EFL agrees to consult clubs over Bury return

Bury were yesterday given a glimmer of hope of rejoining the English Football League as early as next season – on the day it was revealed that police had launched a fraud inquiry into the club’s demise.

A week after throwing them out of the professional game, the EFL’S board agreed to consult its member clubs over their expelled rival’s plea to be allowed to start the 2020-21 campaign in League Two.

In another extraordinary development since the fall of one of the country’s oldest teams, it was revealed yesterday that Greater Manchester

Police were examining a “report of fraud” involving Bury.

That was followed by an announcement from the EFL that, “in acknowledgement of the extreme nature of the problems at Bury FC”, it had agreed to discuss with its member clubs an application by their expelled rivals to be admitted to League Two next season.

It added: “This is a complex situation that raises questions of due process, precedent and fairness, as well as financial implications.”

Admitting Bury to League Two next season would require a change of regulations. Such changes need the support of more than half of its membership, as well as more than

A fraud inquiry into the club’s demise was sparked by a report made to police on June 18

half of Championship clubs. Despite the prospect of enough EFL clubs voting for such an outcome appearing remote, James Frith, MP for Bury North, said he was “encouraged” by the news. Dave Gifford, the chairman of the Forever Bury supporters’ trust, added: “We’ve had a lot of support from several clubs and their chairmen. We’ll lobby everybody and see what support we get.”

Both also welcomed confirmation of a fraud inquiry into the circumstances behind the club’s demise, which Greater Manchester Police said had been sparked by a report made to them on June 18.

News of the police inquiry came four days after owner Steve Dale issued an extraordinary statement in which he cited a “Serious Fraud investigation” into unnamed individuals to have been involved with the club. Dale said yesterday he had been “working with the police” and that it would soon be shown that “all I have done is help the club”,

but he did not respond to requests for comment on whether he had been behind the report to police.

Local MPS and fans had been calling for months for an inquiry into the club’s finances, which led to them facing a winding-up petition by HM Revenue and Customs prior to the formation of a Company Voluntary Arrangement last month.

That CVA last week also became the subject of a formal investigation by the Insolvency Practitioners Association, although there is nothing to suggest a link between that and the police inquiry.

HMRC, meanwhile, declined to comment yesterday on allegations that Dale received payments of more than £115,097 from the club’s accounts since the turn of the year. Citing official documents, The

Times reported 23 payments from four accounts had been made, ranging from £50 to £25,000. The last was said to be £6,000, as recently as three weeks ago.

There is nothing to suggest any of the payments were illegal and Dale, who bought Bury for just £1 in December, said there were invoices for the amounts, which were for him to pay third parties.

But the payments could be of interest to the club’s creditors – who were promised 25p for every £1 owed under the CVA – of which HMRC is one of the biggest.