Club Background

Whilst football in Morecambe can be traced back further, the forming of Morecambe FC as we know it today dates from May 7th 1920, when the club was formed in the West View Hotel in Morecambe. They started off playing in the cricket club at Wood Hill Lane, but switched a year later to a place called Roseberry Park. This venue became known as Christie Park by the mid-1920s when the club’s President J.B. Cristie purchased the land that would become their home for the main bulk of their history, donating it to the club in 1927.
 
Morecambe’s early history is a rather boring one, given that they spent every season up until 1968 as members of the Lancashire Combination league. They won it in 1924-25m, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that things began to get exciting for the club, as they won the league four times, coupled with a 1961–62 FA Cup Third Round appearance against Weymouth. There can’t be too many clubs who can boast that their record attendance was against the Southern Slime, but the 9,234 that turned up that day still stands as their club record, and given the current capacity of their stadium will probably remain enshrined on all club documents for the foreseeable future. Lucky them.
 
In 1968, Morecambe made the great leap as founder members of the Northern Premier League, which at that time was one of the three regionalised top level non-league divisions. They became FA Trophy winners in 1973-74, with a 2-1 win over Dartford in the final at Wembley Stadium. However, in terms of their league form they struggled, largely finishing near the foot of the NPL, meaning that they missed the cut of clubs that merged to form the Football Conference in 1979.
 
Things began to pick up for Morecambe in the mid-1980s, under the management of Joe Wojciechowicz, as they began their push out of the NPL. They were promoted at the end of 1994-95 – just as Yeovil Town were relegated to the Isthmian League – with the arrival of Jim Harvey as their manager, shaping what would be a key ten year period in their history. Harvey ensured that Morecambe became one of the most prominent sides in non-league football, also gaining them national recognition as he took them to the FA Cup Third Round in 2000-01 and 2002-03.
 
He wasn’t quite the man who took them into the Football League though. He suffered a heart attack just befoe a league match in November 2005, and Sammy McIlroy was given the job as caretaker, whilst Harvey took time off. When McIlroy took Morecambe into the Conference play-offs, Harvey’s return back to work saw him fired, with McIlroy given the job full time. Whilst that was controversial in the way that it happened, Harvey’s replacement took Morecambe into the Football League, via the play-offs at the end of the 2006-07 season – a position they’ve occupied ever since.
 
As a Football League club, inevitably Morecambe have become a small fish in an extremely big pond. Their stand-out year was their 4th placed finish in League Two at the end of the 2009-10 season, but they were thrashed in the play-offs as Dagenham and Redbridge won 7-2 on aggregate across the two legs, with the tie over halfway through as the Daggers took a 6-0 first leg lead. Otherwise they’ve struggled largely in the bottom half of the table – their 11th placed finish at the end of 2014-15 was their equal second best Football League campaign.
 
The Mazuma Stadium, the latest commercial incarnation of Morecambe’s home stadium.
 
 
Since 2010, Morecambe have been playing at a brand new stadium. The Globe Arena is relatively close to Christie Park, which is now a Sainsbury’s supermarket. The 6,476 capacity is largely taken up by a 2,173 seated main stand, and the 2,234 capacity home end of the ground, with the away end (1,389) and side terrace (606) being far more modest affairs. The stadium cost them £12 million, and takes its name from Globe Construction, who built the stadium. The deal was due to last for five years, meaning that has now expired, but the name is still carried.
 
Their current manager Jim Bentley can probably be described as a northern version of Terry Skiverton! At 41 years old, he is a former defender who spent his first five years playing for Telford United before switching to Morecambe in the summer of 2002. Since then he has been a mainstay, clocking up nine years for the Shrimps as a player, but during the latter days of his playing career taking on Reserve Team coaching roles. In May 2011 he became their player-manager, although in practice chose that moment to retire from the playing side of the game, and concentrate on management. He is now over 300 games into that career, which when added to in the region of 350 playing appearances gives an idea of how part of the woodwork he is up there.
 
