Bury’s returning supporters fill the ground their community owns

Bury supporters have filled Gigg Lane for the club’s biggest crowd since its 2023 revival, bringing familiar faces back to a ground many feared losing.

After expulsion from the Football League in 2019, the club returned through a supporter-led merger. Saturday’s FA Cup qualifier against Harrogate Town drew a crowd described by the BBC as more than 5,000, with fans celebrating the return of people they had not seen for years.

The recovery has community ownership behind it. The Football Supporters’ Society of Bury owns the club and holds majority voting rights in the stadium. Members pay £5 a month, elect the society’s board and vote on major decisions, including a proposed sale.

A busy cup match cannot establish long-term financial security. Bury also still needed a replay after the 1–1 draw to pursue a place in the competition’s first round.

But supporters’ accounts show something already restored: a regular place to gather, recognise one another and share responsibility for their club’s future.

Sources

• BBC News — Bury supporters on the club’s returning crowd
• Football Supporters’ Society of Bury — ownership and membership