Yesterday 27/8/2019 Bury Football club founded in 1885 were expelled from the football league after 125 years continuous membership since 1894. This included a period of 17 years continuous membership of the leagues top division.
The reason is of course due to the club having massive debts and bad business management. Steve Dale who bought the club in 2018 said the club had to pay one million six hundred thousand pounds in wages, but they only had one hundred and eighty thousand pounds in income. Dale could have sold the club in April 2019 but he said he was waiting for a better offer. A takeover bid in August 2019 from London CN Risk consortium fell through leading to the club being expelled from the football league.
The Bury FC tragedy raises a number of issues. Until a few years ago most lower league clubs were owned by local business people who at least had a feel for the local towns football club. They also tended to be more careful about spending money and in general had the clubs best interests at heart.
Alas now lower league clubs are often owned by foreign or London based consortium,s who have little real interest in the emotional interests of the club. They are not really bothered if the club closes down. So they are not that worried if the club builds up debts. Bury FC should of course never have built these debts up in the first place.
Bolton FC who were in the premier division only a few years ago are facing the same financial crisis as Bury FC. It will be a massive tragedy and loss if Bolton were lost to the football league.
Obviously it shows that many of the corporate owners of the lower league clubs do not take into account the clubs fans emotions and feelings. However I now will suggest some practical measures to rectify the situation.
1.Greater inspection of powers for the football league to inspect the finances and motives of future potential owners of football league clubs.
2.Stricter rules that ensure clubs balance their books and do not build up debts.
3.Encourage fan ownership of football league clubs. Funds should be made available from the government for this to happen.
In conclusion I am sure that Bury FC will reform again for season 2020/2021 in non league football hopefully at Grigg Lane.
BURY FC SHALL RISE AGAIN.
Best wishes to all for the future.