Bury look set to make several club staff redundant next week as reported by the Bury Times.
The report claims up to twelve members of staff have received letters of ‘potential redundancy’ subject to a consultation.
The financially stricken club is lurching from one crisis to the next with no apparent let up in devastating news for the club’s supporters. They have recently seen popular promotion winning manager Ryan Lowe leave for Plymouth Argyle amidst a public war of words between the players and the owner Steve Dale over unpaid wages.
The club is due to appear in the High Court once again next week to face a winding-up petition over an outstanding tax bill with HMRC in a case which has already been adjourned twice, and director Matt McCarthy recently resigned citing differences with Dale over the potential sale of the club. The owner placed Bury on the market in April less than six months since he took over.
Dale continues to court controversy, and his latest remarks over the potential for staff losing their jobs only added to the feeling amongst supporters that he is not a ‘fit and proper’ person to run a football club.
Speaking to the Bury Times, Dale commented on the subject of redundancies: ‘If you read my past statements I indeed made clear that staff will be let go as we are overstaffed.’
‘That’s just commercial sense. What you should be asking is, these staff who are purporting to love the club, why didn’t they just go and find other jobs? But no, they are trying to extort money from the club.’
Dale’s latest comments angered many supporters of Bury and other clubs on social media with the EFL once again coming in for swathes of criticism for its lack of action and leadership on the issues at Gigg Lane.
Here is a selection of their responses to the statement on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/nick_igoe/status/1138908553782145024
https://twitter.com/nick_igoe/status/1138908553782145024
Absolutely ridiculous. And like BWFC, Blackpool FC and many other the EFLs silence is deafening
— Ian (@bigeee70) June 12, 2019
EFL working wonders again I see 👍🏻
— Tomb Womble (@TombWomble) June 13, 2019
https://twitter.com/paulharrison76/status/1138879964059750400
sad times
— Darren Butler (@1darrenbutler) June 12, 2019
Criminal affair. I wonder what the FA & EFL think of it? Don't bother to answer me. Good luck to those that matter at Bury FC.
— John Wells (@WellsyOs) June 13, 2019
If he is a "fit and proper" person to run a football club what an earth does an "unfit and improper" look like? This is an absolute disgrace.
— Steve Gordon 💙 (@stevieg19691969) June 12, 2019
https://twitter.com/__Michael_Prior/status/1138890794528661504
Dale is too slow and does not communicate with the fans. We do not know the latest situation to the proposed sale and who is interested–if anyone is. The sooner he sells the club or goes the better.