Bury FC Expelled From Football League After Takeover Collapse

28 August 2019, 10:31

The League One club have been expelled by the English Football League after being given until 17:00 on Tuesday to complete a takeover deal.

Despite a number of takeover offers at the eleventh hour, the newly promoted team were unable to find a viable buyer to save them from the brink.

Bury, one of the oldest clubs in English football, become the first club to be removed from the EFL since Maidstone went into liquidation in 1992.

League One will consist of 23 teams for the rest of the season, meaning that only three teams will be relegated.

The club, under controversial owner Steve Dale, were unable to prove that they had the funds to pay off creditors to fund the rest of the season or complete a sale to C&N Sporting Risk.

BBC Radio Manchester's Mike Minay said: "When the news broke at Gigg Lane, fans instantly let out a huge cry - for help, of disbelief.

"Fans walked away in instant tears, some crouching down to the floor."

C&N Sporting Risk's Rory Campbell told BBC Radio 5 Live that they received "more and more information" about "more and more complexities" regarding Bury's financial management that proved to be fateful.

He said: "We were going to face challenges that were insurmountable to allow us to do what we wanted to do if we took over the club."

Tributes to the club have poured in all over Twitter from former players and other football clubs.

Former Bury goalkeeper, Neville Southall, said: "The rich get richer while the poor die off. Bury FC will survive because the fans have got what the FA don't: compassion, commitment, desire and heart."

League Two side Port Vale expressed their solidarity with the two-time FA Cup winners, offering their thoughts to Bury's fans.

They said on Twitter: "We hope to see you back with us all in league football very soon."

In a statement from the EFL at 23:05 on Tuesday, they expressed that it was "with enormous regret" that they had come to this conclusion, but following several missed deadlines and the suspension of five league fixtures they were forced to make this decision.

It comes as fellow League One side Bolton Wanderers were yesterday given 14 days to also avoid being expelled as they wait for a prospective takeover from Football Ventures (Whites) Limited.