Bury FC threaten EFL with legal action after expulsion from Football League
The Shakers were expelled on Tuesday despite late interest in purchasing the club
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Your support makes all the difference.Bury are “actively considering” legal action against the English Football League after the club were expelled from League One on Tuesday.
The Shakers had previously sent the EFL a letter questioning its handling of their situation, and have now confirmed they are considering action after discussing their options at a meeting on Friday.
The club confirmed on Thursday that the decision to expel would not be rescinded, despite maintaining that a takeover bid of £7 million had been tabled before the deadline.
“All options are on the table. One that has to be considered is legal action,” said the club’s lawyer Chris Farnell.
“At least three bids went in on Friday before the deadline. The EFL allowed an extension for one bid – from C&N – but other bids were attracted and submitted to the EFL and it would appear they weren’t considered.”
BBC Sport claim to have seen the letter sent to the EFL, in which Bury question the body’s non-consideration of a number of potential owners who had bid for the club, including Brazilian multi-millionaire Gustavo Benedito and an Italian consortium.
They also ask how Steve Dale passed the fit and proper person test, and how it is is proportionate to drop Bury five tiers in the football league system – the club has proposed dropping them down to League Two instead.
Bury are the first club to be kicked out of the Football League since 1992.
A late bid from C&N Sporting Risk appeared to offer some hope of salvation, but the analytics firm pulled out of a purchase 90 minutes before the EFL’s deadline.
James Frith, the Labour MP for Bury North, and his independent colleague Ivan Lewis MP, representing Bury South, have written to the EFL urging them to reconsider their decision.
“Earlier today we’ve appealed to the EFL against their decision to expel @buryfcofficial from the League,” Frith tweeted on Wednesday.
“The EFL have proof of funds from a further credible global organisation with bid agreed with owner Steve Dale. Bury FC can be saved.”
The future of Bury’s home ground Gigg Lane remains up in the air. London-based lenders Capital Bridging Finance Solutions Ltd hold the key mortgage on Bury’s Gigg Lane home.
Assuming the expulsion decision stands, the possibility of Bury returning with a new name as a ‘phoenix club’ in a lower tier has been raised.
Aldershot and Maidstone (the last two clubs to be expelled from the Football League) both took this path after their expulsion.
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