Morecambe F.C.

Morecambe Football Club is a professional football club in Morecambe, Lancashire, England. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed the "Shrimps" due to the coastal town's local cuisine, the club have played home games at the Mazuma Stadium since moving from their original home at Christie Park in 2010. The club contests rivalries with nearby Accrington Stanley, as well as other Lancashire clubs.

Morecambe
Full nameMorecambe Football Club
Nickname(s)The Shrimps
Founded7 May 1920 (1920-05-07)
GroundMazuma Stadium
Capacity6,476 (2,247 seated)
OwnerBond Group Investments Limited (82% maj. shareholder)
Co-chairmenGraham Howse & Rod Taylor[1]
ManagerDerek Adams
LeagueLeague Two
2019–20League Two, 22nd of 24
WebsiteClub website

The club was founded in 1920 and entered into the Lancashire Combination, where they would remain for the next 48 years, winning the league title on five occasions: 1924–25, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1966–67 and 1967–68. They joined the newly formed Northern Premier League in 1968 and went on to win the FA Trophy in 1974 and the Northern Premier League President's Cup in 1992. Under the stewardship of Jim Harvey, a second-place finish in the 1994–95 Northern Premier League Premier Division season saw them promoted into the Conference. Having been beaten in the 2003 and 2006 play-off semi-finals, Sammy McIlroy led the club to promotion into the Football League with victory in the 2007 play-off final. Since that time they have only finished in the top ten of League Two once, when they reached the play-off semi-finals after a fourth-place finish in 2009–10. They, along with AFC Wimbledon, are the only teams in the top 4 levels of the English game never to have been relegated in their entire history.[2]

History

1920–2005: Early history

Football in the town dates back to the turn of the 20th century; however, it was not until 7 May 1920 that Morecambe FC was formed after a meeting at the local West View Hotel. The club then took its place in the Lancashire Combination League for the 1920–21 season.

Sharing grounds with Morecambe Cricket Club at Woodhill Lane during the first season, football proved popular, with crowds in excess of 3,000 for derby fixtures with Lancaster City and Fleetwood Town. Although success on the field was hard to come by, with the club languishing near the bottom of the table, at the end of the first season the club moved grounds to Roseberry Park. A few years later after the purchase of the ground by the then-President, J.B. Christie, the ground's name was changed to Christie Park in his honour. Those early seasons proved difficult, and it was not until 1924–25 that the club began to enjoy some success, claiming the league title for the first time; this was later followed by success in the Lancashire Junior Cup, beating old rivals Chorley after two replays, and in front of over 30,000 spectators.

Christie bequeathed the ground to the club in 1927 and also helped incorporate the club into a Limited Company with a then share capital of £1,000. The rest of the 1920s and the whole of the 1930s saw a constant struggle to keep football alive on the North West coast, with poor results on the field and little or no revenue off the field.

The post-war era saw an upturn in the Shrimps' fortunes with steady progress throughout the late 1940s and nearly all the 1950s, with a visible marked improvement when in 1956 Ken Horton was appointed player-manager. Whilst success was only just around the corner, the foundations for the future were being built. The Auxiliary Supporters club had been formed and with their help many ground improvements were undertaken, so that the on-field success dovetailed neatly with the off-field enterprise. The fourteen years from 1960 could justifiably be said to be Morecambe's Golden Era. This included an FA Cup third round appearance in 1961–62, a 1–0 defeat to Weymouth; a Lancashire Senior Cup Final victory in 1968, a 2–1 win over Burnley;[3] and an FA Trophy success at Wembley in 1974, a 2–1 win over Dartford in the final.

The next 12 years were as barren as any previous period in the club's history. Attendances fell from a creditable 2,000 plus to a miserable 200 minus, with a visible decline in the club fortunes during that period. However, in 1985–86, signs of improvement appeared; the club's league position improved, and cup success over the next few years filled the club with optimism.

It took ten years for the club to reach its ambition of promotion to the Football Conference after many further improvements, not only to the ground but also to the club's structure, giving the club the opportunity to confidently look forward as one of the more progressive Conference clubs.