Recent signs have suggested that Morecambe are suffering from a bit of a cash crisis. Whilst their club as a whole appears fairly united, mainstay Chairman Peter McGuigan’s attempt during the 2016-17 season to sell the club into new hands turned into a bit of a car crash, with the would-be owner running away almost as soon as he was due to take control. The internal strife caused players wages not to be paid for a few months, whilst Bentley has been without a training ground to work with his players. With no disrespect to McGuigan, Bentley or the club itself, we suspect they do need some proper external investment if they are to not get relegated in the next year or two. And yes, we realise that people in Huish Park glasshouses shouldn’t throw stones on this subject!

We’ve Met Before

Previous Results for Yeovil Town First Team vs Morecambe 

               
               
               
               
               
               


Results Summary For Yeovil Town First Team vs Morecambe

Home Away Overall
W D L F A W D L F A W D L F A
                             

Club Statistics

RECENT RESULTS

XX/XX/20XX Solihull Moors Home NLP WLD X-X Att   Scorers
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 

LEAGUE ATTENDANCE STATISTICS

Highest League Attendance: 
Lowest League Attendance: 
Average League Attendance:  

CURRENT LEAGUE SEQUENCE STATISTICS

Games Without A Win:     Games Without A Home Win:  
Games Without An Away Win:     Games Without Defeat:  
Games Without A Home Defeat:     Games Without An Away Defeat:  
Games Without A Draw:     Games Without A Score Draw:  
Games Without A No-Score Draw:     Games Without Scoring:  
Games Without Conceding:     Home Results Sequence:  
Away Results Sequence:     Overall Results Sequence:  

Club Information

Address :

Christie Way, Morecambe LA4 4TB (click for map)

Away fans are housed in the top left corner (white seats) of the Wright & Lord Stand.

Tel. 01524 411797

Co-chairman: Graham Howse and Rod Taylor
Club Secretary : Adele Laffan
General Manager: Rob Smith
Head of Football Operations: Mick Horton
Manager: Derek Adams

Capacity : 6476
Seated : 2173
Covered Terrace : 2,234
Surface : Grass
Record Attendance : 5831 – vs Sunderland – 30/04/2022

Colours : Red and white – white shorts, red socks
Nickname : The Shrimps
Programme : All the Right Notes – available to download free

Subject to demand – and we are not predicting a huge amount of that given the distance to travel – the stadium has two stands available to away supporters, Castle Windows Block A & B and Dennison Trailers Terrace. Castle Windows A and B are both seated areas which can be accessed via turnstiles 3 & 4 which are situated at the front of the main building. The Dennison Trailers Terrace is a covered standing terrace, which can be accessed via turnstiles 5-8. These turnstiles are located to the right as you approach on Christie Way, following the main building round.

Ticketing

Away fans enter the stadium through Turnstile 3&4.

Details to be added when available

Official Away Travel

The Green & White Supporters’ Club is running away travel to Morecambe on XXX XXX XXXXX, XXXXp.m. kick-off.

Details are as follows:

Members: Adult £XX; Concession £XX
Non-Members: Adult £XX; Concession £XX
Coach departs Huish Park: XXXX

To book, call Paul Hadlow on 07736 044570 (after 6.00 p.m. please).

You may be asked to pay a £5 deposit to reserve your seat.

Directions To The Ground

General

If you look at it the right way, Morecambe has its charm. Mostly if you look out to sea.

Morecambe is a long way from a lot of places and Somerset is no exception. Located on the Lancashire coast it was a popular destination for holidaymakers from across the North during the mid-20th Century, mostly those from Yorkshire and became so popular is attained the nickname ‘Bradford-on-Sea’. It still retains its grandeur in places, but it is a significantly faded grandeur. In recent times it is better known for the 2004 disaster where 21 immigrant Chinese cockle pickers died in its bay and the decades-long demise of its tourism industry.

By Road

For Yeovil fans resident in the West Country this is a long, but very simple trip. Once you get on the M5 in Somerset, changed for the M6, then leave at Junction 34 and head for the the Bay Gateway/A683, at the traffic lights turn right towards Morecambe on the A589, then the first exit at the Shrimp roundabout on to Westgate and you will find the stadium on your right after about a mile-and-a-half.

Parking

There is no parking available on site for supporters. A local school (Westgate Primary School, LA4 4XF) offers on site parking approximately a five-minute walk to the stadium, charged at £5.00 per vehicle, cash only. There is on-street parking on local housing estates but make sure you have checked parking restrictions before you leave your car.

After that your options for actual car parks are over a one-mile (20 minutes) walk nearer the town centre. The pay and display at the Battery on the seafront (LA3 1HQ) is 1.1 miles from the stadium, the Old Station (LA4 4BU) and the Telephone Exchange (LA4 4BL) are both about 1.3 miles away.

By Rail

Morecambe is a long way from Yeovil and travelling by train probably extends that basic truth, but if you insist. It is possible to get there from either Yeovil Junction and Yeovil Pen Mill, but basically you are trying to get to London Euston, so Yeovil Junction probably makes more sense. From Yeovil Junction travel by South West Trains to London Waterloo, take the Northern Line to Euston and from there the West Coast Mainline as far as Lancaster. There are pretty regular Northern services to Morecambe. It is probably a 20-30 minute walk from there to the stadium depending on your walking pace.

By Bus

There are several bus services go from Morecambe bus station located in the town centre past the stadium including the 6, 6A, 6B, and 6C – you need to get to Westgate, the main road which runs outside the stadium.

By Taxi

There are taxis in Morecambe – shocking, we know. Find a few numbers – here.

Web Resources

Web Sites

Morecambe FC – Official Site

Social Media

@MorecambeFC – Official X/Twitter account
Morecambe FC – Official Facebook account
Morecambe Football Club – Official YouTube channel

Local Press

Morecambe Visitor – it is actually the Lancaster Guardian featuring The Visitor, but it’s as good as you will get

Food & Drink

General

Don’t know what it is about seaside resorts, but they tend to follow a bit of a pattern. Very few pubs of great quality inland, with those that are available being basic single bar pubs. Then once you reach the promenade, you’re falling all over them, but with the disappointment that a large proportion are fizzy-lager-fizz venues with a greater range of fruit machines than real ale options. The ground is conveniently situated for you to explore the promenade pubs, and those in the town centre – expect a 10-15 minute walk for seaside views, and around 20-25 if you want to go as far as the railway station area where there are a few more options.

Club Bar

There is a bar called situated at the ground floor of the main stand and next to the club reception. However, all indications are this is for home fans only, and the capacity of the bar, at 100 people, would suggest that is the main reason why they restrict it in that way.

Local Pubs

The Royal Bar and Shaker: Apparently it is the official away fans’ pub in Morecambe and is probably a 30- minute walk away from the stadium which doesn’t make it a great deal of use. It is closer to the train station, probably a 5-10 minute walk on the seafront.
Address: The Royal Bar and Shaker, 257 Marine Rd Central, Morecambe LA4 4BJ. Tel: 01524 956579. Website Map.

The Eric Bartholomew, named after the town’s favourite son.

Eric Bartholomew: Morecambe’s Wetherspoon branch. This is handy for those coming in by rail – it’s situated just north of the train station, and is therefore around 25 minutes walk from the ground. Opening hours from 8.00a.m. until 11.00p.m. with an hour extension on Fridays and Saturdays. Note that the first couple of hours trade will be for breakfasts and coffees. Wetherspoon branches work off a standard cheapish menu, with a good range of real ales (albeit with a few bland choices).
Address: Eric Bartholomew, 10–18 Euston Road, Morecambe, Lancashire, LA4 5DD. Tel: 01524-405860. Website: Click Here. Map: Click Here.

Hurley Flyer: Marstons chain pub situated adjacent to the stadium, and is the nearest pub to the ground. Cheap food, and a few mainstream real ales such as Pedigree and Hobgoblin. There is also a beer garden.
Address: Hurley Flyer, Westgate, Morecambe, Lancashire, LA4 4TB. Tel: 01524 419044. Email: HurleyFlyer.Morecambe@marstons.co.uk. Website: Click Here. Map: Click Here.

William Mitchell: Mitchell’s Inn chain pub situated east of the Globe Arena and under 10 minutes walk away. They do a couple of real ales. Food is also available from 11.00a.m. until 7.00p.m. and it’s a wide range that is typical for a chain pub – burgers, fish, steak, pasta, pies etc and at around £7.00 for a main course. They also show most Sky Sports and BT Sport live games.
Address: William Mitchell, Glentworth Road, Morecambe, Lancashire, LA4 4SZ. Tel: 01524-418330. Email: williammitchell@mitchellsinns.co.uk. Website: Click Here. Map: Click Here.

Embargo Craft – A microbar former cocktail bar located about a ten-minute walk from the train station with great views over Morecambe Bay at the site of the old pier. Offering a selection of four rotating real ales. It hosts live music sessions after 5pm on weekends if you’re planning on stopping. Opening hours: Saturday and Tuesday – Midday-9pm.
Address:  283 Marine Road Central, Morecambe, LA4 5BY. Telephone: 01524 414111. Website.

If you are feeling adventurous and coming by train, get off at Bare Lane, a stop before Morecambe – just make sure you have enough time to make kick-off.

Little Bare – A micropub located in a former off licence offering a unique and intimate drinking experience. It offers 4 to 5 cask ales on tap, which are replaced with fresh selections as they run out, ensuring a constantly changing lineup in addition to beers, they serve a variety of wines, spirits from small producers, and their own gin. It is about a six-minute walk from Bare Lane station.Opening hours: Saturdays: 1pm-9pm, Tuesdays: 3pm-9pm.
Address: 23 Princes Crescent,  Bare, Morecambe, LA4 6BY. Telephone: 07817 892370. Website

Torrisholme Taps – A micropub opened in a former bridal gown shop offering a selection of six rotating cask ales, four keg beers, and various ciders, with a focus on local breweries. Additionally, you can enjoy local gins from the Three Wheel Gin Company and Stormy Bay Gin, as well as pork pies from Kennedy’s Butchers in Morecambe and homemade chutney from a local producer in nearby Heysham. About one-and-a-half miles from the ground, approximately half-an-hour walk. Opening times: Saturday – Midday-10pm, Tuesday – 4pm-9pm.
Address: 312   Lancaster Road, Morecambe, LA4 6LY. Telephone: 01524 733540. Website.

Likelihood the Natives Will Understand You: This is deepest Lancashire, so you won’t understand them. Let’s just hope that a seaside resort is fluent enough from tourists visiting their shores to work out what we’re saying.

Top-Tip: If it’s anything but August or May when we visit, bring your big coat.

Local Amenities: There is a bronze statue of comedian Eric Morecambe (ask your parents or grandparents if you don’t know who he is/was) located on the seafront, it’s about 30 minutes walk from the stadium though. Warning: Visiting the statue does not necessarily bring you sunshine, this is the North afterall.

Bring me sunshine, etc.

Other Points Of Interest: Eric Morecambe was indeed born in Morecambe in 1926. He place he was born is on Buxton Street, about a 25 minute walk from the stadium. His actual birth could have been a joke he later came up with as leak in the bedroom roof of the family home at 48 Buxton Street meant his mother chose to give birth at number 42, home of his aunt. There is a plaque on both houses to commemorate the town’s most famous son, born Eric Bartholomew who changed his name when he teamed up with fellow comedian, Eric Wise(man). The town is probably most famous these days as the home of former boxing world champion Tyson Fury and you will find one of his palatial homes, Westgate Manor, located almost directly outside the stadium.

[No responsibility is taken for any inaccuracies. This page is entirely the product of bias and prejudice. ]