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To help protect the pitch from the predicted snow fall yesterday and any freezing conditions that followed, covers were placed across the pitch on Wednesday.
With the forecast anticipating a halt in the rain overnight on Friday / Saturday, the covers are due to be removed first thing on Saturday morning.
The pitch remains soft underneath from the rain earlier in the week. The water sat on top will be pushed to the sides of the ground before the covers are rolled up and removed.
We have a good number of regular volunteers who will be down to assist the ground staff, but with many hands making light work, getting another 20 volunteers down to assist will enable pitch preparations to start sooner.
Supporters armed with a big brush (suitable for pushing water along) are requested to arrive from 8am and report to ground staff for guidance. This process should be completed by around 10am with your assistance.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our ground staff team, as well as both Unsworth CC and Bury CC for lending equipment to assist with the clean up.
To contact the club, please do so on the new number – 0161 537 9253.
Tickets: Burscough (H)
Following the pitch clearence, Burscough head into town for the next game in the NWCFL Premier Division. Get your match information HERE, with tickets, as always, are available below:
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Our game on Tuesday night was called off owing to a water-logged pitch, so we will now play Ramsbottom later in the season. With 14 games to fit in between now and 20th April, there’s plenty to get your teeth into as we head on the hunt for top spot.
We have the covers on the pitch (see here) in the hope of avoiding a repeat of the recent cancellations following the snow and wet weather through this week. We thank our grounds staff for going above and beyond this week to assist in this regard.
Last weekend, we got a win on the road at Pilkington, stretching our unbeaten run in the league to nine. Scoring 33 goals in the process. It was Oli Jepson who got on the scoresheet first last weekend with a powerful header at the back post, before Andy Briggs netted his 20th and 21st goals of the season either side of an early reposte from Pilkington in the first half.
Pilks almost found away back into the game in the dying minutes of the second half capitalising on a rare mistake in the Bury defence and slotting a late goal past Harry Wright, but The Shakers stood firm to close out the game to ensure Dave McNabb’s men came away with all three points.
You can see the highlights from our weekend victory at Pilkington Below.
All details for the game can be found below. Head down for opposition details, tickets, parking and live match coverage. Full details on arrangements inside the ground as we respond to the recent anti-social behaviour experienced can be found HERE.
In Opposition – Burscough
Following the Second World War, the present Burscough club was founded in 1946, starting life in the Liverpool County Combination. In only their second season, 1946/47, they achieved a unique treble, winning the Lancashire Junior Cup, George Mahon Cup and the Liverpool Challenge Cup.
In 1982 the Club became founder members of the North West Counties Football League and had the distinction of becoming the Leagues first ever Champions under Bryan Griffiths.
In more recent times, following the resignation of John Davison the club appointed Shaun Teale as player/manager in May 2002 and the ex-Aston Villa defender went on to sensationally lead the club to its greatest ever achievement as Burscough became the smallest club to ever win the FA Trophy following a tremendous 2-1 victory over Tamworth at Villa Park on Sunday 18th May 2003 in front of a crowd of 14,296 spectators and televised live on Sky. There were incredible scenes as almost 2,000 fans welcomed the team home to Victoria Park.
An incredible end to 2003/04 season saw Burscough finish with a remarkable run of victories that saw them claw their way out of the bottom three into the play-offs for Conference North. Despite playing all their games away from home the Linnets went on to reach the play-off final where they only went down at Bradford Park Avenue following extra-time. During the summer Frank Parr stepped down after 30 years as chairman with local businessman Chris Lloyd taking over at the helm.
Season 2005/06 was another historic one for Burscough F.C. as they went on to reach the Second Round proper of the F.A. Cup for the first time in their history. In reaching that milestone they defeated League One side Gillingham 3-2 on a never to be forgotten day at Victoria Park before going out to Burton Albion.
Despite spending many a season in the higher reaches of the non-league pyramid, financial difficulties through the 2010s lead to Burscough ending up back in the NWCFL in 2017. This season has been equally tricky for The Linnets, with nine wins and two draws in their 32 games. However, they have opened up a gap between themselves and tenants, Skelmersdale United, who sit bottom.
Tickets & Admission
General sale tickets are available online HERE, which includes hospitality tickets in the Main Stand.
We recommend purchasing a ticket ahead of the game to allow us to plan appropriately in the ground.
Please follow requests from volunteers and stewards for directions if unsure.
Prices*: £10 adult, £5 16-18, £3 Under 16s & Free for Under 5s.
1885 Suite: £40* per ticket
* plus booking fees
Buy Tickets HERE Pay on the Gate: Whilst encouraging supporters to buy online ahead of the game, turnstiles will be available to take cash & card payments.
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. The first 250 season ticket holders who wish to watch from the Main Stand, can do so by admission at 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.
Matchday Programme: You can purchase a programme online now, to collect at the merchandise stall ahead of the game or head to the sellers in and around the ground. Price of £3.
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.
