Name: Bury Football Club
Founded: 1885
Ground: Gigg Lane
Capacity: 12,500
Manager: Vacant
Last season: Second in Sky Bet League Two (promoted)
Bury are back in Sky Bet League One next season after finishing runners-up behind champions Lincoln City in Sky Bet League Two last term.
Currently without a manager following on from Ryan Lowe’s departure as boss to Plymouth Argyle earlier in June, Bury are on the hunt to fill their now vacant managerial position.
The 40-year-old Liverpudlian brought an end to his 12-months as the club’s permanent manager having guided them to promotion, as he leaves for Devon for pastures new.
Bury’s off-field situation has also seen the departures of key members of the playing squad who got them promoted up to Sky Bet League One, including club captain Nicky Adams, who left for Northampton Town.
Set for another campaign of change both in the dugout and on the pitch, uncertainty surrounds Bury ahead of 2019/20.
The Shakers secured an immediate return to the third-tier with their promotion having suffered relegation the previous May.
Despite a turbulent campaign off the pitch, the Greater Manchester side were not distracted and would go on to claim the second of three automatic promotion positions.
The Gigg Lane side earned victories in 22 of their 46 Sky Bet League Two outings, drawing 13 and losing 11 which saw them finish with a points total of 79, three ahead of fourth-placed Mansfield Town and six behind title-winners Lincoln.
Bury enjoyed a 14-match unbeaten run which came to an end in late March, which was followed up by the club losing three out of four fixtures played in April. However, they recovered to haul themselves across the line and gain promotion, concluding 2018/19 unbeaten in three games.
Bury’s promotion from the fourth-level of English football was sealed after a 1-1 draw under the Prenton Park floodlights back in April.
Local Greater Manchester derbies against fierce rivals Bolton Wanderers and Rochdale will also be back at Gigg Lane come the beginning of August.
Tranmere Rovers have played Bury 69 times since their first fixture back in 1938.
Winning 22, drawing 18 and losing 29 of those matches along the way, Rovers’ last victory over the Shakers came in a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie, which they won 2-1 at Gigg Lane back in November 2014.
Last season, Bury came out on top 2-1 at Gigg Lane last December before the two sides shared the points in a 1-1 draw at Prenton Park in April.