Since elevation to the Conference in season 1995–96, the Shrimps achieved status as one of the leading teams in the league. In fact, only Woking had a longer unbroken membership of the league at this time. Runners-up spot was claimed on one occasion and the play-offs places were narrowly missed twice. Also during this time, the club also equalled its best appearance in the FA Cup in both 2000–01 and 2002–03. On both occasions the club faced Ipswich Town, losing 3–0 and 4–0 respectively. Morecambe also defeated a few league clubs in the FA Cup, including Cambridge United in 2000–01 and Chesterfield in 2002–03. In the 2005–06 season, Morecambe reached the play-offs, but were beaten 4–3 on aggregate by Hereford United, after a 1–1 draw in the first leg at Christie Park.

2005–2011: Sammy McIlroy

In November 2005, Jim Harvey suffered a heart attack during a league game at Christie Park against Cambridge United. The club quickly declared the appointment of a caretaker manager, Sammy McIlroy, a long-time friend of Harvey. After McIlroy's initial three-month stint as caretaker expired, he was given the job for the remainder of the season with Harvey expected to return on its closure. However, on his first day back as manager of Morecambe, Harvey was sacked by the club and McIlroy was appointed as permanent manager with Mark Lillis as his assistant. This caused a feud between long-time friends Harvey and McIlroy which has not been reconciled to this day.

In the absence of Harvey, Morecambe reached the Conference play-offs. They lost to Hereford 4–3 on aggregate, but McIlroy was appointed on a permanent basis in May 2006. The following season, Morecambe were promoted to the Football League for the first time in their history after winning the Conference Playoff Final, beating Exeter City 2–1 at Wembley on 20 May 2007, in front of over 40,000 fans which followed their semi-final victory over York City.[4]

On 17 July 2007, Morecambe announced plans to move to a new stadium in time for the start of the 2009–10 season. Work did not commence on the proposed site until spring 2009, with an anticipated completion date of summer 2010.[5]

Morecambe played their first game in the Football League against Barnet at Christie Park in August 2007, in which they played out a 0–0 draw to secure their first ever Football League point.[6] On 14 August 2007, Morecambe played their first fixture in the League Cup and recorded a 2–1 win against near neighbours Preston North End at Deepdale with Jim Bentley and David Artell scoring for Morecambe.[7] The Shrimps compounded this result with another upset win over a Championship side, a 3–1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on 28 August to advance into the third round of the League Cup, in which they faced a third consecutive Championship side, Sheffield United. However, Morecambe lost 5 goals to 0. They finished their first season in League Two in 11th place with 60 points. They also finished the 2008–09 season in 11th, this time with 63 points.

2009–10 was Morecambe's last season at Christie Park. They finished the season in fourth place, qualifying for the playoffs, where they lost 7–2 on aggregate to Dagenham & Redbridge. On 10 August 2010, Morecambe played their first match at the Globe Arena against Championship side Coventry City in the League Cup First Round. Morecambe secured a 2–0 win, with Andy Fleming scoring the first two goals at the stadium. This earned Morecambe a Lancashire Derby in the second round against another Championship side, Burnley, where they lost 3–1. On 9 May 2011, Morecambe manager Sammy McIlroy left the club by mutual consent after five years at the helm.[8] McIlroy, who took over as manager from Jim Harvey, had left the club alongside assistant Mark Lillis. Morecambe chairman Peter McGuigan praised the pair for their efforts since taking over, describing McIlroy as the "best manager in his reign at the club."