Food / Drink: Our new catering partner, Quirky Catering, operate the kiosks throughout the ground, and are accessible for supporters under the stands. A selection of hot and cold snacks will be available. Alcohol will be unavailable in kiosks for the time being, full details available here. Please respect the advice from stewards on managing this process on the day.
Starkies bar Starkies: For those with tickets in the Main Stand, access to Starkies will be available from when the gates open with drinks required to be consumed in the bar only for the next two games. The bar is limited to a set number and this will be managed by stewards through the day.
After the game, supporters from other areas of the ground can gain access to Starkies via the ground floor entrance in that corner of the ground – subject to the maximum capacity not being exceeded.
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!
#ShakersTogether | #BuryFC | #PartofIt
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Prize Draw No. Members Name £500 Rollover BF6846 NO WINNER £1000 CA1699 M CRUMP £100 LL0056 C STURDY £50 RA2148 T DILLON £50 HK4202 R HARRISON £25 ND2480 E MAGUIRE £25 BA0989 K SCULTHORPE £10 HD5937 K BOTTOMLEY £10 LK1440 M GREEN £10 LK6293 D MUHL £10 NG6260 M RIDLEY £10 HA6180 S SIDDLE £10 NE6466 J SMITH £10 LM2942 A BRANDON £10 AG6694 T HOWARTH £10 HC3867 P WOODGATE £10 SB4288 S WOODBRIDGE Bury FC is a partner of NYCDA and a beneficiary of the NYCDA Weekly Draw. Gambling Commission account number 5166. Registered Office: 1-2 Frecheville Court, Bury, BL9 0UF. Responsible Person: Mr M Brocklehurst. For more information, please visit www.nycdaweeklydraw.co.uk/treasureline.
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For a second time, our game with Ramsbottom United due to take place this evening has had to have been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
A local referee was called when there was no sign that the water was draining away following heavy rain earlier today.
A new date will be confirmed in due course, and tickets will be valid for the rearranged fixture.
Next Up: Burscough (H)
We hope to back at Gigg Lane in quick time when Burscough head into town this Saturday for the next game in the NWCFL Premier Division. Tickets, as always, are available below:
Match Tickets View the full article
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We welcome to Gigg Lane midfielder Sam Coughlan and defender Harry Brockbank.
Sam, 19, arrives having previously played in Everton’s Academy where he has been since the age of eight. After leaving the Merseyside club last summer, he has recently been regularly training with the squad and is now added to the squad list.
Harry signing for St. Patrick’s Athletic of the League of Ireland Premier Division in 2022 (Photo Credit – Final Whistle) Harry, 25, arrives from Radcliffe on a 28-day loan after making the switch to M26 last month. Harry has recently spent time in the US and Ireland, after over 17 years with Bolton Wanderers up to 2022.
We wish to place on record our thanks to Radcliffe for allowing us to take Harry at short notice.
Both players will be available for tonight’s visit of Ramsbottom United, subject to league approval ahead of the fixture.
Welcome to Bury, Sam & Harry!
#ShakersTogether | #BuryFC | #PartofIt
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To give the game the best chance, we will push any inspection as late as possible this evening and will communicate the relevant timings when known.
As always, keep across the latest from the club on the website, X / Twitter & Facebook.
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We acknowledge that almost all supporters are well-behaved and some will feel these are unnecessary measures. However, even standing near the touchline waiting for the game to finish makes stewarding harder and identifying genuine troublemakers difficult to identify in a crowd.
We are faced with ever more serious sanctions for crowd problems so we have to act to protect the wider interests of the club and its supporters. We have noticed other clubs, both professional and non-league, face similar problems over the weekend and this is a concerning trend in football which needs to be addressed.
The first three rows of the South Stand have been cordoned off and will not be available for use. This is to prevent people from rushing towards the side of the pitch when a goal is scored. All supporters will be required to remain in the stand unless leaving the ground or moving to or from a kiosk or the toilet. When moving please keep away from the pitch.
As a result the South Stand capacity will be reduced by around 500 seats and we will open the Cemetery End on Tuesday night and on Saturday against Burscough. We will keep an eye on South Stand ticket sales and decide if it needs to be made all ticket on a game by game basis. The Cemetery End will remain pay-on-the-gate and we will encourage away supporters to this stand, acknowledging some may have already bought tickets.
No alcohol will be served from kiosks. We have explored way of allowing alcohol sales with restrictions but the advice received from various third parties has consistently been that trying to manage alcohol sales in a restricted manner, such as stopping sales at a certain time or limiting consumption to inside the kiosk, is more likely to cause trouble than stopping alcohol sales altogether. Nobody working in a kiosk is responsible for this decision and they will have no alcohol available to sell.
Anti-social behaviour is not acceptable.
You can report it to a steward, and the club has acted on reports, including referral to the police for potential criminal investigations. The club has a clear policy on this with sanctions. We have excluded a small number of supporters from matches this season already, with bans ranging from months to an indefinite amount of time. We will not make statements about specific individuals where this might prejudice criminal proceedings, but please do not take this as a lack of action.
We don’t think this should make the match any less enjoyable for the vast majority of supporters. It will be a safe and comfortable environment, and very similar to how things were prior to the 2019 league expulsion.
