DALE STAKES
Who is Steve Dale, what’s the Bury FC owner’s net worth, and which companies has he owned previously?
STEVE DALE took over Bury in December 2018.
The businessman bought the club - who have now been expelled from the Football League - for £1 from former chairman Stewart Day.
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Why were Bury expelled from the Football League?
Bury had been fighting against financial problems for several years, and were taken over by businessman Dale last December to save them from going bust.
Dale bought the club for just £1 - but since then there have been a string of unpaid bills to companies while players and staff have also missed out on wages.
Over the summer, the EFL sought assurances and proof that the Shakers were in a position to be able to play the entire 2019/2020 League One season.
A takeover attempt from C&N Sporting Risk collapsed and the club could not meet the 5pm deadline of Tuesday, August 27 to complete the deal.
Bury are the first team to drop out of the EFL since Maidstone's liquidation in 1992.
In an explosive letter, Dale blasted EFL chief Debbie Jevans' ill truths and said the club have "only been expelled for this season".
What Bury's EFL Exit Means For League 1 and League 2 Promotion And Relegation
BURY have been kicked out of the Football League after 134 years - and Bolton remain in danger of likewise.
League One is now down to 23 teams and that will affect promotion and relegations in two division.
Who is Steve Dale?
Steve Dale is a businessman who took over control at Bury in December 2018.
A worrying 43 of the 51 companies Dale has been associated with have been liquidated.
Dale had promised to work closely with the community to ensure the club became financially viable after years of cash problems.
The EFL admitted they did not put him through the usual process of due diligence when he took control because the club's future was under threat at the time.
Dale had wanted to sell the club, and initially came up with an asking price of £2million.
There were reportedly four interested groups looking to buy Bury, but a deal could not be agreed with any of them.
If Bury and also Bolton are expelled, what does it mean for League One during the 2019/20 season?
The EFL have decided Bury's record from the current season will be expunged - which currently stands at five matches suspended.
The same would have happened with Bolton, who have lost 2-0 at Wycombe and 5-0 against Tranmere and Ipswich respectively, if they had been expelled from the EFL.
But the Trotters have now been taken over and their record will remain, which is bad news for Coventry who only managed a 0-0 draw with them.
League One will now be reduced to a 23-team division for the 2019/20 season, before returning to the usual 24 next season.
Bury will theoretically have to apply to the Football Association if they remain as a football club, for entry to a league lower down the football pyramid in 2020/21.
However, they are considering legal action against the EFL, claiming the league decided to expel them despite a bidder with proof of funds making themselves known before the Tuesday deadline.
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What does it mean for League One relegation this year?
In a normal season, four teams are relegated from League One down to League Two.
For the 2019/20 season only, the EFL have reduced the number of relegated teams to three.
The number of promotion places up into the Championship remains unchanged.
What does it mean for League Two promotion this year?
In order to return League One to a 24 team division, the EFL need to find one extra club for next season.
That will come in the shape of the team which finishes fourth from bottom of League One this season, rather than an extra side gaining promotion from the league below.
This means the four promotion places from League Two remain unchanged.
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