The slow march downhill of Morecambe FC
Plus: Mum cleared of baby's murder and more money for buses
Hello and welcome to the 71st edition of The Lancashire Lead. As the temperatures plummet and evenings get darker I find myself once again baffled as to why people prefer winter to summer. I may be in the minority but I’m already looking forward to the hot weather returning.
Today’s edition takes a look at the crisis facing an historic and recently successful Lancashire football club which is now facing a bleak future, fan protests, and fears over its existence.
Read on for news of the mum accused of killing her own newborn baby and cleared after two long years as well as funding problems for ADHD and autism assessments and brighter financial news for the county’s bus services.
There’s also a look ahead to Fuel Poverty Week, thanks to our friends at Cosy Homes in Lancashire who I’m very grateful to say are supporting future editions of The Lancashire Lead.
The charity is running a free events next week to help people discover how they can receive financial support to make their home warmer and more energy efficient. Given it feels impossibly cold all of a sudden, that could be invaluable.
Morecambe FC - a community beginning to be listened to as club's future remains unclear
In January 2008, I stood in the away end of Morecambe FC’s Christie Park watching Southport battle to a valiant 0-0 draw in icy conditions. The Southport side that day featured future Morecambe, Coventry and MK Dons winger Carl Baker, while the home side were captained by Jim Bentley - the man who now manages their opponents of that day.
Escaping with a draw, it felt like it could be the start of an upward turn for Southport (having recently sacked Paul Cook who has gone on to enjoy a career at bigger and better teams), while Morecambe left frustrated with a draw which appeared to dent their promotion hopes.
As is often the case with the Yellows, it proved to be a false dawn and the season ended with relegation. The Shrimps meanwhile went on to earn a playoff win in front of a 40,000 strong crowd at Wembley and, with it, promotion to the Football League.
Slow and steady progress continued from there, peaking just three years ago when the 2020-21 season ended with an unprecedented promotion to League One and involved cup ties against Premier League sides Chelsea and Newcastle United.
But soon things would come crashing down. Manager Derek Adams left the club days after that historic win, only to return in the following February (and then leave and return once more). While there was on-pitch success that season, trouble was brewing and that summer, owners Bond Investment Group listed the club for sale as directors Jason Whittingham and Colin Goldring (who oversaw financial disaster at rugby side Worcester Warriors) left the board.
Weeks later, when asked by BBC Radio Lancashire if he was worried for the future of the club, Adams responded
"Of course I am. I think that any supporter has to be. If somebody comes in with a very good deal for the owners, they are going to sell.
"Who's that going to be? Is that in the best interests of Morecambe Football Club? Is it in the best interests of the staff that are here already? There's a whole host of things to be looked into. It's not easy selling a football club."
That last line has proved to be particularly prescient with the effects of a stagnant and leaderless club being badly felt by players, staff and fans. On multiple occasions, the club has failed to pay its players on time - resulting in a points deduction for the first team and a £10,000 fine for owner Whittingham.
Relegation followed at the end of the 2022-23 season and at the end of last season, a transfer embargo imposed due to the financial failings saw the club left with just five players signed on. The club’s accounts would later show a £1.26m loss for that season.
Those accounts came with a warning from its auditor who said “a material uncertainty exists that may cast significant on the company’s ability to continue as a going concern”.
Morecambe now sit bottom of League Two with just 10 points and 14 goals from the opening 16 games of the season. Unless the seemingly impossible happens, a return to Non-League status and potentially worse await.
For the fans, the frustration has long been too much. Protests involving hundreds of supporters took place ahead of the recent home fixture against Port Vale and calls are again being made for Whittingham and his Bond Group company to sell up and move on.
Black balloons were released at the start of the match and fans turned their backs on the game after 26 minutes to mark the number of the months the club has been up for sale.
In a rare interaction with the fans or media, Whittingham told ITV News that a sale was imminent but declined to be interviewed on the record. Club co-chairman Graham Howse added:
"It's not moving as fast as we would all like. They (the potential new owner) are included in that process and they are keen to bring it to a conclusion.
"They see this as a long term project, they don't want to be here for five minutes. They want to develop the football ground, they want to develop the land around the football ground, they want to look at improving the squad.
"But they also accept this is a community football club and they want to maintain that close connection with the community of Morecambe."
However, fans remain cynical and say such promises have been made before with no resolution at the end of them. In a statement issued after the match, supporters group Shrimps Trust said:
‘’From the police force and our local MP, to the media, the FSA, and throughout the football family -you have shown us Shrimps fans a tremendous amount of comradery and support.
‘’We have contacted the owner numerous times since our last update. However, we have received no response. We have (also) had no contact from the prospective owners, and we still do not know who they are.
‘’The Shrimps Trust will continue to communicate with the above parties and provide any update that we can. We urge the owner and the prospective owner to move at pace going forward.
‘’You can see the frustration of our fan base growing. These protests are the start, and we will be discussing and agreeing further, stronger action to ensure that pressure is kept on.”
The strength of feeling and the numbers who turned out to take part in the protest showed why such a football club matters - for the sake of the community. Players, owners and managers come and go but the community remains there throughout.
