BURY FC have been denied the chance to rejoin the non-league pyramid for the upcoming season, the Football Association has announced.

The Shakers were evicted from the English Football League after the start of last season due to financial insolvency, leaving League One with only 23 clubs.

A phoenix club, Bury AFC, were last month accepted into the North-West Counties League Division One North while the original Bury FC, a Football League member since 1894, had applied to rejoin the National League system.

An FA statement read: "The FA can confirm that Bury FC's application to join the National League System (NLS) for the 2020-21 season has not been accepted.

"The Alliance Leagues Committee's decision not to accept the application was based on several different factors, including in relation to the club's financial resources, ownership and insolvency status."

"The FA left the door open for the club to rejoin in the future if their financial issues are addressed, acknowledging their 'history and standing', and added: "The Alliance Leagues Committee would welcome an application from the club to join the NLS for the 2021-22 season."

It means Bury AFC, the phoenix club, will be the only team playing in the town's name next season having been accepted to play in the North West Counties League.

It is a bitter blow for the Bury FC supporters’ trust Forever Bury who were fighting to bring football back to Gigg Lane.

The group released its first public statement at the end of last month ahead of reports that Steve Dale was still in negotiations with the FA about the Shakers taking their place in the National League system next season.

While the club will now have to wait another season to apply to join the National League System, Forever Bury's aims remain the same with their top priority finding a buyer to take over following the club’s expulsion from the EFL last August.

Following a heated public meeting last December they also backed entrepreneur Robert Benwell as an alternative solution for the future of the two-time FA Cup winners, his plans involving buying Gigg Lane should the club be liquidated.

On Bury AFC, the new club that will take its place in the North West Counties League next season, Forever Bury’s statement said: “We still back this as our third option.”

The address to supporters added: “On April 25, 2019, Steve Dale reluctantly put Bury Football Club up for sale.

“Several interested parties have spoken to Steve Dale direct and some to Forever Bury.

“The information requested by interested parties that had been in touch with Steve Dale was not forthcoming and these various attempts to buy our beloved club have so far not been successful.

“Over the past 20 months, the board of Forever Bury have spent mainly seven days a week, hours of phone calls and emails trying to work through the chancers and undertake due diligence on anyone new coming into the club to work with the supporters and become an integral part of the community.

“From the outset we have stated that our aims are to achieve preserving Bury Football Club’s 135-year history and football at Gigg Lane.

“We want to reiterate that we are continually monitoring the situation and working to achieve this goal.

“Finally as we strive to achieve our goals we would like to remind our members that Forever Bury have the Asset of Community Value on Gigg Lane.

“Should Bury Football Club Ltd enter administration or liquidation, Forever Bury will need to remain in existence to aim to secure Gigg Lane for the future of football in the town.”