2011–2019: Jim Bentley

On 13 May 2011, Bentley was appointed manager on a two-year contract, signing a two-year deal as player-manager.[9] His first game as a professional manager was a 1–0 defeat at home to Barnet. The Shrimps then went on a run of four wins in all competitions, including a 2–0 victory over Barnsley in the League Cup. After his first nine games in charge, Morecambe sat top of the league after winning six, drawing two and losing just once. Morecambe's defence at this time was crucial, conceding just five goals in nine games. However, this didn't last, as a poor end to the season led to Morecambe finishing 15th in League Two, still an improvement on the previous season. Jim Bentley's second season began with a 3–0 win over Exeter City. However, inconsistent performances once again resulted in them slipping into mid-table. During the 2016–17 season, Bentley received a two-match touchline ban and was fined £1,000, though Morecambe fans paid the fine.[10]

2019–: Derek Adams

Bentley left the club in October 2019 to take the manager's role at AFC Fylde, having spent 16 months as the longest serving manager in the top four tiers of English football.[11] On 7 November 2019, Morecambe appointed Derek Adams as manager, signing him to a two-and-a-half year contract.[12] The remainder of the season, shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, saw the Shrimps finish 22nd after 37 games played, still enough to avoid relegation.

Among other events, the 2020-21 season saw the club face two Premier League sides in various cup competitions, falling 0-7 to Newcastle United F.C. in the third round of the EFL Cup and 4-0 to Chelsea F.C. in the third round of the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge; the latter equaled their furthest run in the FA Cup since the early 2000s.

Kit and main sponsors
Period Kit Manufacturer Shirt Sponsor
1920-1974
1974-1978 Umbro
1978-1987 Litesome
1979-1980 Holmark
1981-1982 Adidas Mitchells
1983-1984 Umbro John Wilding
1984-1985 MG Markets
1985-1986 Carlton Caterers
1986-1987 Umbro
1987-1988
1988-1991 Umbro Cvg
1992-1993 Mitchells
1993-1994 Asics Carleton Inn
1994-1995 Printing Machinery
1995-1996 Pony International Ais Products
1996–1997 Lakesway
1997–1998 Oasis
1998–1999 Ambulink UK
1999-2000 Umbro Redman & Jones
2000-2002 Business Serve PLC
2002-2004 Thurnham Leisure Group
2004-2007 Wright & Lord Solicitors
2007-2008 Jiang Print
2008-2009 Puma SE Mopay.co.uk
2009-2010 Bench.
2010-2011
2011-2012
2012-2013 Fila Carbrini
2013-2014 Blacks Leisure Group
2014-2015 Carbrini
2015-2016 Carbrini JD Sports
2016-2017 Omega Holidays
2017–2018 Macron Purple Property Group
2018–2019 Bizloans4u
2019–2020 Annapurna Recruitment[13]
2020–2021 Annapurna Recruitment[14]

Mascot

The Shrimps mascot is Christie the cat.[15] The cat was named after Morecambe's old Stadium, Christie Park. He once had an infamous friendly altercation with Dagenham & Redbridge goalkeeper Tony Roberts for which Christie was sent off, even though the dispute had been started by Roberts.

Christie is now a regular at The Globe Arena, having reappeared after being stolen following the last game at Christie Park. A member of the public came into the Globe and offered to sell Christie to the club, but a nice policeman explained to the member of the public that he would be going home empty handed, having been congratulated for his community spirit.

Rivalries

Starting in the early 1990s, Morecambe have been engaged in a bitter rivalry with Lancashire neighbours Accrington Stanley. The Shrimps failed to beat Accrington in 16 attempts after their 2007 promotion to the Football League before Aaron Wildig's goal gave them a 1–0 win over their rivals in August 2015. Morecambe's other local rivals include Barrow, Lancaster City, Fleetwood Town, Kendal Town and Southport.

Players

Current squad
As of February 01 2021[16]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  WAL Kyle Letheren
2 DF  ENG Kelvin Mellor
3 DF  SCO Stephen Hendrie
4 DF  ENG Nathaniel Knight-Percival
5 DF  SCO Sam Lavelle (captain)
6 DF  ENG Harry Davis
7 FW  ENG Jordan Slew
8 MF  FRA Toumani Diagouraga
9 FW  ENG Cole Stockton
10 MF  ENG Aaron Wildig
11 MF  ESP Carlos Mendes Gomes
12 GK  ENG Mark Halstead
No. Pos. Nation Player
13 GK  POR Andre Da Silva Mendes
14 MF  ENG Alex Kenyon (vice-captain)
15 MF  NIR Brad Lyons (on loan from Blackburn Rovers)
16 MF  IRL John O'Sullivan
17 FW  ENG A-Jay Leitch-Smith
18 MF  ENG Ben Pringle
19 FW  IRL Liam McAlinden
21 DF  ENG Ryan Cooney (on loan from Burnley)
22 DF  ENG Liam Gibson
23 MF  ENG Freddie Price
24 DF  CMR Yann Songo'o
— MF  ENG Alex Denny (on loan from Salford City)

Managerial history

Since 1947 to present.

