Bury F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Bury Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Shakers | ||
| Founded | 1885 | ||
| Ground | Gigg Lane | ||
| Capacity | 12,500 | ||
| Owner | Football Supporters' Society of Bury Limited (50+1) | ||
| Manager | Dave McNabb | ||
| League | None (expelled from League One) | ||
| 2019–20 | League One, 24th of 24 (expelled) | ||
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Bury Football Club is a football team from Bury, Greater Manchester, England. They are known as The Shakers and play in white shirts and navy blue shorts. Their home stadium, Gigg Lane, has been their home since 1885.
Bury FC was founded in 1885. They were one of the first teams in the Lancashire League in 1889. They even won the league twice. In 1894, they joined the Football League.
The club has a rich history, including winning the FA Cup twice. They won in 1900 and again in 1903. The 1903 win was a huge 6–0 victory, which was a record for an FA Cup final.
Bury FC faced big financial problems in 2019. This led to them being removed from the English Football League. However, fans worked hard to save the club. In 2023, Bury FC merged with a new club called Bury A.F.C. Now, the club is back playing at Gigg Lane. They are part of the Premier Division of the North West Counties League.
Contents
History of Bury FC
How the Club Started: 1885–1895
Bury Football Club began on April 24, 1885. Two local church teams, Bury Wesleyans and Bury Unitarians, decided to join forces. They agreed that the new team would be professional. This was a new idea in football at the time.
The club rented land at Gigg Lane for their stadium. Their first game there was a friendly match on September 12, 1885. Bury won 4–3 against a team from Wigan.
Bury first played in the FA Cup in 1887. They were supposed to play Blackburn Rovers. But Bury decided not to play the official match. Instead, they played a friendly game and lost 10–0.
In 1889, Bury helped start the Lancashire League. They finished second in the first season. Then, they won the championship in the next two seasons. In 1892, they won the Lancashire Senior Cup for the first time. They have won this cup 11 times in total.
The club's nickname, "The Shakers," started in 1892. This was at the Lancashire Cup final. The club's chairman, J. T. Ingham, told the players, "We shall shake 'em! In fact, we are the Shakers." The name stuck!
In 1894, Bury joined the the Football League. In their first season, they won the Second Division title. They then beat Liverpool to get promoted to the top league.
Winning the FA Cup: 1895–1929
Bury stayed in the top league for 17 seasons. They won the FA Cup twice, in 1900 and 1903. They scored 10 goals in these two finals without letting in any goals.
In the 1900 final, they beat Southampton 4–0. Bury had a tough journey to the final. They played every game away from home. In the semi-final, they beat Nottingham Forest in extra time. The final was played in very hot weather. Bury played great and won easily.
Three years later, in the 1903 FA Cup, Bury did not let in a single goal in any round. In the final, they played Derby County. The game was at the old Crystal Palace ground. A large crowd of 63,102 people watched.
Bury won the 1903 final 6–0. This was a record for the biggest win in an FA Cup final. Six players from the 1900 team also played in 1903. Derby's goalkeeper got injured, so they had to play with 10 men. Bury scored three goals in just four minutes. The newspaper said Bury could have scored 20 goals if they wanted to! This record stood until 2019.
Until 1907, the team was managed by committee members. The first official manager was Archie Montgomery. He was in charge when Bury was relegated in 1912. In 1922, the club received the ownership of Gigg Lane as a gift. Bury returned to the top league in 1924. Their highest league finish ever was fourth place in 1925–26. They have not played in the top league since 1929.
Life in Lower Leagues: 1929–1969
Bury tried to get back to the top league in the 1930s. They finished in the top six four times. Their closest chance was in 1936–37, when they finished third. But only the top two teams were promoted.
During World War II, regular football stopped. Bury played in regional wartime competitions. They won the North West League in 1939–40.
After the war, Bury almost got relegated from the Second Division many times. They finally dropped to the third tier in 1957.
Under manager Dave Russell, a young Bury team won the Third Division championship in 1960–61. They spent seven of the next eight seasons back in the Second Division. In 1962–63, they reached the semi-finals of the League Cup. From 1963 to 1966, Colin Bell, who later played for England, was Bury's best player. He was even captain as a teenager. Bury was relegated again in 1967 and 1969.
Ups and Downs: 1969–2019
In 1971, Bury played in the Fourth Division for the first time. They were promoted in 1974. They celebrated their 100th birthday in 1985 by getting promoted back to the Third Division.
Bury nearly got promoted from the Third Division in 1990 and 1991. They reached the play-offs but lost in the semi-finals both times. They were relegated in 1992. In 1995, they reached the play-off final at Wembley but lost.
The club then had a great period under manager Stan Ternent. They won two promotions in a row. In 1996, they moved up to the third tier. In 1997, they won the third-tier title. This brought Bury back to the second tier for the first time in 30 years. They stayed there for two seasons.
