Losers and Shakers - Hillmen Buryed !!!

And so to Gigg Lane in Bury for a North West Counties Football League Premier Division match between Bury FC and Glossop North End AFC, replicating a 1900 Division One fixture, on the opening day of this season - July 29 2023.

Bury AFC was formed in 2019 following the expulsion of Bury FC from the English Football League. Created and managed entirely by volunteers with the slogan "By the fans, for the fans" the club was owned by a Community Benefit Society, the Shakers Community Trust, and the Board elected by its members. The Shakers joined the NWCFL in 2020, playing at the Neuven Stadium in Radcliffe, and led the table with 5 wins, one draw and one defeat before the season was written off due to Covid.

The following season Bury AFC was crowned as champions with 89 points from 36 matches - with only one defeat - and promoted to the Premier Division for the 2022/23 campaign. Last term a further promotion bid, not helped by fixture congestion and relocating late season home fixtures to Seel Park in Mossley, came off the rails at the tail end with the Shakers finishing fourth.

The original Bury FC was established and headquartered at Gigg Lane from 1885 from land bequeathed by the Earl of Derby. The Shakers (so named after a pep talk for the 1892 Lancashire Cup Final against Everton - 'shake them up !') were founder members of the Lancashire League in 1889, and were crowned champions in the 1890–91 and 1891–92 seasons, before being elected to The Football League in 1894.

Bury were champions of the Second Division in 1894–95 and won their test match (an ancient version of the play offs ?) to secure promotion to the First Division. They remained in the top flight for 17 seasons, winning the FA Cup in 1900 with a 4–0 victory over Southampton and again in 1903 with a 6–0 win over Derby County, still a record equalling victory. After relegation to the Second Division at the end of the 1911–12 season, Bury secured promotion in 1923–24, before losing their top-flight status in 1928–29, never to return.

After relegation to the third tier in 1957 the club was promoted in 1961 but then spiralled downwards to the Fourth Division. Stan Ternent took them back up to the Second Division, with successive promotions in 1996 and 1997 for a brief two season foray.

Thereafter, fluctuating between Leagues One and Two, alleged gross overspending by previous owner Stewart Day and then 'incompetence' from new incumbent Steve Dale saw the Shakers placed into administration in 2019 and expulsion from the league. Bury FC existed as a dormant shell with the phoenix AFC club splitting local opinion.

In February 2022 Bury fans' group Est 1885 purchased the ground at Gigg Lane and the trading name and assets of Bury FC. October 2022 saw a vote regarding the potential amalgamation of the two clubs fail to meet the 66% threshold. However in May 2023 a second poll from both societies approved the merger, and the club has now adopted the Bury FC name following FA approval in June and has reverted to playing home games at Gigg Lane for this coming season.

And so to Gigg Lane in Bury for a North West Counties Football League Premier Division match between Bury FC and Glossop North End AFC, replicating a 1900 Division One fixture, on the opening day of this season - July 29 2023.

Bury AFC was formed in 2019 following the expulsion of Bury FC from the English Football League. Created and managed entirely by volunteers with the slogan "By the fans, for the fans" the club was owned by a Community Benefit Society, the Shakers Community Trust, and the Board elected by its members. The Shakers joined the NWCFL in 2020, playing at the Neuven Stadium in Radcliffe, and led the table with 5 wins, one draw and one defeat before the season was written off due to Covid.

The following season Bury AFC was crowned as champions with 89 points from 36 matches - with only one defeat - and promoted to the Premier Division for the 2022/23 campaign. Last term a further promotion bid, not helped by fixture congestion and relocating late season home fixtures to Seel Park in Mossley, came off the rails at the tail end with the Shakers finishing fourth.

The original Bury FC was established and headquartered at Gigg Lane from 1885 from land bequeathed by the Earl of Derby. The Shakers (so named after a pep talk for the 1892 Lancashire Cup Final against Everton - 'shake them up !') were founder members of the Lancashire League in 1889, and were crowned champions in the 1890–91 and 1891–92 seasons, before being elected to The Football League in 1894.

Bury were champions of the Second Division in 1894–95 and won their test match (an ancient version of the play offs ?) to secure promotion to the First Division. They remained in the top flight for 17 seasons, winning the FA Cup in 1900 with a 4–0 victory over Southampton and again in 1903 with a 6–0 win over Derby County, still a record equalling victory. After relegation to the Second Division at the end of the 1911–12 season, Bury secured promotion in 1923–24, before losing their top-flight status in 1928–29, never to return.

