Two leading Bury FC board members stepping down from their roles

The Shakers said it has received resignations from Phil Young, the Football Supporters' Society of Bury (FSSB) chair, and Marcel De Matas, the club's football chair and an FSSB board member.

On Friday evening, the club said Mr Young will not stand for re-election in the upcoming FSSB elections and will depart the club after more than four years as chair, first of Shakers Community, and then FSSB from last year.

A club statement said that, during his time in the position, Bury has "evolved from the very bottom of the football pyramid and he was the driving force behind the financial sustainability and reporting that is in place today".

It added: "He led the club’s commitment to the merger process, working with the stakeholders securing the ground which enabled the return to Gigg Lane last year.

"Most recently, his work to secure over £750,000 of funding has transformed the stadium into the new era, with the installation of the 3G pitch over the summer of 2024 and soon to be installed LED floodlighting.

"He leaves with the club in a healthy financial position to move onto the next stage."

The Shakers said Mr De Matas has indicated he will be "standing down with immediate effect" from his role on the FSSB board, which he was elected upon last year as well as chair of the club. 

The statement said: "As football chair, a role which he began in 2021, Marcel has led diligently on football-related matters, covering various roles that make the operations side of the club tick.

"From chairing the football board meetings, all the way through the club to liaising with and assisting managing the large group of matchday volunteers.

"Marcel has always been on hand to offer support and guidance to supporters and his optimistic energy will be missed from the day-to-day running of the club."

Referring to both outgoing board members, the statement added: "We wish to place on record our thanks to both for their commitment to the cause and playing a pivotal role in the re-emergence of Bury Football Club following the events of 2019."

Bury said the FSSB board will now "take time to reflect on these decisions in the coming days" before making decisions "around the next steps for the club".

The announcement comes on the same day that the club released a statement to say it will be “reviewing” their volunteering practices after long-standing volunteer John Raftery was suddenly dismissed.

John Raftery has been volunteering at Gigg Lane for “many years” and was informed by CEO Neil Sears on Wednesday that his services were no longer required.  

The club acknowledged that the incident was a mistake and a “function of poor communication and decision-making within the club” and promised to “do more” to ensure it does not happen again.

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Following a dramatic day off the pitch, manager Dave McNabb has released a message to fans ahead of Saturday's game away at AFC Liverpool.

He said: "Good evening Shakers, I know it’s been a turbulent time over the last couple of days with the events that have unfolded, but I wanted to reach out to you all and ask that we all continue to focus on the football, keep driving the team on and try to remain positive.

"I’d like to place on record my thanks to Phil and Marcel who brought me into the club.

"The pair have worked tirelessly in the background and have been a driving force in getting us to where we are today.

"As we enter a transition period for the club there will be lots of opinions and thoughts about how we move forward, we must support the board behind the scenes to navigate us though this challenging time and trust the upcoming electoral process will deliver us the right people and structure to continue to propel the club forward.

"In the meantime, let’s all do our bit to ensure we achieve our goals and objectives on the pitch this year.

"Whether that is picking the team, coaching the team, playing staff, volunteers or fans, we all have our roles to play to ensure this season is a success.

"We have had a very positive start and we couldn’t have achieved what we have so far without you, the fans.

"The team now needs you more than ever, in your numbers and as loud and proud as ever.

"See you tomorrow, Dave."