In 2001–02, Bury faced big money problems. A campaign by supporters raised enough money to save the club. Bury was relegated to the fourth tier that season. In 2003, they reached the play-offs again but lost in the semi-finals.
In 2005, Bury made history. They became the first club to score 1,000 goals in each of England's top four professional leagues. In 2006, the club was removed from the FA Cup. This was because they played a player who was not allowed to play.
In 2011, Bury was promoted to League One. After that, they moved between League One and League Two. They were relegated twice and promoted twice. In 2018–19, they finished second in League Two. This meant they were promoted to League One for the next season.
Financial Crisis and Expulsion: 2019
In 2019, Bury FC faced very serious financial problems. The club could not pay its staff and players. There were many attempts to sell the club and save it. But a deal could not be completed in time.
On August 27, 2019, the English Football League (EFL) announced that Bury's membership was removed. This meant Bury FC was out of the league. They were the first club to be expelled since 1992. This was a very sad day for the club and its fans.
After the Expulsion
After being removed from the league, fans worked hard to keep Bury FC alive. The club went into administration in November 2020. This is a process to deal with a company's debts.
In February 2022, a group of Bury fans called Est.1885 bought Gigg Lane. They also bought the club's name and history. This was a huge step to bring football back to Bury.
Bury AFC: 2019–2023
While the original Bury FC was struggling, a group of supporters started a new club. They called it Bury Association Football Club (Bury AFC). This new club was owned by its fans.
Bury AFC joined the North West Counties Football League in 2020. This is the tenth tier of English football. Their first competitive game was in September 2020. In the 2021–22 season, Bury AFC won their division. This earned them promotion to the NWCFL Premier Division.
The Merger
In May 2022, talks began to merge the two fan groups. One group owned Gigg Lane and the Bury FC name. The other group owned Bury AFC. The goal was to bring Bury FC back to its home ground.
After two votes, members of both groups agreed to merge on May 5, 2023. On June 5, 2023, the FA approved the use of the name "Bury Football Club" again. This meant Bury FC was officially back! They now play in the North West Counties League Premier Division.
Colours and Crest
Bury FC's main colours are white and blue. They used to wear a half sky blue and half chocolate brown shirt. But they soon changed to an all-white shirt with blue shorts.
The blue shorts have been mostly navy blue or royal blue. In 1962–63, they accidentally got royal blue shorts. The manager joked that they would match the stadium's paintwork!
The club's crest shows the history of Bury town. It has symbols like an anvil, a fleece, shuttles, and a papyrus plant. These represent industries like forging, wool, cotton, and paper. The motto is Vincit Omnia Industria, which means "work conquers all."
Stadium
Bury has played at Gigg Lane since 1885. The first Football League match there was on September 8, 1894. Bury beat Manchester City 4–2.
Gigg Lane was rebuilt in the 1990s. It now has seats for 12,500 fans. The Main Stand is where the club offices are. The Manchester Road End is for away supporters. The South Stand is opposite the Main Stand. The Cemetery End was finished in 1999.
When Bury FC was removed from the EFL in 2019, Gigg Lane was closed. Bury AFC played their games at other stadiums. But after the merger, Bury FC returned to Gigg Lane. Their first game back was a friendly on July 8, 2023.
Players and Coaching Staff
Current Squad
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Players Who Played for Their Country
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Many players from Bury have also played for their national teams.
- Jimmy Settle was the first Bury player to play for England in 1899. He scored three goals in one game!
- Bill Gorman and Derek Spence played the most international games while at Bury, both with 10 caps for Ireland and Northern Ireland.
- Neil Danns was the most recent Bury player to play for his country, Guyana, in 2019.
- Jack Plant played for Bury for 17 years. He scored in both FA Cup finals (1900 and 1903) and played once for England.
| Player | Country | Caps | Goals | Year(s) of caps | Notes | |
| Bill Gorman |  |
Ireland (FAI) | 10 | 0 | 1936–1938 | |
| Derek Spence |  |
Northern Ireland | 10 | 1 | 1975–1976 | |
| Jimmy Chambers |  |
Ireland (IFA) | 8 | 2 | 1927–1930 | |
| Neil Danns |  |
Guyana | 6 | 6 | 2018–2019 | 1 |
| Bhaichung Bhutia |  |
India | 6 | 2 | 2000–2001 | |
| Norman Bullock |  |
England | 3 | 2 | 1923–1926 | |
| Phil Hughes | |
Northern Ireland | 3 | 0 | 1986–1987 | |
| Jimmy Settle | |
England | 3 | 4 | 1899 | |
| Charlie Sagar | |
England | 2 | 1 | 1900–1902 | |
| David Healy | |
Northern Ireland | 2 | 1 | 2012–2013 | |
| Hugh Tinney |  |
Scotland | 2 | 0 | 1967 | |
| Lutel James |  |
St Kitts and Nevis | 2 | 0 | 2000 | |
| Jack Ball | |
England | 1 | 0 | 1927 | |
| Tom Bradshaw | |
Scotland | 1 | 0 | 1928 | |
| Billy Hibbert | |
England | 1 | 0 | 1910 | |
| Jack Plant | |
England | 1 | 0 | 1900 | |
| Jap Walker | |
Ireland | 1 | 0 | 1911 |
1 Danns scored three goals in qualifying games, then three in three games in the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup group stage.
