LEAGUE One stability, a great cup run, reduced financial losses and youth-team players forcing their way into the first team – 2016 could yet prove to be a year of progress at Bury Football Club.

The Shakers gave a good account of themselves during their first year back in England’s third tier, eventually finishing 16th in the 2015/16 season following a three-point deduction after the end of the campaign.

Financially, the club reduced it’s year-on-year losses but remained heavily in debt.

Evidence of the fine line being tread in the boardroom was laid bear by an ongoing battle to pay the monthly tax bill.

The club missed the deadline on four occasions and successfully fought off three winding-up petitions brought by HMRC at the High Court.

Despite those courtroom dramas, chairman Stewart Day announced his intention to build a new stadium as part of a continued quest to fulfil his Championship ambitions for the club.

Day had hoped David Flitcroft would be the man to lead Bury to the Promised Land, but he lost his job as manager following a dramatic loss of form in October and November.

Chris Brass was promoted from within, switching his role of head of football operations to head coach until the end of the season.

But despite his sacking after almost three years in charge, Flitcroft’s legacy quickly became clear, with Brass putting his faith in a crop of young players the former boss did so much to help develop in the youth academy.

January P7 W1 D3 L3

Following an unpaid £156,000 tax bill in December 2015, the Shakers entered the new year with a winding-up petition hanging over them brought by HMRC.

But for what would be the first of three separate occasions during 2016, a High Court judge dismissed the petition after Bury directors found the funds to stave off the unthinkable.

On the field, Bury juggled a hectic fixture schedule in League One with an excellent run in the FA Cup, reaching the fourth round for the first time in eight years.

The loan signing of goalkeeper Ian Lawlor from Manchester City proved an instant hit as his penalty heroics at Bradford in a third-round shootout set up a home tie against Championship side Hull City.

Leon Clarke's strike in a home league win against Oldham only added to the feelgood factor at Gigg Lane.

February P6 W2 D1 L3

Bury were brought crushing back down to Earth by Hull and, after their FA Cup exit, heavy defeats followed against Barnsley and Coventry.

The 6-0 humbling at the Ricoh Arena equalled the club's worst defeat in 27 years.

Relegation fears began to grow as the Shakers slipped to 17th in the table, but impressive back-to-back home victories over Sheffield United and Colchester eased those concerns.

March P6 W1 D3 L2

A 3-1 win at home to Peterborough on March 2 was as good as it got for Bury in March.

A damning 3-0 defeat at neighbours Rochdale showed more quality was needed to secure survival.

Flitcroft made a hat-trick of loan signings, bringing in Chris Neal, Cian Bolger and Nathan Delfouneso, which helped to shore up the defence, at least in the short term.

April P6 W2 D1 L3

A switch in tactics against high-flying Burton proved to be a turning point, leading to a 1-1 draw that pushed Bury over the 50-point mark and all but secured League One football for another season.

The Shakers released their retained list on April 29, with one match of the season remaining.

Craig Jones was the only player to pen a new deal, with Ryan Lowe and Danny Pugh turning down “token” contract extensions.

Rob Lainton, Reece Brown and Daniel Nardiello were among six senior players released.

Perhaps the best bit of business went under the radar, with youth-team player George Miller putting pen to paper on his first professional contract.

Bury were struck with a second winding-up petition of the year, but again the case was dismissed in the High Court after they settled their tax bill with HMRC.

May P1 W1 D0 L0

May belonged to only one man – Ryan Lowe.

Cast out for the majority of the season, the forward knew the final-day encounter with Southend would be his 160th and final match for Bury.

In a fitting tribute, the striker netted a 90th-minute penalty – his second of the game – to secure a 3-2 win and leave Gigg Lane in style.

During the game, Bury fielded Callum Styles, who became the first player born in the new millennium to play in the Football League.

However, it was later found the 16-year-old was ineligible following complications with his paperwork after signing from Burnley and the Shakers were docked three points.

At the end-of-season awards night, defender Peter Clarke scooped four prizes – including player of the season – and forward Leon Clarke picked up two.

Chairman Stewart Day revealed he was drawing up plans to build a new stadium to help make the club more sustainable – which the majority of fans who completed an online poll agreed was needed.

June

The summer transfer window brought wholesale changes at Gigg Lane, which started with the arrivals of Antony Kay, Zeli Ismail, Ben Williams, Niall Maher, Nicky Clark and Chris Kirkland.

However, Clark and Kirkland were later released from their contracts after choosing to leave the club for personal reasons.

