Panjab Warriors ‘feel blessed’ after ending Morecambe takeover ‘nightmare’

After purchasing the shares of former owner Jason Whittingham, new owners Panjab Warriors made their first appearance on Monday at the stadium.

A protracted period of bungled public relations between the two parties caused widespread concern that the club would not be sold and that it would eventually stop operating. The group had initially agreed a takeover deal in June.

“We can’t thank everybody here enough because it’s been a difficult and very long journey,” Morecambe’s new chief executive and Panjab Warriors member Ropinder Singh told BBB Sport. “The last seven, eight weeks have been horrendous for everybody involved, ourselves included, but it’s shown a lot of collectiveness, a lot of true grit.

There was a sense of relief after closing the deal at first. Now that it has been converted into pride, gratitude, and humility. We consider it a blessing to have this club’s custodians.

Although we won’t go into too much detail about how the takeover process was concluded, this is a complete nightmare. We don’t look back as we move forward.

In order to fully resolve Morecambe’s financial problems, Panjab Warriors must now pay off a number of debts and creditors.

The BBC was informed by staff that they received their June wages on Monday, which is the first time they have received pay in ten weeks, and that they anticipate receiving their July payment in the coming week.

Because that has been overdue for a while, Ropinder Singh said, “first and foremost, we wanted to make sure that all the staff, players, everyone involved is paid their wages.” Then HMRC and other entities are in default.

Given that Morecambe currently has five first-team players, no manager, and is scheduled to face Altrincham on Saturday at 12:30pm, that will be a challenge.

A postponement is possible, just like their opening three games of the season, because the team’s kit will only be delivered later this week and that players are still not insured to play or train.

When Panjab Warriors first agreed to take over the organization earlier this summer, the BBC learned that they intended to oust Derek Adams from his position and oust Ashvir Singh Johal, a 30-year-old former First Team Coach and former Notts County, Wigan Athletic, and Como coach.

Singh Johal thanked Panjab Warriors for hiring him in an interview with the BBC. Adams remained in the post, unpaid, and without a squad to coach because the takeover wasn’t completed at the time.

Adams’ dismissal was made while the BBC was interviewing the new owners on Monday evening, with the news that he had been fired. His replacement is anticipated to be Singh Johal.

After managing the club three times and bringing them to League One for the first time in their history, the 50-year-old has gained a sizable following among the fans.

When asked on Monday whether they still planned to let Adams go and install Singh Johal in his place, Panjab Warriors’ head of communications Gurpreet Singh responded, “All we want to say is, trust us,” Adams said as one member of the ownership group was finalizing it in a room next to him.

“There will be adjustments,” he declared. From League One down to the National League, we made it all the way. But trust us because we are here to improve the club’s situation.

Precious optimism and a desire to hold the Panjab Warriors accountable are woven into a fan base already detested by Whittingham’s disastrous ownership.

The Shrimps’ Trust, whose volunteers have been sacrificing their time and effort for months in an effort to help secure a takeover, says Pat Stoyles, chair of the fans’ group.

They’ve been in contact with me daily, asking me advice, and keeping us informed about what’s actually happening, since last Thursday. That is communication at a new level for us.

It’s amazing to know that we can resume our games, our friendships, and our banter.

“I think the atmosphere will be incredible in that first home game,” he said.

Local MP Lizzi Collinge says there will be pressure on the new owners to run the club effectively and that similar incidents should be avoided by the government’s new independent football regulator.

She said, “We’ve had moments of hope that has been lost and that hope has been over the town for the past few months.” “It’s wonderful to know that Jason Whittingham is no longer the club’s owner.”

It’s unknown whether Panjab Warriors will become the club’s guiding force in the return to English Football League. They claim that all creditors will be paid off within days and that they have funded the club to stop it from collapsing for a year.

However, questions remain regarding how the club can build a new squad on such notice and how long the organization will be viable.

However, for employees who have received their first paychecks since May, breathing once more is a major relief.

Les Dewhirst, the club’s kit man for 30 years, says, “I’ve been in my savings, but others have had it tougher than me.” They are aware that they can return to normal after borrowing from friends and not believing they need to go to the food banks or rely on donations.

The present-day certainty is a benefit, then. However, the assurance the Panjab Warriors demand will grow over time.