Bury FC in limbo as ex-EFL club bid to join North West Counties League REJECTED

BURY FC have had their application to join the North West Counties League rejected.

The league — the ninth and 10th tiers of English football — have denied the expelled EFL club a place on the grounds that their business plan and structure of its governance do not fit their criteria.

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Also the league stated they were unhappy the Shakers submitted their application five days BEFORE their February 1 deadline.

Bury FC’s name, history and stadium Gigg Lane was brought out of administration by the Bury Football Supporters Society and Bury FC Benefactors in 2021. 

The club, booted out of the EFL in 2019 after a takeover bid collapsed, are now owned 51 per cent by the fans and 49 per cent by the benefactors. 

They have got Gigg Lane back up and running and already staged legends and local football matches. They also received up to £1million from the Government’s Levelling-Up Fund.

North West Counties League vice-chairman Geoff Wilkinson told SunSport: “They have not met our criteria.”

But when pressed on which specific grounds the club had been refused, he said: “That’s all I’m going to give you

“I’m going on holiday tomorrow and that is more important than Bury FC to me.”

BFCSS have confirmed they are appealing the decision and will be applying to join the West Lancashire League — which is a feeder to the North West Counties League.

But it is expected that application could be turned down due to genuine safety concerns on how Bury’s large following could be accommodated on open park playing fields.

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And, in that case, it would then be up to the FA to rule on which level to place the club.

North West Counties League chairman Paul Lawler was contacted but failed to respond.