More money must be filtered down

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Bury’s slim hopes of League One survival finally ended last Saturday against basement rivals Oldham Athletic when a goal 11 minutes from time for the visitors was enough to secure all three points and keep the Shakers at the foot of the table.

In unfortunate and controversial circumstances depriving the club of much-needed revenue, hundreds of Latics fans were locked out of this crucial encounter on health and safety reasons as Matt Smith’s strike on 79 minutes ensured heartbreak for a heavily-depleted home side who had given their all.

With no goals scored in their last three outings and relegation now confirmed for Bury and Oldham’s escape hopes vastly improved, the Gigg Lane outfit can continue to help their Lancashire neighbours by beating Scunthorpe United at home in their penultimate home fixture.

Struggling just two points behind the Latics and having played a game more, Bury could complete a rare double and drag Scunthorpe down with them in this desperate end of season encounter.

With just two games remaining after this Tuesday night match, including an away fixture at play-off chasers Walsall and a final home tie with high flying Yeovil, Bury can hold their heads up with pride in a topsy-turvy season that has seen them fight for much of it in the lower reaches of this unpredictable division.

The club has been troubled by financial problems throughout the season and how manager Kevin Blackwell has kept the players’ minds on the game I will never know.

With many lads still out of pocket regarding wages and utilising a generous helping of loan stars, Bury have somehow managed a few shocks and surprises including a 2-0 home win over top side Doncaster, and a 1-0 away win at automatic promotion contenders Swindon Town.

As they complete their programme, the club still face extinction, and after last week’s appeal for £1million to help rescue the club, all thoughts now turn to urgent fundraising and sponsorship and I am so pleased that manager Blackwell shares my published blog thoughts from last week in pressing the Football League for a fairer share of the pot from TV and other revenues.

Without this additional line of finance, the smaller clubs will always face hardship and despite the frequent offers of eager young loan stars from nearby giants, the future will remain grim until football finally faces up to reality.

We should remember that the League is only as strong as its weakest link – so let’s hope that sometime soon, the powerful chairmen of ALL competing clubs will finally agree to sit down and agree a package that benefits everyone – and not just the elite or the chosen few!

By Don Hale, FanZone’s Bury blogger. Follow us on Twitter at @FanZone too!