In an interview, Morecambe owner Jason Whittingham says he ‘can’t wait to get out’, and speaks on future of the club and threat of relegation.
Whittingham, through Bond Group Investments, took over back in May 2018 with Morecambe at risk of relegation to the National League.
The same potential fate awaits them this term, with the Shrimps bottom of League Two and six points adrift of safety, with a takeover by Punjab Warriors still to go through. Have a listen to this…
Jason: Firstly, financially, the club is fine for the rest of the season, and anyone on the board could confirm that. So despite supporters’ misgivings, there’s no problem for the rest of the season.
“The transfer embargo has been lifted, so Derek is frantically scurrying away in the market to see what he can pick up for the team. Obviously, a striker or 2 would be good because of that I think I’ll speak to Rod Taylor yesterday I think we’ve had ten 1-0 results.
“Could have gone either way. So financially, fine for this season, embargo has been lifted, and the sale of the club is still work in progress.”
Interviewer: “In terms of transparency here, Jason, let me just take you back to the summary, if I may, when you you spoke to national radio station and said that a deal would be done within 10 to 14 days. That was back in June.
“I think there was a lot of excitement from the supporters and thinking about the the next step for Morecambe Football Club, and it hasn’t materialised.
“It’s not the first time in two and a half years that we thought we were getting towards a sale. What happened last summer that has meant that you are still the owner?”
Jason: “Firstly, I I give information as is correct at the time. So the deal has been agreed. It had been agreed back then, and the intention of the buyer was to complete within that period, which is why I then passed on that message.
“They then decided, and they made it, public in, I think, December. They they issued a statement, which was they wanted to distance themselves from the chap that was previously trying to buy the club.
“So they decided to go through a restructure and a departure with him, which took them some time. It was frustrating because it caused delays, and, yes, I should have probably communicated that better.
“The board were aware, and it’s been a slow process for them to restructure their group, separate from the previous chapter trying to buy the club, and get their house in order in terms of source of sufficiency, structure of their acquisition vehicle, and demonstrate all the information required to the EFL.
“So, yeah, it is if I’m honest, it’s been a ridiculous amount of time, but it is still progressing.”
Interviewer: “When you say it’s progressing, in what way? Is it now entirely in the hands of the EFL? Is there an active application from the next buyer?”
Jason: “It is in active application and it’s always back and forth with the EFL. I mean, I had it when I bought the club. So the last major submission by the buyer, I believe, is on 17th January, and now that sits with the EFL. And that is not to say that the EFL are delaying in any shape or form. I think the EFL, you know, has central and other clubs to deal with, not just Morecambe. So yeah.
“So the last major round of submission from the buyouts on 17th January, and they now await feedback from the EFL. EFL have committed to, put the time in as they would with any club going through an acquisition, but, obviously, they also have this January transfer window to deal with, and Morecambe then had to refocus its efforts and our efforts on getting this embargo lifted. So I think we’re working very closely with the EFL, and I just wanna say they’ve been massively supportive through this entire process. They have probably gone, like most people on the board, above and beyond to get Morecambe through. So, yeah, now we’re just waiting for the EFL to respond to that last submission.”
Interviewer: “Have you any inkling, Jason, how long this process might take them?”
Jason: “I don’t. It’s really not in my hands how long it takes. EFL requires them to request information, buyer sends in information, EFL review it, and they either approve it or come back with more questions, but the amount of time it takes, I can’t dictate in any shape or form.”
Interviewer: “Could you confirm that it is Kuljeet Singh Momi who is looking to take on the club from you, Jason?”
Jason: “It is the entity Panjab Warriors. I can confirm that.”
Interviewer: “And you’ve reached, obviously, a valuation that you feel is acceptable. In terms of that valuation, has that changed since you’ve put the club up for sale?”
Jason: “Well, enormously. Because when we put the club up for sale, it was in league 1, and now it’s in the bottom of league 2, so the price was changed accordingly.
Interviewer: “Just give us an idea what what numbers we’re talking, Jason.”
