Bury AFC, the phoenix club are back on the football ladder

Bury AFC will start in tenth tier of English football


Bury AFC, the phoenix club launched after Bury's expulsion from the Football League, will begin life next season in the 10th tier of English football.

The North West Counties Football League has approved an application from Bury AFC for them to join the league next season.

Bury were expelled from the English Football League in August after failing to secure new ownership when a last-gasp takeover bid collapsed.

On Friday, the NWCFL confirmed that 11 clubs had applied for promotion to Step 6 (ninth and 10th tier) providing they meet the entry ground grade H criteria by March 31.

Nine of those clubs must finish in the top five of their respective Step 7 competitions, however, new clubs Bury AFC and FC Isle of Man have been listed for inclusion to join the league.

A message posted on Bury AFC's Twitter account read: "Bury AFC are listed below for inclusion (to the) North West Counties Football League for 2020/21.

"This confirms our belief that we are the only team currently with an application in to play football in Bury next season. BRING. IT. ON."

Good to see them going for it.
I wonder if they will play at their old ground.

Wonder how long it will take them to ever take us?

Earwegoagain wrote:

Wonder how long it will take them to ever take us?

There's a huge difference between setting up a Phoenix Club, getting accepted into a League and carrying it through to any point approaching EFL status. It either requires huge amounts on money (i.e. The Salford Route) or ensuring that all founders are reading from the same hymn sheet. The case of FC of Manchester springs to mind here, where significant disagreements about what the Club was, and what it should be, emerged and halted its upwards progress as one individual wrestled with the founders over the nature of what it was going to be. There's some interesting literature surrounding this particular case.

Grace Less wrote:

Earwegoagain wrote:

Wonder how long it will take them to ever take us?

There's a huge difference between setting up a Phoenix Club, getting accepted into a League and carrying it through to any point approaching EFL status. It either requires huge amounts on money (i.e. The Salford Route) or ensuring that all founders are reading from the same hymn sheet. The case of FC of Manchester springs to mind here, where significant disagreements about what the Club was, and what it should be, emerged and halted its upwards progress as one individual wrestled with the founders over the nature of what it was going to be. There's some interesting literature surrounding this particular case.

Indeed, it took the Phoney Wimbledon scum 12 years I think.

Wish em the best of luck

so has the orginial bury fc been liquadated yet officially? if so gigg lane would be cheap to buy for them.

Angry wrote:

so has the orginial bury fc been liquadated yet officially? if so gigg lane would be cheap to buy for them.

No, Steve Dale and, I think, the owner before Stewart Day, still have a charge over the ground. Dale is holding out as he knows the land is the only thing of value. I don't think getting the ground will be that easy.

Angry wrote:

so has the orginial bury fc been liquadated yet officially? if so gigg lane would be cheap to buy for them.

Its mortgaged to the eyeballs. I can' see Bury having to groundshare for a while yet, if they ever return

Taken from another site courtesy of a Bury fan (he's the author of a couple of club histories, been quoted in articles and on the BBC so has decent credentials):

The future of Gigg is far from secured because of the mortgage on it with the assistance of Capital Bridge Finance Solutions. It's rumoured that the proprietor of the company is the brother-in-law of Bury's former vice-chairman. From the top to the bottom of the two hierarchies - those of Stewart Daya nd those of Steve Dale - it stinks. I fantasise about seeing Dale in a business meeting in a mid-level chain restaurant and telling his prospective client exactly what kind of person he's dealing with. I also dream of the day a wrongdoing is found, they're hauled before the authorities and I'm in the public gallery for sentencing.

Greenlander wrote:

Taken from another site courtesy of a Bury fan (he's the author of a couple of club histories, been quoted in articles and on the BBC so has decent credentials):

The future of Gigg is far from secured because of the mortgage on it with the assistance of Capital Bridge Finance Solutions. It's rumoured that the proprietor of the company is the brother-in-law of Bury's former vice-chairman. From the top to the bottom of the two hierarchies - those of Stewart Daya nd those of Steve Dale - it stinks. I fantasise about seeing Dale in a business meeting in a mid-level chain restaurant and telling his prospective client exactly what kind of person he's dealing with. I also dream of the day a wrongdoing is found, they're hauled before the authorities and I'm in the public gallery for sentencing.

You have to admire these people for their low animal like ruthless cunningness, mortgage your assets to the hilt with a company owned by close family members who are unlikely to call the loan in.

RegGreen wrote:

Wish em the best of luck

It's more than luck that they'll need. If you read Chris Porter's "Supporter ownership in English football" there's an examination of starting from scratch, and the sub title of the book sums it up nicely " Class, Culture and Politics ".

It will be down to the old fans of Bury whether the Phoenix club works they have to actually support this club and not just take a passing fancy when bolton or man city are away.

RegGreen wrote:

Wish em the best of luck

I will second that.