Bury owner defiant as winding-up order dismissed

BURY’S dire financial straits eased slightly on Wednesday when the High Court dismissed a winding-up petition against the League One club for £1million in unpaid taxes.

The news was confirmed in a typically combative statement on the club’s website from owner Steve Dale.

“I am pleased to advise our winding up-petition from HMRC has been dismissed, so Bury’s legacy continues in the face of adversity,” he wrote. “We hope that our ongoing talks with the English Football League will allow them to see what we are facing with saving our club and to please work with us. They are now the only thing stopping Bury’s survival and we implore them to help us.”

He continued by saying the club, which was promoted to League One last season after finishing second in League Two, is still “clearing hurdles” left by the previous owners but is “picking them off one by one”.

Dale urged fans to get behind those working 20-hour days to save the club and stop “this slander on social media” and the protests outside his house.

On Monday, the league announced that the Gigg Lane club’s opening fixture against MK Dons, which was scheduled for Saturday, has been postponed because it is “not satisfied” with the club’s financial assurances.

This prompted a furious response from Dale on Tuesday when he accused the league of working against the club. He also criticised the league for making “incendiary” statements and accused the media of reporting “garbage” to “incite unrest”.

But the EFL’s decision came after it had already extended a deadline for more information from the club from last week to Monday evening.

Bury had until noon on Friday to provide the proof of funds and business plan the EFL needs, otherwise their second game, against Accrington on August 10, will also be postponed.

Both Bolton and Bury have already been given 12-point penalties for “insolvency events”.