UPDATED "' Deadline Day for Bury FC "

The EFL Board has this afternoon been appraised of the very latest position in respect of ongoing matters at Bury Football Club.

As of 5pm there has been limited progress made either by the current ownership providing the required evidence in regard to outstanding financial information, or through a change of control being achieved with new owners.

The EFL will continue to provide all support available and will keep working to find a resolution to the ongoing issues ahead of the Notice of Withdrawal deadline, which remains at 11.59 PM on Friday 23 August.

If a successful solution is not found ahead of tonight’s deadline, the Club’s share in the EFL will be withdrawn and its membership in the League will come to an end.

The EFL will move to confirm the position as soon as possible, with an update to be provided on Saturday 24 August.




BBC



Bury owner Steve Dale is asking members of the public to pledge money as the League One club bids to avoid expulsion from the English Football League.

The Shakers must provide evidence to the EFL that they can pay off creditors and have the funding needed to survive the season by 23:59 BST on Friday.

The 134-year-old side have had their first six 2019-20 fixtures suspended.

The EFL says it is "working tirelessly to achieve a solution" and has not ruled out a short extension.

"We've gone to the public and we've said: 'If you want to save a football club, make a pledge to the club - not me,'" Dale told BBC Radio Manchester.

"Once we're up to the amount the EFL says we need with projections, we can go back to them and say it's nothing to do with me, there's £2m, £3m, whatever it is, from genuine people who'll pledge to the club."

Dale said on Thursday that four parties are interested in a takeover, with EFL chief executive Debbie Jevans confirming that if a buyer did come forward they would consider giving them more time - but that "it's very difficult to see how we can postpone more matches".

"The clock is ticking, there's no question," said Jevans. "Nobody wants to see this club disappear out of the league, least of all me, which is why we are working 24/7 to try to stop that happening."

In a statement on Friday, the EFL added: "The EFL board recognises the anger and frustration felt by all at the prospect of losing a club with such history and heritage.

"However, the board will continue to work tirelessly to achieve a solution, whether by the current ownership providing the required outstanding financial information, or by a change of control being completed with new owners meeting the EFL's requirements."

At the end of April, Bury were celebrating promotion back to the third tier of English football, but they were already enduring a torrid time off the pitch.

Players and staff had often been paid late, while a winding-up petition filed against the club was adjourned three times before eventually being dismissed by the High Court on 31 July.

By then, creditors had approved a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) put forward by Dale, which was proposed to help settle some of their debts.

The CVA meant unsecured creditors, including HM Revenue & Customs, would be paid 25% of the money owed - but also triggered a 12-point deduction in the League One table under EFL rules.

Furthermore, the EFL has been unsatisfied Bury have given enough evidence of their "financial viability", leading to a string of postponed fixtures while the organisation awaited "the clarity required".

The Shakers were given a 14-day deadline to provide the necessary information on 14 August, which is due to expire at 23:59 on Friday.

If the club are unable to satisfy the EFL's request, their only other hope is that a buyer comes in with a rescue plan at the 11th hour.

Owner Dale said he would consider selling Bury after the club's staff "implored" him to accept an offer last week - but then reportedly rejected a fresh bid on Tuesday.

Dale told BBC Radio Manchester on Thursday there were four interested parties - one of which has his backing - but time appears to be against any takeover going through.

The EFL reiterated this week that "if a solution is not found by the deadline, the board will authorise the necessary share transfer on behalf of Bury FC which shall be legally binding on all parties and result, regretfully, in the club no longer being a member of the League".

In other words, the Shakers will be expelled from the EFL.

The club would then "be free to make an application to the Football Association to rejoin league competition further down the English football pyramid from season 2020-21", according to the EFL.

The EFL has already outlined how it intends to balance the leagues if Bury are expelled:

- The current League One season would be completed with 23 teams, with the number of relegation places reduced to three.

- Four teams will still be promoted from League Two this season, ensuring League One is rebalanced in 2020-21.

- Only one team will be relegated from League Two, with two to be promoted from the National League as usual.

EFL chief executive Jevans has confirmed they would consider extending Friday's deadline by "24 to 48 hours" if a solution appeared to be imminent.

However, she also said a "long delay" was "not possible", stressing that once a decision has been made Bury will "cease to be a member of the league", meaning an appeal would appear unlikely.

