Bury boss calls for club restructure (From The Bolton News)

Bury boss calls for club restructure

8:00am Thursday 7th March 2013 in Bury FC By Craig Nelson

BURY manager Kevin Blackwell believes the club needs to conduct a root and branch review once the dust has settled on this season.

Chairman Brian Fenton confirmed last week that there would be further cuts to the playing budget at the end of the campaign, irrespective of the division they end up in.

That admission follows a second transfer embargo in the space of three months, triggered after the club was forced to apply for another PFA loan to pay the players’ wages.

It is hard to argue with Fenton’s logic as a fall in gates has opened a gap between Bury’s incomings and outgoings.

But squaring the circle would leave the Shakers boss with little or no money to overhaul the squad, and may even prompt the sale of key players to help balance the books.

And Blackwell wants a more strategic approach before any far-reaching decisions are made.

“I think it’s about everybody working together on the football side – the directors and management – coming together and coming up with a concerted plan about where we are as a club,” he said.

“Where do we see ourselves going as a club? Who are we? Do we see ourselves going for the Premier League or consolidating in the highest division that we can?

“Do we look at spending big money on players or do we look to be developing players?

“We have to work out at as a club what we stand for, what our philosophy is and then that’s where we start from.”

Things may look bleak at Gigg Lane now, the chairman is adamant that their debts with the PFA will be cleared by May, when the directors will draw up a more appropriate budget with the manager.

And Blackwell is optimistic that, with the right structure and philosophy, Bury can find success again.

“I think, for me, the biggest advocate of this is Swansea City,” said the Bury boss.

“When they won that last game to keep them in the league 10 years ago, chairman Huw Jenkins and the directors made a decision that their club was going to be built in a certain way.

“They haven’t taken their eye off the ball and look at where they are now. “I think that’s a great lesson for people.”

While Bury’s long-term future may require a complete restructure, the directors hope that its short-term survival will be helped by the sale of bonds and cut-price season tickets.

Full details can be found on the Bury FC website.

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