The Gaffer

Ashvir Singh Johal has endured the stereotypical baptism of fire in this, his first managerial role since being appointed Morecambe boss last month. 

After a tumultuous off-season at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium, with the club’s existence under serious threat at regular junctures, the first act of new owners the Punjab Warriors was to dispense with the services of beleaguered chief Derek Adams, who had been unable to stop the Shri1mps sliding through League 2’s relegation trap door. 

Despite Singh Johal properly dipping his toes into English club management for the first time, he has been part of the coaching teams of top flight clubs in both England and Italy, while also gaining experience in the English Football League. 

He was part of Leicester City’s coaching staff when Brendan Rogers was in charge at the King Power Stadium, working closely with former Premier League winner Kolo Toure. 

When the Ivorian took over at Wigan Athletic, Singh Johal joined Toure on the staff at the 2013 FA Cup winners. 

Toure’s tenure with the ‘Tics was brief, but Signgh Johal was not out of work for long and he moved to Italy, working under Cesc Fabregas at Como within the academy set up at the Serie A outfit. 

One of the youngest managers in English football currently aged just 30, Singh Johal’s most recent job was with Notts County, where he was the B team manager at Meadow Lane. 

“It’s what I’ve wanted to do. It’s been my dream since I was 14 or 15 years old,” he said when unveiled as Morecambe manager.

“It’s every single day that’s been the target I’ve worked towards. But for me, now there’s a new target, and the target is to make sure Morecambe is successful as a club.

“I want to make sure this year we don’t just survive in the National League, we thrive.”

He added: “I think the short-term plan this year is to make sure that we retain our place in the National League by playing exciting, energetic football and working hard. I think that is a short-term aim.

“The long-term aim is to build the processes, the infrastructure. There’s a clear commitment from the owners about the direction they want the club to go in.

“Now it’s about building, and it’s about growing and making sure that in three, four, five years’ time, this is a completely energised and galvanised football club that thrives in the EFL.”

Last Saturday Fixture

Morecambe boss Ashvir Singh Johal says his side are still far from being ready to fully compete in the National League, after a dramatic 4-3 win over Wealdstone last Saturday. 

The Shrimps raced from the traps on home soil and were 3-0 up during the opening half with Jack Nolan, Elijah Dixon-Bonner and Admiral Muskwe finding the mark. 

Wealdstone, who defeated City on the opening day, pulled one back through experienced winger Max Kretzschmar before the break. 

And into the second stanza, the capital outfit completed the comeback to haul themselves equal with the hosts as Micah Obiero and Alfie Massey levelled proceedings up at 3-3. 

However, recent loan signing Emerson Sutton netted the winner with four minutes of normal time remaining and this victory, coupled with Truro’s defeat at Scunthorpe, hoisted the Shrimps off the foot of the National League table.

“We are still in what we say is our pre-season phase.,” Singh Johal told the Lancashire Post at full-time. 

“And I still don’t think we will be fully ready until the end of October but it’s about building every day in training to make sure everyone grows and improves.

“I think the growth has happened quicker than I expected but there is still a lot more to be done but everyone at the club has worked really hard to contribute to where we are now.

“We want to create an environment where everyone enjoys coming into work and it is that now and the players that we have all want to learn and improve and work hard for the team which is a really positive sign for this club.

“They are hungry to be the best they can be and evolve. On Saturday I thought we played some electric stuff but there is still so much room for improvement which is our focus now.”

One to Watch

It has been a rapid recruitment drive for Morecambe since the takeover by Punjab Warriors was rubber-stamped by all concerned parties last month. 

Sifting through the wreckage of the previous Bond Group administration, the new owners would have found a squad of just five contracted players left ahead of the side’s first game against Altrincham. 

Remarkably, a patched up Shrimps outfit prevailed 2-1 and despite finding the going tough since, they picked up another three point haul against Wealdstone last Saturday.

The squad is constantly evolving under rookie boss Ashvir Singh Johal, who, after his appointment to the Mazuma Mobile Stadium hot seat, has become the first Sikh manager to manage on these shores in the professional game. 

And a further addition came earlier this week and it is arguably Morecambe’s most eye-catching piece of business so far this summer. 

The Shrimps have signed free agent Rolando Aarons, a Jamaican international winger, who has also picked up England under-20 representative honours during his early career. 

Released by Bristol City in 2012, Aarons moved to Newcastle United and after a two-year spell in the Magpies’ ranks, inked his first professional contract with the Tyneside giants. 

Considered the next highly rated cab off Newcastle’s rank, Aarons impressed in pre-season ahead of the 2014-15 season and was handed the number 16 shirt. 

Making his debut in a home reverse against Manchester City, Aarons then netted his first Newcastle goal in a 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace. 

But a hamstring strain picked up on international duty would hamper his rapid progress and that was the start of a so far injury hit career, which has seen Aarons struggle to build on his undoubted potential. 

He had loan spells away from Newcastle with Sheffield Wednesday, Wycombe Wanderers and North of the Border with Motherwell  before leaving St James Park to join Huddersfield permanently in 2021. 

Once again, injuries hampered his time with the Terriers and after another loan move to Fir Park, signed for Slovenian outfit NK Celjie in January 2024.

And after spending time as a trialist with Georgian side Dinamo Tbilisi this summer, he has linked up with the Shrimps, hoping to kick-start his career once more. 

“I’m delighted that Rolando has chosen to join us,” enthused Morecambe boss Singh Johal. “He’s a winger who we identified early on and we’re pleased we managed to get it done as there was a lot of competition for his signature.

“He sees it as an environment that will bring the best out of him, he’s very experienced, playing in the Premiership, Championship and is someone who will add massive value to this side.”

Last Term

To say the 2024-25 campaign was one Morecambe fans would rather forget is perhaps being a little disingenuous. 

Although worse than relegation out of the Football League almost followed with the club nearly folding during the summer, on the field performances were disappointing, perhaps mirroring the uncertainty in the boardroom, as the sale by then owners Bond Investments, led by Jason Whittingham, rumbled on. 

You couldn’t help but feel sorry for manager Derek Adams (pictured below), back for his third spell in charge of the side, but against the backdrop of a protracted takeover, no blame for on-field issues were placed at the manager’s door. 

Morecambe started the season with five consecutive 1-0 league defeats and after four consecutive draws, a 2-1 defeat to Accrington in early October left the side adrift at the bottom of the table.

They finally picked up a first three-point haul with a 1-0 away win over local rivals Barrow. The side failed to build on that win and despite away triumphs over Harrogate, Swindon and fellow strugglers Carlisle, they would not pick up a victory at home until New Year’s Day when Tranmere’s colours were lowered. 

Despite the doom and gloom, the FA Cup did prove to be a rare glimmer of hope for Adams’ side as Morecambe made it to the third round. 

Wins over Worthing and Bradford City set up a plum tie against Chelsea and despite going down 5-0 at Stamford Bridge, the Shrimps had not only banked important funds for their dwindling coffers, fans also had something – albeit briefly – to cheer about. 

After the Tranmere league win, Morecambe’s form reversed and they did not pick another point up on the road, whilst enjoying fleeting success at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium. 

Staring down the barrel of relegation, consecutive home triumphs over Swindon and Cheltenham briefly raised hopes of an unlikely escape. 

But a run of four straight losses saw the side unable to stave off the drop and a 3-1 home loss at the hands of Salford City saw Morecambe drop into non-League for the first time since 2007.