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The scenes at Bury made my heart sink and football as a whole now faces a difficult discussion

Bury player Neil Dans meets fans outside Gigg Lane
Bury player Neil Dans meets fans outside Gigg Lane Credit: getty images

Bury's expulsion from the Football League was desperately sad news, and now the squeeze is on for clubs trying to avoid the same terrible fate

Premier League solidarity payments have just landed so everyone should be in the clear for the next few months but the root causes of Bury and Bolton Wanderers' demise remain. 

Football as a whole is facing a difficult discussion: do we want a healthy and vibrant pyramid of clubs or a combination of 20 to 40 franchises while the rest wither away? If it's the former, we need a serious long-term plan in place and fast. 

The financial steps between English football's four divisions are far too steep, encouraging owners to overspend in search of the huge rewards above or to stave off the penal consequences of falling to the tier below. 

Personally speaking, the scenes at Gigg Lane made my heart sink and my thoughts go out to Bury's staff and all of their supporters who will wake up on Saturday with no game to go to. 

Bury fans look distraught outside Gigg Lane
Bury fans look distraught outside Gigg Lane Credit: getty images

I would not quite say it put a chill through other clubs' owners, managers and players. Football people tend to think quite short-term, and a lot of people will be pleased the situation is finally resolved even in the most brutal way. You cannot have clubs being rewarded free points because fixtures are not fulfilled, points which could potentially cost the manager of another club his job. 

The EFL has come in for plenty of criticism for failing in its duty of care, but I actually have some sympathy with the new people heading the organisation who have only been in the job six months. 

This crisis was set in motion years ago and by this stage was all-but impossible to stop. Chronic mismanagement in the past and inadequate rules and regulations are the factors to target, not the individuals currently in position. 

Accrington Stanley dropped out of the league and went out of existence in its original form in 1962, and I am proud of our fans and the community for fighting our way back. 

If any Bury fans think of us as an example to follow, I find that very flattering. Going back to square one might be a chance to build something sustainable, and I imagine they would receive a lot of support from around the country.

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