Morecambe F.C.


























Morecambe
Morecambe FC Badge.png
Full nameMorecambe Football Club
Nickname(s)The Shrimps, Red and White Army, Seasiders
Founded7 May 1920; 98 years ago (1920-05-07)
GroundGlobe Arena
Capacity6,476 (2,247 seated)
OwnerBond Group Investments Limited (82% maj. shareholder)
Co-chairmenGraham Howse & Rod Taylor[1]
ManagerJim Bentley
LeagueLeague Two
2017–18
League Two, 22nd of 24
WebsiteClub website
















Home colours














Away colours



Current season

Morecambe Football Club is a professional football club in Morecambe, Lancashire, England, which plays in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. In 2007, they were promoted for the first time into the Football League.


From 1921 to 2010, home matches were played at Christie Park. In 2010, the club moved to Globe Arena.




Contents





  • 1 History

    • 1.1 The first years


    • 1.2 Sammy McIlroy era


    • 1.3 Jim Bentley era



  • 2 Managers


  • 3 Players

    • 3.1 Current squad



  • 4 Kit and main sponsors


  • 5 Rivalry


  • 6 Mascot


  • 7 League honours


  • 8 Cup honours


  • 9 Best performances


  • 10 References


  • 11 External links




History



The first years


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 the Cricket Club at Wood Hill 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, Mr. 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.


Mr. 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, a near certain recipe for disaster.


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[by whom?] 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;[2] 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, with the Grim Reaper never far from the Christie Park door. 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 of continual improvement both on and off the field to reach the club's ambition of promotion to the Football Conference after many further improvements, not only to the ground but also regarding 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.


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.[citation needed]


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.[3]


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.[4]


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.[5] 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.[6] 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. 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.' On 13 May 2011, just four days after McIlroy left, Morecambe Football Club announced that Jim Bentley would be their next manager, signing a two-year deal as player-manager.



Sammy McIlroy era


McIlroy took over the Shrimps initially as caretaker manager on 17 November 2005 after Jim Harvey had suffered a heart attack. In the absence of Harvey, Morecambe reached the Conference play-offs. They lost to Hereford 4–3 on aggregate, but this was a fantastic achievement for McIlroy, who was appointed permanent in May 2006. This was to be a wise appointment, as McIlroy guided to club to League Two for the first time in their history with a 2–1 win over Exeter City at Wembley Stadium. In their first season in the league, the Shrimps finished a very respectable 11th, and managed to beat Preston North End and Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–1 and 3–1 in the English League Cup respectively. In the 2008–09 season, Morecambe finished 11th yet again. The 2009–10 season was to be Morecambe's last at Christie Park, the club's home for 89 years. They surpassed every pundit's predictions to finish 4th, and earned the chance to participate in the League Two play-offs. However, they lost 7–2 on aggregate to Dagenham and Redbridge. A 6–0 battering at Victoria Road made the second leg almost meaningless, but McIlroy encouraged his team to a 2–1 win in the last ever game at Christie Park. The Shrimps then moved on to their first season at the Globe Arena, however it was a disappointing one. They finished 20th, only four points above the relegation zone. On 9 May 2011 McIlroy left the club by mutual consent.



Jim Bentley era


On 13 May 2011, Bentley was appointed manager on a two-year contract. His first game as a professional manager was a 1–0 defeat at home to Barnet. The Shrimps then went on a run of 4 wins in all competitions, including a 2–0 victory over Barnsley in the League Cup. After his first 9 games in charge, Morecambe sat top of the league after winning 6, drawing 2 and losing just once. Morecambe's defence at this time was crucial, conceding just 5 goals in 9 games. However, this didn't last, as a poor end to the season led to Morecambe finishing 15th in League Two, 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.



Managers


Since 1947 to present.




















































Dates
Manager
1947–1948

Scotland Jimmy Milne
1955–1956
Albert Dainty
1956–1961
Ken Horton
1961–1964

Scotland Joe Dunn
1964–1965

England Geoff Twentyman
1965–1969

England Ken Waterhouse
1969–1970

England Ronnie Clayton
1970
Gerry Irving and Ronnie Mitchell
1970–1972

England Ken Waterhouse
1972–1975
Dave Roberts
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

England Billy Wright
1989–1993

England Bryan Griffiths
1994

Wales Leighton James
1994–2005

Northern Ireland Jim Harvey
2005–2011

Northern Ireland Sammy McIlroy
2011–present

England Jim Bentley


Players



Current squad


As of January Window 2019

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










































































No.

