Historic! Morecambe FC become first English club to be owned by Sikhs, appoint Sikh manager

Morecambe FC have made history after becoming the first professional football club in England to be owned by Sikh owners, following a takeover by Panjab Warriors this week. The landmark moment was further underlined when Ashvir Singh Johal was appointed as the new manager, making him the first Sikh to lead a professional British club. The new owners said that they want their cultural identity and values to guide the way they run the National League side. “Punjab, the land of five rivers, is our native land,” Gurpreet Singh, the group’s head of communications, told BBC. “For us, our heritage, our culture and our faith are our core principles. They make us who we are. And it is these principles – discipline, trustfulness, compassion – that we want to bring to Morecambe.” Morecambe chief executive Ropinder Singh also reflected those sentiments. “There is no better marriage than Punjab and football,” he told BBC. “The doors are open for everybody. The idea is that we want to change the narrative that football ownership is an unethical process.” The development has been welcomed across the Sikh community in the UK and beyond. Jagbir Jhutti-Johal, professor of Sikh studies at the University of Birmingham, told BBC: “People back home in Punjab will be very proud of the fact that Sikhs are running a club here. Sikhs in America, Canada, etc, will be watching closely. And those in the UK, even if they might be fans of Liverpool or Manchester United, will also be rooting for Morecambe.” Johal’s appointment has been described as a powerful moment of representation. Preetam Singh, founder of Stretford Sikhs, which is Manchester United’s first official Sikh supporters’ club said, “Ashvir wears a patka and has a dadhi, so the clear image of a Sikh is now out there on a big stage. People notice, they ask questions, they learn. Even his name and appearance alone can spark understanding – and that’s going to have a massive impact.” Former referee Jarnail Singh, the first turban-wearing official in English league football, also underlined the significance. “For the South Asian community, and especially the Sikh community, I think it’s absolutely superb where we actually have broken the glass ceiling in terms of going into management,” he told BBC. “It just gives everybody the drive to know that one of our Sikhs has reached the pinnacle as a manager, and he’ll be a great role model.” For Johal himself, the appointment is less about symbolism and more about his coaching ambitions. His father, Kulvinder, said, “At the moment, Ash has got a job to do. He’s not purposely gone out to be a role model. He is chasing his dream to be a coach. This is another milestone in a career that began when he was 15, 16 years old.” He added, “If along the way he happens to become a role model for other people in the community, if this allows others to chase their dreams, then that can only be a good thing for the UK as a whole.”