Morecambe FC offer to team up with community organisations

Morecambe have offered the Globe Arena to community groups and organisations in their work to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
Morecambe FCMorecambe FC
Morecambe FC

The Shrimps are one of many clubs to offer up their facilities to those involved in trying to stem the spread of the illness.

Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Watford and Chelsea are among the higher-profile clubs known to have provided similar assistance.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Others have teamed up with homeless organisations and community groups, while the Shrimps have offered to do their bit.

“We have offered it to the local community groups and the NHS,” said Morecambe co-chairman Rod Taylor.

“We have also contacted the foodbank and have made the offer to them in case they need to use it as well.

“These things are all in the planning stages but we’re just trying to do what we can.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Society’s needs at least put football in context, though all concerned with the Shrimps remain in limbo.

With all football suspended for the foreseeable future, that has had a knock-on effect off the pitch as well as on it.

Staff at the Globe Arena have been placed on furlough, in common with a number of clubs up and down the country.

“We pay people on the 28th of the month so all our staff – football and non-football – got paid,” Taylor said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It’s in the next month that it will start hitting people because they are in their normal cycle of things right now.”

The Premier League and EFL have tried to do their bit with the announcement of schemes worth £175m in total.

Mid-March saw the EFL reveal a £50m relief package, comprising the early release of award payments as well as an interest-free loan facility.

That was followed at the start of April by a Premier League statement outlining that £125m would be forwarded to clubs in the EFL and National League.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

While that money is a welcome boost in the short-term, it’s merely plugging a gap caused by the present lack of football and corporate events.

With society remaining in lockdown, it’s also cast a large cloud over the club’s proposed centenary celebrations.

“It’s not new money, it’s money in advance,” Taylor warned of the EFL and Premier League money.

“It’s absolutely decimated the centenary events that we were planning.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The whole thing is now on hold, from the concerts to a celebratory game and to a dinner.

“We just don’t know what’s happening at all. Is the season going to end now or if not, when are we going to start again?

“When can we put plans in place for people to start getting their season tickets?

“What’s happening with contracts because they’re up on June 30?

“It’s not for football locally to take a unilateral decision. There are a lot of discussions to be had between FIFA, UEFA and everybody else to sort it out because we’re all in it together.”