Giggler are you OK? Are you OK Giggler?

[Janik]

Depends how you define the bottom. There are many lower levels than step 6, but those tend to be overseen by County FAs rather than the national one.

[Third rate Leszno]

There are multiple Step 7 leagues that theoretically feed the NWCFL, if any of the clubs there wish to apply for promotion with all the ground grading requirements that they need to put in place to be accepted. Some seasons there are no suitable applicants but this year there looked to be quite a few because of the League restructuring that meant several places were likely to become available. South Liverpool had virtually sewn their league up and had spent money to develop their ground, so they were particularly unhappy when the leagues were declared null and void with no promotion or relegation - and I'd imagine they're a bit pissed off today, too.

[Diable Rouge]

Sorry to post another tweet but it appears the news hasn't been universally welcomed! ;

https://twitter.com/ollie_bayliss/status/1285626194797436939?s=21

Which seems distinctly odd, as given the experiences of FCUM, I thought the North-West Counties League was the very bottom of that pyramid?

[Capybara]

I believe they and their opponents will be flying to and from Liverpool airport so that counts as their base when they are placed in their division.
It's similar to Guernsey and Jersey who use Gatwick and are therefore placed in Isthmian South and Combined Counties League respectively.

Thanks. Thought so,

[Ray de Galles]

Sorry to post another tweet but it appears the news hasn't been universally welcomed! ;

https://twitter.com/ollie_bayliss/status/1285626194797436939?s=21

[Third rate Leszno]

https://twitter.com/ollie_bayliss/status/1285615288990543872?s=21

To slot them in geographically would be a ball ache though, there's a vacancy in Midland league Div 1 so you'd have to move someone out of NW Counties Sth into that, then move someone out of NW Counties Nth into the south division and that would leave you a slot for relic Bury FC.

[Sean of the Shed]

I assume the considerably-further-north Isle of Man FC are in the south division for travel reasons?

I believe they and their opponents will be flying to and from Liverpool airport so that counts as their base when they are placed in their division.
It's similar to Guernsey and Jersey who use Gatwick and are therefore placed in Isthmian South and Combined Counties League respectively.

[Ray de Galles]

Good news. Will that signal the end of what's left of Bury FC?

https://twitter.com/ollie_bayliss/status/1285615288990543872?s=21

[imp]

Bury AFC welcomed into the North West Counties League Division One North. It's a long way back to the Football League but lets give it a go.

https://www.nwcfl.com/news-articles.php?id=8262

Great news. Will you be playing at Gigg Lane?

[longeared]

I'm looking forward to the reports of the Golcar United bog-masquerading-as-pitch, Atherton LR's resident gobshite and the trip to the depths of Cumbria for Cleator Moor Celtic which it is fair to say is not really chocolate box Peter Rabbit Lake District. Let's hope the season all happens for you.

[Guy Profumo]

Yep. Welcome back Giggler, and enjoy your sojourn down in the depths.

If NWCL fans and clubs are anything like the Northern League you'll have a blast.

[Foot of Astaire's]

Good news. Will that signal the end of what's left of Bury FC?

Isle of Man too makes 2 great additions to that league.

[Capybara]

I assume the considerably-further-north Isle of Man FC are in the south division for travel reasons?

Anyway, good luck Bury AFC.

[Third rate Leszno]

Terrific news. Let's hope away fans are allowed back so that you can experience the true joy of rocking up in numbers at shonky Step 6 grounds all over the north west.

[Giggler]

Bury AFC welcomed into the North West Counties League Division One North. It's a long way back to the Football League but lets give it a go.

https://www.nwcfl.com/news-articles.php?id=8262

[Janik]

Surely there's no way the National League would accept an application? He can't meet any financial guarantees and he's a serial liar.

Yeah, it looks like pie in the sky. My prediction of how next season will run is the Conference National will end up with too many sides (25), so they will be looking for a mechanism to reduce by one. There may be a space in the Conference North, which I reckon may end up with 21 sides, but there are going to be many safer bets, indeed few worse, to invite to fill that than a club associated with Dale.

[Janik]

Not being in a league would also hamper that substantially. I think you are on the money here, Foot. It has dual purposes - improve his chances of selling the original club and do what he can to f*ck up the phoenix side.

[Foot of Astaire's]

I suppose if he's still trying to flog whatever's left of Bury FC, the existence of AFC Bury playing competitive football could hinder that?

[Ray de Galles]

I do wonder if this is another smokescreen by Dale to put a spanner in the works of the Phoenix club, who are surely the best bet to get football back in Bury and eventually back at Gigg?

I did wonder if it was a spoiler towards AFC Bury too but couldn't wrk out the point of that.

[Satchmo Distel]

Surely there's no way the National League would accept an application? He can't meet any financial guarantees and he's a serial liar.

[Foot of Astaire's]

Haven’t the Phoenix club sold a share to a bit of a dodgy character, as well?

Not to my knowledge. Giggler will know better than me but as I understood it, the earlier fans group, Forever Bury, got someone involved who didn't go down well. FB probably have very few members left now.

The Phoenix, so far, appears to be being run on the lines of totally fan owned. It's not been without its infighting but they appear to be on the right track now. Fingers crossed.

[Jumbo McGinnis]

Haven’t the Phoenix club sold a share to a bit of a dodgy character, as well?

[Foot of Astaire's]

He's got some chutzpah, I'll give him that. He's arguing today that Bury were treated unfavourably by the EFL in comparison to Bolton. Both clubs were on notice prior to a takeover being completed. That Bury's takeover still hasn't happened would suggest that the EFL called it right and had little choice in the end.

I do wonder if this is another smokescreen by Dale to put a spanner in the works of the Phoenix club, who are surely the best bet to get football back in Bury and eventually back at Gigg?

[Giggler]

The divide and conquer continues. Some fans think that the man who admitted "I'm not a football person" has got himself into gear and put in an application. Others think he's not capable of telling the truth and are pushing on with the phoenix club. I'm still fed up with it all.

[Paul S]

What's going on here? I thought Dale was only using Bury to get the ground, so why's he attempting to get the club into the national league?