The Football Supporters’ Society of Bury, alongside the Bury Football Club group of companies, would like to provide an update regarding the future of the FGRS Community Hub currently based at Gigg Lane.

FGRS (serving Fishpool, Goshen, Redvales & Springs communities) currently operates from within the stadium, delivering vital and valued services to the local community. Their work continues to go from strength to strength, and all parties are committed to supporting their ongoing growth and long-term sustainability. Ensuring that FGRS can continue to deliver its services to the community throughout this process is a key priority.

As part of wider stadium planning, we have been reviewing how space across Gigg Lane is used — particularly on matchdays, where demand on facilities continues to increase. This includes exploring options to enhance supporter and player facilities, while ensuring that community provision remains protected and strengthened. As part of these considerations, the current hub space is being explored for potential use as a players’ and family lounge on matchdays.

Following initial discussions, it has become clear that a longer-term solution is required that meets the evolving needs of both the Club and FGRS. The shared objective is to relocate FGRS into a dedicated, purpose-built modular facility within the stadium footprint. This would be situated in the car park area, on land made available following the recent removal of a long-standing, but significantly dilapidated former Forever Bury Cabin.

This approach would:

• Provide FGRS with a space designed specifically for their needs, enabling them to expand and enhance the services they offer to the community
• Improve accessibility, including for those with disabilities
• Allow the Club to develop additional space within the stadium to support matchday operations and future growth

We want to be clear that this is a collaborative project. All parties are working together to identify a solution that delivers the best possible outcomes for both the community and the football club.

Work is now underway to explore funding opportunities, including grant applications, to support the delivery of a new modular facility. At this early stage of the project, there are no formal timescales in place. Maintaining continuity of FGRS services for its customers remains central to all planning.

Supporters visiting Gigg Lane will have noticed that the cabin is currently being removed. We would like to thank our dedicated volunteers who have given their time to support this work while these future plans are developed.

At this stage, no immediate changes will be made, and FGRS will continue to operate as normal while plans are developed.

Further updates will be shared as the project progresses. In the meantime, we hope this provides clarity and reassurance that all discussions are focused on supporting both the continued growth of FGRS and the long-term development of Gigg Lane.

The club can confirm that Gigg Lane has met the FA’s Stadium Accreditation requirements for Grade 4.

Grade 4 is the standard required for clubs competing at this level of the National League System. Achieving the accreditation confirms that the stadium meets the necessary criteria across facilities, safety and operational management.

Since 2022, work has been ongoing to restore and maintain the infrastructure at Gigg Lane. The recent grading reflects progress in key areas including:

Stuart Wright, Stadium Manager

Ben McConnell, Deputy Stadium Manager

Stadium Manager Stuart Wright said:

“This is about meeting the required standard and doing the basics properly. Clean facilities, the correct provision for supporters and a safe environment on matchdays. A lot of hard work has gone into ensuring those standards are in place, both from our team of full-time stadium operatives and our band of dedicated volunteers.

The club continues to support these efforts with significant investment and, as we hopefully progress up the leagues, the ground will be ready to meet even more rigorous accreditation levels.”

FSSB Chair Tina Newall added:

“Grade 4 accreditation confirms that the stadium is operating at the level expected for this step. It reflects the investment and the great deal of hard work that has taken place over the past few years to bring Gigg Lane up to standard, whilst providing a solid platform to continue improving.

We hope supporters can see the extent of the work that has gone into Gigg Lane and are proud that we have a team in place who continue to push our facilities forward.”

The club will continue to review and upgrade facilities where appropriate as part of its ongoing commitment to maintaining standards at Gigg Lane.

Supporters may have noticed works ongoing on the Main Stand whilst attending the game against Sporting Khalsa at the weekend.

We’re pleased to confirm that this activity marks the installation of solar panels on the Main Stand roof at Gigg Lane, representing another important step forward in the stadium’s long-term sustainability plans.

The project reflects the continued cooperation between the elected members of our FSSB board and club Benefactors who work closely on our Stadium board, to ensure Gigg Lane continues to have improved facilities and operates sustainably.

