Sorry state of Bury FC's former stadium at Gigg Lane

The turnstiles have gone rusty.

The grass is overgrown.

Even lettering on the stands has started to disappear.

New photographs show the sorry state of Bury FC's former ground at Gigg Lane after the club was expelled from the English Football League in 2019.

The pitch is still there of sorts, but that is about the only good news.

All the photos tell a depressing story which will not be any comfort for the fans who supported Bury FC for over a century.

The venue once hosted Manchester United's reserve team games, but now looks tired and weather-beaten.

But despite its dilapidated appearance, the historic 12,000-capacity stadium has not been written off just yet.

A consortium headed by supporters group Est 1885 has recently announced it had entered into a period of exclusivity to purchase Bury FC and Gigg Lane.

In a statement, the group said it was confident of completing the takeover by Christmas and hoped the club would be reinserted into the footballing pyramid in time for the 2022/23 season.