Dale’s plea to clubs to let Bury back into the EFL
BURY chairman Steve Dale has appealed to Football League clubs to vote for the Shakers’ reinstatement, insisting the club ‘is a victim, not a villain’.
The 71 members will meet tomorrow, with one of the items on the agenda understood to be a vote on how the EFL will look for the 2020-21 season.
One of the options available is to readmit Bury, who were expelled from the league last month after the collapse of a takeover bid.
A statement from Dale on the Bury website, titled ‘Request to our former fellow clubs’, read: “We would ask before you send in your votes, for our reinstatement to our former position in the EFL this Thursday, to consider your own circumstances, and then give a thought to what has happened to Bury FC.
“Bury Football Club is a victim, not a villain, so why was it treated so unjustly?”
A letter from the Bury Rescue Board to the EFL last week explained the Shakers were seeking ‘compassionate re-entry’ to the league. The Rescue Board is chaired by James Frith, MP for Bury North.
The submission included a commitment to sell the club from Dale, who signed a separate supporting document, as well as confirmation of active bidders.
Dale said the club had received ‘a lot of unjust vitriol’, which they have not be able to respond to publicly for legal reasons. However, he said fans and other clubs would be ‘shocked at the injustice Bury has suffered’.
“We would not wish on anyone what we have been through and steps need to be taken to ensure that this can never happen to any of our fellow clubs again. It is unjust and wrong,” added Dale.
“Even through all our difficulties, we never took action against our fellow clubs for monies owed to us, and believe us when we say we needed it, but fellow clubs in our position need help and solidarity from fellow clubs, not writs.
“There is a lot to address in our great sport to prevent injustice.
“A fairer slice of the pie to the lower leagues will help that before the TV rights disappear and there is no pot to help them.”