Bury FC

The club’s long history has many unique and quirky facts that every now and then pop-up and surprise many! Our history for the 23rd October certainly starts with a bang and a whopping 10-3 victory.

The game took place on 23rd October 1889, a Lancashire Cup Second Round replay against 'Little Hulton FC' at Gigg Lane. The first game had finished with an incredible score line itself with a 4-4 draw, but this game would reach new levels in terms of goals scored. Sadly, history has let itself down by the fact the goal scorers for this amazing result are 'unknown', but only 500 supporters were on-hand to witness such a victory.

1900 brought us another Lancashire Cup Second Round game, this time at home to Blackburn Rovers, but we would have no such score line as this game finished 0-0, with 2,500 supporters watching on. However, history records this tie as a monstrous one as it took no less than FIVE games to decide a winner.

The 1915/16 season saw the normal Football League programme suspended due to the First World War, but a quickly set-up 'War League' saw Bury play Liverpool in the North West War League. Goals from Billy Hibbert and John Lythgoe would bring a 2-1 victory for the Shakers.

Bolton Wanderers were the hosts for a 1926 Division One game. 36,976 supporters watched this local derby at Burnden Park, where John Ball and a Norman Bullock penalty brought home a share of the spoils in a 2-2 draw.

We returned to the War League's in 1943 and a trip to Southport for the Shakers, where approx. 4,000 supporters watched as the home side ran out 4-1 winners, with the Bury goal coming from George Davies.

Into the swinging sixties and Sheffield United arrived at Gigg Lane for a League Cup Third Round tie in 1962. This would be our most successful season in the competition as Bury reached the Semi Final, this game however brought two goals for Bill Calder and a third from Tony Bartley with a 3-1 victory in front of 8,372 supporters.

The 1976/77 season saw Preston North End make the short trip down the A6 for a Division Three game here at Gigg Lane. 8,724 supporters watched as goals from Andy Rowland, Alan Woolfall and Jimmy McIlwraith (now a Main Stand season ticket holder) scored the Bury goals in a 3-2 victory.

Bury played at Darlington's Feethams Stadium in 1982 and goals from Craig Madden and Paul Hilton brought home the points with a solid 2-1 victory in front of just 1,240 supporters.

1993 saw Hereford United visit Bury for a Division Three game. With the new Premier League now in full flow, this was a tier four game and 2,354 fans watched as the game turned into an eight-goal thriller with Mark Carter, Ian Stevens, Ronnie Mauge, Nicky Daws and Tony Rigby on target in a 5-3 victory.

The last recorded game on this day was in the 2012/13 season, when Hartlepool United visited BL9 for a League One clash. Tom Hopper (main picture above) and David Worrall were both on target for the Shakers in a 2-1 victory with only 1,877 supporters watching on.

Games played on 23rd October: