Bury FC wins promotion as the fans' club rebuilds at Gigg Lane

Few football stories in Greater Manchester carry as much emotion as Bury's. After the original club's troubles left Gigg Lane without competitive men's football from 2019, supporters set about building a future for football in the town, and the rebuilt Bury FC keeps moving in the right direction.

A key moment came when fan groups voted to merge, a move backed by 97 per cent of the vote, with the phoenix club taking on the Bury Football Club name. It meant the town's football community could pull together behind a single team.

The return home followed on 29 July 2023, when the reformed club played its first game at Gigg Lane and beat Glossop North End 5-1 in the North West Counties Football League. For many supporters, simply being back in the stands at the old ground was a moment to treasure.

The first season back brought a third-place finish in the North West Counties Premier Division, but defeat in the play-offs meant promotion would have to wait. It did not have to wait long.

The 2025-26 campaign in the Northern Premier League Division One West was a gripping one. Bury collected 90 points from 42 games, with 27 wins, nine draws and only six defeats, finishing just ahead of Avro on 88 points.

The title went right to the wire, and Bury clinched it with a 3-0 win at Atherton Collieries on the final day. Promotion as champions lifts the club into the seventh-tier Northern Premier League Premier Division for 2026-27, and a fan-run preview of the new season described it as back-to-back promotions for the Shakers.

Gigg Lane, listed with a capacity of 12,500 for the new season, is now hosting bigger occasions again. Each step up the non-league pyramid brings tougher opponents, longer away days and another reason for the town to come down to the ground.

The story also shows the power of supporters working together. Football clubs mean a great deal to the places they represent, and Bury's fans have shown what can be achieved when a community refuses to let its club disappear.

Fixtures and ticket information are published through the club's official channels. Non-league football is a friendly day out, and Gigg Lane is a fine place to enjoy it.