It is 27 years since an EFL club was unable to complete a season, with Maidstone United and Aldershot both liquidated during the 1991-92 season.

No club has ever dropped out of the third tier before and Bury would also become the first FA Cup winners to have been expelled by the EFL.

Didn't the owner have someone willing to buy them but he refused.

Sounds Mickey mouse to me

Didn't the owner have someone willing to buy them but he refused.

Yeah, correct.

To the point where the club staff put a statement out literally begging him to accept.

The problem is the EFL have been as patient as possible with them, but they have to think about the integrity of the competition.

One of potential buyers thinks it's to late to do deal even if was accepted! It will depend on efl giving an extension long enough to complete a deal, if a deal can be struck of course, but given the owners reluctant stance in selling seems unlikely that they'll be saved.

Steve Dale was on TalkSPORT talking to Jim White last week calling one of the Bury players a liar because his wages had been paid and that there was no need to panic because he could guarantee Bury would meet its deadline and would stay in existence. Funny how that’s changed, seems like a real top bloke

Sounds Mickey mouse to me

which bit exactly ?

The EFL Board has this afternoon been appraised of the very latest position in respect of ongoing matters at Bury Football Club.

As of 5pm there has been limited progress made either by the current ownership providing the required evidence in regard to outstanding financial information, or through a change of control being achieved with new owners.

The EFL will continue to provide all support available and will keep working to find a resolution to the ongoing issues ahead of the Notice of Withdrawal deadline, which remains at 11.59 PM on Friday 23 August.

If a successful solution is not found ahead of tonight’s deadline, the Club’s share in the EFL will be withdrawn and its membership in the League will come to an end.

The EFL will move to confirm the position as soon as possible, with an update to be provided on Saturday 24 August.

If it's true the owner had a chance to sell then personally I feel he's screwed them over even if it is a lower offer than what he values it. It's the same as anyone or any business if a company is on its knees and needs bailing out then it will have offers looking lower than the asking/value price

If it's true the owner had a chance to sell then personally I feel he's screwed them over even if it is a lower offer than what he values it. It's the same as anyone or any business if a company is on its knees and needs bailing out then it will have offers looking lower than the asking/value price

Never that simple Mike Ashley (Newcastle) has had numerous offers but he keeps moving goalposts so sale never happens why only he knows?

Don’t know why people are blaming the EFL, bet Bury fans were loving it while smashing league 2 with beckford on £10k a week. Imagine the precedent if the EFL bailed them out

Didn't the owner have someone willing to buy them but he refused.

Yeah, correct.

To the point where the club staff put a statement out literally begging him to accept.

The problem is the EFL have been as patient as possible with them, but they have to think about the integrity of the competition.

3 sides to every story , both points of view and the truth..
have the EFL been as patient as possible or are they being unfair which is what Dale thinks.?
personally I don't know much about the ins and outs of Bury but I read this which gives a different view to ..the he is a con man line doing the rounds..
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football ... expulsion/
just glad its not us this time.

I believe the current owner bought the club for a pound and is apparently asking for £3m to sell. Only from listening to Talksport but all soughts of speculation about his motives and refusal to sell. Lots of fingers pointed at previous owner also who spent a lot of money that the club clearly didn't have.
It's a mess and very sad, really feel for the Bury fans, a fellow F.A. Cup winning club.

Don’t know why people are blaming the EFL, bet Bury fans were loving it while smashing league 2 with beckford on £10k a week. Imagine the precedent if the EFL bailed them out

Nor sure they are blaming efl by not bailing them out more like blaming efl for the stupid deal did with premier league that gives each club in div 1 about 1m ? But owner asking fans for 2.7m is taking the Mickey he paid £1 for club so whilst hes probably lost loads he is not prepared to pay creditors or guarantee monies every club as to give to play in efl To play whole season so he should take hit and get out?

Sounds Mickey mouse to me

Perhaps Secret Agent McKay is involved...or are they one and the same?

Don’t know why people are blaming the EFL, bet Bury fans were loving it while smashing league 2 with beckford on £10k a week. Imagine the precedent if the EFL bailed them out

Beckford signed prior to Dale buying the club.
and im not sure Bury fans were loving it as he was injured for the season.

Dale as agreed to sell club to London based consortium! Just needs efl to agree to extension to see if it comes to fruition..