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Cup matches carry their own kind of electricity, the anticipation, the noise, the sense that anything can happen. But long before the turnstiles click open and the floodlights hum into life, an enormous amount of work takes place across the club to make sure everything runs safely, smoothly and proudly in the Bury way. The First Steps: Safety, Planning and Permissions Once the draw is made, the countdown begins. With fewer than twelve days’ notice, the Club must estimate the likely crowd size, a number that dictates almost everything else. Larger crowds mean increased medical cover, more stewards, additional infrastructure and enhanced safety measures. At the same time, we begin securing all the relevant permissions required for hosting a high-attendance fixture. This includes revisiting our safety certificate conditions, updating operational plans and ensuring compliance with regulations that change depending on the level of opposition, including the return of the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc.) Act 1985, which restricts alcohol consumption within sight of the pitch. Meetings, Meetings, Meetings: Cup matches bring more stakeholders to the table. In the space of a few days, we organise meetings with: Greater Manchester Police Bury Council Stadium Safety Officer and Stewarding Contractors NWAS Matchday Commander & Medical Provisions Hospitality Suppliers’ Media Team & Partners Volunteer Coordinators Ticketing and Press Officer BFC Leadership Team These sessions ensure every organisation understands the plan, the risks, the timings and the contingencies. And just when we think we’ve got it all lined up, the BBC calls. The BBC Arrives and the Plan Changes: Ten days before kick-off, we receive a request from the BBC to attend and broadcast. Fantastic news for the Club, but it means revising the entire operational plan. Kick-off times shift. Permissions must be re-applied for. Safety documents need updating. Stakeholders reconvene. Every department adjusts its workload to accommodate the change. One of the first questions was where the cameras would be positioned. Following a site visit, risk assessments were completed and seating plans for the South Stand were reviewed to ensure supporter safety and that sightlines of the pitch were not adversely affected. Cup matches don’t stand still. Neither do we. Preparing the Stadium: A Herculean Effort The stadium team and maintenance volunteers deserve enormous credit. Preparing Gigg Lane for a major cup tie is not simply about opening the gates and welcoming supporters through the turnstiles. Every area of the stadium must be reviewed, inspected and prepared to ensure it is safe, presentable and ready to host thousands of supporters, staff, media personnel and guests. Across the stadium, work included repairs, deep cleaning, reinstating signage and safety equipment, checking facilities, preparing hospitality areas and ensuring every part of the ground was match-ready. It was a huge effort and one that reflects the pride our staff and volunteers take in presenting Gigg Lane at its very best. As part of our contingency planning, the Manchester Road End (MRE) was also prepared in case attendances exceeded 5,000 spectators. Having not been used since last season, this involved additional repairs, cleaning and preparation work to ensure the area could be brought into operation if required. Elsewhere in the ground, blinds were measured, ordered and fitted in Starkies and the hospitality suites, ensuring every space was ready for guests, sponsors and broadcasters. Communication and Community: Cup matches affect more than just the stadium. We write to all our neighbours to inform them of revised arrangements, including parking, timings, road use and expected footfall. Our media team works flat out creating content to promote the game, while the programme team pulls together a souvenir edition and races it to the printers. While planning remains fluid, we work hard to balance transparency with accuracy. Our supporters always want more information, and often believe they know better, but we must ensure what we share is correct, safe and approved. Planning can remain fluid depending on outstanding decisions and the implementation of necessary safety measures. As a result, the Club is not always able to confirm arrangements until they have been fully assessed and approved. A special thank you to our supporters. Purchasing match tickets in advance helps us enormously, allowing us to plan more effectively and put the appropriate contingencies in place much earlier. For the Harrogate match, only around 4% of tickets were purchased at the turnstiles on the day, which made a significant difference operationally. We hope supporters will continue to buy in advance whenever possible, as it also helps create a smoother and quicker entry process on matchday. Football Operations: The Work You Don’t See Behind the scenes, the football staff adjust training plans, manage workloads and prepare for the opposition. Club secretaries organise registrations, complete official paperwork, liaise with the opposition and governing bodies and rearrange fixtures affected by the cup tie. Every now and then, they even manage to sneak a new signing through in time to surprise our supporters. Cup matches don’t just change one day, they change the whole week. Volunteers: The Heart of Matchday No matchday at Gigg Lane happens without our volunteers. Organising them is a major operation in itself, ensuring every role is covered, from turnstiles to hospitality, from ball retrieval to supporter assistance. Their commitment keeps our supporters safe, comfortable and welcome. The End of the Journey: While every supporter dreams of seeing a cup run continue a little longer, our FA Cup journey has now come to an end. Like everyone connected with the Club, we would have loved another draw, even an away day and another opportunity to showcase Bury FC on the national stage. The pride we all feel in this team was evident once again as 1,050 supporters travelled to Harrogate Town to back the Shakers in the replay. What this run has shown, however, is the tremendous progress being made both on and off the pitch. From our talented – passionate players and coaching team, staff, to our volunteers, supporters, sponsors and partners, everyone has played their part in creating special memories along the way. The atmosphere at Gigg Lane, the backing from the stands and the pride shown in representing our town once again demonstrated exactly what this football club means to so many people. Although the cup run is over, the momentum it has generated remains. Our attention now turns back to the League challenges ahead and the FA Trophy, carrying with us the belief, confidence and togetherness that these occasions help to create. All This… On Top of the Day Job. The Club runs seven days a week, from 9am until 10pm. A major cup tie does not replace the day job, it simply gets added on top. While supporters see ninety minutes on the pitch, our staff, volunteers and partners invest countless hours behind the scenes to make those ninety minutes possible. Cup runs are magical, but they are also the result of hundreds of hours of work from people who care deeply about this football club. From those preparing the stadium and planning operations, to the volunteers supporting on matchday and the fans filling the stands, everyone plays their part in making Gigg Lane the beating heart of our town. A Final Word.. This FA Cup campaign may have come to an end, but it has reminded us all of what can be achieved when a football club, a town and its supporters pull together. The memories created, the crowds attracted and the pride felt throughout the competition will stay with us long after the final whistle. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who played their part, whether that was preparing the stadium, planning operations, volunteering on matchday, supporting from the stands or following the journey from afar. This is what it takes. This is what we do. This is Bury. Up the Shakers! View the full article

