FORMER Bury striker Ray Pointer died on Tuesday, aged 79.

Although he only played for the Shakers for four months he made a large and lasting impression, scoring 17 goals in 19 games between August 21 and December 18, 1965, including five in one match.

His £20,000 transfer to Coventry City caused outrage among some Bury supporters, who regarded Pointer as one of their own with Bury having been the only club willing to take a chance on him following a bad injury.

At only 28, Bury fans believed they had a special talent in their team and someone who would remain a Shaker for the rest of his playing days because of what the club had done to revive a career that had seen him score 132 goals in 270 appearances for Burnley and two in three appearances for England.

Many Bury fans were angry when he was sold, disappointed that it seemed the club regarded him as a saleable asset rather than the special player they saw him as.

Bury folklore goes that some diehard fans have never set foot in Gigg Lane since that deal, just over 50 years ago.

In the New Year’s Day programme (1-1 v Ipswich Town) chairman Billy Allen made a lengthy statement to justify the move.

The high spot of Pointer’s time at Bury was his five goals at home to Rotherham on October 2, 1965, a few days before his 29th birthday.

He scored a further five in his next four games, three of them won and one drawn, but notched only a couple more before his move.

Pointer returned to Gigg Lane at the end of his playing career, acting as reserve team coach under Martin Dobson.