BURY’S board of directors believe promotion would be the most fitting tribute to president Fred Mason, who died last week.

Supporters will be given the chance to honour Mason with a minute’s applause before Saturday’s match at home to Tranmere.

The former chairman, who helped pull the Shakers out of administration after stepping in to the role in 2002, died last Friday, aged 73, following a long illness.

His funeral will be held at Bury Parish Church at 11am on Monday before a family-only service at Radcliffe Crematorium and a reception at the club later that day.

And while there are sure to be many more tributes paid to the local businessman over the coming weeks, the club’s current board said there would be no more fitting act in his memory than winning promotion.

“We were lucky enough to see him at the Burton home game, when he was his old self, filling the boardroom with his enthusiasm,” said the board in a joint statement, referring to his final visit to the JD Stadium two weeks ago, when Bury beat Burton to go top of League Two.

“He left Gigg Lane seeing his team at the top of the league and that is something we owe him – make sure that’s where we finish at the end of the season!”

Striker Ryan Lowe and manager David Flitcroft, who both played under Mason when he was a director, revealed the players had hoped to win last week’s match at Exeter in his honour.

“If we could have won that game for him we would,” said Lowe, following the 2-1 defeat, which knocked Bury off top spot.

“The team talk before the game was about Fred, but unfortunately we couldn’t get it.”

And Flitcroft added: “As a player, my thoughts of Fred were the honesty and sincerity he had. When I had problems or the team had problems Fred would be a man of high integrity. As a director he always listened to players.

“He was a genuine man, a gentleman and someone who had Bury at his heart.

“It’s a deep loss, but he was a man whose life we should celebrate because he had a big influence on everybody here at Bury as an outstanding ambassador for the football club.”

Forever Bury chairman Dave Giffard said Mason, who will now take pride of place on the fans group’s memorial board, had an influence on the club that extended past the boardroom.

“Fred helped guide Bury through what was the most traumatic time in its history,” he said. “He will always be remembered for that, but Fred means much more to us. He was always a really affable bloke – an all-round nice fellow and a true Bury fan.”

Mason’s family – wife Julie and son Chris – have asked any fans wishing to send flowers to instead make a donation to a new fund set up in his name to help grassroots football flourish in Bury. Details are at www.buryfc.co.uk.