Bury FC: Shakers fans complete deal to purchase Gigg Lane - their home since 1885

Gigg Lane, home to Bury since 1885, has been unused since the Shakers were expelled from the English Football League in 2019

Bury fans have completed a deal to buy back their old ground at Gigg Lane - and to trade going forward as Bury FC.

Fan groups Est 1885 and Forever Bury have satisfied administrators of the twice former FA Cup winners, who went into administration 15 months ago.

Bury were expelled from the English Football League in August 2019 before then owner Steve Dale put the Shakers into administration in November 2020.

Since Bury's demise, a phoenix club, Bury AFC, has been set up.

They are currently ten points clear at the top of North West Counties League First Division North, having lost once all season.

Both fan groups have expressed the need for Bury AFC and the new Shakers to be fully aligned in the future.

Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester last month, Matt Pickup of Est 1885 said: "We want one club. All parties do, going forward.

"The working group we have with them (Bury AFC) has been positive and that's going to continue in the coming days and weeks."

He added that all parties were working on a target of football returning to Gigg Lane in August, in time for the 2022-23 season.

"We want to get things done as soon as possible with that deadline in mind," he said.

A consortium headed by Est 1885 first entered into a period of exclusivity in October to buy the club - as well as the 12,500-capacity stadium - from the administrators.

Fans were pledged £1m from a government-run community scheme to buy the ground.