Shakers face huge fixture pile up - Bury Times - Friday, 09 February 1996
BURY boss Stan Ternent will be praying tomorrow's game at Doncaster beats the freeze and ends a sequence of three successive postponements. The Shakers haven't played since January 20 and have fallen behind all their promotion rivals as a result. Only Hereford have completed fewer games in the whole of the Third Division. That leaves mounting fixture chaos for Bury who must squeeze 21 league encounters into the last thirteen weeks of the season. The Football League are particularly keen that there should be no overrun because of the summer's European Championships and that could mean as many as three games per week if the Arctic weather doesn't loosen its grip. The Shakers already have midweek games pencilled in for the next three Tuesdays and face eight midweek contests before the season's close. It is a programme that will stretch resources to the limit and is one of the reasons Ternent moved into the loan market earlier this week. He has captured left back Paul Edwards from West Bromwich Albion. The 32-year-old has a wealth of experience having played more than 200 league games, many of those in the top flight for Coventry City. He will come straight into the team to travel to Belle Vue tomorrow but Bury will be without the services of the suspended Phil Stant and Lenny Johnrose. Shaun Reid is likely to deputise for Johnrose with either David Johnson or Mark Carter expected to play up front alongside Rob Matthews. Bury have a remarkable record against Doncaster, having won the last nine encounters between the sides. However, Rovers are flying at home this season having won five on the trot before a 1-1 draw with Lincoln on Monday night. They are at full strength.