The new owner of Bury FC says there is “a lot to do” to sort out the financial problems at the club.
Speaking in his first press conference as owner and chairman, Steve Dale said he had a “huge job” ahead of him but stressed that the community and charity aspects of the club would be a priority under his leadership.
Mr Dale, a businessman who says he has been involved with a number of “distressed” companies in the past, was revealed to be the successor to Stewart Day in December.
He said work to improve the club’s financial prospects was already beginning and criticised the way in which business had been run in the past.
“We’re not tinkering, we’re addressing it in a proper manner,” Mr Dale said. “We’re sorting the leaks out first – of which the boat had many – and it’s no good putting a bit of plaster over it, it needs to be resolved. The problems that need to be resolved are that our wage bill is quite heavy and the problems of having no money bring their own problems in legal fees - which are well into six figures - that we’ll be seeing in the accounts for next year.
“These are big lumps of money that have just been going out the door. If the debt was consolidated and you just had to repay it on a normal basis without putting any money in, then it would be far better than the sticking plaster approach that was adopted.
“It’s a confined amount of money then, you know what you’re addressing. When you’re trying to do bits and bats and not addressing the whole you end up spending ten times more money and that’s no good for anyone - certainly not the club.
“What we’ve done is I’ve got it all together I’ll speak to the creditors we’ll come up with a solution for them all and I’ll deal with the past.” Adding: “You guys must hear so many promises that come to nothing, I’m promising nothing but I’m saying I’ll do my best.”
Mr Dale also revealed he has been battling Leukaemia for the last five years, only to be told two weeks ago that he was all clear. He said: “It’s a second chance, I’ve got one and the club has got one and the charity side of the club will be massive, the community side of the club will huge, far more than any other club out there.
“We’re really going to promote that and pull together the community and help Bury - and Bury can help us by turning up every week.”
On the pitch, alongside new director Matt McCarthy, CEO Karl Evans and sporting director Lee Dykes, Mr Dale says his aim is to settle the Shakers into a comfortable League One side.