Football To Return To Gigg Lane!
A group of Bury fans have completed a deal to buy back Gigg Lane from administrators following their high-profile expulsion from the Football League three years ago. The club were expelled from the Football League in 2019 due to financial issues, but a fan group has worked tirelessly to acquire the trading name, history and memorabilia of the historic Lancashire club. It’s hoped that football can return to the 12,500 capacity Gigg Lane stadium in August, for the commencing of the 2022-23 season.
The 137-year-old football club was placed into administration by then-owner Steve Dale in November 2020, having been expelled from the Football League in August 2019. A consortium led by fan group Est. 1885 started negotiations to buy the club and its ground in October last year and an agreement has now been reached. As well as owning Gigg Lane, which has been home to the club since its foundation, it also means that the fan group can now trade as Bury FC.
An Est. 1885 statement said that they were 'delighted' to complete the acquisition and that they are thankful for the 'outpouring of volunteer support for the refurbishment of the stadium' as well as the 'many local businesses who have made kind donations'.
In December, a government-run community ownership fund pledged to give Bury fans £1million towards buying Gigg Lane if they could raise the same figure. There was also additional funding from America and local benefactors. Since Bury's demise, there has been a divide amongst supporters, with phoenix club Bury AFC currently ten points clear at the top of North West Counties League First Division North, having lost just once all season, but there is hope that this fantastic news will help to unite the fans and assist in resolving their differences.
Est. 1885 Statement In Full
We are delighted to announce that today we closed on the purchase of Gigg Lane from the Administrator and it is now a community asset, free of debt or liabilities. We have also acquired the trading name, history and memorabilia of Bury FC. In this process we have attracted funding from the UK Government, America and a number of other local benefactors, none of whom expect any more return from their support than the satisfaction of seeing football return to the ground, and its expanded use for community sports and wellbeing.
We are very grateful for the outpouring of volunteer support for refurbishment of the stadium; more than 500 people have signed up and many local businesses have made kind donations. Details of when the refurbishment can begin will be announced in the coming days.
As we move into the next phase towards the return of Bury FC, there are other details that now need to be worked out. Gigg Lane is in better condition than we expected and we will be publishing a fast-track timeline for recertification of the ground to become the biggest and best facility in the borough in short order. In the next few days we will also be announcing the rebranding and future role for Forever Bury and the transition of Est. 1885. We remain fully committed to finding a consensual path with Bury AFC and will be restarting these discussions next week.
Henceforth, all major decisions will be subject to member vote, and an updated membership scheme will be announced next week. If you want a voice, we encourage you to become a member and vote. We will also communicate to our members far more regularly and with greater transparency.
We'd like to thank Stacey Bainer, Ross Cooper and Carl Scott from our lawyers Pinsent Masons who have gone above and beyond, on a very complex process, Gary Hellen & Associates who guided us through the grant application process, Andy Walsh for the support of the Football Supporters' Association, Bury Council for their support in the process so far, and in the future, and the management of Bury AFC for their openness and engagement to date.
And finally our huge appreciation to James Daly our local MP for his tireless work gaining support all the way up to Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, and the team at the Department of Levelling Up Homes and Communities for their guidance, responsiveness and support.
