Bury Football Club Supporters’ Society Update
Following the vote we have taken time to assess the result and the surveys that were
undertaken post-vote to get a greater understanding of your thoughts. What is
apparent is that the overwhelming majority of our members and Bury FC fans are in
favour of an amalgamation of BFCSS and Shakers Community Society.
We have met with the Bury FC Benefactors, the FSA, the Department of Levelling Up,
Housing and Communities and Bury Council. We have noted what other Bury FC
supporters, who aren’t members of BFCSS, are saying.
And we have carefully considered what we need to do to achieve our objectives and
to make sure that our football club is sustainable and successful in the long term.
The town of Bury can only support the success of a single men’s football team and it
is only right that this team should play at its spiritual home, Gigg Lane. We intend to
do everything that we can to ensure that Bury FC is playing at Gigg Lane at the start
of next season.
We have considered our options and so the Board intends to seek greater
collaboration with the Shakers Community Society.
Since the expulsion of Bury FC from the EFL in 2019, supporters have differed in their
view as to the best way to provide football in Bury. There has been division in the fan
base, within which different groups have been successful. BFCSS in acquiring and
maintaining the stadium and the club’s memorabilia and branding, and Shakers
Community Society in establishing and managing a football team that carries the
name of the town proudly.
For the club to be as successful as it can possibly be we need to seek to re-unify the
club’s supporters.
We are therefore going to ask the Shakers Community Society whether we can work
closely together to realise our vision. We propose to undertake a second vote for a
merger on the same terms as voted on last time. The BFCSS board are all fully
supportive of a merger and will proactively promote a yes vote.
We know that you will have further questions and we will be providing further
information in the coming days identifying why we are in favour and advising of all
the pitfalls of not amalgamating. We will also ensure that we provide opportunities
for our members to talk to us and ask questions of us and our stakeholders.
We propose to hold the new vote as soon as possible so that Bury FC can commence
playing at Gigg Lane from the start of the 2023/24 season in front of all its
supporters, united as we were in 2019.
Bury Football Club Supporters Society Board
