Gandhi might well have said himself:
Satyahraha, Gouranga and Peace and Love to everybody!
See you on Saturday! – or maybe later tonight at the Winter Gardens…
shrimplythebestfootball 