Position
Player
1

Republic of Ireland

GK

Barry Roche (Captain)
2

England

DF

Zak Mills
3

Northern Ireland

DF

Luke Conlan
4

England

MF

Alex Kenyon (Vice-Captain)
5

New Zealand

DF

Steven Old
6

England

MF

Andrew Tutte (Vice Captain)
7

England

FW

Richie Bennett (on loan from Carlisle United)
8

England

MF

Andrew Fleming
9

England

FW

Vadaine Oliver
10

England

FW

Adam Campbell
11

England

MF

Kevin Ellison
12

England

DF

Ritchie Sutton
13

Poland

GK

Dawid Szczepaniak
14

England

FW

Sam Dalby (on loan from Leeds United)
15

England

MF

Aaron Wildig
16

Scotland

DF

Sam Lavelle


































































No.

Position
Player
17

England

FW

Liam Mandeville (on loan from Doncaster Rovers)
18

England

FW

Rhys Oates
19

Spain

MF

Carlos Mendes Gomes
20

England

MF

Lamin Jagne
21

England

GK

Mark Halstead
22

England

DF

James Sinclair
23

England

DF

Tyler Brownsword
24

Scotland

DF

Paul McKay (on loan from Cardiff City)
25

England

MF

Ben Hedley
26

England

MF

Piero Mingoia (on loan from Accrington)
27

England

DF

Jordan Cranston
28

England

FW

AJ Leitch-Smith
30

England

FW

Kyle Hawley
31

Wales

FW

Aaron Collins
32

England

MF

Freddie Price


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


Rivalry


Morecambe have for some time 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. Finally Aaron Wildig's goal gave them a 1–0 win over their rivals in August 2015.
Morecambe's other local rivals include Lancaster City, Fleetwood Town, Barrow, Kendal Town, Southport and, from further afield, Bradford City.



Mascot


The Shrimps mascot is Christie the cat.[7] The cat was named after Morecambe's old Stadium, Christie Park. The cat, a good chum of all the Shrimps fans, was adopted by the home fans after being unveiled a few seasons ago. He once had an infamous friendly altercation with Dagenham & Redbridge goalkeeper Tony Roberts for which he was sent off, despite it being started by Roberts himself.


Christie is now a regular at The Globe Arena, after reappearing following his theft after the last game at Christie Park. A member of the public came into the Globe and offered Christie the cat for sale to the club, but after a short time waiting a nice police man explained to the member of the public he was going home empty handed and congratulated for his community spirit.



League honours



  • Conference National

    • Runners-up: 2002–03


    • Play-off Winners: 2006–07



  • Northern Premier League

    • Runners-up: 1994–95


  • Lancashire Combination

    • Champions: 1924–25, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1966–67, 1967–68


    • Runners-Up: 1925–26



Cup honours



  • FA Trophy

    • Winners: 1973–74


  • Conference League Cup

    • Winners: 1997-78


  • Northern Premier League President's Cup

    • Winners: 1991–92


  • Lancashire Senior Cup

    • Winners: 1967–68


  • Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy

    • Winners: 1925–26, 1926–27, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1968–69, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04


  • Lancashire Combination Cup

    • Winners: 1926–27, 1945–46, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1967–68


Best performances



  • Football League Two

    • 4th place (lost in play-off semi-finals): 2009–10


  • FA Cup

    • 3rd round: 1961–62, 2000–01, 2002–03


  • Football League Cup

    • 3rd round: 2007–08


References




  1. ^ "Rod Taylor & Graham Howse announced as Co-Chairmen". Morecambe F.C. 10 November 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2018..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output .citation qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-maintdisplay:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em


  2. ^
    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.



  3. ^ "Exeter 1–2 Morecambe". BBC Sport. 20 May 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2007.


  4. ^ "New Stadium Planned". Morecambe FC. 17 July 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 17 July 2007.


  5. ^ "Morecambe 0–0 Barnet". BBC Sport. 11 August 2007. Retrieved 14 August 2007.


  6. ^ "Preston 1–2 Morecambe". BBC Sport. 14 August 2007. Retrieved 14 August 2007.


  7. ^ "Morecambe | You can now follow Christie the Cat on Facebook". Morecambefc.com. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2012.




External links



  • Morecambe FC Official site

  • Morecambe stadium










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