Will Morecambe and Lancaster benefit from being in the Football League?

Morecambe Football Club is currently in fifth position in the Nationwide Conference and also in the third round of the FA Cup.

This season has seen the introduction of play-off place to the Football League and fifth place would give us an opportunity to take part.

The Football League is the oldest football league in the world and is reserved for the elite towns and cities in England.

It is covered extensively in the national media and also receives weekly coverage on all major television channels.

Lancaster and Morecambe are constantly trying to raise there individual profiles.

We have seen recently Hilton Dawson dis-cussing the merits of Lancaster being the capital city of Lancashire, for example.

However I suggest that to the vast majority of people in Lancashire would not see it as a credible choice due to a lack of profile - and I further suggest that the main lack of profile is due to us not having a credible football presence at a national level.

It may seem trivial to suggest a mere game is capable of saying whether a city has credibility or not.

However what else gives a city the media coverage on a week-by-week basis that football does.

Indeed, to take the argument further, how many people will agree that studying football scores and indeed football pools coupons has raised their geographical knowledge of England.

Things have improved over the past few years, thanks to Morecambe's participation in the Conference.

However we are still referred to as plucky non-leaguers or non-league minnows and the expectation is that we will be soundly beaten by Ipswich Town on Saturday.

If we were a mere eight places higher in the ladder then we would be a League Division Three team and suddenly the gap is not as great.

Watching Morecambe play each week and being involved in the organisation of the club, I realise that far from being a plucky non league team we are in fact a professional organisation with a team of players and management more that capable of competing at the higher level.

My fellow directors and I will continue to support Morecambe FC with the aim of achieving league football - and the purpose of this letter is to ask the people of Lancaster and Morecambe to join us in helping finally to put this area on the sporting map.

I believe we can have a massive positive impact for the area's tourism and business communities.

This year presents a wonderful opportunity for Morecambe FC to give this area league status.

Let us all do our bit for our community by spreading the word to friends, family and work colleagues.

Also, lets talk to our local councillors and politicians about this huge opportunity to bring something really positive to our area.

We may just make the double of county town and Football League.

Now that would be an achievement!

Mark Hallam,

Director,

Morecambe FC.