Derek Adams: Morecambe's survival makes it a great season for the club

The Shrimps ensured they maintained their 102-year record of never being relegated despite losing 1-0 to play-off hopefuls Sunderland in front of a record-breaking Mazuma Stadium crowd of 5,831 on Saturday.

Adams guided the Shrimps to safety after returning to the club with 13 games to go, at a time when they were sat in the bottom four.

The manager thanked everyone, including former boss Stephen Robinson, for the hard work that had taken place on and off the field over the past season.

Adams said: “We gained promotion last season to get ourselves into this situation and it’s fantastic for the players, the supporters, the board of directors and the owners, to have another season.

“Financially it’s huge, we can all see that. The differences between League One and League Two, the venues you go to, the teams that you play against, is massive and you only have to look now (with) Derby County coming down to League One.

“There’s a lot of big teams in this division but, over the season, we’ve picked up enough points to keep ourselves in League One.

“That’s where this football club wanted to be and that makes it a great season for the club.”

Morecambe had been written off as relegation certainties before a ball was kicked but eventually finished 19th, two points clear of the bottom four.

Gillingham’s defeat to Rotherham United ensured they joined Doncaster Rovers, AFC Wimbledon and Crewe Alexandra in League Two, while Fleetwood Town survived on goal difference.

Adams added: “It doesn’t matter what size club you are or how many fans you have, what matters is who you have inside the building, and in this building there are people who look after each other and you don’t get that in many football clubs.

“Over the season the club has come a long way off the field – and to see a record attendance at the Mazuma to watch our survival was tremendous and everyone deserves another season in League One.

“You have to thank Stephen Robinson, the players, the backroom staff and the board of directors and it is important we do that because they have all been part of the success.”