Graeme Jones says he has been affected by the demise of former club Bury and is disappointed that football authorities couldn’t do more to help – but used Luton Town as an example of how a club can come back stronger.
The Hatters were on the brink of suffering the same fate as the Shakers, who were expelled from the Football League on Tuesday for failing to agree a rescue deal with potential new owners, having previously gone into administration.
While Luton were saved by a takeover from the 2020 Consortium, a third administration in nine years and a failure to agree a CVA (Company Voluntary Agreement) saw the Football League impose a 20-point penalty, with the FA doling out a further 10-point penalty for past financial irregularities. So, they began the League Two season with an ultimately insurmountable deficit that effectively relegated Town to the Conference before a ball had been kicked.
Hatters boss Jones spent time at Gigg Lane in 2004, towards the end of his playing career, as did assistant manager Gary Brabin in 1996, and he admitted they were both affected by the decision this week that ended Bury’s 125-year spell in the top four English division.
“I think we took it quite bad,” he said, adding: “I think it’s tragic when you see that.
“I was going to stop playing at 34, because I took a teaching job, a coaching job at college and I was working part time at Middlesbrough Academy. Graham Barrow (then Bury manager) offered me a playing contract at a full-time club.
“That summer, I’d retired on 99 goals, so I only really wanted to go back to Bury to get my 100th goal and I did on my debut after 10 minutes. So, I really could’ve retired at that point, because I‘d achieved what I wanted to, but in the end, I ended up staying for six months, I signed a year contract.
“Neville Neville and his wife Jill was running the club at the time, Phil and Gary Neville’s parents. It was a really, really good football club with good morals, good integrity.
“The supporters were brilliant, with real pride in the history and what they had done, so for that to go out of the Football League, I find it tragic when the amount of money that’s in the game, not so far away at Manchester City, Man United and Liverpool.
“Surely, as a football family we have to get around and protect the game. I know Bolton were in a similar situation and we have to protect what we’ve got.
“You go on the continent and everybody looks with envy at our leagues. We’ve got 92 league clubs, plus a Conference, that is practically full time, and we need to be proud of that, we need to protect it.
“That’s where my disappointment is, that the authorities can’t step in and support a club like Bury with that heritage and keep it going. So, it’s really, really disappointing.”
Bury South MP Ivan Lewis had been hopeful that the EFL would overturn their decision, with a £7million takeover bid still on the table, but that has today been rejected.
A phoenix club has also been mooted and, if that were to happen, that club would have to start in step seven of the football pyramid.
While Luton didn’t fall that far, there were some tough times during five years in the non-league, but they’re now in a strong position off the pitch – with the 2020 Board, made up of Town fans – making the decisions.
Asked if Bury can take something from Luton’s situation 11 years go, Jones said: “I think Bury have got no choice but to make a positive out of the situation. They’ve gone out of the league. That’s it, it’s done and dusted.
“Obviously, we went out of the league not so long ago and I think it has strengthened the club, that experience. I felt it, coming in. I felt the togetherness. There’s a triangle between players, supporters, and staff and I could feel the power walking through the door. That doesn’t exist at every football club. A lot of people these track of what’s important.
“But that’s been harboured correctly through the 2020 Board and Gary (Sweet), to supporters, through the recruitment of staff and players through the years.
“Bury need to look at it that way and you can actually come back stronger from what their previous situation was. So, hopefully they use Luton as an example.”