Jason: “Couldn’t possibly do that.”
Interviewer: ‘Okay. Is it numbers that that you are relatively happy to accept, or are you reluctantly accepting it because of the interest in taking on the club?”
Jason: “No. I’m happy to accept it and move on. Yeah. My my intention was to get the club sold 6 years ago. I can’t believe it’s been 8 years.”
Interviewer: “It has been a long time. In terms of that time, Jason, I think it’s fair to say that the the supporters of the football club have found you, at times, not particularly approachable, and potentially someone that, right now, they want out of the football club. How would you react to the criticism that you’ve been given from board level to supporter level, and basically everyone connected to the club apart from yourself?”
Jason: I think that they can criticise me, but when they start to harass members of my family on social media, I think that’s quite disgusting and cowardly. So they can say what they like about me and to me. They can protest Jason out. That’s fine. They have a right to protest. I would like Jason out. I’ve made no secret about that.
“In terms of me being approachable by them, I’m in constant dialogue with the board, and in my view, the board, are on the ground to deliver communications. And at times, I think some of those communications from the board have been not had balance, which is why I’ve now had the meeting with the shrimps trust, which is why I agreed to this chat with you. I’ve had previously had bad experiences with the press where I I’ve told them information, it just gets twisted and changed, and also, I think it’s a point with the supporters, which I get to a degree, they don’t really believe a word I say anymore, quite frankly.”
Interviewer: “They don’t, do they? That that’s the honest part of it. Do you feel the responsibility for that, Jason? Do you feel the responsibility for that, that the supporters don’t believe a word you say?”
Jason: “I have a level of understanding, but again, anything I’ve communicated has been truth in that moment. Subsequently, things happen and things change. I guess my what I could have done better is had more direct communication.”
Interviewer: “Derek Adams did come out a few weeks ago to say there would be additional budget to strengthen his squad in January, and then we get a statement last week to say that the club cannot sign anybody and there is no more money. Where did we get to from, yes, there will be another budget and more funds to strengthen, to the fact that last week, there was a prevention from signing players and no more money available?”
Jason: “It wasn’t that the money was was not available, it was the where the money was coming from that was a potential issue for the EFL.
“So when the board did, I think they did a fans forum at the beginning of January saying that more money would be available, we had the funds available at that time, so it was truth. Then there was an issue with the source of that funding, which is why, the EFL placed us on a temporary embargo until bond group demonstrated these, an alternative source of funding.
“So again, the EFL worked collaboratively with us to do this, and the board worked with us, and those particular heaps of work for Graham on working capital and cash flows, Graham House. And Bond Group ultimately did provide source and sufficiency to increase the transfer of budget, which which we now have, which is why Derek’s in the market.”
Interviewer: “Is funding coming from the prospective new owners to help with this?”
Jason: “No.”
Interviewer: “Have they already put money in as they suggested in the statement?”
Jason: “Yes. They have. That’s no secret.”
Interviewer: “But they’re not wishing to do so anymore until they get their hands on the club. Is that right?”
Jason: “It’s difficult because what the EFL have to guard against in a regulatory way is backdoor control. So obviously, no one can control or influence the club unless they own it, and they can only own it if they’ve passed fit and proper with the EFL. So what the EFL were keen to avoid is a bit of a gray area. If the person buying the club put more money in, could they then enter influence and control over the club?
“Now the answer to that is no, which I’ve made clear to EFL and the board have made clear to EFL, they see no influence nor control coming from Panjab Warriors, but the EFL just had a concern about that. So that’s why the funding for this current window is not coming from the buyer.”
Interviewer: “So is any further funding coming from you personally, Jason?”
Jason: “It’s coming through me personally. Yes.”
Interviewer: “But it’s not your money coming in. It’s through another source. Is that correct?”
Jason: “Correct.”
Interviewer: “Okay. Have have you any intention of putting any more of your money in yourself?”
Jason: “If I had it, I would put it in. But I have, some good colleagues around me who will support me through the sale.”
