CONGRATULATIONS to the Shakers for a job well done.

This was a League One they could not afford to dip out of.

Safety secured with the win at Swindon, the club can take its place in a mouth-watering Lancashire line-up next season and look forward to derbies against Bolton Wanderers and Rochdale and perhaps Oldham, Fleetwood, Blackpool and Accrington too.

Provided the Football League are kind and give the club some games at Gigg Lane over Christmas or Easter you can see some of them being a sell-out, which is definitely an appetising prospect when the chairman plans his budget for next season.

It won’t be an easy division. You look at Bolton and Charlton coming down – they will be strong even though I don’t think Bolton will fancy this division much – and it looks like MK Dons will join them.

They know this level and I think they will be up there too.

Northampton Town coming up will have momentum behind them and there are still some big clubs who haven’t quite fired this season, including Sheffield United, even though I think they still have an outside shot of the play-offs.

Consolidation for Bury was always the aim. I know there was a bit of talk about play-offs at the start of the season but I think you can compare it with Preston North End in the Championship – staying in the division was first and foremost and I think everyone needs a pat on the back for doing just that.

To do it with a Danny Mayor header is really special. I worked with him for seven years at Preston and I don’t think I saw him head the ball once. Headed goals for him are like hen’s teeth.

Tom Pope came back with a goal against Scunthorpe United in midweek too and I think after an up-and-down season, he can thrive next year.

He probably hasn’t settled as well as he would have liked at Gigg Lane but sometimes that can happen for players. It is important to keep faith and look at the record he has of scoring goals in this division, which is good.

He offers something different up front and I think he can come back again next season and really hit the ground running.

l Don’t miss Jamie Hoyland’s Marvellous People show on Radio Lancashire between 1-2pm on Saturday.