You can now have a drink in Starkies before and after the game, as long as you do not take your drink into the stands. You can make as much noise as you like. We are there to watch football, let’s not risk losing that again.
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Oli Jepsongot on the scoresheet with a powerful header at the back post and Andy Briggs netted his 20th and 21st goals of the season to ensure Dave McNabb’s men came away with all three points.
Pilkington almost found away back into the game in the dying minutes of the second half capitalising on a rare mistake in the Bury defence and slotting a late goal past Harry Wright but The Shakers stood firm to close out the game.
You can see the highlights from our weekend victory at Pilkington Below.
We now look ahead to the “ELR Derby” against Ramsbottom United in a game that has now fallen victim to the winter weather twice. Will it be third time lucky?
The game will be a tough test as we will face a Rammy side that has found form in the last couple of hames beating Lower Breck 3-2 and easing past Litherland REMYCA 5-1
For all the details of this big local derby as we finally meet in the league, can be found below in the full match information pack. Head down for opposition details, tickets, parking and live match coverage.
In Opposition – Ramsbottom United
Beginning life in 1966, Ramsbottom United began life as a local amateur side building a junior setup that remains an integral part of the club over 50 years later. You can’t say Ramsbottom United without immediately thinking of current (and forever!) Chairman Harry Williams. Involved from the start, you can still find Harry behind the scenes on a matchday, whether it be in the ticket booth, or dishing out pies in the food hut. A stalwart of the club and ex-manager of the first team (1966-1985), who’s name adorns the stadium that the Rams have been based at since 1980. We continue to wish him well after a recent fall has meant some time in recovery. We certainly hope he is well enough to visit Gigg Lane for this special local fixture.
Following success in both Bury Amateur and Bolton Combination leagues through the late 60s and 70s, the club made the step up into the Manchester League in 1989 before applying to join the NWCFL in the mid-90s. The ground received its grading, with the club gaining promotion from Division Two in 1997, at the same point as they acquired floodlights from local rugby side, Oldham Rugby League Club.
The Rams remained competitive until tradegy struck in 2001 when manager of the time, Ken Bridge, collapsed and died following a game against Cheadle Town. This stunted some of the club’s progress, before in 2009, Harry handed the reins to players at the time – Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson, for their first tilt at management.
They made their name in fine style, earning promotion for the first time to the NPL in 2012. Further progression and development of both the ground and playing squad occurred and after just two seasons at the elevated level, they achieved a further promotion following a play-off campaign which first overcame favourites Darlington and then Bamber Bridge to reach the third tier for the first time.
Bernard and Jonno left for the ‘Class of ’92’ and Salford City later that year, sending the club in a spin which they were unable to turn around until ex-player Chris Wilcox was appointed in October 2018. An FA Trophy run into the last-16, defeated only by high-flying AFC Fylde, was a highlight for the Willcock’s tenure which without the onset of Covid-19 would no doubt have earned the club a further promotion in that period.
Willcock moved on in 2021 to Workington and the club’s results faltered afterwards, with Lee Donafee struggling to maintain a position in the top half of the league and being replaced, with incumbant David Chadwick unable to keep the Rams in the NPL, with the side slipping back into the NWCFL last summer.
Former Northwich Victoria manager Steve Wilkes took over the reins for this season, and has the team sat in 15th, with 11 wins and 7 draws and 12 defeats from 30 games so far.
Tickets & Admission
General sale tickets are available online HERE, which includes hospitality tickets in the Main Stand.
We recommend purchasing a ticket ahead of the game to allow us to plan appropriately in the ground.
Please follow requests from volunteers and stewards for directions if unsure.
Prices*: £10 adult, £5 16-18, £3 Under 16s & Free for Under 5s.
1885 Suite: £40* per ticket, EyeLevel Sponsors Lounge: £25 per ticket (email commercial@buryfc.co.uk to book)
* plus booking fees
Buy Tickets HERE Pay on the Gate: Whilst encouraging supporters to buy online ahead of the game, turnstiles will be available to take cash & card payments.
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. The first 250 season ticket holders who wish to watch from the Main Stand, can do so by admission at 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 6:30pm.
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.
Matchday Programme: You can purchase a programme online now, to collect at the merchandise stall ahead of the game or head to the sellers in and around the ground. Price of £3.
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.
Food / Drink: Our new catering partner, Quirky Catering, operate the kiosks throughout the ground, 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.
Starkies bar Starkies: For those with tickets in the Main Stand, access to Starkies will be available from when the gates open, and throughout the game. The bar is limited to a set number and this will be managed by stewards through the day.
After the game, supporters from other areas of the ground can gain access to Starkies via the ground floor entrance in that corner of the ground – subject to the maximum capacity not being exceeded.
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: A live stream of the game will be available via Bury FC TV for £6.99! Get access to this on the day of the game from the homepage of the website here.
Season ticket holders will be informed by email before 7pm on how to access the game for FREE.
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!
#ShakersTogether | #BuryFC | #PartofIt
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