While Morecambe have recently been to Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea in the FA Cup, and moved into a new stadium in 2010, there have been frustrations and protests at the club. The current owners are struggling to finalise a sale, a situation that has lasted two-and-a-half years so far.

Profits generated by the club in some recent seasons have since been cancelled out by losses, highlighting how difficult it is for clubs in League One and League Two to remain sustainable.

We discuss the club's present situation, fighting relegation from the Football League, the potential difficulties to challenge for promotion from the National League, and the future with:

Lizzi Collinge, MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale,

James Wakefield, one of the directors of Morecambe Football Club,

Dave Salmon, commentator on Morecambe matches for 'Shrimps Live',

and Niall Couper, CEO of Fair Game.

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And remember, you can register for the Fair Game Annual Conference 2025, which takes place 28-29 May at AFC Wimbledon.

In this episode, we hear the emotional stories of Bolton Wanderers and Bury, clubs that have both suffered financial problems over the past ten years.

Our guests are:
Yasmin Qureshi MP for Bolton South,
James Frith MP for Bury North,
Author and journalist David Conn,
Martin Parnell from the Bolton Wanderers Supporters Trust,
Mo Dickson, a member of the heritage committee at Bury AFC,
and Fair Game CEO Niall Couper.

David Conn reminds us that the founders of the Football League were concerned that clubs in the big cities would have a financial advantage, so the competition was set up on the principle of shared gate receipts, and that principle was in place for nearly 100 years, up to 1983.

Follow Fair Game on X (yes, we still call it Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.

And remember, you can register for the Fair Game Annual Conference 2025, which takes place 28-29 May at AFC Wimbledon.

Just 12 years after playing in the Premier League, Reading are in League One, attendances are falling and the latest financial figures showed a loss of over £17m for the 2021/22 season. The club has had problems paying staff on time in recent seasons, and there have been points deductions, fines and transfer bans. So far, all attempts to buy the club from Dai Yongge have fallen through.

Our guests joining Graham Miller on this episode are Yuan Yang, MP for Earley and Woodley, Sarah Turner, chair of STAR, Supporters Trust at Reading, James Earnshaw, sports reporter for the Reading Chronicle and John Mayes, the chair of Fair Game.

Follow Fair Game on X (yes, we still call it Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.