In a weekend with a quick fire double header your Shakers took on a strong Cheadle Town side in front of the Gigg Lane faithful on Saturday and faced a second trip to play an impressive Charnock in a fortnight. Our Shakers picked up 4 out of an available 6 points and we currently sit in 3rd spot in the table behind league leaders Kendal and second placed Chadderton.
All eyes are now on this coming weekend’s game and we would like to see as many of you Shakers in attendance as we return to Gigg Lane this coming Saturday and welcome West Didsbury & Chorlton.
As we look ahead to the upcoming game, we can be excited by the reinforcements now returning to the squad such as Matty Williams, Curtis Obeng, Jimmy Moore and Benito Lowe which we all hope will give Andy and his management team more choice in both attack and defence as we look to kick on.
You can catch Monday’s highlights below:
Andy Welsh, gave us his thoughts following two games in quick succession over the bank holiday weekend:
Our visitors currently sit 8th in the table following a run of games which has seen them win 3, draw 1 and lose 2 of their last six games.
Get all your pre-match information on the opposition, tickets, programmes, access to Gigg Lane, and much more in our details below.
In Opposition – West Didsbury & Chorlton
West Didsbury and Chorlton AFC was founded as Christ Church A.F.C. in 1908, over 100 years ago, by Mr. R F Hartley, a Sunday School Superintendent at the church on Princess Parkway, West Didsbury.
West played friendlies at first and then in the Manchester Alliance League until the First World War. After the War the club joined the Lancashire and Cheshire League for the 1920/21 season and had to change its name to West Didsbury AFC, as that League did not permit a name suggesting association with any other body. The club was placed in Divisions 1 and A, and stayed in the top flight for 25 seasons. The first honours were double runners up in Div 1 and Rhodes Cup in 1922/23, and the club remained in the L+C League until 2006, winning many honours and providing 4 League Presidents along the way.
The home ground from before 1914 until the mid 1980’s was Christie Playing Fields, and then the owners, Manchester and Salford Playing Fields Society, gave the club notice to quit having decided to sell off the land for commercial development – now ironically called ‘Christie Fields’ office park.
After several years’ nomadic existence the club acquired the redundant and overgrown Recreation Ground at Brookburn Road in Chorlton in 1996, and made plans to restore the ground and develop a vision for a community club. This was down to the hard work of a core of players and Committee who refused to let the club fold. New changing rooms and clubhouse facilities were completed aided by a Lottery grant, new sponsors and members’ fundraising, but without a penny from the Playing Fields Society sale proceeds and in time to start the 1997-98 season at this new home.
A further name change followed in 2003 to reflect the new location in Chorlton and the club was then elected to the Manchester League in 2006. In 2007/8 West won its first Manchester League silverware lifting the Murray Shield in the last game of the club’s centenary year. That team was the nucleus of the previously successful junior team and the following season 2008/09 West just missed promotion to the Premier Division and again reached the Murray Shield Final. With a new management team led by Andy Nelson, 2009/10 was very successful and honours spread throughout the club. The 1st team won the Murray Shield (the third consecutive year in the final) and was league runners-up. The reserves won the Bridgewater League Cup and the U17 Youth team won their League.
In 2010/2011 the 1st team won the Manchester League First Division title in style with a fantastic 65 points out of 72 possible. This ranks as one of the highest points totals per game in Manchester League history dating back over a century. The clubs reserve team and youth teams also had terrific seasons, also resulting in promotion and for the second year reaching the Bridgewater Cup Final.
The Youth team reached yet another final where they were just pipped to the trophy by New Mills and the Veterans were runners up in the Premier Division of the Cheshire Veterans League. Plans were made to lease adjacent land long term for junior football to deliver the club Vision to be a FA Charter Standard Club, playing at the highest possible level it can whilst remaining financially viable.
Floodlights were erected in July 2011 to meet FA requirements and West competed in the FA Vase for the first time in 2011-12 as a Step 7 club. Election to the Step 6 and the NWCFL followed in June 2012 and the club had an incredible first season finishing in 3rd position to secure promotion to Step 5, guaranteeing a first ever FA Cup place and winning the Div1 Trophy.
2013-14 saw a strong recovery from a series of early season setbacks and defeats in August to consolidate with a very creditable 12th place league finish in the Premier Division. Two new stands were then installed to improve spectator facilities and the new grass pitches were laid out on adjoining land as part of the long term development plan. Further historic milestones in 2013-14 were the 2-0 home victory over Abbey Hey in the club’s first ever appearance in the FA Cup quickly followed by a 2-1 first FA Vase victory away at NCEL Rossington Main near Doncaster in mid September.
The following season saw the club experience something of an erratic start in the League, as well as losing to Brighouse Town from the Evo Stik League [North] in the FA Cup at the end of August having been given a walk over by the FA in the previous round against NWCFL new club, Cammell Laird 1907. Rossington were FA Vase opponents for the second successive year and again defeated 2-1, this time at home, before West lost 1-2 to eventual finalists Glossop North End. Some good mid season results garnered enough points to finish 16th in the table, well clear of trouble, with a final home game 2-0 victory over Runcorn Linnets signing off manager Andy Nelson’s six meteoric season’s in style.
