BURY'S historic pre-season friendly against mighty Manchester United will allow the Shakers to carry out essential work to the pitch and the dressing rooms.

The rest of the cash raised will be used to simply keep the club afloat.

The Shakers line up against the Premiership champions on Wednesday 8 August, just days before the Reds face Liverpool in the Charity Shield.

Sir Alex Ferguson is personally concerned about the plight of Bury and has agreed to field a full-strength squad.

That means the mouth-watering prospect of Bury lining up against £19 million man Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Ryan Giggs, Jaap Stam and Fabien Barthez, not to mention England captain David "Mohican" Beckham.

The Shakers are expecting a full house which will mean gate receipts of up to £100,000.

It is set to earn the club its largest gate receipts from one single match since the last time Bury played Manchester United, in the Worthington Cup at Old Trafford back in 1998.

More importantly it hands the Shakers a vital lifeline and gives them a little breathing space in their battle to kepp their heads above water until a buyer is found.

"Manchester United understand our needs and that's why they offered to help us," chairman Terry Robinson told the Bury Times.

"Not only will it help keep the club going, but the money will also allow us to do vital remedial work. We will improve the dressing rooms and do much needed work on our pitch.

"Unfortunately, we are not as fortunate as Oldham Athletic, who have got a large grant from the council to improve their playing surface. We have to find the money ourselves, and that's where the Manchester United money will be extremely helpful."