BURY FC joint chairmen Fred Mason and John Smith met Football League officials this week regarding the parlous situation the Shakers find themselves in writes PHIL THORP

A deputation from League HQ met the directors at Gigg Lane on Wednesday and were looking for assurances that the club would be able to fulfil their fixtures.

They offered the Shakers all the help they could and put their legal team at the club's disposal.

"We are receiving help from all sectors of the soccer world including both the Football League and the Professional Footballers' Association," said Mr Mason.

"The League were concerned we may not be able to finish the season and we spelled out the full situation we are in.

"It's reassuring that the football authorities are offering us help in this way in fact it's sources outside the game that are making life difficult for us.

"Some of the interest and legal claims on us are extortionate at the moment, none more so than the £1,000 a day interest we are having to pay on the mortgage."

The club officials were today meeting with accountants and other parties regarding the court hearing that is now only ten days away.

With the situation changing constantly Mr Mason and Mr Smith are monitoring the situation daily and are hoping a big money takeover can be put in place ahead of the March 4 hearing.

"We desperately need to stop the club haemorrhaging money at the rate it is," added Mr Mason.

"The mortgage is the biggest stumbling block we have at the moment as well as the £1 million there is the interest and costs on top of that."

On the takeover front the Nearly-Red Management consortium are waiting for High Court clearance to bid for disgraced former club owner Hugh Eaves' majority shareholding.

Consortium leader Beau (see page three) believes they could get the go ahead early next week.

Yorkshire-based Turkish businessman Alex Tarsus is also still keen on playing a part in the club's future.

He has put in writing his interest in helping the club in some way but the directors are believed to have responded asking for more details of his plans.

The Bury Alternative Supporters Enterprise (BASE) are going ahead with their Supporters' Trust initiative and have a meeting planned at Bury Town Hall's Elizabethan Suite next Friday at 7pm (see separate article).

And another interested party could be Shakers' Boardroom Club member and insurance businessman Jack Geller who has been in touch with the directors during the week.

He is believed to be trying to get a number of associates together and will try to hold a meeting with them some time next week.

Mr Mason added: "We are willing to talk to anyone at the moment regarding the takeover of the club and will not rule out anything.

"Our fans have been absolutely fantastic in putting their hands in their pockets and raising money for the Save Our Shakers fund but realistically it will take a massive injection of cash to keep the club afloat."

The club's commercial manager Peter Young also praised people in the town for their financial support and added his own appeal: "Now more than ever we need people to get behind the clubs fundraising efforts," he said.

"As well as the Save Our Shakers initiative the club's lotteries are also a great way of helping us. Despite the off-field troubles the Treasureline is going from strength to strength and I urge fans to stick with it.

"And although the club is going through a bad time financially anyone who attends one of our pre-match VIP days in Starkies restaurant won't see any long faces.

"We are packed to the rafters for the Oldham game a week on Tuesday and we are always on the lookout for new people to come and enjoy what must be the best value pre-match meal deal in soccer!"

To contact Mr Young at the commercial department ring 0161-705 2144.