Other Famous Players
Here are some other well-known players who played for Bury:
- Colin Bell: Played for Bury as a teenager and became captain. He later played 48 times for England.
- Lee Dixon: Played for Bury before becoming a famous player for Arsenal and earning 22 England caps.
- Martin Dobson: Played for Bury after earning five England caps.
- Colin Kazim-Richards: Started his career at Bury at age 15. He later played for Turkey.
- Dean Kiely: Was a Bury goalkeeper who later played for Ireland.
- Terry McDermott: Played for Bury, then moved to Liverpool and earned 25 England caps.
- Nick Pope: Was a Bury goalkeeper who later played 10 times for England.
- Kasper Schmeichel: Played for Bury on loan. He later played 97 times for Denmark.
- Neville Southall: Started his career at Bury. He later played 92 times for Wales.
Managerial History
Bury FC has had many managers over the years. The first official manager was Archie Montgomery in 1907.
Norman Bullock, who scored many goals for the club, managed Bury twice. The longest-serving manager was Dave Russell, who managed for eight years. He led the team to win the Third Division championship in 1960–61.
In the late 1990s, Stan Ternent helped the team get promoted twice in a row. He took them from the fourth tier to the second tier.
Before the club's expulsion in 2019, former Bury striker Ryan Lowe was the manager. He helped the team get promoted in 2018–19.
Bury FC Women
Bury FC also has a women's team, Bury FC Women, started in 1996. They played in the North West Women's Regional Football League.
After the men's club faced problems, the women's team also struggled. But they kept going with help from charities. They used to play at Gigg Lane until 2019.
On April 24, 2022, Bury FC Women played the first match back at Gigg Lane since 2019. They won 3–0! In May 2022, they won their division title. Now, Bury FC Women will play their home games at Gigg Lane.
Honours
Bury FC has won many trophies throughout its history:
League Titles
- Second Division (Level 2)
- Champions: 1894–95
- Third Division (Level 3)
- Champions: 1960–61, 1996–97
- North West Counties Football League Division One North (Level 10)
- Champions: 2021–22
Cup Wins
- FA Cup
- Winners: 1899–1900, 1902–03
- Lancashire League
- Winners: 1890–91, 1891–92
- Lancashire Cup
- Winners (11 times): 1892, 1899, 1903, 1906, 1926, 1958, 1983, 1987, 2014, 2015, 2018
- Manchester Cup
- Winners (12 times): 1894, 1896, 1897, 1900, 1903, 1905, 1925, 1935, 1951, 1952, 1962, 1968
Records and Statistics
English Football Records
- Bury holds the record for the biggest winning margin in an FA Cup Final (6–0 vs. Derby County in 1903). Manchester City matched this in 2019.
- In 2005, Bury became the first (and only) club to score 1,000 goals in each of England's four professional leagues.
Club Records
- Highest league finish: 4th in the First Division, 1925–26
- Record league victory: 10–1 vs. Skelmersdale United, 2024
- Record cup victory: 12–1 vs. Stockton, FA Cup, 1897
- Top goalscorer in a season: Craig Madden, 43 goals in 1981–82
- Top goalscorer in a career: Craig Madden, 153 goals from 1977 to 1986
- Most appearances: Norman Bullock, 539 games from 1920 to 1935
- Record attendance: 35,000 vs. Bolton Wanderers, FA Cup, 1960
Support
The club has a supporters group called Forever Bury. They work to help the club, especially during financial difficulties.
Bury also has a club mascot. The first one, from 1997, was "Robbie the Bobby," a cartoon policeman. He was replaced in 2018 by a cartoon police dog named "Peeler." The new mascot keeps a link to Robert Peel, a famous person from Bury.
Rivalries
Bury has rivalries with other nearby football clubs.
- Their main rival is Bolton Wanderers. The head-to-head record is 30 wins for each team and 19 draws.
- Matches between Bury and Rochdale are called the "M66 Derby." Bury has won 26 of these games, Rochdale has won 21, and there have been 21 draws.
See also
In Spanish: Bury Football Club para niños
