Morecambe had been up for sale for three years and BBC Sport was there when the takeover was confirmed
After spending more than a year attempting to purchase the club from previous owner Jason Whittingham, new owners Panjab Warriors set out to make an immediate impression on Morecambe in their first hours in charge.
On the day they arrived at the club’s stadium, the group – the first Sikhs to own a professional English football club – ensured staff wages were paid for the first time since May, held meetings with fans and local stakeholders to outline their plans, and announced the sacking of highly-respected manager Derek Adams.
BBC Sport brings you a behind-the-scenes look at Panjab Warriors’ first days running a football club.
Monday morning – plans begin to take shape
The BBC speaks to staff at Morecambe and learns Panjab Warriors are planning to travel north from London to hold a series of meetings and conduct a photoshoot to help formally announce their takeover. There are no plans for a news conference but we are informed they may be willing to speak briefly to the media.
Monday afternoon – first reactions from staff and fans
After arriving at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium, the BBC speaks to fans and staff following confirmation of the takeover.
Fans collecting season tickets tell us how excited they are. On entering the stadium, loose wires are hanging from the ceiling – a contractor who was not paid for his work previously has pulled out the lighting he installed in the bar and dressing room.
Inside, staff are totting up how many players the club has. The general consensus is five, with a few young scholars. Long-serving kit man Les Dewhirst is awaiting delivery of kit later this week.
The club’s sole remaining groundsman – whose partner gave birth during the period staff went unpaid – is mowing a pristine-looking pitch.
After months spent worrying they would have no team to support this season, fans are looking forward to attending Morecambe matches again
Dewhirst, former co-chairman Rod Taylor, head of the Shrimps’ Trust fan group Pat Stoyles and local MP Lizzi Collinge tell us of their relief and welcome the arrival of Panjab Warriors, while insisting they will hold the new owners to account.
Doubts are expressed by various staff members as to whether Saturday’s scheduled home match against Altrincham will go ahead. Fundamentals such as stewarding, insurance, kits, and a big enough squad of players are not in place.
Kuljeet Singh Momi is the majority shareholder of Panjab Warriors
Various members of Panjab Warriors begin arriving in separate cars and enter the stadium for meetings.
Among them are Kuljeet Singh Momi – the majority shareholder in Panjab Warriors and therefore the club – and Ropinder Singh, who says he will become the club’s CEO. Another has flown from Venice.
Some enter the boardroom with the likes of Taylor, Stoyles, and Collinge, while others bring boxes of belongings and documents into the offices.
At the same time, staff receive a notification their salaries for June have been paid – the first time they have been paid since May.
Monday evening – communications confusion
Panjab Warriors have disagreed among themselves about whether to conduct an interview. At different points, and by different people, the BBC is told we will be able to ask them questions about their plans for the club, and also that no contact will be permitted at any point.
The group moves pitchside to have photos taken with club scarves. They then release a statement on the club’s official social media accounts confirming their takeover.
Monday night – a big change is made
The BBC is informed an interview is possible. The group insists it will only deliver a pre-written statement, and will not answer questions. It is eventually agreed questions can be asked following the statement.
Ropinder Singh and Gurpreet Singh – Panjab Warriors’ head of communications – answer a variety of questions while other members of the group conduct phone calls in the boardroom. They insist they want to be as transparent as possible with fans.
As the interview is taking place, the sacking of manager Adams is being finalised and publicly announced next door.
The BBC was aware of the plan to fire Adams and replace him with Ashvir Singh Johal, a 30-year-old Uefa pro licence holder and youth coach who has never managed a senior first-team, because we conducted an interview with him earlier this summer when he originally expected to be announced as manager.
Gurpreet Singh says the club will be undergoing “a lot of changes” that will be to its “betterment”, and implores fans to trust the decisions the group is making.
Ashvir Singh Johal was due to be announced as Morecambe manager in June, but Panjab warriors’ original deal to take over the cub stalled
Tuesday morning – new manager confirmed
Johal’s installation as manager is confirmed. Images and quotes from his original unveiling and BBC interview in June are used online. The BBC learns Johal is not conducting interviews this week as he focuses on trying to rebuild and prepare Morecambe’s squad.
Reaction to Johal’s arrival among fans is split – some feel a hard reset with a young, talented coach makes sense, while others pity Adams’ departure and feel keeping hold of a far more experienced manager would have been more logical.
Tuesday afternoon – all hands on deck
It is confirmed, to the surprise of many staff members, that Saturday’s match against Altrincham will go ahead. Urgent preparations must be made so a team can be fielded and the necessary infrastructure is in place to welcome fans back to the stadium.
Employees receive their salaries for July and all debt owed to HMRC is paid off.
New manager Johal arrives on site for his first day in the job and sets out to rebuild a squad from the ashes left behind by the previous ownership.
Until very recently, few would have believed the Morecambe dugout would be being prepared for a match anytime soon
Wednesday morning – matchday hype builds
The club announces a flash sale on season tickets – fans who purchase before Friday will be given a 20% discount for the full campaign – while tickets for Saturday go on sale.
The embargo placed on the club by the National League is lifted, meaning players can now be signed to reinforce the squad for the long campaign ahead.
Kits arrive at the stadium and Dewhirst sets about preparing them. He will have to print up to 120 sets of names and numbers on shirts, once the squad is full.
The BBC learns players are travelling to Morecambe to undergo medicals before signing for the club. One of the first is Raheem Conte, a 22-year-old midfielder previously at Cardiff City.
Now the real work of the rebuild begins.
