Dean

The Interim Board for the Football Supporters' Society of Bury would like to provide the following statement with regards an update of the ongoing election process. The nomination period has now closed. All nominations have now been vetted to ensure they abide by the Elections Policy and Code of Conduct. As a result, we can now circulate the list of nominees and open the voting period as per the Election Policy. These will be issued separately to members by email from by Mi-Voice. Voting has now also opened and will be open for a period of 21 days. This is a slight deviation from the previous anticipated timetable but will allow sufficient time for people who wish to vote after the SGM arranged for the 10th October 2023. An updated calling notice for the Election SGM can be found at the bottom of this email and will take place on Thursday 19th October 2023 where the results of the election will be announced via an online meeting. Members are encouraged to read the statements from all nominees before casting their vote. We are also able to confirm that the data cleansing work on the database has been completed. Board members from both previous societies have spent numerous hours in recent weeks going through membership lists to remove any duplicates and request additional information for any accounts that have been deemed as possibly invalid. Any accounts that were unable to provide the required information have been excluded from voting, along with any duplicates who were members of both Societies. The Interim Board are in unanimous agreement that they are happy to publicly sign off the final membership database submitted to Mi-Voice who will oversee the election. Whilst we acknowledge concerns raised by members, we hope that this statement will reassure members that all possible work and effort has been done to ensure the validity of the database and we can move forward to electing the first Board of the Football Supporters' Society of Bury as a united membership. The formal Calling Notice is here. If you have any issues regarding the voting process, please contact support@mi-voice.com in the first instance.

Update from the Football Supporters' Society of Bury Following the conclusion of the investigation and further discussions with the independent election scrutineers Mi-Voice, the Interim Board are pleased to announce that the nomination period will be reopening imminently. We’d like to provide the following updated election timeline to members as promised in our previous statement in an attempt to keep members informed as best we can with progress to having a fully elected Board in place. Nominations will reopen from Friday 15th September 2023 for a period of 10 days. This is to allow sufficient time for anyone to submit, amend or withdraw nominations should they wish. Anyone who previously submitted a nomination will be contacted directly by Mi-Voice after the 15th September 2023. Once the nomination period has closed on Monday 25th September 2023, an independent Election Committee will collate the nominations and will confirm that all nominees are valid in accordance with the Election Policy and Conflict of Interests Policy. We expect this will take no more than 5 working days. We anticipate voting will then open on 29th September 2023 for a period of two weeks, with the results announced at an online Special General Meeting at 7pm on the 13th October 2023. All votes will have been cast either electronically or by postal ballot ahead of the meeting where the results will be announced. The formal calling notice can be viewed here. Significant time and effort has been spent cleansing membership data with the aim of ensuring that only paying adult (Aged 16 or over) members will be able to vote in the upcoming election, and that each member has one vote, even where they were a member of both societies. It is not possible to achieve absolute perfection in this matter. No society such as ours can achieve that. We believe we will have the most accurate possible electoral database we can achieve and any further delays to the establishment of a newly elected board would have a more negative impact on the Society than additional work on the database and inevitable further delays which we believe will be immaterial to the result. Invalid voting accounts will always be deleted from the database where they are discovered, and this applies throughout any voting period. Any accounts which have been flagged as potentially invalid will be contacted prior to voting opening to provide proof they are a legitimate account. Any account unable to provide sufficient proof will be unable to vote in the election. Anyone who has knowingly created a membership using false information can notify us by 25th September by emailing d.triggs@fssb.co.uk for any invalid or false Shakers Community memberships and k.lee@fssb.co.uk for any invalid or false Bury Football Club Supporters Society memberships. These invalid memberships will be deleted with no further action taken ahead of voting commencing. Further action will be taken against individuals who have, in the opinion of the Board, knowingly created false or invalid memberships. Any other questions or queries related to the election should be sent to support@mi-voice.com. We will aim to provide a further update to members once the nomination period has closed.