After Kai Evans’ heroics saw The Shakers cruise to a 5-3 win midweek against Leek Town, we welcome Workington to Gigg Lane this Saturday. Anthony Johnson’s side will be hoping to further capitalise on our excellent home, where we remain unbeaten since August. Our opponents sit 7th in the league, two points above Bury, having played three more games. Workington have already visited Gigg Lane this season in the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Cup, where braces from Kai Evans and Momodou Touray, as well as a Rustam Stepans goal, sealed a 5-1 Shakers victory. In Opposition – Workington AFC Workington’s history began in turbulent fashion, being founded in 1890, disbanded in 1910, and reformed in 1921 after a ten year break. In 1951, the team finally made their debut in the Football League away to Halifax Town. Six years later, in the 1957/58 season, Workington welcomed Manchester United’s infamous Busby Babes featuring the likes of Harry Gregg, Bobby Charlton and Duncan Edwards, the latter losing his life days later in the Munich Air Disaster. Workington were also famously managed by legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly in the 1950s. On the Day & In the Ground Our Matchday @ Gigg guide is available to read to find out everything you need to know going on in and around the ground. We recommend that supporters purchase tickets online in advance of the match via the ticketing page on our website to avoid queues. Pay on the gate will also be available. Workington supporters will be situated in the Cemetery End, and their supporters should purchase tickets here. Matchday Media Coverage If you are unable to make it to the action at Gigg Lane, we’ll have all the live coverage across our media platforms. Live Stream: For this game, a stream is available for international supporters only. The stream can be purchased here. Keep up-to-date with all our video content via the club’s YouTube Channel. Click to subscribe and never miss highlights and match reaction across the season. Audio Commentary: Roch Valley Radio will be providing commentary for this game. Join the team from the press box at Gigg Lane. Click here ahead of kick-off to listen live. Audio commentary will be provided for every game of the season, so you will never miss a piece of the action. Social Media: Our team will also bring you in-depth text commentary via the club ‘MatchDay Live‘ Twitter feed, with team news and half time and full time updates available also on Facebook and feel like you are there with our match galleries and imagery available over on Instagram. Whatever the weather, wherever you are across the globe, we have you covered. Up the Shakers! View the full article

