BURY have been hit by a double blow - two months before a ball has been kicked for the new season writes Chris Hall

The new relegation rules that will see two Division three teams drop down into the Nationwide Conference is already proving a worry for a side short of cash and players.

And their money worries have not been helped with the decision by Sale Sharks to stay at their Heywood Road home instead of taking up a proposed ground sharing move at Gigg Lane.

Sale did conduct a feasibility study into the Bury venture but felt that by the time any ground move had been completed, there would be little time to launch an effective marketing campaign, with neither fans nor - more importantly - players able to accustom themselves to their new surroundings.

Meanwhile Shakers chairman John Smith says he had no choice but to back proposals which have increased the threat to Bury's league status.

The FA has agreed a five-year compensation package with Division Three clubs, worth £6million, to relegate two teams - instead of the usual one - into the Conference.

That will pile more pressure on to cash-strapped Bury, who only narrowly avoided going bust after ending last season in administration.

With no money in their pot and a small, inexperienced squad following massive cost cutting measures, Andy Preece's charges will have a tough task ahead to stop the club dropping out of the league for the first time in its 117-year history.

But their cause will be helped greatly on two fronts.

Firstly, under the terms of the cash settlement, Bury and all 24 Third Division clubs will receive £50,000 every August until 2007, with parachute payments afforded to sides dumped into the conference.

They could also benefit from a proposed new rule over loan signings, which would allow clubs to make 10 temporary acquisitions instead of the five they were permitted last season. The number of loan players allowed in your squad at one time would also double from three to six.

This is sure to be exploited fully by Preece, who has little or no funds available for transfer fees and will need to rely on short-term signings to keep his team on track.

Chairman John Smith admitted he feared for Bury's league safety now the drop zone has widened but said the club simply could not afford to turn down the extra income.

"The money is a big help to a club like Bury but you've got to make sure that you aren't one of those bottom two," he said.

"We backed the plan because we must always be in favour of anything that brings more revenue to the club but it means it will be very tough for us next season.

"If the loan signings proposal goes ahead, that could really help us because we have no money available to make permanent signings. But that depends on how sympathetic the PFA are. We are still under an embargo which prevents us from making any signings until we pay off the loan they gave us."

"They say they might be flexible in exceptional circumstances and we certainly have those, so they might allow us to make a loan signing.

"But even then we have a problem with paying the wages. We can't afford to be paying anyone £1,000 a week or anything like that, so we need the player's club to pay a large chunk of his wages or we won't be bringing anyone to the club."