Dates Name Notes
1947–1948 Jimmy Milne
1955–1956 Albert Dainty
1956–1961 Ken Horton
1961–1964 Joe Dunn
1964–1965 Geoff Twentyman
1965–1969 Ken Waterhouse
1969–1970 Ronnie Clayton
1970 Gerry Irving and Ronnie Mitchell
1970–1972 Ken Waterhouse
1972–1975 Dave Roberts Won FA Trophy at Wembley in 1974
1976–1977 Johnny Johnson
1977–1978 Tommy Ferber
1978–1979 Mick Hogarth
1979–1981 Don Cubbage
1981 Jim Thompson
1981–1984 Les Rigby
1984–1985 Sean Gallagher
1985–1988 Joe Wojciechowicz
1988–1989 Billy Wright
1989–1993 Bryan Griffiths
1994 Leighton James
1994–2005 Jim Harvey Won promotion to the Conference from the Northern Premier League in 1995
2005–2011[n 1] Sammy McIlroy Won promotion to the Football League from the Conference in 2007
2011–2019 Jim Bentley
2019 Kevin Ellison & Barry Roche Joint caretaker player managers
2019–Present Derek Adams

Honours and achievements

Conference National

  • Playoff winners: 2007

FA Trophy

Conference League Cup

  • Winners: 1998

Northern Premier League

Lancashire Combination

  • Winners (5): 1924–25, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1966–67, 1967–68

Northern Premier League President's Cup

  • Winners: 1992

Lancashire Senior Cup

  • Winners: 1968

Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy

  • Winners (11): 1926, 1927, 1962, 1963, 1969, 1986, 1987, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004

Lancashire Combination Cup

  • Winners (5): 1927, 1946, 1965, 1967, 1968

Footnotes
  1. Caretaker manager for his first six months.

References
  1. "Rod Taylor & Graham Howse announced as Co-Chairmen". Morecambe F.C. 10 November 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  2. "FIVE THINGS: Morecambe FC". Oldham Athletic FC. Oldham Athletic FC. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  3. The Lancashire Cup – A Complete Record 1879–80 to 2006–07, by Gordon Small. A SoccerData Publication on behalf of the Lancashire Football Association. 2007. ISBN 978-1-905891-04-7.
  4. "Exeter 1–2 Morecambe". BBC Sport. 20 May 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2007.
  5. "New Stadium Planned". Morecambe FC. 17 July 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 17 July 2007.
  6. "Morecambe 0–0 Barnet". BBC Sport. 11 August 2007. Retrieved 14 August 2007.
  7. "Preston 1–2 Morecambe". BBC Sport. 14 August 2007. Retrieved 14 August 2007.
  8. "Manager Sammy McIlroy leaves Morecambe". BBC Sport. 9 May 2011. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  9. "Morecambe appoint Jim Bentley as boss". BBC Sport. 13 May 2011. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  10. Fisher, Ben (8 January 2017). "Morecambe supporters pay manager Jim Bentley's £1,000 FA fine". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  11. "Paul Tisdale leaves Exeter City after 12 years in charge of Devon club". 1 June 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  12. "DEREK ADAMS NAMED AS NEW SHRIMPS MANAGER". www.morecambefc.com. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  13. "Record kit deal announced". Morecambe F.C. 21 May 2019.
  14. https://www.morecambefc.com/news/2020/may/centenary-kit-and-crest-revealed/
  15. "Morecambe | You can now follow Christie the Cat on Facebook". Morecambefc.com. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  16. "First Team - Morecambe". morecambefc.com. Morecambe F.C. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.