We have completed the amalgamation of the two societies, the name change to Bury Football Club and made Gigg Lane our home ground, which were the three items voted on by members in May. We also advised as part of the pre-vote information pack that we would move the ownership of the football club, which is Bury Football Club (2019) Ltd trading as Bury Football Club, under the ownership of The Bury Football Club Company Limited, subject to further financial due diligence. We have been advised by Bury FC Benefactors Ltd that at this stage they will not be investing the further £300, 000 they had committed to in the business plan presented to members. This does not place the stadium or club in any significant jeopardy as we are still able to access both central and local government funding in addition to holding our own cash reserves. There is no obligation on Bury FC Benefactors Ltd to invest this money, and we will continue to work with them as normal. Equally there is no requirement for the Football Supporters’ Society of Bury to make any changes to the ownership of the club, and so it will remain 100% owned by the Society, and separate from The Bury Football Club Company Limited, which the Society co-owns with Bury FC Benefactors Ltd. The Football Supporters’ Society of Bury also owns the majority of voting rights in The Bury Football Club Company Limited, so should not be prejudiced in any way by keeping the organisational structure in its current format. Should any party, including Bury FC Benefactors Ltd, wish to invest into either Bury Football Club (2019) Ltd or The Bury Football Club Company Limited at a future date they may do so by an approach to the board of the Football Supporters’ Society of Bury, who can take this forward to member consultation and a member vote if they believe it is a credible offer in the best interests of the club and the society. There are some significant legal and tax issues to consider as part of any transaction like this, in addition to the need for member approval, and so it is unlikely that any offer could be agreed and put forward for a vote quickly or without professional advice.

Shakers fans, brace yourselves! We've made two wins out of two in the North West Counties Premier Division. Here's the roundup of the midweek games: The First Division South champions, Wythenshawe, continued their impressive start in the Premier Division. This time, they served another 4-0 defeat to fellow promoted side Cheadle Town. Twice scoring in each half, the Ammies are now topping the table, but we know it's early days. Burscough's fans must be ecstatic after winning a five-goal thriller at home to Lower Breck, clinching the winner just five minutes from time. Despite trailing twice, Burscough showed resilience and debutant Alberto Canache provided the dramatic winner. Now let's talk about what you've been waiting for - Bury! Following up the 5-1 opening day glory over Glossop North End, the Shakers marched to a 3-1 victory at relegated Colne. The boys in blue wrapped it up in the first half, with Andy Briggs and Benito Lowe scoring for the second game in a row and Darius Palma sealing the third. Colne managed a consolation, but the Shakers are on a roll, and we're loving it! Kendal Town is also off to a great start, recording another 1-0 victory, this time over Longridge Town. Robert Wilson's penalty secured the Mintcakes another three points. Wythenshawe Town notched their first win of the season with a 3-1 home triumph over West Didsbury & Chorlton, recovering from an early own goal to take the victory. In other games, AFC Liverpool edged Skelmersdale United 3-2, while Prestwich Heys dominated Pilkington 3-0. Ramsbottom United's last-minute heroics ensured a 2-1 victory over FC Isle of Man, and both Irlam and Barnoldswick Town continue their unbeaten starts. Rounding out the fixtures were draws for Squires Gate and Charnock Richard at 1-1, while Padiham and Litherland REMYCA played to a goalless draw. Shakers, the start to our season has been nothing short of thrilling. Two wins from two, and we're hungry for more. Keep backing the boys, and here's to making this season memorable. Let's keep the faith and support the Shakers all the way! #UpTheShakers! #BuryFc #UTS

