Bury fight on after winding-up petition is dismissed in London court | Football

Bury live to fight another day after a winding-up petition was dismissed by a court in London.

The Companies Court heard on Wednesday that Bury and their owner, Steve Dale, had settled an outstanding debt with HM Revenue & Customs. The winding-up petition was dismissed by Judge Sally Barber, with the club instructed to pay costs.

This ends a drawn-out dispute over PAYE taxes, part of the debt accrued by the club before it was forced out of the Football League in August. Bury have entered into a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) to address other debts, an agreement being investigated by the Insolvency Practitioners Association. Dale has said: “All dealings with the CVA have been done in a correct and proper manner.”

In another development Bury AFC, a so-called “phoenix club” set up by supporters, has submitted an application to compete in the North West Counties Football League (NWCFL) next season. The league runs competitions in the ninth and 10th tiers of English football.

The NWCFL said in a statement: “The league’s board of directors will meet to discuss the application and whether, as this is an application from a newly-formed club, to support the application ahead of the FA deadline of 1st February 2020.”

The supporters’ trust Forever Bury, while supporting the efforts to set up the phoenix club, is also exploring other options, including a proposal by Robert Benwell, 35, who has described himself in a statement to Bury fans as “a business entrepreneur; something I have been reasonably successful at”.

Forever Bury has called a public meeting at the town hall on Thursday night to discuss the various proposals. Benwell is expected to explain more about himself and his businesses, and his plan for Bury, which he says is to work with the holder of the £3.8m mortgage on Gigg Lane, Capital Bridging Finance Solutions, to repossess the ground from Dale and then place it in trust.

The new MP for Bury North, Conservative James Daly, said he had met with the chancellor to discuss Bury’s future. He said: “I have spoken with the chancellor about the manifesto proposal of a £250m communities fund and I have raised with him the situation at Bury FC.”