Bury FC manager Kevin Blackwell is urging fans to give the club time, admitting the rebuilding process ahead of the new season will be a lengthy one.
The Shakers currently have just eight players registered, but are expected to welcome fresh faces over the coming weeks after the cash-strapped club was taken over last week.
But after new chairman Stewart Day mentioned Championship football in his opening address to fans, Blackwell insists fans need to keep their feet firmly on their ground.
“It’s been a very tough time for all concerned at the club, for all the staff around the club and ultimately the fans,” he told his club’s website.
“But it’s been a week now since the new chairman and his team came in and you can see the changes around the place – there is a real buzz about the club.
“We are all going to have to hold our nerves a little bit. As long as we can bring in the right players at the right time we’ll gradually get this club back on its feet.
“I was critical last season of the signings made – players came in that played five or six games and didn’t or couldn’t contribute.
“We can’t have £300,000 or £400,000 worth of wages not playing if most of them are on the medical bench.”
Following a season plagued by financial trouble the club announced it needed £1million to survive back in April, days before relegation to League Two.
After captain Steven Schumacher left for Fleetwood Town on the same day 16 others were shown the door, the club have a real challenge on their hands ahead of the new campaign.
And although the club seemed to emerge from the mire relatively smoothly – the new board being revealed within weeks of the plea – Blackwell admits it has been far from easy.
“I don’t think the fans really realise just how close this club came to not being here,” he added.
“It was days away from closing. It wasn’t administration, it would have closed.
“That stunned me, I didn’t realise how close it was. I knew administration was very close, not the fact that we couldn’t even afford to go into administration. The winding up order surprised and shocked me.
“But now we move forward. Last season was old Bury, now we are into new Bury and we want to move forward.
“With the optimism of the chairman and [chief executive] Glenn Thomas I think we will do well.”
Image courtesy of ESPN, via YouTube, with thanks
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