After relegation to the third tier in 1957 the club was promoted in 1961 but then spiralled downwards to the Fourth Division. Stan Ternent took them back up to the Second Division, with successive promotions in 1996 and 1997 for a brief two season foray.

Thereafter, fluctuating between Leagues One and Two, alleged gross overspending by previous owner Stewart Day and then 'incompetence' from new incumbent Steve Dale saw the Shakers placed into administration in 2019 and expulsion from the league. Bury FC existed as a dormant shell with the phoenix AFC club splitting local opinion.

In February 2022 Bury fans' group Est 1885 purchased the ground at Gigg Lane and the trading name and assets of Bury FC. October 2022 saw a vote regarding the potential amalgamation of the two clubs fail to meet the 66% threshold. However in May 2023 a second poll from both societies approved the merger, and the club has now adopted the Bury FC name following FA approval in June and has reverted to playing home games at Gigg Lane for this coming season.

And so to Gigg Lane in Bury for a North West Counties Football League Premier Division match between Bury FC and Glossop North End AFC, replicating a 1900 Division One fixture, on the opening day of this season - July 29 2023.

Bury AFC was formed in 2019 following the expulsion of Bury FC from the English Football League. Created and managed entirely by volunteers with the slogan "By the fans, for the fans" the club was owned by a Community Benefit Society, the Shakers Community Trust, and the Board elected by its members. The Shakers joined the NWCFL in 2020, playing at the Neuven Stadium in Radcliffe, and led the table with 5 wins, one draw and one defeat before the season was written off due to Covid.

The following season Bury AFC was crowned as champions with 89 points from 36 matches - with only one defeat - and promoted to the Premier Division for the 2022/23 campaign. Last term a further promotion bid, not helped by fixture congestion and relocating late season home fixtures to Seel Park in Mossley, came off the rails at the tail end with the Shakers finishing fourth.

The original Bury FC was established and headquartered at Gigg Lane from 1885 from land bequeathed by the Earl of Derby. The Shakers (so named after a pep talk for the 1892 Lancashire Cup Final against Everton - 'shake them up !') were founder members of the Lancashire League in 1889, and were crowned champions in the 1890–91 and 1891–92 seasons, before being elected to The Football League in 1894.

Bury were champions of the Second Division in 1894–95 and won their test match (an ancient version of the play offs ?) to secure promotion to the First Division. They remained in the top flight for 17 seasons, winning the FA Cup in 1900 with a 4–0 victory over Southampton and again in 1903 with a 6–0 win over Derby County, still a record equalling victory. After relegation to the Second Division at the end of the 1911–12 season, Bury secured promotion in 1923–24, before losing their top-flight status in 1928–29, never to return.

After relegation to the third tier in 1957 the club was promoted in 1961 but then spiralled downwards to the Fourth Division. Stan Ternent took them back up to the Second Division, with successive promotions in 1996 and 1997 for a brief two season foray.

Thereafter, fluctuating between Leagues One and Two, alleged gross overspending by previous owner Stewart Day and then 'incompetence' from new incumbent Steve Dale saw the Shakers placed into administration in 2019 and expulsion from the league. Bury FC existed as a dormant shell with the phoenix AFC club splitting local opinion.

In February 2022 Bury fans' group Est 1885 purchased the ground at Gigg Lane and the trading name and assets of Bury FC. October 2022 saw a vote regarding the potential amalgamation of the two clubs fail to meet the 66% threshold. However in May 2023 a second poll from both societies approved the merger, and the club has now adopted the Bury FC name following FA approval in June and has reverted to playing home games at Gigg Lane for this coming season.

 

Glossop North End AFC was founded in 1886, joining the North Cheshire League in 1890 before moving to the Combination in 1894 and turning professional. The Hillmen then played in the Midland League for two seasons before being elected to the Second Division of the Football League in 1898.

 

In their inaugural League season GNE finished as runners up to Manchester City and earnt promotion to the First Division. In so doing Glossop became the smallest town to support a Football League club, although this has now been supplanted by Rushden & Diamonds and Fleetwood Town. However Glossop remains the smallest town whose team has played in the English top flight.

 

The club changed name to Glossop AFC to avoid any confusion with Preston North End, but their brief stay in the First Division lasted only the one season. It was followed by 15 seasons in the Second Division as perennial strugglers with the side finishing bottom and failing to gain re-election before the War intervened.

 

Glossop AFC was reformed towards the end of the War by Oswald Partington, spending one season in the Lancashire Combination then joining the Manchester League. The Peakites won the Manchester League in 1927/28 and moved to their current ground in Surrey Street in 1955 largely due to the beneficence of Club President Arnold Goldthorpe - and 68 years later the stadium is still named in his honour.

