Current majority shareholders Bond Group, led by businessman Whittingham, purchased Morecambe in May 2018. By September 2022, Whittingham had put the club up for sale.
The club has since been relegated twice, and no takeover has been completed in that time.
Whittingham has been a director at 25 companies during his career, according to Companies House. Of those 25 companies, 18 have been either dissolved, voluntarily dissolved, put into administration, put into liquidation, or put into receiver action (the precursor stage to liquidation).
Two of Whittingham’s companies had been dissolved by compulsory strike-off prior to his takeover of Morecambe – but he still passed the EFL’s owners’ and directors’ test.
At many of the companies, Whittingham was joint director with business partner Colin Goldring – a legal worker turned entrepreneur – including at Morecambe until Goldring’s resignation in August 2022.
Whittingham and Goldring were disqualified as company directors for 12 months following a court hearing in 2022.
Goldring has also been barred by the Solicitors Regulation Authority from working for any law firm without clearance.
The pair also ran Worcester Warriors rugby club, which went into liquidation in 2022.
