DAVID Flitcroft has revealed how Gary Neville, Sean Dyche, a German car firm and an SAS commander all played a small part in Bury’s successful promotion campaign last season.

The Shakers boss has been studying towards his UEFA Pro Licence, taking the latest module in the last few weeks at the European Under-21 Championships in Prague.

Now back in the UK and ready for pre-season with his new-look squad, which includes summer signings Peter Clarke, Tom Pope and Leon Clarke, Flitcroft believes his studies off the field have had a positive impact on his work at the JD Stadium.

“The Pro Licence has helped me a lot in this job,” he said. “I’ve made some fantastic contacts and brought concepts back. It also gave me a chance to bring Gary Neville in at the end of last season to help us along with our quest for promotion.

“We had a guy from Mercedes talking about the ultimate team-work with 46 of his staff, an SAS commander talking about the responsibilities in a life and death situation, Sean Dyche was speaking about leadership and I was totally engrossed in it.

“The next module was evaluating, studying and live-coding every game at the Euro Championships.”

Flitcroft is preparing for life back in League One, and an opening week which pits his team against Doncaster Rovers on August 8 at the Keepmoat Stadium before a Capital One Cup clash with big spending Wigan Athletic a few days later.

The Bury boss is still sore about the way his side exited last season’s competition at Wanderers, and in particular the decisions made by Carnforth referee Jeremy Simpson on the night.

“It taught me things about what needs to be improved in football,” he said.

“If a referee is in full-time employment, I don’t think he should be allowed to do a night match. I don’t think you should be allowed to work all day, travel to a game, possibly get in traffic and be late. That refereeing performance was the worst of the season by a country mile.”

Wanderers needed an injury time penalty from Craig Davies to force extra time against the Shakers, then of League Two, having struggled to break them down over the course of 90 minutes.

The Whites won outright in the end – Jimmy McNulty jangling a few nerves at the end by making the score 3-2.

But the fact Bolton went on to beat Crewe, then earn a money-spinning game against Chelsea at Stamford bridge still sticks in Flitcroft’s craw.

“Without that refereeing performance we beat Bolton comfortably, then progress and face Crewe, then possibly Chelsea,” he said. “It could have changed the fortunes round and given the chairman some welcome money back to the football club.

“Cup competitions are important and fans deserve the bragging rights of beating Bolton. We did it hands down in nearly every aspect, apart from seeing that last little bit off.

“I’ve got over it but I learned a lot and spoke to the referees about it.

“We got a real hammer blow and the chairman again had to put his hand in his pocket – when I felt we deserved the next game, and possibly the one after that.”