Morecambe had been up for sale for three years, and BBC Sport was present when the takeover was finalized.
After more than a year of negotiations to acquire the club from former owner Jason Whittingham, the new ownership group, Panjab Warriors, moved swiftly to make their mark on Morecambe in their first hours at the helm.
On their first day at the club’s stadium, the group – the first Sikh owners of a professional English football club – ensured that staff wages, unpaid since May, were settled. They also held meetings with fans and local stakeholders to outline their plans, and announced the dismissal of highly-regarded manager Derek Adams.
BBC Sport offers a behind-the-scenes look at Panjab Warriors’ initial days running a football club.
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The BBC has learned that Panjab Warriors are planning to travel north from London to conduct a series of meetings and a photoshoot to formally announce their takeover. While there are no plans for a formal press conference, they may be willing to briefly address the media.
Upon arriving at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium, the BBC spoke with fans and staff following confirmation of the takeover.
Supporters collecting season tickets expressed their excitement. However, upon entering the stadium, exposed wires were observed hanging from the ceiling, the result of a contractor removing lighting from the bar and dressing room due to previous non-payment.
Inside, staff are assessing the number of players currently contracted, with the consensus being five, along with several young scholars. Long-serving kit man Les Dewhirst is awaiting the delivery of team kits later in the week.
The club’s sole remaining groundsman, whose partner gave birth during the period of unpaid wages, is maintaining a pristine-looking pitch.
After months of uncertainty, fans are now looking forward to attending Morecambe matches once again.
Dewhirst, former co-chairman Rod Taylor, head of the Shrimps’ Trust fan group Pat Stoyles, and local MP Lizzi Collinge have expressed their relief and welcomed the arrival of Panjab Warriors, while also stating their intent to hold the new owners accountable.
Doubts have been raised by staff members regarding whether Saturday’s scheduled home match against Altrincham will proceed, given the lack of essential elements such as stewarding, insurance, kits, and a sufficient squad of players.
Kuljeet Singh Momi is the majority shareholder of Panjab Warriors.
Members of Panjab Warriors are arriving in separate vehicles and entering the stadium for meetings.
Among them are Kuljeet Singh Momi, the majority shareholder, and Ropinder Singh, who is expected to become the club’s CEO. Another member has flown in from Venice.
Some enter the boardroom with Taylor, Stoyles, and Collinge, while others bring boxes of belongings and documents into the offices.
Simultaneously, staff received notification that their June salaries had been paid, marking the first payment since May.
Staff members have expressed their relief at no longer having to worry about rent or food costs.
Panjab Warriors have expressed differing views on conducting an interview. The BBC has received conflicting information regarding access, with some stating that questions about their plans for the club would be permitted, while others indicated that no contact would be allowed.
The group moved to the pitch to take photos with club scarves. They subsequently released a statement on the club’s official social media accounts confirming the takeover.
The BBC has been informed that an interview is possible, but the group initially insisted on delivering only a pre-written statement, refusing to answer questions. It was eventually agreed that questions could be asked after the statement.
Ropinder Singh and Gurpreet Singh, Panjab Warriors’ head of communications, answered a variety of questions while other members of the group conducted phone calls in the boardroom. They emphasized their desire to be as transparent as possible with fans.
Concurrently with the interview, the dismissal of manager Adams was being finalized and publicly announced.
The BBC was aware of the plan to dismiss Adams and replace him with Ashvir Singh Johal, a 30-year-old Uefa pro licence holder and youth coach with no senior first-team management experience, as we interviewed him earlier this summer when he expected to be announced as manager.
Gurpreet Singh stated that the club would undergo “a lot of changes” that would be to its “betterment,” and urged fans to trust the decisions being made.
Ashvir Singh Johal was initially slated to be announced as Morecambe manager in June, but Panjab Warriors’ original deal to take over the club stalled.
Johal’s appointment as manager has been confirmed. Images and quotes from his original unveiling and BBC interview in June have been used online. The BBC understands that Johal will not be conducting interviews this week as he focuses on rebuilding and preparing Morecambe’s squad.
Fan reaction to Johal’s arrival has been mixed, with some believing that a fresh start with a young, talented coach makes sense, while others lamented Adams’ departure and felt that retaining a more experienced manager would have been more logical.
It has been confirmed, to the surprise of many staff members, that Saturday’s match against Altrincham will proceed. Urgent preparations are underway to field a team and ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to welcome fans back to the stadium.
Employees have received their July salaries, and all debts owed to HMRC have been settled.
New manager Johal arrived on-site for his first day in the job and set about rebuilding a squad from the ashes left behind by the previous ownership.
Until recently, few would have believed the Morecambe dugout would be prepared for a match anytime soon.
The club has announced a flash sale on season tickets, offering a 20% discount for the full campaign to fans who purchase before Friday, while tickets for Saturday’s match have gone on sale.
The embargo placed on the club by the National League has been lifted, allowing players to be signed to reinforce the squad for the upcoming campaign.
Kits have arrived at the stadium, and Dewhirst is preparing them. He will need to print up to 120 sets of names and numbers on shirts once the squad is complete.
The BBC has learned that players are traveling to Morecambe to undergo medicals before signing for the club. One of the first is Raheem Conte, a 22-year-old midfielder previously at Cardiff City.
Now, the real work of the rebuild begins.
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