Morecambe: Disputed owner Diego Lemos misses court date as case is dismissed

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Morecambe finished 18th in League Two this season

Diego Lemos' ownership claim to Morecambe FC has been dismissed by a court after failing to pay legal costs.

Lemos purchased a majority stake in G50 Holdings, the company which holds 82% of Morecambe's shares, in September.

He had disputed January's transfer of 99% of G50 shares to tax consultant Graham Burnard, who Lemos had failed to pay for the share issue which saw him take control.

Burnard is acting on behalf of former co-chairman Abdulrahman Al-Hashemi.

Brazilian businessman Lemos had requested an injunction against Burnard and G50 Holdings to prevent a sale of Burnard's shares to Italian businessman Joseph Cala.

In February, Cala said he was still "committed" to his takeover of the League Two side despite Lemos' legal challenge.

A statement from Morecambe confirmed that Burnard is the sole director of the club and said they "can now confidently focus on next season".