BURY FC has changed the name of its ground to the JD Stadium after sealing the largest commercial deal in the club’s 128-year history.

The Shakers have agreed a groundbreaking three-year sponsorship with retailer JD Sports Fashion PLC which has its headquarters in Pilsworth.

The agreement sees Gigg Lane stadium re-named The JD Stadium with immediate effect — and is seen to safeguard the short-term future of the club.

JD will also be the main shirt sponsor from next season.

Club bosses say the move demonstrates its determination to make significant progress, both on and off the pitch.

Chairman Stewart Day said: “This is an amazing deal for Bury Football Club and highlights the hard work being put in behind the scenes to secure the future of this great club. Our commercial team has worked tirelessly on this for the past few months and it is a credit to them that this deal has now been signed.

“I hope our many loyal fans appreciate the progress being made to ensure financial security at the club. This is such an exciting partnership and would like to thank JD Sports Fashion PLC for their commitment to our vision, which is to take Bury FC back to the Championship.”

The club has not divulged the full financial terms of the sponsorship, referring to the deal as “commercially confidential.”

Speaking to the Bury Times, JD Sports Fashion chief executive, Barry Bown, disclosed: “This all came about through conversations we had with people at the club.”

Citing the major factors behind JD’s decision to financially support the Shakers, he continued: “The closeness to us as a business and our lifelong association with the town which was very much our birthplace. When the opportunity came up to work with Bury FC, we were delighted to do so.”

Mr Bown, who hails from the town, is no stranger to the club: “I have been to Gigg Lane many times over the years and know it well. So, I’ve been very close to Bury in more ways than one.”

Asked whether there were any future proposals to develop the ground, he said that was up to the club to decide.

On the stadium name change and whether this was a condition of the agreement, Mr Bown said: “It was always a kind of mutual view on how the deal could be progressed.”

He concluded: “We are delighted to be associated with Bury FC and look forward to assisting the club going forward. As a company that is based locally for over 30 years, we are proud to support Bury FC and its long term goals.”

Despite the name change, however, it seems some Shakers fans will still refer to the ground as Gigg Lane.

Bury councillor and former mayor Roy Walker, a season ticket holder and shareholder, said: “If they want to have the new name officially on the branding, that’s fine. But it’s like Newcastle United, it will always be St James Park and with Bury it will always be Gigg Lane.”

Welcoming the financial injection which the deal will bring, Cllr Walker said the main concern for supporters was whether Bury would stay in the league. “It’s very dodgy at the moment. If the investment can help buy new players, that would be something.”

Dave Giffard, chairman of the supporters’ trust, Forever Bury, also felt fans would still call the ground Gigg Lane.

He added: “Putting money into the club is what we’ve needed and it’s good that JD is getting behind the club. It’s a start.”

• Gigg Lane has been Bury’s home since the club was founded in 1885.