Welcome back to Gigg Lane, Shakers fans! The Premier Division is back, and oh boy, did we return in style. Bury triumphed in our opening fixture, and the excitement was palpable. Let's dive into the details: Saturday marked the beginning of a new era for Wythenshawe, Pilkington, and Chadderton, celebrating their promotion to Step 5 with victories. Wythenshawe impressively brushed aside Ramsbottom United 4-0. Pilkington began their new journey by overcoming Squires Gate 2-0, while Chadderton made their presence known with a 3-0 triumph over Litherland REMYCA. But the highlight of the day, undoubtedly, was right here at Gigg Lane, where 5,451 of us – setting a new Premier Division record – witnessed our unified Bury demolish Glossop North End 5-1. Andy Welsh's men were relentless, taking a 3-0 lead within the first half an hour. Quickfire goals from Benito Lowe and one from Andrew Briggs gave us a flying start, and the atmosphere was electric. Jordi Nsaka added a fourth, and after Glossop managed a mere consolation, Jack Lenehan sealed the deal with a brilliant finish. The crowd's roar was deafening, and the kick-off delay of 15 minutes due to congestion only heightened the anticipation. Unfortunately, the opening day wasn't as joyous for the teams dropping back into the North West Counties. All four tasted defeat, Colne being thrashed 3-0 at West Didsbury & Chorlton. Skelmersdale United, another fallen side, went down 3-1 to Padiham. Meanwhile, despite being down to ten men, FC Isle of Man recorded a 2-0 win over Wythenshawe Town. Burscough picked up a promising 3-1 win over Prestwich Heys, and Longridge Town came from behind to draw 2-2 with Irlam. The other fixtures saw a 1-1 draw between Lower Breck and Barnoldswick Town, Charnock Richard's 1-0 win over Cheadle Town, and Kendal Town scraping past AFC Liverpool 1-0. But let's not lose focus, Shakers faithful! This was OUR day, OUR triumph, and it's just the beginning. The spirit is alive at Gigg Lane, and we can't wait to see where this season takes us. Onwards and upwards, Bury! Here's to more glorious days ahead! #BuryFc #UpTheShakers! #UTS

Creating A Safe Environment For Supporters For our football club to grow, it’s vital we create the right atmosphere inside the ground which makes people feel safe and welcome and encourages people to bring their children, and get involved regardless of their gender, race, or sexuality. We would like to remind everyone that by turnstiles is a poster containing the following regulation: ‘The use of threatening behaviour and/or foul or abusive language is strictly forbidden and may result in arrest and/or ejection from the Ground. The Club may impose a ban (including, but not limited to, a ban for one or more Matches) and/or the removal of season ticket(s) for any such behaviour.’ We know things can get heated at football games, and we can all say things in the heat of the moment. We can forgive a mistake. But if you feel threatened, or if you observe anti-social behaviour which persistently breaches this regulation please let a steward know. This is a regulation we are prepared to enforce. It’s vital to the long term success of the club that we do so. If you are concerned that there is a safeguarding issue and a vulnerable person is at threat, you can also contact safeguarding@buryfc.co.uk with your concerns. You can find our safeguarding policy here. We want everyone to enjoy what will be a historic season for the club and hope you will assist us in ensuring that that happens, without exception. Tuesday 7.45pm: Nelson v Bury We’ve added an extra friendly at short notice to allow some players to top up their minutes ahead of Saturday’s season opener against Glossop on Saturday. We haven’t yet put tickets on sale for Glossop just yet as we will discuss next week what stands can be opened and what capacity limits we will be working under for this first fixture which is likely to be very well attended. We will put them on sale as soon as this has been confirmed. Collect Your Season Ticket The ticket office at Gigg Lane will be open Monday to Wednesday this week, from 10am to 12 noon for season ticket card collection. Please remember that cards are only available if purchased prior to Sunday 2nd July 2023. All season tickets purchased after that date will be digital ONLY. Further collection times are to be arranged and will be communicated To allow us to give you your card please bring the following with you: The email or text showing proof of purchase; The name of the person who bought the ticket; and The five letter season pass reference code e.g. WSXCL which was sent in the confirmatory text or email you will have received after purchase. More information on this, including where you can find your five letter season pass reference code, is available via the button below.

