BURY will have to answer the winding-up petition brought against it by HM Revenue and Custom's after chief executive Glenn Thomas confirmed the club had failed to get the court date annulled.

But the director is confident the case will be thrown out when it is heard at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Monday.

The court date was set last month over an unpaid tax bill of £156,000, which club chairman Stewart Day said at the time had already been paid in full.

Day had hoped to get the case annulled, but that has not been possible.

Thomas says the matter is now in the hands of their lawyers and he expects it will quickly be drawn to a close.

“We don't expect anything to happen at the hearing,” said Thomas.

“The tax bill had been paid in full before the court date was even announced.

“We have passed the case on to our lawyers and solicitors and they are dealing with completing the formalities.

“We do not expect there to be any issues coming out of it and everything has carried on as normal.

“There is definitely nothing to worry about for us and we will continue full steam ahead.”

A spokesman for HMRC refused to be drawn on the court action, saying: "We do not comment on identifiable taxpayers."

Meanwhile, the club has hired Salford businessman Alan Townley as its new commercial and events director.

Townley has previously worked with local companies such as The Business Desk and Excel Publishing and has had an ambassadorial role with the Forever Manchester charity.

The club confirmed he will be responsible for the generation and maintenance of business partnerships and corporate sponsorships, ranging from stand and stadium naming rights opportunities to match-day advertising and hospitality sales.