Interviewer: “Okay. So in terms of going forward, if we get to next month and the month after that, you you have shown categorically to the EFL now that Morecambe can financially get to the end of the football season?”
Jason: “Correct. Otherwise, we would still be under an embargo.”
Interviewer: “What about after that, Jason? I mean, we I think everybody will be hoping that the club is under new ownership by then, but I think we all thought that a year ago, 18 months ago, 2 years ago. So if the club is then, at the end of the season, either in the EFL or in the National League, where does it go from there?”
Jason: “I’ll probably cross that bridge in a couple of months, Andy, if I’m honest. The focus at the moment has been getting through this window, getting some extra players in, and taking the next 19 games as they come.”
Interviewer: “I mean, relegation, what would it mean, Jason, in terms of the the ongoing sale of this football club?”
Jason: “Well, the club still has value if it has a relegation, but I’ll be honest, I’m not thinking about relegation.”
Interviewer: “You have to, don’t you, Jason?”
Jason: “Yeah. Yeah. I do. Look, I do, but I’m just focused on the club right now and getting through.
Interviewer: “But surely you have to be prepared for every eventuality here.”
Jason: “Well, yes. Prepared for, but not focused on. Not yet. Actually, in fairness, we can do another one of these in a month or two’s time when, it may well be an absolute…”
Interviewer: “That would make a lot of sense..”
Jason: “I think I’d say the focus is just getting through this transfer window, Derek getting some players in, and then seeing how the next few games play out.”
Interviewer: “And, of course, the ongoing sale of the football club. You you’ve already said, Jason, you don’t know how long a period it will be. Is there a possibility it could be tomorrow, next week, in 2 weeks, or have you any idea in that regard?”
Jason: “It all depends on how the EFL come back on that last submission from the buyer. So if that submission is good, yeah, it could take a week. If it’s not, it depends on the other level of information EFL require.”
Interviewer: “How long did it take for you?”
Jason: “I think maybe 4 months, I think.”
Interviewer: “That’s a very long time. Isn’t it? If the proposal was put to the EFL earlier this month, the likelihood is if if this runs 4 months, then we’re gonna know one way or the other whether Morecambe is still an EFL club, aren’t we?
Jason: “Yeah. I mean, to be honest, I have a little information they’ve recently submitted. It shouldn’t take 4 months. They’ll either get approved or they won’t. And, yes, in answer to another question, there are other people interested in buying the club.”
Interviewer: “But that would take the process straight back to the beginning again, wouldn’t it?”
Jason: “It would. But as we’ve seen with other clubs, it all depends on the quality of information submitted and the structure that people are trying to buy the club through and where the money comes from. You know, these clubs have been bought within a month. Look, but the thing is, I don’t know. I don’t know.”
Interviewer: “When you say there’s other interested parties, Jason, have there been over the last 2 and a bit years, but you’ve turned down those offers?”
Jason: “No. Firstly, I was bound into a contract with the, guy that started the process 2 years ago.”
Interviewer: “That’s Mr Johal. Is that correct?”
Jason: “Yeah. And I couldn’t entertain other other offers under that agreement for quite some time. It was about a year, And as soon as that agreement ended, not ended, as soon as that period ended, then I did start to entertain other buyers. So there are a lot of tiekicks out there, Andy. People who suggest they wanna buy the club, and I say fine. Here’s a load of information for you. Now come back with an indicative offer and we can talk, then they come back with an indicative offer and I say no, show me source and sufficiency of funding, not just to buy the club, but to support it for 2 years. The amount of information I and the club have provided for prospective buyers over the last 2 years is ridiculous, and then they just walk away, because quite frankly, they haven’t got the means to do it.”
Interviewer: “Can you understand, Jason, the concern of the people of Morecambe that relegation might not be, and probably isn’t their biggest concern right now. It’s the whole future that they might have a football club, or might not next year. And, largely, they feel that you’re responsible for this unstable, leading of this football club.”
Jason: “I can understand why they would feel like that, Andy.”