That community is begging to be listened to now and fears that unless change finally happens, there’ll eventually be no club for it to be attached to.
Mum acquitted of murdering her own baby
It’s often said there’s no worse fate for a parent than losing a child. But what if you were then accused of being responsible for the death and charged with murder?
That’s exactly what happened with Blackpool mum Laura Langley after the death of her seven-week-old baby Edith in November 2020. Ms Langley found herself accused of causing the death when a bone expert argued that the rib injuries were not consistent with resuscitation.
But, having already had her trial postponed once over concerns about the expert evidence which had suggested some of Edith’s injuries were four days old, Ms Langley was due to stand trial again this week.
Rachel Smith reports for LancsLive from Preston Crown Court where the opening day instead heard that two more experts had disputed the initial findings and no evidence was being presented against the grieving mum anymore.
As a result, Mr Justice Morris formally recorded not guilty verdicts on all counts. Per Rachel’s report, he said:
“I understand the basis on which the prosecution has decided to offer no evidence. I therefore direct that not guilty verdicts are to be recorded. These verdicts have the same effect as if the defendant had been tried and acquitted by a jury.”
Frustration of autism and ADHD assessment waits
If you’ve any experience of the assessment process for ADHD and autism you’ll know it can involve long and frustrating waits. A combination of rising demand (perhaps linked to increased awareness) and funding problems mean that waiting lists are growing and families can often wait years for answers and support.
Local Democracy Reporter Dan Hunt has an update on the situation locally and it doesn’t make for encouraging reading. Here’s his latest:
Funding to address waiting times for autism and ADHD assessments in Lancashire and south Cumbria has ‘not materialised’ due to financial pressures, a report states.
The ‘Reporting from Committees: Escalation and Assurance Report’ prepared for the Lancashire and South Cumbria integrated care board (ICB) said the quality committee had been alerted to ‘extremely long waiting times’ for autism and ADHD assessments for children and young people. According to the report there are also ‘long waits’ for adult neurodevelopment assessments.
A report prepared for the ICB in May said demand has ‘risen exponentially’ in the last two years, with children and young people waiting over two years for assessments.
The most recent report says: "Committee were also alerted to ongoing challenges and extremely long waiting times for CYP neurodevelopment (autism assessment and ADHD assessment) and long waits for adult neurodevelopment assessments. There had been a commitment to some waiting list initiative funding to mitigate the risk, but this has not materialised due to the system financial pressures and the risks relating to long waits had not been mitigated."
Professor Sarah O’Brien, chief nursing officer for Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB, said: "Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB recognises that the waiting times faced by both adult and children for autism assessments require improvement and is a challenge faced across the country. We are currently reviewing our all-age autism spectrum disorder pathway and are working with system partners and stakeholders to complete the review and proposals for a future pathway for 2025-2026 which helps to reduce the waiting times."
Meanwhile, BBC reporter Scott Hesketh has taken a look at the situation involving children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and found some of those with the most complex needs are being sent up to 200 miles from home to receive a suitable education.
Find out how to make your home more efficient and WIN a Tefal air fryer
Cosy Homes in Lancashire is working hard to raise awareness around Fuel Poverty and will hold a series of events across the county in conjunction with Fuel Poverty Week. The charity wants to raise awareness of the advice and services available to residents who may need some extra help.
Please find list of events, locations and dates below.
Ormskirk Market
Pedestrianised areas of Moor Street, Aughton Street, and Church Street
21st November • 8:00 am - 4.30pm.
Cosy Home will be joining West Lancashire Borough Council on their Sustainability Team’s stand.
Wyre Country Estuary Park
Climate Change Awareness and Tree giveaway
Wyre Country Estuary Park, Wyre
23rd November • 10:00 am - 1.00 pm.
Cosy Homes in Lancashire trailer
Monday 25th November 11am – 3pm
Hurst green village hall car park
Blackpool Eco Hub
Blackpool Eco Hub, Palatine Library, Saint Anne's Rd, Blackpool FY4 2AP
Blackpool, 25th November • 10:00 am - 4:00 pm –
Sign up for the Little Van of Warm or a visit from the Green Doctors to receive free, small energy savings measures, tips and advice. There will also be a free raffle to win a Tefal Air Fryer.
Blackburn Market
Blackburn Market, Church Street, BB1 5AF Blackburn
27th November • 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Cosy Homes will be joined in the market by several organisation offering their support towards the costs of living and energy crisis
Cosy Homes in Lancashire trailer
Tuesday 26th November 11am – 3pm
Chipping village hall car park
Lancaster Sustainability Hub
Lancaster Sustainability Hub, Unit 6, Marketgate Shopping Centre, Lancaster, LA1 1JF (next to Café Nero, the What3Words reference is admire.heavy.trades)
27th November Time 09:30 am – 5:30 pm
Green Rose CIC will be running an all-day event and everyone is welcome. Drop in for advice on reducing energy bills and staying warm and well. They’ll have free warmer homes packs available to take away.
From 12-1pm there will be a lunchtime briefing session for local agencies on what support is available to tackle fuel poverty in Lancashire – sustainable local lunch included!
