A MORTON fans' group has formally launched a bid to take over the Greenock side.

Officials from Morton Club Together (MCT) say they will leave 'no stone unturned' in their pursuit of full community ownership at Cappielow.

The group was established in May last year by supporter Graham McLennan to provide fresh investment in the playing squad.

It is funnelling in money over in return for a stake in the club and a seat on the board - whilst also reducing the debt owed to the Ton's parent company, Golden Casket.

Almost 400 fans have signed up to MCT and they are currently contributing £6,000 a month towards manager David Hopkin's first team budget.

The establishment of the group - now the second largest shareholder at Morton - was seen as the first step towards full-blown fan ownership and officials are now actively taking that vision forward.

Stewart Farmer, also a volunteer director of MCT, said: "The current majority owner has stated that community ownership is their preferred future for Morton, and our members have positioned MCT well to be the vehicle to deliver it. "Within an estimated nine months we'll have left no stone unturned in exploring if community ownership of Morton is possible and, if so, what our plan is to achieve it. "There are many questions and challenges ahead. "We'll work tirelessly to find answers and overcome the challenges.

"Morton fans could choose to continue to wait around for a white knight to appear over the horizon, but there's no indication that's going to happen."

Ton chairman and majority shareholder, Crawford Rae, who is also in charge of Golden Casket, says he is fully behind MCT's plans.

He inherited the club and the reins of the family business from his late dad Douglas, who died in June 2018 having rescues his beloved Morton from administration in 2001.

Mr Rae said: "My family have invested significant resources into Morton for over two decades as it was my father's principal ambition to return the club that he loved back to the top flight of Scottish football.

"It is therefore imperative for me to ensure that the legacy my father has left behind can flourish, grow and hopefully achieve this ambition for all the people of Inverclyde.

"If Morton Club Together and all of its members can demonstrate a cogent plan and the capability to deliver it, then we believe this could be the best option for the club.

"I will ensure that Golden Casket and Morton FC co-operates fully with MCT throughout the process of exploring if and how majority community ownership of the club we all love could be delivered."

MCT, run entirely by volunteers, hope to replicate the likes of Hearts, Motherwell and Renfrewshire rivals St Mirren where fan ownership models have been a success.

Mr McLennan, founder and chairman of the group, said: "From a standing start in May last year, MCT and our growing band of members have shown we can make a difference.

"We've already had the debt reduced by £500,000 and have an agreement with Golden Casket to have the remaining £2m written off by the end of next season - assuming we hit our target of contributing £400k to the first team in that period. "So every £10 contributed by MCT members means Morton is more than £70 better off."

The fans' group is now appealing for more fans to dig deep and shape the future of the club.

Gordon Ritchie, a MCT director, said: "Almost every fan we've spoken with wants change.

"MCT is the only game in town to make this change happen."

For more information about MCT, visit www.mortonclubtogether.com