Bury A.F.C.

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This article is about the phoenix football club from Bury, Greater Manchester. For the original club also from Bury, Greater Manchester, see Bury F.C. For the club from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, see Bury Town F.C.
Bury A.F.C.
Bury AFC crest.png
Full nameBury Association Football Club
Nickname(s)The Shakers
FoundedDecember 2019
GroundStainton Park, Radcliffe
Capacity4,000 (350 seated)
OwnerThe Shakers Community
ChairmanMarcel de Matas
ManagerAndy Welsh
LeagueNorth West Counties League Division One North
2020–21North West Counties League Division One North (season curtailed)
WebsiteClub website

Bury Association Football Club is a fan-owned English association football club representing the town of Bury and based in Rawtenstall, Lancashire. It was established in December 2019 as a phoenix[1][2] of Bury F.C., which had been expelled from the English Football League (EFL). Bury AFC is currently a member of the North West Counties Football League Division One North and the team play their home games at Stainton Park in nearby Radcliffe through a groundshare agreement with Radcliffe F.C..

Foundation[]

Crippled by mounting debts, Bury F.C. was expelled from the English Football League (EFL) on 27 August 2019 because of its inability to furnish proof of its financial viability.[3][4] Although the club continued to exist,[a] fears grew that it would be liquidated and, in December 2019, a group of supporters resolved to form a phoenix club which they named Bury Association Football Club (Bury AFC).[5][6]

Some 300 Bury FC fans came forward to help[6] and they formed a company registered as Bury Football Club (2019) Ltd (trading as Bury AFC), with its office in Rawtenstall.[7] The club is fan-owned on the basis of one member one vote. Their motto is: "By the fans. For the fans".[6] The new club immediately applied to the North West Counties Football League, the tenth tier of the English football league system, for membership in the 2020–21 season.[8][9] The league approved the application on 21 February 2020.[10][11] The club then also applied to play in the FA Vase.[12] Membership increased and had exceeded 650 by early August 2020.[6] It reached 1,000 in October, when the team started playing, with each member paying £5 per month.[5]

The formation of the club was followed in the BBC podcast documentary series, Out Of Our League by journalists and Bury fans Mark Crossley and Sanny Rudravajhala for BBC Sounds.[13]

Ground[]

In 2020, there was no possibility of the new club playing its matches at Gigg Lane, home of Bury FC, and a groundshare was agreed with Radcliffe FC for the 2020–21 NWCFL season, so the team's home venue is Stainton Park (currently called the Neuven Stadium for sponsorship reasons) in Radcliffe, which is about 2.5 miles (4 km) south-west of Bury.[5] The ground has a capacity of 4,000 with 350 seats.[14][15]

Playing history[]

Pre-2020-21 season events[]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, English football league competitions below the top flights were cancelled, but Bury AFC anticipated a September 2020 restart and advertised for a team manager, receiving some 750 applications.[6][16] On 29 July, Ossett United manager and former Sunderland, Leicester City and Blackpool midfielder Andy Welsh was appointed as the club's first team manager.[5][17] On 10 August, the club announced its first signing, Scottish midfielder Adam McWilliam, aged 25, who had spent the previous season with AFC Totton in the Southern League.[5] The next day, Bury signed forward Liam MacDevitt, also aged 25, from Stalybridge Celtic.[5] The draw for the first qualifying round of the 2020–21 FA Vase was completed on 19 August and Bury were drawn away against NWCFL Division One South side West Didsbury & Chorlton at Brookburn Road.[18] On 26 August, Bury AFC played its first-ever match, a pre-season friendly at Daisy Hill, and won 5–0.[19]

2020–21 season[]

The 2020–21 season was the club's inaugural season. The FA Vase tie, played on 19 September, was the team's first competitive game, but they lost 2–1.[5] The club's first competitive goal was a penalty scored by Greg Daniels.[20] On 3 October, they played their first league game, at home against Steeton, and won 3–2 having been 1–2 down at the end of normal time.[5] Tony Whitehead had scored in the first half and the match was won after Tom Greaves scored two goals in injury time.[21]

Bury's next two matches were postponed because of local COVID-19 restrictions affecting their intended opponents, Holker Old Boys (based in Barrow-in-Furness) and Pilkington FC (based in St Helens). They played another phoenix club AFC Darwen (the successor to Darwen F.C.) at home on 17 October and won 6–2 after two goals by Aidan Chippendale and four by Tom Greaves.[22] They took four points from the next three games to go second in the table but then the season was postponed for six weeks because of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions then in force.[23] The season was suspended in December, and was subsequently abandoned on 24 February 2021.[24]

2021–22 season[]

Bury played in the North West Counties Football League Division One North in 2021–22 season, and after six games (four wins and two draws) were top of the division at the end of August 2021.