Leek Town (H) | Match Highlights | NPL Premier | 2026/27

Dear Member, As outlined in our recent communications, the Society is moving its membership system to Fanbase over the next 12 months. We recognise that this rollout has caused some confusion, and we apologise for that. We are writing to provide further information about the transfer process, the expected timelines, and where members can obtain support if required. Fanbase is the same platform used for the Club’s digital ticketing and will make it easier for members to manage their accounts and keep their details up to date. This will also help the Society maintain accurate records and communicate more effectively with members. Access to Fanbase can be found by clicking here. Most importantly, we would like to reassure members that voting rights remain unchanged throughout this transition. All paid-up members with a valid Society membership remain eligible to vote in the upcoming Board Election and AGM, whether their membership is held on the current membership system or through Fanbase. You do not need to transfer to Fanbase before the election in order to retain your voting rights. In time, all members will be required to hold their membership through Fanbase in order to remain a member of the Society. However, there is no need to rush if your current membership remains active. When should I move to Fanbase? Monthly members: We encourage you to move when convenient, as Fanbase provides a simpler way to manage your membership. Annual members: You can continue using your existing membership and we will contact you before your next renewal date with details of how to switch. Lifetime members: To be eligible to vote in this year’s Board Election, you should complete your Fanbase registration before 5 November 2026 (if not already done so), as outlined in the correspondence sent directly to all Lifetime Members. Taking out a Fanbase membership is not considered a break in membership. Once your new membership is active, the membership team will arrange for your previous membership record to be closed to help avoid duplicate payments. Members may wish to cancel any existing Direct Debit arrangements relating to their membership once their Fanbase membership has been successfully set up. Existing membership payments may appear on bank statements as either “Stripe” or “GoCardless”. Members who have purchased match tickets or season tickets through Fanbase since its introduction in summer 2026 will usually be able to add their membership to an existing account. To create your Fanbase account and purchase your membership, click here. We have also prepared a Frequently Asked Questions page which provides additional information about the transfer process, voting eligibility and common membership queries. Access the FAQ here. If you have any questions, please contact membership@fssb.co.uk Thank you for your patience and continued support as we complete this transition. Thank you for your continued support of your member-owned football club. Kind regards, FSSB Membership Team View the full article

Anthony Johnson - Leek Town (H) | Post-Match Interview | Bury FC

James Neild - Leek Town (H) | Post-Match Interview | Bury FC

After a string of cup fixtures, The Shakers return to league action under the lights against Leek Town. The Shakers resume sitting 12th in the table on 19 points, having played up to five games less than neighbouring teams. Our opposition sit in 16th, five points below Bury having played two more. Our last league game saw DJ Pedro’s late winner seal a 3-2 win away to Alfreton Town. In Opposition – Leek Town Formed in 1946, The Blues early years were defined by movement between, Staffordshire, Birmingham Cheshire and Manchester Leagues, claiming the latter in the 1950-51 season. In 1982, the side joined the newly formed North West Counties League, where they spent five seasons, one of which under former England left-back Mike Pejic. Glory came in the 1996-97 season, where Leek claimed the Northern Premier League by ten points. Modern years have seen a series of promotions which saw the side reach step 3 for the first time since 2008 in the 2024-25 season. On the Day & In the GroundOur Matchday @ Gigg guide is available to read to find out everything you need to know going on in and around the ground. We recommend that supporters purchase tickets online in advance of the match via the ticketing page on our website to avoid queues. Pay on the gate will also be available. There is no segregation for this fixture, but Leek Town supporters are asked to purchase their tickets here. Matchday Media CoverageIf you are unable to make it to the action at Gigg Lane, we’ll have all the live coverage across our media platforms. Live Stream: For this game, there will be no live stream. Keep up-to-date with all our video content via the club’s YouTube Channel. Click to subscribe and never miss highlights and match reaction across the season. Audio Commentary: Roch Valley Radio will be providing commentary for this game. Join the team from the press box at Gigg Lane. Click here ahead of kick-off to listen live. Audio commentary will be provided for every game of the season, so you will never miss a piece of the action. Social Media: Our team will also bring you in-depth text commentary via the club ‘MatchDay Live‘ Twitter feed, with team news and half time and full time updates available also on Facebook and feel like you are there with our match galleries and imagery available over on Instagram. Whatever the weather, wherever you are across the globe, we have you covered. Up the Shakers! View the full article