Pictured, FSSB Board member Ian Pearson (left) and Benefactor Ian Harrop following the deal being setup

Delivered by HDM Energies, with funding support from Paragon Bank, the scheme is being introduced through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). This means there is no upfront capital cost, with the stadium purchasing the clean energy generated on site at a fixed, competitive rate.

What’s Being Installed?

• 268 solar panels
• A system size of 166kWp
• Covering over 700 square metres of the Main Stand roof

Together, the system will generate a substantial proportion (estimated at around 68%) of the stadium’s electricity requirements directly on site, reducing reliance on grid power and lowering carbon emissions.

As part of the project, an EV charging facility will also be installed in the Gigg Lane car park, supporting the growing number of electric vehicle users - a number of which visit the site for training, events and matches.

This installation forms part of a wider long-term environmental strategy aimed at reducing operating costs, protecting the stadium against rising energy prices, lowering our carbon footprint, and modernising infrastructure at Gigg Lane.

Further updates will be provided at completion.

The Bury Football Club Company (TBFCCL), the stadium company that owns and manages Gigg Lane, can confirm a change to its operating board.

Under the latest changes, Ian Pearson has stepped down from the TBFCCL board, along with Mike Goodier, who left his role on the Football Supporters’ Society of Bury (FSSB) board during the most recent election cycle. Both depart with our sincere thanks for their time, commitment, and efforts while holding their positions.

Newly-elected FSSB director Brad Seymour and current director John Raftery will take up the vacated positions on the TBFCCL board, with John Raftery appointed as Chair.

Commenting on his appointment, John said:

“I am delighted to become Chair of The Bury Football Club Company and consider it an honour to represent our club. I look forward to working with my fellow Supporters’ Society board members and our benefactors to help secure a strong, sustainable future for Bury Football Club and Gigg Lane.”

The full list of TBFCCL board members is as follows, including three representatives from Bury FC Benefactors (BFCB):

• John Raftery (Chair) – FSSB
• Mike Howarth – FSSB
• Jon Wiggans – FSSB
• Brad Seymour – FSSB
• Matt Barker – BFCB
• Ian Harrop – BFCB
• David Manchester – BFCB

The board are due to convene again shortly and any significant updates from the meetings held will be shared with members in the regular updates that feature on this website.

To all Football Supporters Society of Bury members,

We wanted to share an update on how we are organising ourselves as a Society, and how we continue to support the delivery of football in town, via our home at Gigg Lane, both on and off the pitch.

As we are sure is clear to most members, the amount of work involved in running and supporting the club has grown significantly with each passing year. Like many supporter-run organisations, we rely on a mixture of volunteers and staff, all giving their time and expertise because they care deeply about the club and its future.

To help us manage this in a clearer and more practical way, the Board has agreed to group our day-to-day work into four main areas:

• Stadium & Infrastructure – looking after the ground, facilities management, health and safety and implementing long-term plans for the stadium
• Operations & Community – matchdays, volunteers, supporter engagement and community links
• Commercial & Media – sponsorship, retail, marketing and communications
• Elite Football – the football side of the club, including the first teams operation and implementing long-term football strategy

Each of these areas will continue to be led operationally by staff with the relevant experience, helping ensure consistency and continuity in the work being done. These are outlined in the graphic below.

This approach is intended to:

• make it clearer who is responsible for what
• help decisions be made more smoothly day to day
• allow the Board to focus on governance, long-term direction and representing members’ interests

The role of your Board

FSSB remains a member-led society, run by an elected Board of volunteers. That does not change.

Board members will continue to provide oversight, challenge and support, and to act in the best interests of members and the club as a whole. Over the coming months, Board members will also be reviewing their own skills and experience so they can best support the different areas of work listed above.

This is about making good use of the knowledge and time that volunteers already give — not about changing the Society’s values or taking it further away from its supporters.

What this means for members

Our principles remain exactly the same: supporter ownership, transparency, accountability, and putting Bury and its community first.