Players[]

Current squad[]

As of 11 July 2021

Source: [25]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Jamaica JAM Abidan Edwards
— GK England ENG Ed Wilczynski
— GK England ENG Jack Atkinson
— DF England ENG Matty Williams
— DF England ENG James Moore (vice-captain)
— DF England ENG Scott Metcalfe (captain)
— DF England ENG Jordan Downing
— DF England ENG Joe Stanley
— DF England ENG Tommy Lent
— DF Republic of Ireland IRL Jonathan Hunt
— DF England ENG Ayomide Ibrahim
— MF Scotland SCO Adam McWilliam
— MF England ENG Lewis Gilboy
— MF England ENG Kristian Holt
— MF Republic of Ireland IRL Tony Whitehead
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF England ENG Aidan Chippendale
— MF England ENG Alex O'Keefe
— MF Netherlands NED Arthur Feudjio
— MF England ENG Nathan Valentine
— FW England ENG Liam MacDevitt
— FW England ENG Aaron Dwyer
— FW England ENG Greg Daniels
— FW England ENG Tom Greaves
— FW England ENG Kamar Moncrieffe

Officials and staff[]

As of 25 March 2021
Club officials and contacts[26]
Role Name
Chair Marcel de Matas
Vice-Chair (women's) Casey Lynchy
Vice-Chair (men's) Gareth Castick
Secretary Ian Coyle
Commercial Jon Wiggans
Head of Media Adam Ingram
Finance Mike Howarth
Welfare Officer Tania Jackson
Staff: team management and coaching[27]
Role Name
Manager Andy Welsh
Assistant manager Phil Carratt
Goalkeeping coach Spencer Harrison
Strength and conditioning coach Alex Lenkowski
Physiotherapist Aidan Bowe

Notes[]

  1. ^ As of March 2021, the club remains extant but in danger of liquidation unless a takeover can be arranged. It is not a member of any football league and no longer has any coaching or playing staff.

References[]

  1. ^ Tinniswood, Steve (19 March 2021). "Bury AFC frontman can't wait to be back in front of phoenix club fans". Bury Times. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  2. ^ Varley, Ciaran (19 March 2021). "Rising from the ashes – a year with phoenix club Bury AFC". BBC Sport. London: BBC. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  3. ^ "Bury FC: Membership of the League withdrawn". EFL News. Preston: English Football League. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Bury expelled by English Football League after takeover collapses". BBC Sport. London: BBC. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "Bury: Bringing Football Back". BBC iPlayer. London: BBC. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Meet Our New Clubs: Bury AFC". The Official Website of the North West Counties Football League. Southport: The North West Counties Football League Limited. 5 August 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  7. ^ "By the fans, for the fans". Bury AFC. Rawtenstall: Bury Football Club (2019) Ltd. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  8. ^ Flanagan, Aaron (18 December 2019). "Bury AFC apply to join tenth tier of football after historic club kicked out of EFL". Daily Mirror. London: MGN Limited. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  9. ^ "Bury FC: Entrepreneur Robert Benwell has no plans to relocate a club to Gigg Lane". BBC Sport. London: BBC. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  10. ^ "Bury phoenix club will begin life in 10th tier of English football". The Guardian. London: Guardian News & Media Limited. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  11. ^ "Bury AFC among 11 clubs applying for North West Counties League spot". BBC Sport. London: BBC. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  12. ^ Tinniswood, Steve (5 March 2020). "Bury AFC phoenix club make FA Vase application". Bury Times. High Wycombe: Newsquest. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  13. ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08q9nr2 BBC 5Live - Out Of Our League
  14. ^ "Radcliffe FC". Pitching In – Partners with Northern Premier League. Wakefield: Pitch Hero Ltd. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  15. ^ "About the Neuven Stadium". Radcliffe FC. Wakefield: Pitch Hero Ltd. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  16. ^ Lord, Adam (9 July 2020). "Bury phoenix club narrow down manager hunt to final eight". Bury Times. High Wycombe: Newsquest. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  17. ^ Lord, Adam (29 July 2020). "Bury phoenix club appoint former Premier League winger as first boss". Bury Times. High Wycombe: Newsquest. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  18. ^ Geldard, Suzanne (19 August 2020). "Bury AFC find out their first FA Vase opponents". Bury Times. High Wycombe: Newsquest. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  19. ^ Lord, Adam (27 August 2020). "17 pictures of Bury AFC's historic first match at Daisy Hill". Bury Times. High Wycombe: Newsquest. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  20. ^ Lord, Adam (19 September 2020). "Bury phoenix club bow out of FA Vase in first competitive game". Bury Times. High Wycombe: Newsquest. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  21. ^ Lord, Adam (5 October 2020). "Bury phoenix club chairman's rollercoaster of emotions at league opener". Bury Times. High Wycombe: Newsquest. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  22. ^ "Match Report". Bury AFC. Rawtenstall: Bury Football Club (2019) Ltd. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  23. ^ "Bury AFC". The Official Website of the North West Counties Football League. Southport: The North West Counties Football League Limited. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  24. ^ "FA provides update on NLS Steps 3-6". The FA. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  25. ^ "First team". Bury AFC. Rawtenstall: Bury Football Club (2019) Ltd. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  26. ^ "Contacts". Bury AFC. Rawtenstall: Bury Football Club (2019) Ltd. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  27. ^ "Staff". Bury AFC. Rawtenstall: Bury Football Club (2019) Ltd. Retrieved 21 October 2020.

External links[]

Coordinates: 53°34′3.299″N 2°20′26.542″W / 53.56758306°N 2.34070611°W / 53.56758306; -2.34070611

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