Interviewer: “I mean, how do you feel about that, Jason? I mean, people are saying you don’t care about Morecambe, and, you know, what whatever happens, it’s not gonna matter to you.
Jason: “Well it does matter. It’s always been my intention to try and hand the club on to someone who will take it to another level. I work on trying to get through this position every day of every week, and I have been for last 2 years, and what people don’t understand is the the toll it takes on me personally and my family to keep the club going. You know, people talk about lack of investment, but people don’t understand the amount of money that has been put into the club over the last 2 years just to keep the wheels turning.
Interviewer: “Do you worry that the club might go out of business?”
Jason: No. No. No. No. I don’t.
Interviewer: Why not?
Jason: Because I’ve seen the cash flows.
Interviewer: And if you were still the owner come the summer, and I know we’ll talk again hopefully be between now.
Jason: We’ll definitely talk again, Andy, because it’ll be more relevant to talk about it in a couple of months when we’ll have a better understanding where the club’s sitting.
Interviewer: I do feel it’s relevant now as well though, Jason, that this club, regardless of their league status next season, will still be operating?
Jason: Right. As of the moment, I have no doubt they’ll still be playing football next season.
Interviewer: With you still at the helm if you have to be? If I have to be.
Jason: If I have to be.
Interviewer: And you’re content that you will be able to get the finances to help you with that?
Jason: Yeah. I mean, we need to start working on scenario cash flows for next season imminently, because I think we have to make submissions to the EFL of February or March, I think, about intentions for next season. So we will obviously, at that point, be running 2 scenarios.
Interviewer: I know you have been involved in sport before, Jason, and supporters will refer to Worcester Warriors and feel, are we going down the same route as they’ve had to? What would your response be to that?
Jason: The very different beast was to Warriors off the back of COVID. Again, you know, truth is that COVID financially damaged that club to a point where it couldn’t survive post COVID as with London Irish, as with Wasps. This club is not going down the same route.
Interviewer: Do you feel a responsibility for what happened there?
Jason: Well, an element of responsibility, of course. I was at the helm. It’s tough, Andy. What people don’t realise is how how much damage COVID did financially to all clubs. You know, Morecambe was fortunate through COVID that it had an insurance payout to support it, but the insurers didn’t pay out for any of the rugby clubs just because of wording, so the cost of COVID on all rugby clubs was, you know, tens of millions of pounds, and then you have a mildly unsympathetic HMRC when you emerge from COVID, who push you to the brink when financially you just haven’t recovered.
Interviewer: Just in terms of the way the football club is run, it’s quite unique, this situation, I think, Jason, that that there is an owner, which is you, who is not based here in Lancashire, and you’ve got a board of directors who largely have been involved with the football club for many years under various guises and owners, how do you be describe relation with board right now?
Jason: I think I have a good relationship with some of the board and others not so.
Interviewer: Why is that?
Jason: Differences of opinions.
Interviewer: Is there any more you can tell us on that?
Jason: No. Because, you know, I had a good chat with Rod Taylor yesterday, you know, Rod’s been there. I think he’s been the director for 34 years, and my reason for the chat with Rod yesterday, and don’t get me wrong, Rod and I chat, and Graham House, and myself chat most days. Mick Horton just gets on with supporting Derek, absolutely solid. But the point of my conversation with Rod yesterday, and he agreed is that it you would just have to work together to get this thing over the line, because we all want the same thing. That’s all we want. And what Rod agrees, I’m sure if he called him, he’d say so, and it was a very good chat. It was a positive chat about us, focus on the January window, get what we can from it, and then just start work together, better together to get this thing over the line in terms of the sale. But also Andy, they’re very, you know, Rod and Mick are very hands on down there, and they they largely do a really good job.
Interviewer: How do you think they feel about you, Jason?
Jason: Personally, I think they share my frustration. They they know I am hugely frustrated at how long this is taking. They know that I want to move on. They know that I want the best for the club. You probably need to ask them, Andy.
Interviewer: Do you think you’re easy to deal with for them?
