Bury owner Steve Dale declared that he was “tired of being blamed” for the club’s demise prior to the EFL announcement that they had been expelled from League One.
The decision looks likely to result in the 134-year-old club being liquidated, after they became the first side to drop out of the EFL since Maidstone’s liquidation in 1992.
The FA confirmed on Wednesday that they will also not be allowed to take their place in this season’s FA Cup.
It brings an end to the history of the club, who were loaded with debt by ex-owner Stewart Day, before being sold to Dale in December for just £1; Dale took full control without EFL approval.
But as he once more sought to shift blame away from himself, the man with whom 43 of 51 associated companies have previously been liquidated, told the BBC: “It’s disappointing obviously but everyone who has come to the table looks at the debts at the club from Stewart Day’s era and the deal collapses.
(Image: Harry McGuire)
“These lads (C&N Sporting Risk) came forward and they wanted to get the deal done. They couldn’t get anything done on the stadium. Without a stadium, they couldn’t continue.
“As you know the loan on the stadium was taken out two years ago way before my time.
“What I’m getting tired of is me being blamed for it.”
(Image: Action Images via Reuters)
Dale has come in for heavy criticism for the club’s demise, after the failure to complete a deal to sell to analytics company C&N Sporting Risk.
But it is an interview over the weekend that has particularly left a sour taste, which showcased Dale’s sheer disregard for the institution he had purchased.
“I never went to Bury, it was not a place I frequented,” he told Radio 5Live. “For me to walk away from Bury and never go back is a very easy thing to do.
“I don’t do anything up there, I didn’t even know there was a team up there to be honest with you. I’m not a football fan.”
Prior to that declaration, Dale had also had his say on Bury supporters and their passion.
Coming over the weekend, where he appeared on a number of radio and TV shows, Dale said: “I think it’s fantastic that they are that passionate.
“But what they need to do is temper it, and not be silly and not show themselves up by disgraceful behaviour when they’re full of beer.”
(Image: Christopher Furlong)
With Bury having now been excluded from the EFL, Shakers’ skipper Neil Danns has pointed the finger of blame squarely at Dale, declaring lives have been destroyed.
Appearing on talkSPORT, when asked if he had a message for Dale, Danns said: “I would say look what you’ve done.
“This should never have happened. If you thought you could not move this club forward in a positive way you should never have taken over because you’ve literally destroyed lives, because that’s what this football club meant to so many fans.”
(Image: Stoke Sentinel)
Danns added that “serious questions have got to be asked” about what had happened.
“When you see the devastation of the fans I just think I have to say something,” he said. “It’s unbelievable. I still can’t believe it.”
Sports Minister Nigel Adams insisted the EFL must look into the circumstances surrounding Bury’s plight, describing it as a “tragedy for the fans”, but hoped they can be inspired by other clubs who had suffered similar fates.
In a statement, Adams said: “This is a very dark day for English football. It is a tragedy for the fans of Bury, the local community and everyone connected with the historic club.
“There will be a huge amount of anger and disbelief about how this happened. I have been in regular contact with the EFL and it is right that they closely review the processes at Bury to see if any lessons can be learned.
“The club’s passionate fans don’t deserve to go through this. I hope once the dust has settled they can begin to rebuild and take inspiration from other clubs that have done so before them.”
