'The fans have got to chip in': Bury owner Steve Dale makes incredible demand that supporters must dip into their own pockets to raise £2.7m to save them from extinction TONIGHT

  • Bury owner Steve Dale has said the fans must help bail out the football club
  • The EFL have set a deadline of 11.59pm on Friday for Bury to get in order
  • Several parties are interested in buying the club but Dale is yet to sell
  • Speaking on talkSPORT, Dale outlined that it will take around £2.7m to save Bury 

Bury owner Steve Dale has pleaded with supporters to dip into their own pockets in order to prevent the club from going out of existence.

The League One side have not played a single fixture all season after coming under financial pressures, and have been set a deadline by the English Football League (EFL) as a result.

Bury have until 11.59pm on Friday night to show the EFL that finances are in order and debts are settled, otherwise the 134-year-old club will be forced to fold.

Bury owner Steve Dale has pleaded with supporters to contribute in order to save the club

Now, appearing on talkSPORT in a direct plea, Dale has urged fans to help contribute towards the £2.7million to stop Bury ceasing to exist.


'That's up to the fans and the EFL, the fans have got to chip in,' said Dale, when asked frankly by host Jim White whether the club was going to survive.

'If they come to us and say we'll put £100 in, £1000 in, if the big players put in £100,000, £500,000, whatever it is, we want it pledged to the company,' Dale added.

'We need a pledge of £2.7m plus to save Bury. If the company, Bury Football Club, needs the money and needs to use it, they'll put up shares and pay 2.5 per cent interest on that money.'

The words of the owner come in controversial circumstances, with supporters desperate for Dale to sell the club and walk away from the disaster that has been caused.

Fans have pleaded with the club's owner to sell the club as it edges closer to extinction

Fans have pleaded with the club's owner to sell the club as it edges closer to extinction

Fans have been hanging scarves at Gigg Lane and leaving messages telling Dale to sell up

Fans have been hanging scarves at Gigg Lane and leaving messages telling Dale to sell up

The bleak situation surrounding the historic football club has left supporters simply distraught

Midfielder Stephen Dawson says an offer has been received, and urged Dale to accept it

Midfielder Stephen Dawson says an offer has been received, and urged Dale to accept it

BURY FACTFILE 

Founded: 1885

Stadium: Gigg Lane

Chairman: Steve Dale

Manager: Paul Wilkinson 

Honours: FA Cup winners (1900, 1903) 

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Dale paid just £1 to purchase Bury in late 2018, but is understood to be holding out for a substantial payment of around £2million in order to sell.

As the situation became ever more desperate, current Bury midfielder Stephen Dawson took it upon himself to call into the radio show to claim the players have been told an offer is on the table, which will save the club but will not see Dale take a profit.

'There's an offer on the table that we've been told will save the club,' said Dawson.

'I don't know whether he's listening now but just want to tell him (Dale) to sell up. We've been told the club will be saved and the debts will be paid up. He won't make any money from it but the club will be saved. 

'All we can do as players is just train and hope the club is going to be saved. I've seen the videos from the fans, people going 70 years, I don't think it's ever been seen in football what's going on here.'

Dawson then offered a bleak summary of what it will mean for him and his fellow players if the situation is not resolved. 

'It'll be it (if the club folds), I'll have to move out. I've signed into a mortgage, I can't ring them up and say I've not been paid for months so can I not pay you? 

'I'm distraught and I don't know what to say. It's one last plea to him to say please take the offer. Time will tell.'

Following Dale's plea, many supporters were understandably livid with the situation, as the club stands on the brink of shutting down.

Social media was soon rife with responses, with Bury fans and football fans in general giving their opinions on the latest developments.

'It's too late to be asking for pledges of money and to be honest, nobody will give you a penny Dale!' wrote one impassioned fan. 'You've had MONTHS to do this. Are you going to try and stop time next in your fantasy world?'

Another supporter, this time of local neighbours Bolton who also currently find themselves in financial difficulty, offered a further take on the situation.

'I'm a Bolton fan. In 2002, I 'bought a seat' at Bury FC to help raise funds when they were in administration. Pledging money is a stopgap. Dale needs to sell!' 

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