This has been a big week for Morecambe.
For those of you who read the articles here (lol), you’d know that hoddle headquarters has been keeping a close eye on Morecambe as the club teetered towards extinction.
Earlier this week, a Panjab Warriors consortium finally completed its takeover of the club. The Bond Group, which had previously owned the club, confirmed on Sunday that it sold its “majority shareholding” to Panjab Warriors.
The National League’s club compliance and licensing committee said Morecambe’s suspension from the league would no longer be in effect once it had received paperwork of the sale.
It’s been a long time coming for Panjab Warriors, whose takeover of the club was approved by the EFL back in June.
Panjab Warriors had previously accused the club of “being held hostage”, and the Bond Group’s Jason Whittingham had alleged there was a “campaign of social abuse on social media” against him and his family. In the same statement at the time, he also said those people would be investigated “even after the club is sold”. Baffling stuff, really.
So where does that leave Morecambe now?
Well first they’ve got a new manager: Ashvir Singh Johal, whois the first Sikh to manage a professional British club.
They also need to fill out the squad, which they’ve bolstered by signing eight players to the first team.
This all comes ahead of their season opener against Altrincham this weekend. And it’s going to be at home - how exciting! But it’s a quick turnaround, and the Shrimps are asking local supporters for help in tidying up the stadium.
They’ve got this fun looking wheel, too. Look!
It’s way too early to say how this season will end for Morecambe. I think it’s realistic to expect they’ll be relegated again (they hardly even have a team, after all).
But they avoided the absolute worst-case scenario, and that means they can at least continue fighting for survival.
Fitzie’s track of the day: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On), by Talking Heads
And now for your links:
Alasdair Gold: “Tottenham’s Eberechi Eze transfer mess and what it means for Daniel Levy and Thomas Frank”
Jay Harris ($$): “Missing out on Eberechi Eze underlines a sense Tottenham have failed to kick on after Europa League win”
BBC: “‘Reeking of desperation?’ - who could Spurs turn to next?”
London Standard: “Deja vu for dithering Tottenham as Arsenal show how big clubs act with Eberechi Eze transfer coup”
David Hytner: “Battle with Arsenal for Eberechi Eze was a fight Spurs feared they wouldn’t win”