We believe these arrangements will simply help us operate more clearly and sustainably as the club continues to move forward.

As always, we will keep members informed, and we are grateful for the continued support, trust and commitment that makes the Society work.

Thank you for continued support as a valued member, and helping support football in Bury.

To join as a member for as little as £5 a month, sign up here

Dear Member,

Following my election to the Board in December and my appointment as Chair last week, I wanted to share some initial thoughts on how I hope to help take the club forward over the coming months and years.

Bury Football Club has always meant more to me than just football.

I have been a supporter for coming up 20 years now, and I have been down at Gigg Lane for the good, the bad, and sometimes – the ugly.

From those uglier times, like many others, a fire burnt inside. Righting wrongs felt important. Necessary.

The rebirth in 2019 set me on my way, moving from supporter to volunteer, to secretary of our successful Under-23s side, and often operating the turnstiles on home matchdays. I was back on the turnstile again for last weekend’s visit of Avro, welcoming supporters — now, incredibly, in the very privileged position of serving as Chair of our club.

I feel immensely proud and humbled to take on the role, and very conscious of the responsibility that comes with it. The interests of Bury FC have always been, and will always be, at the heart of everything I do.

Over the past year I’ve spent time listening, learning, and understanding how the club operates day to day, the challenges we face, and the huge amount of work that happens behind the scenes. What stands out most is the commitment of our members, volunteers, staff and supporters, and just how far we have come together.

Looking ahead, I believe strongly in the need for a clear overarching strategy for where Bury FC is heading, and how we move forward in a sustainable way. That means building on three foundations:

• long-term financial stability,
• a strong and committed membership, and
• a club that communicates clearly, honestly and confidently with its supporters and the wider community.

Gigg Lane should be a welcoming place for everyone – somewhere people are proud to visit, proud to support, and proud to be associated with.

As Chair, my role – and the role of the Board – is evolving. We want to spend less time “rowing” in the day-to-day, and more time “steering”: setting direction, supporting the people doing the work, and making sure the club is well governed and prepared for the future.

There are several areas I care deeply about and will continue to champion:

• Improving communication and visibility of the Board, so members understand what we are doing and why.
• Recognising, valuing and growing our volunteer base, with proper support, training and development. Our club simply does not function without you.
• Supporting our employees and continuing to be a responsible, fair employer.
• Building on our relationships with club sponsors, improving our commercial performance, and strengthening our links with our benefactors, as we continue to develop Gigg Lane into a facility fit for purpose and ready for seven-day-a-week use.
• Sharing our financial position in a clear and uncomplicated way, against defined objectives, so members can see progress and challenges openly.
• Developing a visible player pathway, for boys and girls, from early years through to an academy and the first team in the future.
• Improving accessibility at Gigg Lane, including disabled access to the main stand.
• Exploring facilities that strengthen our community role, such as community changing rooms linked to the 3G pitch.

Alongside this, proactive and honest communication will be a priority. That includes being open about challenges when they arise, not just successes, and continuing to celebrate how far we have already come.

I also hope my own journey – from fan, to volunteer, to Board member, to Chair – shows that this is a club built by people stepping forward. I would love to see more supporters do the same, in whatever way they can, whether that’s volunteering time, sharing skills, or simply getting more involved.

Over the next couple of months, my focus will be on putting the right structures in place to help turn these priorities into reality. That work won’t always be visible straight away, but it is essential if we are to build a club that is sustainable, well run and ready for the future.

I will share updates with you along the way, and as progress is made I plan to hold a members’ forum to outline the early steps we have taken and, just as importantly, to listen to your feedback on how we continue to move this club forward together.

I will aim to be visible, approachable, and to listen. I won’t pretend every decision will be easy, but I promise they will always be taken with the long-term best interests of Bury FC at heart.

Thank you for the trust you’ve placed in me. It truly is a privilege to serve this club and its members, and I’m excited about what we can continue to build together.

Yours,

Tina Newall