Exclusive: 'I think the owner needs to wake up and do the right thing', says ex Shrimps player

Departing Morecambe midfielder Tom White believes current Shrimps owner Jason Whittingham is ‘ruining a community’ as the National League club stand on the precipice of going out of business.

Despite putting the Shrimps up for sale almost three years ago and entering into talks with potential owners Panjab Warriors last summer, Whittingham’s Bond Group Investments remain in control of the club amid fierce criticism from supporters, local MPs, government ministers and other figures from across the world of football.

With staff going unpaid in full and the Shrimps placed under a suspension by the National League for another two weeks, the crisis has heightened in recent days and there were genuine concerns the doors could be locked at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium as prolonged attempts to conclude a takeover deal were frustrated once again.

White, who joined Morecambe last summer following his departure from Barrow before making 40 appearances for the Shrimps, has been at the heart of the response to the situation after releasing two passionate statements over the last fortnight.

The latest confirmed he had made an ‘emotional decision’ to depart the club to join National League side Boreham Wood and that deal was concluded on Tuesday afternoon.

Speaking to the LEP just over 24 hours later, the former Blackburn Rovers and Gateshead midfielder delivered a withering assessment of Whittingham’s stance over the future of the club and urged the Shrimps owner to ‘open his eyes’ and put an end to a crisis he believes is impacting at every possible level.

He told The LEP: “I don’t think he (Whittingham) quite understands the situation and the impact he is having on people’s lives. He has not been there himself, he clearly has no interest in the club and I would urge him to open his eyes and understand the emotional and human side of it.

“It’s not something to mess around with, this is people’s lives, it impacts on mental health, it impacts on staff putting food on their family tables so he has to wake up and do the right thing.

“He’s ruining a community, not just a club. These people should not be allowed to buy a football club and there should be something to be able to remove them because it’s not just football, it’s about people’s lives and the people that are paying hard-earned money to follow these clubs.”

Situation

Despite conceding the emotional attachment he felt with Morecambe supporters made it difficult to leave the club, White’s attention will now turn towards the next step in his career as he looks to make his Boreham Wood debut in Saturday’s National League opener at home to Rochdale.

The 28-year-old revealed the ambition of Wood chairman Danny Hunter and the ‘great pedigree’ of manager Luke Garrard played key factors in his decision to agree to a move to Meadow Park.

He said: “It was difficult and not difficult because I had to do it for the sake of my own career - but the emotional attachment made it difficult and the relationship I had with the fans too. I had a good option to move on and it was one that I couldn’t turn down in my situation.

“I had to leave Morecambe because I wasn’t being paid, we had no players and I just couldn’t turn it down.

“There’s a couple of reasons for joining Boreham Wood, the manager has great pedigree and he is a manager I’m sure will go higher at some point. He has tried to sign me on four or five occasions and I am delighted to be joining him now. They’re ambitious, the chairman is hands-on and he’s doing everything to try and grow the club.

“The location as well was a factor, it’s new to me, it’s out of my comfort zone and I just want to test myself and to kick on.”

Your next Morecambe read: 29 pictures as Shrimps fans queue in their 100s on Morecambe prom to buy new football kit