Cosy Homes in Lancashire trailer
Wednesday 27th November 11am – 3pm
Cliviger village hall car park
Market Hall Darwen
Market Hall, Croft St, Darwen BB3 1BH Blackburn
28th November • 10.00 am - 3.00 pm
Cosy Homes will be joined in the market by several organisation offering their support towards the costs of living and energy crisis
Cosy Homes in Lancashire trailer
Thursday 28th November 11am – 3pm
Kelbrook village hall car park
Rossendale Kay Street Baptist Fuel Poverty Week
Rossendale Kay Street Baptist, Kay Street, Rawtenstall, BB4 7LS
29th November • 1.00 pm - 4.00pm
Cosy Homes in Lancashire, Rossendale Valley Energy, Citizens Advice and New Ground Together will be there to offer their services. Hot drinks and veg soup will be available. There’s also be holding a free small raffle.
Cosy Homes in Lancashire trailer
Friday 29th November 11am – 3pm
Great Harwood outside showground car park
Bus bonus to improve services across the county
By Paul Faulkner
Lancashire is to get more than £35m to strengthen bus services in the county. The cash is part of the latest round of funding announced by the government to enable local areas to deliver their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs).
The strategies set for Lancashire have already attracted millions of pounds in support from the Department for Transport since they were first drawn up in 2022. The BSIP money invested so far has been used to fund initiatives including ticket deals and more frequent services designed to tempt people on board.
Now, Lancashire County Council has been allocated a further £25.3m for 2025/26, split almost equally between cash that can be used on day-to-day operations and that which is reserved for investment in bus transport infrastructure. It will also get almost £1.9m in Bus Service Operator Grant funding – essentially, a fuel duty rebate for services the authority subsidises itself.
County Hall has already received nearly £42m in BSIP cash for the strategy it developed in partnership with Blackburn with Darwen Council. The latter authority’s 2025/26 share of the new money to be distributed by the government comes to just over £5m. Meanwhile, Blackpool is in line for almost £4.2m from the BISP fund this time around.
At a meeting of the county council’s economic growth and transport scrutiny committee in September, members representing rural areas pressed for a larger share of BSIP benefits for their communities.
Matthew Moll, the authority’s enhanced bus partnership manager, said the ambition if more funding was to arrive would be to have “at least a two-hour[ly] service” on existing rural routes – and also to explore the possibility of filling “gaps in the network”.
He added that the BSIP cash was serving to “kick-start” some routes that would ultimately become commercially viable – eventually enabling that financial support to be transferred to services that would never turn a profit, such as those needed in more isolated areas.
However, head of service Andrew Varley warned it would still be a matter of setting “priorities” – particularly when it came to off-peak services like those operating on a Sunday.
Responding to the new funding set out by the government, Rupert Swarbrick, cabinet member for highways and transport at the county council – the transport authority for all parts of Lancashire except Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen – said County Hall’s bus service improvement plan “is already making a huge difference”.
“This additional funding will enable us to further enhance bus services across the county. We understand how important it is for all residents to have access to frequent, reliable and affordable transport that they can rely on for travel to work, access to healthcare and days out.
“We’ll be working closely with local communities and stakeholders as we develop plans to ensure that the improvements reflect the needs of residents. We’re optimistic about the future of bus travel and excited about the opportunities we now have to create a more connected and sustainable future for public transport in Lancashire.”
🚧 Further buildings in Church Street could be toppled as the aftermath of a major fire in Preston city centre continues (Blog Preston).
🔎 Campaigners who believe there may be extra, unrecorded burial plots at a Lancashire cemetery which was partly de-consecrated this spring, say new information suggests an extra 19 plots may exist (Lancashire Telegraph).
🪖 Troops were seen descending from a helicopter onto County Hall in Preston in a pre-planned training exercise (Blog Preston).
🚂 Model trains worth £10,000 have been stolen from a house in Cleveleys (BBC).
🍞 Bakery chain Oddie’s is seeking a rescue deal or faces closure after an “eleventh-hour withdrawal” by a prospective buyer (British Baker).
Thanks to reader Jack Clarke for sending in the below information about an unusual event taking place this weekend. If you have something you’d to be featured in the newsletter, get in touch on jamie@thelead.uk
This Sunday, experience something truly unique—a behind-the-scenes set tour of Paint, a powerful short film shot in the historic Queen’s Market in Morecambe. As part of the Bay International Film Festival (TBIFF), this free event runs from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, with slots available throughout the morning.
Guiding the tour will be Nick Smith, the visionary behind Queen’s Market’s revival and the stunning set design of Paint. As both a champion of local arts and an advocate for bringing Morecambe’s creativity to the world stage, Nick will share his insights into the project and the importance of grassroots creativity in shaping the future of our region.
Don’t miss this chance to celebrate Morecambe’s rising status as a cultural hub, connect with the team behind Paint, and experience firsthand how local arts are reaching an international scale. Reserve your spot here
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I’ll be back with you on Sunday evening and in the meantime please feel free to get in touch with any thoughts, comments or suggestions.
