Jim Bentley will step down as Morecambe manager at the end of the season but stay with the club in an alternative role. The announcement comes after the Shrimps were relegated to National League North and now face a continued rebuild. Morecambe said Bentley will support the club’s development across footballing and non-footballing areas.
Morecambe confirm Jim Bentley’s next move
The club said Bentley will remain involved once his managerial spell ends, extending his connection with the Shrimps beyond the touchline. That decision follows a difficult spell in which Morecambe suffered a fifth straight setback in the wider context of a season that has already ended in relegation.
Bentley returned in February on a deal lasting until the end of the campaign after Ashvir Singh Johal was dismissed at the end of January with the club in 23rd place. In 16 games during his second spell, he won four.
The club’s statement said Bentley will help across both footballing and non-footballing areas, underlining the scale of the work still ahead. Morecambe have now suffered three successive relegations, leaving them with a major task to stabilise after falling into regional football.
What Jim Bentley said about his approach
Jim Bentley said he made a conscious decision to keep Morecambe open and attacking when he returned to the club in February. He said he was not going to “sit in” and leave the team relying on a low block, a lucky breakaway or a set-piece.
He added that Morecambe had gone at every opponent they faced and had been in every game, even if the defensive numbers have remained a problem. The Shrimps have the worst defensive record in the National League this season, having conceded 90 goals from 43 fixtures.
That pattern reflects a difficult year already under Johal, when Morecambe conceded 60 goals and scored 34 in 28 league matches before his sacking.
Chairman backs Jim Bentley in rebuild
Kuljeet Singh Momi, the chairman, said he was delighted the club could continue to benefit from Bentley’s passion, knowledge and experience of all things Morecambe. He said Bentley is a Morecambe footballing legend and thanked him for his efforts over the last three months.
Momi added that Bentley is also a strong ambassador for the club and that his input with the executive leadership team will be integral to the continued rebuild. Bentley spent eight years in charge of the Shrimps between 2011 and 2019, and he has also managed Fylde, Rochdale and Southport.
Morecambe are eight points from safety with three games left, and Saturday’s 5-1 defeat at Woking confirmed their relegation with two matches still to play. The immediate focus now shifts to how the club uses Jim Bentley’s experience as it prepares for the next stage of the turnaround.