 

The club became a founder member of the Cheshire County League for the 1978/79 campaign, and, after promotion to Division 1 in 1981, was a founding member of the North West Counties Football League in 1982. The team almost folded in 1990 after the chairman sold the ground to the local council and left the club with large debts.

 

Two years later the Hillmen were promoted to Division One and reinstated the suffix to become Glossop North End once more. Some cup success arrived in the intervening years, but GNE had to battle to avoid relegation for several seasons.

 

In the 2008/09 season they reached the final of the FA Vase where they lost 2-0 to Whitley Bay at Wembley Stadium. But better was to come, with the 2014/15 season the most successful in the club's history - winning the North West Counties Premier to gain promotion to the Northern Premier League, and again reaching the FA Vase final at Wembley losing 2-1 to North Shields after extra time.

However after two encouraging NPL campaigns, including a failed play off attempt, the Peakites began to struggle. This culminated in 18th of 20 last time out (one place lower than the previous season) and a 3-0 play off home defeat to Ashington, prefacing a return to the North West Counties.

To Metrostink and past The Diva Den, an Excellerate van and numberplates en route, GO06BYE, S4CK U, L4DY P. Then the Walton Perk coffee barge, UA92 but no Taylor Swift mannequin as I reach the National Trust's impressive Castlefield Viaduct garden.

The city centre abounds with skyscrapers, and MegaCon attendees in fancy dress, but the hour long tram journey goes straight through. The Lower Turk's Head is on my right and a lime green Mohican joins at Shude Hill. Then the sprawling H Marcel Guest paint factory, into Besses o' th' Barn and panoramic views as I reach Radcliffe, Pioneer Mills and ultimately Bury.

Bury is home to the East Lancs Railway, Transport Museum, the award winning Market plus Mill Gate and Rock shopping centres. I find the Jolly Roger chippy, The Blind Tiger bar and Geek Retreat on my travels. Down Market Street, bypassing Bury College and J Rawson & Sons Monumental Masons brings me to the cemetery and Gigg Lane.

£10 for my ticket and a huge crowd of 5,451 assembles, causing kick off to be delayed by 15 minutes to 3.15pm (a throwback to older times ?) - despite the turnstiles being open at 1.30pm and the club asking supporters to turn up early. The weather is changeable - cloudy with sunny spells but three sharp rain showers during the match.

Gigg Lane is all seater - the far Manchester Road end, The Len Johnrose Stand (West Stand), not open today but festooned in flags including 'Beardyman Lives On' !! The Les Hart Stand (South Stand) is packed to its 3,200 capacity and features a Bohairmia advertising hoarding.

I'm in the Cemetery End (East Stand) - again appropriate for Bury FC - and is full with 2,100 spectators. The overflow and hospitality is catered for in the main Neville Neville (North) Stand.

Bury are in white and blue, sponsored by Eyelevel Sunglasses and Glossop are in change orange and black, sponsored by Prosthetic Records. The home side fittingly come on to the pitch to Thin Lizzy's 'The Boys Are Back In Town' and the dreadlocked referee commences proceedings just after quarter past three.

I doesn't take long for the carnival atmosphere to change to ecstasy - 5 minutes and 23 seconds to be exact !! Shakers' centre forward Benito Lowe outmuscling his defender, twisting and turning, and then curling a glorious strike beyond Glossop's keeper Harvey Giles.

Five minutes on a rapid move down the left wing sees Sajj Alhassan chopped down in the box. Lowe sends Giles the wrong way from the penalty spot to make it 2-0.

Lowe is booked midway through the half and has two further long range strikes well over, before Darius Palma's effort is palmed out and Lowe's rebound is smuggled off the line. No matter as the Shakers go three up on 28 minutes; a corner missed by everyone landing at an unmarked Andrew Briggs three yards out who can't miss - and doesn't !

GNE cannot cope with Bury's forward line and its pace - Chris Rowney with a swerving effort just over and Alhassan wide, but the Peakites start to create chances and Jack Atkinson tips one on to the top of the bar just before the interval. The Shakers lead 3-0 at the break.

The second period starts off quietly until left back Jordi Nsaka unleashes a sumptuous drive across Giles on 57 minutes to make it 4-0. Cue a plethora of substitutions and on 70 minutes Atkinson makes a real mess of a Glossop free kick, spilling the ball into the path of Hillmen substitute Bevan Burey, and he scores, at the second attempt, from two yards.

The scoring finishes with two minutes left - Bury's Jack Lenehan given the freedom of the park to waltz through and curl home to leave the final score 5-1 to the Shakers.