Vale of Tears - Shakers sorrow as victory end in relegation:
It was a bitter pill to swallow. Victory on the final day of the season, yet still the brave Shakers were relegated. Heroes including Chris Lucketti, Dean Kiely and Dean West pulled on the Bury jersey for what was certainly the last time - but there was to be no fairytale ending. The teams inability to score goals, which had plagued them all season, ultimately cost them their place in the top tier of the Nationwide ... as many feared it would.

After controlling their own destiny for 45 games, the 46th and final game of the campaign was out of their hands. Survival depended not only on a Bury victory, but on Crystal Palace beating or drawing with QPR at Loftus Road. But there were no favours from Steve Coppells side who were embarrassingly crushed 6-0.

After so much success in recent years, with back to back promotions and Division One survival in 1998, the Prospect of relegation was almost unthinkable at Gigg Lane That made it even harder to take come 3.45pm on Sunday, May 9, when Dean West's winner was in end, nowhere near enough.

Die hard followers stayed behind at the final whistle, many packed into the Cemetery End for the final time before its demolition, to cheer the team back onto the field for a low key lap of honour. An emotional Nick Daws and Lucketti tossed their shirts into the crowd, the Shakers skipper shaking hands with almost every supporter he could. It was a sad day for Bury FC in more ways than one. That morning, news broke of owner Hugh Eaves' crippling financial problems, although the information was kept from the players until full time.