Jason: I would say so. I mean, largely, they just get on with it without any interference from me.
Interviewer: In terms of communication, Jason, do you look back on your tenure at this football club that, of course, is still going on and and maybe regret that that you could have communicated better and and more with the fan base here that I know you spoke to the Shrimps Trust lately, but for example, we’ve been trying to speak to you for some time, haven’t we?
Jason: No. Absolutely. I could have been far more communicative with the support base.
Interviewer: Is that the sort of guarantee that going forward until you’re leaving the club that that communication will potentially get better?
Jason: It not potentially will get better. I mean, that’s why, Andy, I know you’ve been chasing me for months, if not years to do this. That’s why I agreed to chat to you. That’s why I agreed to chat with the Shrimp’s Trust, and, you know, there’s a couple of other journalists wanting to talk to me, and I will know because one, I need to have some balance on communication, but, 2, I want to be able to tell it as as I see it and as it is.
Interviewer: So as you see it on this day in January 31st, Jason, how much are you hoping that by the end of February, you’re no longer the owner of this football club?
Jason: With every fibre in my body.
Interviewer: So you can’t wait to get out of Morecambe?
Jason: I can’t wait to get out of Morecambe. I know in a positive way, I no longer want to be the owner of the club, but I will support the club until such a time as someone else is the owner.
Interviewer: In terms of these prospective owners, how long have you known them, Jason?
Jason: I’ve known one of them for over a year, and then well, actually, another one has been on and off with me for about 6 years. And in my time here, I’ve I’ve actually had 2 potential owners in front of the EFL, but neither of them then go over the line.
Interviewer: And that that’s by not passing the test or not going through the process?
Jason: 1 didn’t go through the process, and one didn’t pass the test. Yeah. We sat in the EFL offices in Preston with 1 of them. We just didn’t we literally got stopped at that meeting.
Interviewer: How would you best sum up your time then, Jason, as being with Morecambe Football Club? Why did you get involved in the first place?
Jason: It it was a good business case at the time. You know, we met with Peter McGuigan, the then owner. She was no, he was the chairman at the time, and it looked like the club that had the potential to actually get to a breakeven position. That was the plan, and then sell on. And we almost got to that, and we had potential buyers lined up, and then COVID came along. Now it was never an intention to be there for more than 2 years. COVID then derailed it. But look, Andy, in terms of my time, you know, promotion to League One for first time in the club’s history was amazing. Relegation at a league one was miserable. It’s been rocky.
Interviewer: Just speaking of that league one season, would it be fair to say that there was a promised budget for that January window that didn’t materialise and, inevitably, has cost more come a place in League One?
Jason: Quite possibly. Yes.
Interviewer: And is that on your on your watch, obviously, isn’t it?
Jason: Well, the yes. On my watch.
Interviewer: Why was that changed?
Jason: The funds never materialised. It wasn’t coming from Bond Group.
Interviewer: That’s cost you big time, hasn’t it?
Jason: Most likely. Yes.
Interviewer: That you were relegated by a point from League One, and had Derek been able to strengthen that squad, it would have made a huge difference.
Jason: Yep. Quite painful. Although, what I would say, Andy, is the costs involved from going to League Two to League One are just astronomical, and Morecambe, truthfully, isn’t big enough for League One at the moment to be a sustainable League One club. It you know, clubs should be able to stand on their own two feet financially, but not many do. And the step up in the cost to being a League One club compared to a League Two club are just ridiculous. And in fact, it’s done. I’m actually having a meeting with Lizzi Collinge, to talk about football governance, because the costs now to survive in league 2 compared to when I bought the club are quite ridiculous, but there’s not a lot of extra income coming through the doors, and there’s not a lot of central distributions coming through the doors. All of that cost is borne by the owners, so I think through Tanya at the Shrimp’s Trust, she had had a chat with Lizzi just to say, wouldn’t it be good to get an owner’s perspective on this? Because the owners understand the true cost of them to put their hands in their pockets. You know, the budget we’re on now at Morecambe is about 50 or 60% more than it was in… no about 30 or 40% more it was, and the season we got promoted to league 1, and where where’s the extra money coming from? It’s not coming from a central distribution. We haven’t gotten big enough lift in fan base. We haven’t got a big enough lift in sponsorship to pay for that. So there’s a constant need for owners to put their hands in the pockets, and, yeah, I’m very keen for the independent regulator to come in and try and get a better deal between the EFL clubs and Premier League clubs to support that. Because when you get the likes of Wrexham raging through the National League, up through League Two, for League One, wherever they go, it just drives enormous salary inflation, player costs, and it’s not sustainable.
