Football League issues Gillingham's League 2 rivals Morecambe a suspended points deduction after failing to pay their players on time

Gillingham’s League 2 rivals Morecambe are facing a possible points deduction this season - for failing to pay their players.

Morecambe admitted breaching the EFL regulations after failing to pay their players towards the end of last season.

A three-point deduction is suspended until June 30, 2024 and will come into force if the club’s owner Jason Whittingham doesn’t provide funds requested by the EFL and/or the club misses anoher payment of staff wages.

The Football League have demanded that Morecambe “deposit an amount equal to 125% of the forecast monthly wage bill - for all staff across the football club - in a designated club account, which may be called upon by the club should there be any future delays in processing wage payments.”

Morecambe, who were relegated from League 1 last season, have made a reasonable start to their campaign on the field this term, picking up seven points from their opening four games to put themselves in the mix at the top end of League 2.

The EFL said: “The suspended sanction will take effect if the payment is not made by the owners of the club to the club deposit account as per the terms of the ‘agreed decision’ or there is any failure to pay its players on time until 30 June 2024.”

The sanction was imposed in accordance with the terms of an ‘agreed decision’ which has formally been ratified by an independent disciplinary commission chair as per the requirements of EFL regulations.

The EFL and a member club can make an agreed decision ‘where it is appropriate in the circumstances to conclude a matter effectively and equitably’ without referring the matter to a disciplinary commission.

Morecambe signed former Gills defender David Tutonda this summer and he came off the bench at the