FOR Bury FC supporters, the mid 1990s was a golden era.

After two consecutive promotions, the Shakers found themselves going toe-to-toe with some of the country’s footballing giants one division beneath the Premier League.

It was the first time the club had played at that level since the 1960s, and for a generation of supporters it sparked a lifelong love affair with their hometown club.

But, it did not last long. Two years later, after the team’s legendary boss, Stan Ternent, and a number of stars moved on, the Shakers were relegated, and began their tumble back to whence they came.

Now, a new book is set to be released by Bury supporter and author James Bentley, chronicling the club’s incredible journey.

“Football really gets its claws into you at a certain age, and that is normally about 14,15,16,” he said.

“I was lucky enough that it happened to me when Bury were on a real upward curve.

“The third tier is where I always place Bury and it is where we have spent a good portion of my time as a supporter. The second tier always seemed unreachable, but not only did we get there, we got there by winning the championship.

“The team Stan put together simply did not lose at Gigg Lane. We went that whole season unbeaten at home, and they were phenomenal. It meant that we would be playing teams like Manchester City, Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough, and Sunderland on level terms.”

Bentley, aged 37, released his first book on the club, ‘The Forgotten Fifteen: How Bury triumphed in British football’s worst year’, in 2015.

It focused on the promotion-winning exploits of the 1984-85 season in which the Shakers used just fifteen players.

His second effort, titled ‘Things Can Only Get Better’, is a much more personal project, having grown up idolising many of its subjects, in particular star players such as Dean Kiely, Chris Lucketti and Lenny Johnrose.

In carrying out research for the book, Bentley interviewed 33 former members of the club’s playing staff, management team and boards of directors, while the book also features the recollections of fans and other important figures.

“Nobody has taken the time to look at this group and examine them, and I think it needed to be done.” he said. “There is a story there involving a lot of fascinating, complex footballers. I wanted to tell it, but I knew I had to do it justice.”.

“I want fans to read the book and look back at the period from 1995 to 1999 and think ‘wow, that was incredible’.”

Among the memories players discuss with Bentley are Dean Kiely’s late penalty save away at Watford, which help earned the Shakers promotion to the second tier, and Paul Butler’s header which secured a famous win over Manchester City at Maine Road.

Other notable interviewees include Andy Woodward, who hit the headlines in 2016 when he spoke out about the abuse he had suffered at the hands of a former coach, and Johnrose, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year.

It is often said that you should never meet your heroes, but Bentley insists his experience could not be more at odds to the old adage.

“The fact all these players that my unbroken voice sang to in the mid-90s agreed to speak to me was phenomenal,” he explained. “That’s why I love being a fan of a club like Bury because there is that feeling that you are all in it together. That is best exemplified by these players who did something incredible, and they look back on it as fondly as I do.”

While Bury themselves could not sustain their lofty position, many of the team’s stars went on to forge successful careers in the top two tiers.

After speaking to them, why does Bentley think the team was so successful?

“They had a manager who was a man motivator like very few Bury managers have ever been,” he said. “Stan knew exactly what he wanted and he afforded the maximum respect from his players.

“We had this tremendous desire to win, which surged above everything else. I knew because of past experiences that it was special. Being a Bury fan kicks you in the delicates, but this side was different. We all knew they had the steel previous teams did not have.

“For a club the size of Bury to be in the division below the Premier League, if you look at the Premier League now and all its riches, is fascinating.”

As well as detailing the club's meteoric rise through the divisions, ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ also explores the social history of the mid-90s, with important cultural events such as the 1996 Manchester Bombing, the death of Princess Diana, and Labour’s 1997 general election win providing the backdrop to the main narrative.

The book is available to pre-order and can be collected from the Gigg Lane social club at a signing before the Shakers’ match against Lincoln City on Saturday.

Bentley will be signing books alongside former players Lee Bracey, Tony Rigby, David Pugh, Ian Hughes and Andy Woodward from 3pm-5pm.

The deadline for pre-orders to be picked up on the day is 10pm on Friday.

A limited numbers of books will also be on sale after the game.

The book is priced at £18.99 and can also be bought online at www.buryfcinthemid90s.co.uk, as well as from the club shop.