Could Bury FC return to playing at Gigg Lane next season? 

Sports correspondent David Chisnall has been speaking to some of the key players involved.  

Could Bury FC return to playing at Gigg Lane next season? 

That's the hope of a group fans who are leading a bid to buy the club which is in administration after being expelled from the Football League in 2019. Along with a number of wealthy backers, they want the new fan owned club to be a model for success that others in the game will follow. 

Gigg Lane stadium Credit: PA

So after all the doom and gloom at Bury FC, could there finally be hope for fans of the 136 year old club?

Since being expelled from the Football League in 2019, there's been no football played by Bury FC and no football played at Gigg Lane.

But administrators are now in exclusive talks with a consortium of fan groups and wealthy backers who have grand plans to change that.

Math Pickup from Est 1885 Supporters Group said: ''It will be a fan owned club. It will be one which is run debt free and one which we want the footballing world to get behind and the whole community to get behind.

Gigg Lane in October 2021

Boyhood Bury fan Peter Alexander is one of those financing the deal to buy the club and stadium. Based in California, he now wants to help give his football team a more secure future:

''If you take on investors they expect returns so I'm a strong believer in a benefactor where maybe you can own part of the club but you don't have any return from that. My grandfather was a major influence in my life so I want to do it to honour him.''

Fans and their backers know that there are still plenty of hurdles to get over before the takeover is complete.

But they are closer than ever before to getting the deal done and they're hopeful that if all goes to plan, it will be signed sealed by Christmas.

Bury AFC was set up by supporters in the months that followed the demise of Bury FC. Talks are now planned between the two groups.

''We're encouraged by the fact that they want to work with us, and ideally going forward as a one club basis:'' says Karl Lee, of Est 1885 and Bury Forever Supporters Groups:

Most fans though won't care about which division they play in, as long as they get to once again see their beloved Bury FC back at Gigg Lane.