Bury FC have come out of administration after fan-owned takeover buys Gigg Lane

Bury FC have come out of administration after fan-owned takeover buys Gigg Lane more than three years on from being kicked out of the Football League

  • Bury FC have announced that they have officially come out of administration 
  • The club were expelled from the Football League in 2019 due to financial issues
  • They will return to playing football at Gigg Lane after the bought to ground back 
  • As a result, they’ve taken another step closer to returning to the football pyramid

Bury FC have announced that they have come out of administration and will return to play football at Gigg Lane.

Bury were expelled from the Football League in August 2019 in a move that was expected to spell the end for the 134-year-old club.

However, a consortium led by fan group Est. 1885 moved closer to regaining control of their old stadium in January of this year. 

Bury FC have have come out of administration and will return to play football at Gigg Lane

As well as owning Gigg Lane – which has been home to the club since its foundation – it meant that the fan group could trade as Bury FC and acquire the club’s history and memorabilia. 

While the latest developments have seen Bury FC take another step closer to returning to the football pyramid. 

Bury FC released a statement that read: ‘After Bury Football Club Supporters’ Society successfully rallied together to buy Gigg Lane, and the intellectual property, history and memorabilia of Bury Football Club out of administration, The Shakers are finally coming back after their tragic expulsion from the English Football League in 2019.

‘With the help of generous benefactors, the club is now in safe hands. Using the successful German model of 51:49 ownership, we (the Supporters’ Society) make up the 51% majority while the benefactors, Bury fans themselves, are the 49%.

Bury FC were expelled from the Football League in 2019 due to financial issues at the club

Bury FC were expelled from the Football League in 2019 due to financial issues at the club 

‘The club and stadium can never fall out of our hands again and we are now working hard to bring elite men’s football back to the town through negotiations with the FA.’

The statement also revealed their plans to make Gigg Lane a ‘community hub’ for the town. It said: ‘It is our aim that we come back bigger and stronger than ever so we have drawn up plans to make Gigg Lane a community hub for the town seven days a week.

‘Gigg Lane has already been used as a storage facility for donations to the Ukraine crisis, but we are now beginning works on a community gymnasium. Further intended works include office, clinic and well-being space as well as an artificial playing surface for football to become at the heart of the community all week.

‘Through hard work and an amazing army of volunteers we have restored Gigg Lane so that Bury FC Foundation Women can end their promotion chasing season in front of the fans at Gigg Lane.

A group of supporters named Est 1885 have struck a deal to buy and save the club

A group of supporters named Est 1885 have struck a deal to buy and save the club 

‘However we don’t want to just restore it but redevelop it to become more than it was before. We have been very fortunate to have received very generous donations from the local and footballing community to help us bring this vision to life.

‘If you feel able to contribute to restoring and redeveloping Gigg Lane then we would be immensely grateful, however big or small.

‘There are also opportunities to join us and become a member of the majority fan ownership. This way you can watch and take an active role helping the cause in bringing hope back to the town and local football community.

‘This is the beginning of a very exciting return for the Shakers and we can’t wait to show you the progress over the coming year.’

BURY TIMELINE 

1885 – Club is founded on April 24 through a merger between two church teams, the Bury Wesleyans and Bury Unitarians. Club leased plot of land on Gigg Lane on Earl of Derby’s estate. 

1887-88 – Bury enter the FA Cup for the first time.

1889 – Bury become foundation members of the Lancashire League. 

1892 – The clubs wins the Lancashire Cup, beating Everton in the final. Before the match, chairman JT Ingham was reported to have roused the players by saying: ‘We shall shake ’em. In fact, we are the Shakers!’ The 1892 Lancashire Cup was the first of 11 such titles stretching to 2017-18.

1894 – The Shakers are admitted to the Football League. They win the Second Division title in 1894-95 by nine points, gaining promotion to the top tier.

1900 – Bury win the FA Cup, beating Southampton 4-0 in the final.

1903 – Club wins FA Cup again, downing Derby 6-0, having conceded no goals throughout the tournament.

1925 – Bury come fourth in the First Division –  highest-ever top tier finish.

1929 – The club is relegated from the top level, and have not returned since.

1957 – Bury drop out of the Second Division for the first time.

1971 – For the first time, Bury are relegated to the fourth tier.

1997 – Two successive promotions under manager Stan Ternent lift Bury to the second tier for the first time in 30 years.

2001-02 – Financial problems linked to the collapse of ITV Digital take Bury into administration and close to folding. Supporters raises enough money for the club to survive.

2005 – Bury are first club to score 1,000 goals in each of top four leagues.

2012 – The Shakers have a transfer embargo placed on them after financial trouble due to poor attendances.

2018-19  Bury finish second in League Two to win promotion. Businessman Steve Dale buys the club in December 2018 and pays an outstanding tax bill to avoid a winding-up order. But financial trouble returns in mid-2019.

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