2015-16 proved to be a record breaking season in a number of ways for West. After a slightly erratic start to the season under new manager Steve Settle, a series of good results from September onwards saw the club rise up the table eventually finishing in a record 5th place. The major highlight of the season had to be the record breaking 15-1 FA Vase win over Dinnington Town, this being the highest ever win both in the Vase as a competition and by any NWCFL club throughout history.
Progression was also made off the field with new facilities at Hardy Farm opened by local MP Jeff Smith. Plans were also made to expand the clubhouse and spectator facilities at Brookburn Road.
The season was to have a sad end with the death of club secretary Rob Turley, a man who had been involved with West Didsbury & Chorlton for over 40 years. But with a strong volunteer base and progress being made on and off the field, the club is in safe hands with a bright future ahead.
2016/17 saw the club finished in 6th place but finished with both a record points total and number of goals scored notching 106 league goals. The club also saw a record average attendance as almost 5,000 people attended matches at Brookburn Road with a club record 674 in attendance for the South Manchester Derby against Maine Road. In cup competitions West entered the Manchester Premier Cup defeating Radcliffe Borough and Glossop North End en-route to facing FC United of Manchester in the Semi Final’s which saw more than 200 West supporters travel to Broadhurst Park before West bowed out to the eventual winners.
Tickets & Admission
General sale tickets are available for the Main and South Stands, plus hospitality for the Main Stand.
We recommend purchasing a ticket ahead of the game to allow us to plan appropriately in the ground.
150 main stand seats will be reserved for season ticket holders on a first come first served basis.
The Cemetery End will be open pay on the gate only.
Prices*: £10 adult, £5 16-18, £3 Under 16s & Free for Under 5s.
1885 Suite: £40* per ticket
* plus booking fees
Pay on the Gate: Whilst encouraging supporters to buy online ahead of the game while we make a decision if turnstiles at the Cemetery End will be available to take cash & card payments.
Away Supporters: There will be no hard segregation on the day, but we will encourage away supporters to go to the Cemetery End. Away supporters that buy tickets for the South or Main Stands are entitled to use those stands however.
Season Ticket Holders: We have recognised the requests from some season ticket holders who wish to be sat in the Main Stand, instead of the currently allocated South Stand. Whilst general sale tickets for the Main Stand are available again, this Saturday the first 150 season ticket holders who wish to watch from the Main Stand, can do so by admission of the turnstile.
Please arrive early to secure your seat, with allocations made on a first-come, first-served basis.
Click here to purchase online tickets. Read here on how to access your tickets digitally.
On the Day & In the Ground
Travel: Gigg Lane is accessible by car and is well served by public transport, please see our page on the TfGM website, which advises the best travel routes to the stadium. Directions can be sourced via Google Maps below.
SatNav Postcode: BL9 9HR
WhatThreeWords: ///issues.skins.span
Parking: Our new car-park policy for the upcoming season is now in force.
Due to the limited space within the car park at Gigg Lane, it is reserved for the following:
- Team Playing Staff and Management
- Match and Competition Officials
- Club Staff and volunteers transporting matchday equipment
- Members of the 1885 Suite
- Sponsors
- Blue Badge Holders
If you have a blue badge or mobility issues please email the club secretary at secretary@buryfc.co.uk at least TWO days before the game. Blue Badge holders shall be prioritised for a parking space.
Entrance to the car park is strictly controlled and includes the areas within and in front of the fenced area. Please contact the Club Secretary with any other related queries.
There is on-street parking in the residential areas surrounding Gigg Lane, with supporters reminded to be respectful and considerate of the local residents at all times, as well as being mindful of and adhering to the parking permit measures in place in close proximity to the ground.
Stadium Entry: Gates will open at 1:30pm.
Our matchday volunteers will be on hand, both outside the turnstiles and inside the ground, to guide supporters to where they need to be. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask those who are there to help the day.
Food / Drink: Our new catering partner, Quirky Catering, will be operating the kiosks this weekend and throughout the season, and are accessible for supporters under the stands. A selection of hot and cold snacks will be available. Alcohol will be sold, and can be consumed anywhere in the stand. Please respect the advice from stewards on managing this process on the day.
Matchday Programme: You can purchase a programme online now, to collect at the merchandise stall tomorrow afternoon or head to the sellers in and around the ground ahead of the game at the price of £3.
Match Sponsor: Our MatchDay Sponsors are Pulsar Computing The UK’s largest Dell Stockist. We welcome the team down to Gigg Lane this weekend and thank them for their support of Bury FC.
Pound for the Ground: Our ‘Pound for the Ground’ half-time raffle tickets will be on sale in and around the ground, £1 per entry. Sellers accept cash or card, with 40% of the total pot going to the winning ticket with results announced over the PA system and on the scoreboard.
Keep #GiggGleaming: With so much work gone into Gigg Lane to get us to this point, we want to keep it that way and a lot of work goes into turning the ground around between games each weekend. We have a team of volunteers lined up to clean the stands following the game.
With this in mind, we urge all supporters to make sure any rubbish is processed in the correct manner, using the available bins where necessary, or if possible please take any rubbish away with you.
Designated Smoking Areas: Supporters are not allowed to smoke / vape anywhere within the stands at Gigg Lane. Designated areas are set aside to do this, follow guidance from stewards on this and only smoke / vape within these areas.
#NonLeagueDogs: For now, dogs are NOT permitted in the ground.
Match Coverage & Live Stream
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, we will have 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 score-line 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!
