Bury F.C.
Two-time FA Cup winners, expelled from EFL in 2019, revived by fans.
Bury Football Club is an English association football club from Bury, Greater Manchester. Since 1885, they have played their home games at Gigg Lane, one of the oldest football stadiums in the world. The team most recently played in the 2025–26 season of the Northern Premier League Division One West, which is the eighth tier of English football. After winning that division as champions, they will move up to the seventh-tier Northern Premier League Premier Division for the 2022026–27 season. Before being thrown out of the English Football League in August 2019, Bury had been playing in League Two, the fourth tier, during the 2018–19 season. The club is nicknamed "The Shakers" and wears white shirts with navy blue shorts. Their traditional local rivals are Bolton Wanderers.
Bury was founded in 1885 and became a founding member of the Lancashire League in 1889. They won that league in 1890–91 and 1891–92, then were elected to the Football League in 1894. In their first Football League season, 1894–95, they won the Second Division and gained promotion to the First Division, where they stayed for 17 seasons. They lifted the FA Cup in 1900 by beating Southampton 4–0, and again in 1903 with a record 6–0 victory over Derby County. Bury was relegated from the top flight at the end of 1911–12 and spent 12 years in the Second Division before returning as runners-up in 1923–24. They were relegated again in 1928–29, which turned out to be their last season in the top division. In 1956–57, they dropped into the third tier for the first time but bounced back by winning the Third Division title under Dave Russell in 1960–61. Between 1967 and 1971, the club experienced one promotion and three relegations, the last of which sent them from the Third Division to the Fourth.
Bury won promotion in 1973–74 and remained in the Third Division until 1979–80. Under manager Martin Dobson, they returned to Division Three in 1984–85. They qualified for the Third Division playoffs in 1990 and 1991 but were relegated the following year. Stan Ternent took over as manager in 1995 and led the team back to the second tier for the first time in 28 years, thanks to back-to-back promotions in 1995–96 and 1996–97. That stay lasted only two seasons, and the club was relegated twice over the next four years. They won promotion out of League Two in 2010–11, then spent the next few years bouncing be
- founded
- 1885
- home_ground
- Gigg Lane (since 1885)
- nickname
- The Shakers
- major_honours
- FA Cup winners 1900, 1903
- highest_league_tier
- First Division (top flight)
- current_tier_2026_27
- NPL Premier Division (seventh tier)
Lore & Background
Bury was founded on 24 April 1885 after meetings between church teams Bury Wesleyans and Bury Unitarians. The club leased land on Gigg Lane from the Earl of Derby's estate and played their first match there on 12 September 1885, a 4–3 friendly win over a team from Wigan. They were founder members of the Lancashire League in 1889, winning the championship in 1890–91 and 1891–92. The nickname 'The Shakers' originated from chairman J. T. Ingham's pre-match speech at the 1892 Lancashire Cup final: 'We shall shake 'em! In fact, we are the Shakers.'
Bury won the FA Cup in 1900 with a 4–0 victory over Southampton, and again in 1903 with a record 6–0 win over Derby County. They played in the First Division for 17 seasons before relegation in 1911–12. After fluctuating between divisions for decades, they returned to the second tier in 1996–97 under manager Stan Ternent. The club was expelled from the Football League on 27 August 2019 after failing to start the 2019–20 season due to financial problems.
A phoenix club, Bury AFC, formed in 2020 and played in the tenth tier. In May 2023, the supporters' societies merged, combining histories, and Bury FC returned to Gigg Lane for the 2023–24 season. They won promotion as champions in 2025–26 to the seventh tier.
Reader's Guide
Bury FC's significance lies in their early FA Cup triumphs and their dramatic modern collapse and revival. As a founder member of the Lancashire League and later the Football League, they represent a traditional English club with deep local roots. Their 1903 FA Cup final victory remains the largest winning margin in the competition's history. The club's expulsion from the EFL in 2019 highlighted the fragility of lower-league finances, while the subsequent fan-led takeover and merger of Bury AFC with the original club demonstrated a model for community ownership. Their return to Gigg Lane in 2023 and promotion through the tiers underscore resilience. The club's history includes notable figures like manager Dave Russell, who led them to the Third Division title in 1960–61, and Stan Ternent, who guided them back to the second tier after 28 years. Bury's traditional rivalry with Bolton Wanderers adds to their regional identity. The club's journey from top-flight FA Cup winners to non-league and back upward offers a case study in football's cyclical nature and the power of supporter activism.
Did You Know?
- Bury won the FA Cup in 1900 and 1903 without conceding a goal in either final, scoring a combined 10–0.
- The club's nickname 'The Shakers' originated from chairman J. T. Ingham's 1892 Lancashire Cup final speech.
- Bury were expelled from the English Football League on 27 August 2019 due to financial difficulties.
- The 1903 FA Cup final saw both teams change kits because they wore identical colours; Bury wore Cambridge blue shirts.
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