Wolves 1877 Trust Statement – Sheffield Wednesday and Morecambe FC

The current crises unfolding at Sheffield Wednesday and Morecambe FC echo a troubling chapter in Wolverhampton Wanderers' history, one that older Wolves supporters will remember all too well.

In the early 1980s, Wolves found themselves on the brink under owners who arrived with bold promises and grand ambitions but lacked the basic competence and financial means to run a football club. Today, at Sheffield Wednesday, we see alarming similarities: unpaid wages, and parts of the stadium closed due to safety concerns, a stark reminder of Wolves’ own struggles four decades ago.

What is most concerning is that, despite more than 40 years passing, the game’s authorities have done little to prevent the same mistakes from repeating. The football pyramid remains vulnerable to mismanagement and exploitation.

At Morecambe FC, we are witnessing further proof of this systemic failure. Owner Jason Whittingham, already notorious for his role in sending Worcester Warriors Rugby Club into liquidation, has taken control of the club and driven it to the brink of extinction.

Wolves 1877 Trust stands in full solidarity with the supporters of both clubs, and with our colleagues at their respective supporters’ trusts. We call on the Football Supporters’ Association and fan groups across the English football pyramid to unite and press the newly established independent football regulator to urgently investigate both cases.

We urge immediate recommendations and actions to be taken by the game’s authorities to ensure that no more clubs, and no more communities, are left to suffer the consequences of negligent or unfit ownership.