Show Notes
Bury FC, Gigg Lane and the club’s remarkable rise through English non-league football are the focus of this episode of Why We Love This Club, exploring how supporters rebuilt one of England’s oldest football institutions after its 2019 EFL expulsion.
Founded in 1885, Bury Football Club won two FA Cups, spent decades in the Football League and developed players including Colin Bell, Neville Southall, Lee Dixon and Nick Pope. But financial collapse under owner Steve Dale left players unpaid and ultimately saw the EFL remove Bury from the league.
Chris traces the extraordinary supporter-led recovery: the creation of Bury AFC, the campaign to purchase Gigg Lane, and the eventual merger that reunited the historic name, stadium and football team under community ownership.
The episode also covers Bury’s back-to-back promotions in 2024–25 and 2025–26, manager Anthony Johnson, leading scorer Kai Evans, and the club’s new challenge in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
It’s a story about fan ownership, football finance, community identity and what really remains when a football club’s company collapses. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.
If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris.
The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered The Underdog Football Show
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