Welcome back, Bury Football Club We are delighted to confirm that the FA have now formally approved the use of the playing name Bury Football Club, for the start of the new season. We will see Bury FC take to the pitch once again on the 29th of July, ready to kick off at 3 pm in the North West Counties Football League Premier Division. You can read all about it using the button below. Read More We’ve already made some signings, and we can’t wait to release the news to you on our new website over the next few weeks. We have a list of friendlies to release ahead of the, which includes a first home game on 8th July against EFL opposition. The full list will be rolled out once the last game is finalised. Season tickets are also ready to go, we are just waiting for final confirmation of the league numbers, as any final changes are agreed or rejected this coming week. We have also submitted all of the necessary paperwork to amalgamate the two societies, Shakers Community and Bury FC Supporters' Society, and expect that to complete within the next two weeks. Once done, we will issue an eight week Calling Notice for a first General Meeting of the new society when the newly elected board will be announced. The process for board nominations will be issued well in advance and members will be asked to vote for nine board members to look after the interests of the club in future. Nominations may come from anyone who has been a member of either Shakers Community or Bury FC Supporters' Society for at least six continuous months immediately prior to the General Meeting. There is a huge amount of work going on at Gigg Lane to get things ready for the new season. The amalgamation has given us a vastly improved aggregated balance sheet and we have committed a budget to making improvement around the stadium already, but please bear in mind this is a work in progress so some of the work underway is not obviously visible to supporters, such as improving pitch irrigation, and some will take time to put in place. We are working hard to make sure your money is spent wisely and make every visit both safe and enjoyable

Today our thoughts are with friends, family & the whole Bury footballing community as our dear friend Amanda Freeman is laid to rest. RIP Mandy

The motion to adopt of the Gigg Lane Stadium as the football club’s home playing venue was approved by 97% of the vote. 1116 were in favour, 34 against and 9 abstentions. The motion to adopt Bury Football Club as the playing name was approved by 92% of the vote. 1046 were in favour, 95 against and 24 abstentions. The Resolution that the Society and Bury Football Club Supporters’ Society Limited (Register number 29385R) (“BFCSS”) shall be amalgamated pursuant to section 109 of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 was approved by 97% of the vote. 1109 were in favour, 35 against and 15 abstentions. As the Bury Football Supporters’ Society also approved their motion to amalgamate with a 90% majority we are pleased to confirm that the amalgamation will proceed subject to the Confirmatory Vote which will now begin and the results announced at the next General Meeting at 7pm on 19th May.

Bury Football Club Supporters Society would like to thank all fans who voted on the future of your club. A fan owned club is nothing without its loyal fans, you are all valued and have a part to play. Under Section 111 of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 this resolution must be passed by not less than two thirds of those members present and voting at the meeting (whether in person or by proxy), and must be confirmed by a further Special Resolution at a second general meeting. Votes in favour are 952 (90.1%) and votes against the resolution are 105 (9.9%) During the SGM and the voting process the independent company Mi Voice have ensured compliance, counted, ratified all eligible votes and verified the result. The outcome of the vote is that the required threshold of 66.6% has been achieved, the resolution has therefore passed. What we are building today, is for those who will look back, be proud of the work we as volunteers have put into establishing this club as a shining example of a sustainable fan owned football club. We would ask every person to now look to themselves as to how best you can support Bury Football Club. The future of your club is in your hands, join us, become members and be a part of the future. Do not walk away, come back to be part of the future of Bury FC, we are the Shakers.

As we approach the conclusion of the amalgamation vote we would like to remind members of both societies of the process should the amalgamation be approved. Shakers Community Society had just over 1400 eligible voters and Bury FC Supporters’ Society had around 1300. These are big numbers in the context of fan ownership, and turnouts were high last time at 80% and 75% respectively. We are pleased to report that we will be near those turnout numbers again. There are two votes required to pass the motion to amalgamate the two societies. The first is the most critical as it requires under law a two thirds majority from each society’s members. The results will be announced after 7pm on Friday 5th May. There will be a second confirmatory vote, which simply asks members to ratify the decision made with the results announced at another Special General Meeting 14 days later on Friday 19th May. This should be a more of a formality as it requires a simple majority of 50% of members to vote in favour. Both societies need to approve both votes independently for it to go through. If it’s all agreed, the paperwork will be filed with the Financial Conduct Authority, and an interim Community Benefit Society board will be formed to deal with administration such as banking and to launch a full election so that a new board can be created based on the votes of the combined membership of both societies. The Terms of Reference for the Interim Board can be found here. The election process is already written and part of the paperwork members were issued with before the current vote started and should complete by 30th June, so that a new, fully elected Community Benefit Society board is in place in advance of the start of the new season. There is no need to cancel your current membership. This revenue is critical to us. They will remain valid, with the same voting rights until we start to transfer memberships to the new Community Benefit Society. This could take some time, but as the new Society membership will be £5 per month or £60 per annum any renewal subscriptions paid to either Society will be credited forward. We are hopeful that the vote will be approved this time, and look forward to welcoming everyone to Gigg Lane to watch Bury Football Club in the summer. Shakers Community members will receive an email invite to the Zoom meeting for the General Meeting on Friday.