Interviewer: Just going back to last season, briefly, the club were deducted points, weren’t they, for late payments of wages? That was a regrettable time, wasn’t it?
Jason: It was regrettable. I mean, it didn’t impact the season.
Interviewer: But that doesn’t matter, does it? That this is people’s livelihoods be on the pitch and off the pitch, isn’t it? That they weren’t being paid on time.
Jason: Yes. It was 3 days. They got paid within the same month. I mean, technically, was it even late?
Interviewer: But you were still punished for it?
Jason: Sorry. Say again?
Interviewer: You were still punished for it as a club.
Jason: Yeah. I know. To be honest, it’s a bit of a gray area, if I’m honest.
Interviewer: In what way?
Jason: Well, technically, people paid in the same month they were intended to be paid. They got paid on the 31st rather than the 28th. So it comes down to when is payday.
Interviewer: There will be members of staff at that football club who are worrying about their own jobs on and off the field, about what division they’ll be in next year. In terms of guaranteeing that people are paid between now and the end of the season, should anybody be concerned at all?
Jason: No.
Interviewer: You fully expect everyone to be paid on time between now and the end of the season?
Jason: Yes.
Interviewer: That must be a relief to everybody.
Jason: Which which is also a relief to me, Andy, because, you know, getting through payroll, and then on the 1st of the month, every month thinking right now I need to find the money to get through the next one. That’s painful for everyone. But now we’re fine for the rest of this season.
Interviewer: Do you have a degree of sympathy for Derek Adams through all this?
Jason: Of course I do. Of course I do.
Interviewer: He seems to have been promised one thing and got different things at times.
Jason: I was hoping it would have been 3rd time looking for Derek.
Interviewer: It’s fair to say he’s been promised things that haven’t materialized in that time, isn’t it?
Jason: He did get the budget for January a bit late. Actually, yeah. Yeah. Because there’s been times when when Derek has, not had things that were offered to him. Yes.
Interviewer: When that happens, Jason, and and you’re you’re the boss, I mean, what how do you feel about that?
Jason: Sick. I feel sick about it, Andy.
Interviewer: Have you been to him and said that during these times? Do you have open dialogue with Derek?
Jason: I’ve not spoken to Derek for a while.
Interviewer: Why not? I just let him go on with it and let the board run the club.
Jason: Do you not think it would be advisable, just a quick phone call to say you’re 5 points adrift at at the bottom or 6 points adrift, to say, look, I’m the owner. I’m with you. I’m giving you some money. We need to help you.
Interviewer: Yes, Andy. I do.
Jason: So you’re gonna do that? I didn’t.
Interviewer: Are you gonna do it?
Jason: I will.
Interviewer: There’s still time, isn’t there? This this budget you’re giving him, Jason, to bring new players in between now and the end of the month, is it is it competitive will allow him to bring in a number of faces or or 1 or 2? What we’re talking?
Jason: It’s quite a significant budget. Very significant. I mean, like for like, it probably represents a 25, 30% increase on the original budget. So it’s quite chunky.
Interviewer: And he’s got until Monday night to spend it?
Jason: Yes.
Interviewer: How confident are you that that will be spent?
Jason: He’s already spent some of it. I know that.
Interviewer: We’re waiting on announcements for for new players now, are we?
Jason: Yeah. I mean, the the one’s already been paperwork’s already been submitted to the EFL, so it’s just waiting for those guys to approve it.

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