Football is coming back to Gigg Lane
Bury FC have announced that they have come out of administration and will return to play football at Gigg Lane – with plans to return to the football pyramid.
The Shakers were expelled from the Football League in August, 2019 and then owner, Steve Dale, putting the club into administration a year later.
A group of supporters banded together to form a phoenix club who go by the name of Bury AFC, who finished top of the North West Counties First Division North.
However in a statement on May 1, the Bury Supporters’ Society confirmed they had successfully acquired Gigg Lane and in doing so, had also purchased the club, holding a majority share of 51 per cent while the club’s fans will hold the other 49 per cent.
‘The Shakers are finally coming back’
It 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%.
“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.”
🔵⚪️ We Are Coming Back ⚪️🔵
It is with great joy that we can say the fans have bought #BuryFC and #GiggLane out of administration and we’re working on the comeback story of a lifetime.
More details:https://t.co/iUWlF65GXo
It feels great to be with you again.#FanOwned #Bury pic.twitter.com/bURecO3sQa
— Bury Football Club (@buryfcofficial) May 1, 2022
‘This is the beginning of a very exciting return for the Shakers’
The statement also confirmed that they would be drawing up plans to make Gigg Lane a community place and pledged for any supporters to donate and help as they begin their journey back to the top.
“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.
“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.”
Related links:
- Government to introduce Independent football regulator in England
- Bury FC: A club on the brink
- Bury Supporters Groups agree exclusivity to buy Bury FC and Gigg Lane stadium