The 25th of April 2011 was a day that will always hold a special place in our hearts. It was the day our club secured a crucial 3-2 victory over Chesterfield, which saw us gain promotion to League One despite losing Alan Knill a month prior. The game got off to a nervy start for Bury, as Steven Schumacher picked up a yellow card just two minutes into the match. Probing of defences was undertaken by both teams until Tom Lee's goal in the 12th minute gave Bury the lead. We can all agree the game was an absolute rollercoaster ride, with both teams creating chances and the scoreline constantly changing. As a fan, I was on the edge of my seat throughout the match, cheering us on every time Bury pushed forward and holding my breath whenever Chesterfield attacked. Bury maintained their lead until the second half when Craig Davies' goal in the 50th minute equalised, but it wasn’t long until David Worrall's goal in the 55th minute put Bury ahead again. Chesterfield refused to give up, and Jack Lester's goal in the 63rd minute gave Chesterfield hope of a comeback. With just minutes remaining, Bury's talismanic striker Ryan Lowe stepped up to score the first of his two goals, making the score 3-2 and setting up a thrilling finale. And in the dying minutes of the game, Lowe scored the decisive goal in the 87th minute, sending the travelling fans into raptures and securing promotion to League One. Looking back, it was a truly unforgettable game and a fantastic achievement for Bury FC. Despite the field setbacks, the team showed tremendous resilience and character to mount a comeback and secure the victory we needed to earn promotion. As a fan, I will never forget that day as one of the greatest in the history of our club.

Save the date, Sunday 17th July 2022 at 2pm! We are delighted to announce that a team of Bury legends will be gracing the Gigg Lane pitch to take on a Burnley legends team. A lot of work has gone on behind the scenes in order to make this possible and we can now share the wonderful news. We will be announcing the management team on Sunday 29th May with players over the coming days and weeks in the build up to what is scheduled to be a great day. You are now able to purchase tickets for the game at the link below https://buryfcss.merlintickets.co.uk/product/BURYEV01 Adults – £8, Children £4, Family £20 (2 adults and 2 children) For hospitality information contact commercial@buryfcss.co.uk We will also be releasing a special one off Bury Legends playing shirt that will be available to purchase online. All proceeds raised will be split between the ongoing restore and renovations work at Gigg and the Lenny Johnrose Trust. We would like to thank Vintage Clarets for making this possible and for being the legends opponents on what will surely be a momentous occasion to return to Gigg Lane wearing white and blue whilst cheering on a Bury team. We would also like to thank the fans who organised the previous legends game in 2019, they provided us with the blueprint of how to run a successful game and their input has been invaluable in making this possible, we have asked them to use the funds set aside that they raised towards helping to maintain the Gigg Lane playing surface for the next 12 months. Daniel Bowerbank, Operations Director of Gigg Lane Community Stadium, “This event has been a long time coming, since we secured the stadium under fan ownership it has been one of our key events to host. As part of our sustainable business model for Gigg Lane events outside of the general football usage is a vital income. As we continue to restore and redevelop Gigg Lane, Vintage Clarets have agreed to provide a superb lineup of former Burnley players to play against our Bury Legends. We look forward to welcoming all the players back to Gigg along with the Bury Supporters who have endured 3 years of misery due to mismanagement from previous owners.” See you all on the 17th July

Bury AFC are delighted to announce another friendly in the coming weeks as Andy Welsh gets his side ready for the upcoming season. For the second time in Bury AFC history, they will be visiting Park Road Stadium, home of Cheadle Town FC. This game will be a 2pm kick off on Saturday 19th June 2021. AFC previously lost 1-0 in their last visit to SK8 in September last year and will be looking for a better result this time round. To purchase tickets, please use the link below. It’s £6 for Adults and £2 for Concessions. Cheadle Town Football Club event tickets from TicketSource. We look forward to seeing you there.

