Feared dead but never Bury’d.

Terrace edition were at Bury AFC vs York City in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round.

Words: Tom Reed

Pics: Ian Parker/ Tom Reed (where stated)

Watching super Bury

Putting on a show…

The story of Bury FC is well told, the club formed in 1885, expelled from the English Football League after what the Guardian called a ‘financial collapse’ under Steve Dale.

So, a group of Bury fans took the brave decision to start a own fan-owned outfit, with the supporter spirit of the old one at the centre, known as Bury AFC.

If you have one fan ready to fight for a club then you have a pulse and Bury AFC have more than enough to provide a strong heartbeat with a sell-out crowd of 2069 at Radcliffe FC’s Neuven Stadium, the ground they share, while a return to their historic old Gigg Lane is up in the air.

Hot dogs and cold weather. Pic ©Tom Reed

Bury AFC were bidding to become just the 47th club to appear in the Proper Rounds of the FA Cup in their debut season in the competition, testament to how far their DIY philosophy has come in a short space of time.

It was an authentic clash of old Football League adversaries and a Lancashire-Yorkshire tussle to boot against York City, a club with a rich supporter tradition despite falling on leaner times, selling out their allocation of 400 and in good voice.

Piss wet conditions proved a leveller between Bury AFC of the North West Counties Football League Premier Division (step 9 of the English football pyramid) and York of the National League (step 5) and while the away team took an early lead through Oli Dyson, Bury AFC really gave the Minstermen a match.

Bury AFC had a goal disallowed for offside but kept pressing and equalised by way of a smart finish on the turn from Lewis Gilboy, raising the corrugated rooves of a packed ground as fans partied in puddles and the rain kept falling.

Yet, football often has a rough relationship with justice and with four minutes to go, Mitch Hancox got through on goal and slotted home nicely for the 1-2 win for City.

For fans of the Bury boys in white and blue, the occasion will mean little after the defeat but selling out the game and going toe-to-toe with York, who are destined for a return to the Football League at some point, shows that football in Bury is very much alive.

First to notice the linesman’s flag. ©Ian Parker

“It was a typical cup match” said a relieved York manager John Askey and he was right.

Bury fans have bigger issues to come with the results of a merger vote between the Shakers Community (who own Bury AFC) and the Bury FC Supporters Society (who have access to Gigg Lane) due on October 28 but there is something going on at this welcoming club who are taking destiny in their own hands.