Chris Hussey was the only player to be sold early in the transfer window, joining Sheffield United for an undisclosed fee, but there was always a feeling more would follow the left-back out of Gigg Lane.

A third winding-up petition was issued against the club by HMRC, but this time the tax bill in question was paid before the court date was even set and the Shakers were awarded costs.

July

As expected, there were more departures in July.

Right-back Joe Riley was sold to Shrewsbury before the club's two prized assets, player of the season Peter Clarke and top goalscorer Leon Clarke, joined Oldham and Sheffield United, respectively.

That allowed Flitcroft to bring in trio Greg Leigh, Leon Barnett and Neil Danns, but with two draws and four defeats in pre-season Bury were among the bookies' favourites to go down ahead of the new campaign.

August P7 W2 D3 L2

Shakers fans were given a welcome surprise on the opening day of the 2016/17 season when they won 2-0 at home to hotly-tipped Charlton Athletic.

It looked like Flitcroft's gamble of bringing in 14 new faces would possibly pay off.

The manager was also starting to bring a handful of youth players through into the first team, although promising goalkeeper Jack Ruddy did not stick around too long, earning a move to the Championship with Wolves.

Experienced striker James Vaughan proved to be the final piece in the manager's transfer jigsaw, arriving on a free from Birmingham City in what was a huge coup for the Shakers.

In the final game of the month – a Checkatrade Trophy victory at Morecambe – 6ft 5ins defender Emeka Obi made his debut from the bench to become Bury’s youngest ever player at 15 years and 86 days.

But the club were quick to agree a deal to sell the teenager to Liverpool in a lucrative move that is expected to be completed this month.

September P5 W5 D0 L0

Bury were unstoppable in September, not only winning every game but doing it in some style.

Dazzling displays, scoring an average of 2.4 goals per game, had defences across the league terrified, with victories at Swindon and MK Dons the pick of bunch.

Vaughan hit the ground running, netting five goals in as many games as the Shakers moved up to second in League One and Flitcroft was named the division's manager of the month.

October P7 W0 D0 L7

October began with a top-of-the-table clash at home to leaders Scunthorpe.

A victory would have put Bury top and more than 4,500 home fans attended the showdown.

However, a stunning strike from Josh Morris won the game for the visitors and Bury went into a tailspin.

Six straight defeats followed in October, including damaging losses against rivals Rochdale and Bolton.

Bury’s squad lacked fight and discipline in the derby clashes – finishing the match at Rochdale with nine men and gifting two penalties in defeat at home to Wanderers.

To make matters worse, HMRC once again filed a winding-up petition following another unpaid tax bill, with the case again being dismissed in London's High Court after the payment was made.

November P7 W0 D2 L5

Fans began to turn on manager Flitcroft as the Shakers slipped further down the league table.

An FA Cup first-round tie at home to Wimbledon presented a glorious chance of some redemption, but Bury threw away a two-goal lead as the tie went to a replay.

In between, a penalty shootout loss to Stoke ended Bury's Checkatrade Trophy campaign in the group stages and a 4-1 humbling at home to Southend in the league cranked up the pressure.

The Shakers were guaranteed a money-spinning televised clash at non-league minnows Curzon Ashton if they progressed to the second round of the FA Cup, but a 5-0 hammering at Wimbledon in the replay ultimately cost Flitcroft his job.

Chris Brass and Ryan Kidd were placed in temporary charge but they fell to further losses against Wimbledon, Sheffield United and Millwall.

However, an upturn in performances convinced Day to give the duo until the end of the season.

December P4 W0 D2 L2

Young forward Miller’s prominence in the first team began to shine through as he hit three goals in 10 appearances in the final two months of 2016.

Bury took the lead against Bristol Rovers and Oxford United yet still fell to defeats, which took their dire losing run in the league to a club record 12-matches.

They eventually stopped that with a 0-0 draw at Fleetwood on Boxing Day, ending another club record of 24 games without a clean sheet.

However, the Shakers' record winless run in all competitions was extended to 17 matches following a gutsy 1-1 draw at fifth-placed Bradford City on New Year's Eve.

It remains to be seen whether recent progress under Brass and Kidd will continue into 2017.

Bury ended the year teetering above the relegation zone and if their numerous winding-up petitions are anything to go by, club finances also remain in a perilous state.

But lucrative deals to sell budding youth prospects are understood to have eased the pressure somewhat.

And if youngsters like Miller, Styles, Scott Burgess and Jacob Bedeau can maintain their progress in the new year then there could be much to look forward to as we roll into 2017.