Bury AFC take on Euxton Villa in a friendly fixture at the Jim Fowler Memorial Fields.

We are delighted to announce that we are heading to the Dennyfield on Saturday 10th July to take on Northern Counties East League Premier Division side Thackley AFC, 3pm kick-off. This is currently just a date for the diary and ticket prices and details on how to purchase them will be released in due course.

We are delighted to announce that we will be welcoming fans back to The Neuven Stadium on Tuesday 20th July as we take on North West Counties Premier League side Hanley Town FC, 7.45 pm kick-off. This is currently just a date for the diary and ticket prices and details on how to purchase them will be released in due course. We are expecting high demand due to a combination of factors: restrictions lifted, and it being our first announced home game of the 2021/22 pre season campaign.

Hot on the heels of friendlies at Squires Gate and FC United, we are delighted to announce that we are heading to the Deva Stadium on Saturday 17th July to take on National League North side Chester FC, 3pm kick-off. This is currently just a date for the diary and ticket prices and details on how to purchase them will be released in due course. We are expecting high demand due to a combination of factors: restrictions lifted, an away day in familiar surroundings and hopefully a cracking day of celebrating fan-owned football once again! *** EDIT *** NO AWAY FANS ARE PERMITTED AT THIS GAME, BUT THE GAME WILL BE STREAMED AT A COST OF £6:99P ***

We are delighted to announce the next of our upcoming friendlies for this pre-season as we travel back to Blackpool to play North West Counties Premier Division, Squires Gate FC on Saturday 26th June, 3pm kick-off. The two teams played in a hastily arranged friendly at The Brian Addison Stadium just before Christmas with a maximum of 300 supporters in attendance. This time, with nearly 1,000 tickets available, we plan to celebrate the ending of social restrictions that have plagued the last year with a day to be beside the seaside! Tickets are priced at £6 each, with under-12s free where accompanied by an adult by emailing the club direct to arrange at squiresgatefc@hotmail.com GET YOUR TICKETS HERE http://bit.ly/squiresgatetickets THE GAFFER AT THE GATE! - Luke Evans! | The Shaken Up Show - Season 3 - Episode 7 | Bury AFC - YouTube

‘Football & Fans United’ Friendly This is a special moment for both clubs as we have developed especially close ties since the creation of our fan-owned club. Senior figures at FC United offered considerable assistance in following their lead in setting up a new club, as they did in 2005. It is sure to be a great occasion and a celebration of football club fan ownership. The game will see FC United record goalscorer, Tom Greaves, returning to Broadhurst Park with the aim of adding to his goal tally, this time in ‘White & Blue’. Tickets are priced as follows: £9 – Adults £5 – Concessions (Seniors / Students / Unemployed) £2 – Child (U18s) Children under 5 – free with accompanying adult Shakers Community members were provided exclusive access to tickets for this game via email this morning. An initial 2,000 tickets were made available, with around 1,200 left for general sale as of now (21st Apr, 7 pm). There may be further tickets available but this is subject to restrictions being lifted to be advised in due course.

Radcliffe Football Club Tuesday 1st September 19:45pm KO Ticket information will be released shortly and will be based on current capacity guidance.

Walshaw Sports F.C. Monday 7th September 19:45pm KO Ticketing for the game will be announced in due course, this fixture will be 300 capacity following the recent capacity guidance

Nostell Miners Welfare FC Saturday 5th September 3:00pm KO We will advise on ticketing for the game in due course but this fixture will be limited to 150 spectators due to current capacity guidance.

Atherton Colleries FC (Away) Sat 12th September 3:00 pm KO TICKET PRICES & Availability TO BE CONFIRMED BASED ON CURRENT CAPACITY GUIDANCE.

First pre season friendly Daisy Hill F.C. (Away) Wednesday 26th August 7:45pm KO TICKET PRICES & Availability TO BE CONFIRMED BASED ON CURRENT CAPACITY GUIDANCE.