BURY’S players and staff were given a taste of the future after spending a day training at Bolton Wanderers’ Eddie Davies Academy.

The Shakers own training ground – Lower Gigg – has been hit by the recent bad weather to such an extent that manager David Flitcroft will only use it one day a week.

That has led to a frantic search for alternative facilities, with the Bury players being put through their paces at Leigh Sports Village and the Trafford Soccerdome, before Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside loaned out the club’s Lostock base for a morning last Wednesday.

“It was an incredible gift for us,” said Flitcroft. “I said to the chairman that it was the first time at the football club (since arriving in December) that I’ve felt like a real coach – I could set up the session and we could really enjoy our work on a good surface.

“It lifts everyone and I really want to thank Bolton for that.”

Flitcroft’s long-term ambition is for Bury to have training facilities to match their neighbours.

“The chairman understands that this is paramount,” he said.

“He has been out over the last two weeks looking at different sites and locations and he won’t leave a stone unturned to try to find us that plot of land where we can be out morning, noon and night developing people.”