Andy Burnham reminded football fans that “we must never let another Bury FC in” in a week when many angry fans were making plans for a European Super League.
The incumbent mayor of Greater Manchester says recent events in English football have been a sobering reminder of the plight of the historic Shakers.
Bury struggled with a number of financial troubles, culminating in a deal with owner Steve Dale to sell the club to another party in August 2019 that resulted in the EFL ousting the team from the professional football pyramid .
As one of the oldest clubs in the country and a founding member of the league, fans were broken and noisy at the state where their beloved club was left behind.
Tragically, the troubles continued, and in November Bury FC finally fell into administration, more than a year after the team left the football league.
The slogan has been seen all over the world
(Image: Getty Images)
In a week as fans faced the prospect of a breakaway Super League that will create an even bigger gap between the biggest teams in the country and everyone else, the events leading up to Bury’s death were shrouded in a new light .
“Bury FC was on my mind this week, very much as I was watching developments in the European Super League because that and Bury’s situation tell you the same thing – that football is broken and it can’t regulate itself,” said Mr Burnham the Manchester Evening News.
Fans heard their anger last week when they popped plans to create a new league with just an invitation with 12 of the richest clubs in Europe.
Two months after Bury FC was banned from the EFL, tributes hang outside Gigg Lane
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
The Super League was rated “greedy” by fans – before players and managers began to show that they too were against the idea.
The revolt could be heard around the globe as one after the other English clubs that had registered quickly gave up the new concept after severe setbacks.
While the slogan “Football is for the fans” took the sporting world by storm, lifelong fans who lost their clubs were reminded of the devastating circumstances.
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“I’ve had a few thoughts on where we’re going on football reform. One that I’m really going to point out is a change in the law that I hope can be urgently implemented by making clubs legally obliged to do so To have 51 pro. ” Cent majority of their supporters if they were to make an irrevocable change to the club, “Burnham said.
“But beyond that, I think the situation in Bury shows that we need independent legal regulation of football with a club licensing system.
“What that means is you wouldn’t let a ‘Bury’ happen again.
“I spent a lot of time helping Bury but when I got involved it was so lazy that it just couldn’t be saved.
“I think we owe it to Bury, but we owe it to other football fans too, ‘No, we must never let another Bury pass’.”
Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham in Prestwich where the Mayor spoke about the future of Bury FC
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Proud Bury FC fans continue to work to restore the Gigg Lane Club to its former glory.
As recently as this week, a total of 2,000 tickets for a friendly match between Bury AFC and FC United in the possession of fans were sold out – less than 24 hours after the sales start.
To date, the club, founded by Bury fans after their original club left, has sold more than 2,000 replica shirts and more than 1,600 members pay £ 60 a year to join.
And there are others who are not ready to give up on the original outfit.
Former director Joy Hart tied herself to Gigg Lane last year to raise awareness of the club’s situation
(Image: Getty Images)
Members of the Forever Bury fan group have launched a fundraising campaign in hopes of raising a total of £ 2.5 million. They believe that this will be enough to buy the club and pay its creditors.
There have also been campaigns to bring Gigg Lane, home of Bury FC, under community control, aided by James Daly, MP for Bury North.
The fans entered the stadium ahead of the friendly soccer game between Radcliffe FC and AFC Bury
(Image: Getty Images)
Mr Burnham, who is campaigning for re-election next month, has pledged to try to keep Gigg Lane as the home of a Bury club.
“If I’m re-elected, I’ll definitely spend a lot of time trying to keep Gigg Lane as home for the Phoenix or the revived Bury if she gets through,” he continued.
“I think there will be another Bury Football Club on Gigg Lane in the future.
“As Mayor of Greater Manchester, I am working here with the Council, other partners and bipartisan MPs to make this happen.
“It won’t happen overnight, but we are working towards it.
“We haven’t given up. We will never again give up – in whatever form – a Bury football club that is back on Gigg Lane.
“But beyond that, we want proper reform of football so that football is run for the people who built the game over the years, not for those totally touchless oligarchs.
“You’ve revealed a lot this week. You revealed your hand and it’s not a very beautiful one.
“I think at least everyone now knows that English football is on the sidelines.
“These clubs could be taken from us immediately and that’s why we have to fight back now.
“Strike back and reclaim the game.”