Former Bury midfielder Nick Daws has said it will be 'fantastic to put the shirt on again' ahead of a historic Gigg Lane match on Sunday.

Nick, who  is now head of recruitment and operations for Motherwell FC, will return to the stadium in July alongside a host of big-name players from pre-2002 successes for a legends match against Burnley FC.

The game will be the first time the men’s team have played a match at Gigg Lane since the club was expelled from the English Football League (EFL) in 2019.

Having played for Bury FC from 1992 until 2001 Nick is looking forward to returning to his roots but says the game is above all about bringing fans together once again.

He said, “[Bury FC] was the club that gave me my style and professional game after playing semi-pro football at Altringham.

“It will be fantastic to put on the shirt again.

“I think it’s just a fantastic opportunity for the supporters and the important thing for me is having friends that have stayed loyal to the football club “The [game] shows that everyone can pull together and unify.”

For Nick, the return of so many players from Bury’s most successful era is symbolic it mirrors the club’s return to its former glory.

Bury Times: Nick played for Bury FC from 1992 to 2001. Photo: Nick Daws Nick played for Bury FC from 1992 to 2001. Photo: Nick Daws “I’m sure there will be a lot of younger people who won’t know any of us, which is to be expected but dads and grandads will be there and I’m sure they’ll bring the kids along, so I hope it’s a really good family fun day out.

“Fundamentally for me its about trying to kickstart the club’s return to the football pyramid, bringing together people who’ve had different thoughts about football in Bury for the last couple of seasons.”

The legends match was announced by Bury FC Supporters Society last month with a portion of the proceeds going towards the ongoing restoration of Gigg Lane.

Nick said restoring the ground lies in bringing the community together around football and ensuring the legacy of the club continues for generations to come.

Bury Times: Nick is now Head of Recruitment Operations at Motherwell FC. Photo: Motherwell FCNick is now Head of Recruitment Operations at Motherwell FC. Photo: Motherwell FC

He said: “It’s a community club, it’s always been a community club for me, a very family-orientated club.

“Its about making sure that generations of fans stay with the club for decades and that can only be done by having a community facility.”

The money raised will also go towards the Len Johnrose Trust, in support of the former Bury and Burnley midfielder who was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease in 2017, a cause close to many of the players’ hearts.

“All the boys that will be there will have contributed in some way to support [Len] and his family through the difficult times he’s been through.

“It’s a double whammy for us, to be able to support Len’s family at the same time as getting the football club back on his feet.”

Since announcing the match, Bury FCSS have confirmed they have sold more than 1000 tickets to the game, making it their biggest since acquiring Gigg Lane this year.

For more information, tickets and to see all confirmed players please go to https://www.buryfcss.co.uk/bury-v-burnley/ 

The teams

Both squads have now been announced in FULL and are…

BURY FC
Manager: STAN TERNENT
Assistant: SAM ELLIS
Physio: ALAN RAW
PAUL BUTLER
CHRIS LUCKETTI
LEE BRACEY
MICHAEL JACKSON
ANDY WOODWARD
NICK DAWS
STUART BIMSON
NICKY REID
DAVID JOHNSON
LUTEL JAMES
ROB MATTHEWS
GORDON ARMSTRONG
MARK PATTERSON
DEAN WEST
DANNY SWAILES
TONY BATTERSBY
COLIN WOODTHORPE
SHAUN REID
PETER REID
ANDY GRAY
DAVID LEE
TONY RIGBY – MEET & GREET ONLY
MARK CARTER – MEET & GREET ONLY
DAVID PUGH – MEET & GREET ONLY
GARY KELLY – MEET & GREET ONLY
PETER FARRELL – MEET & GREET ONLY
KENNY CLEMENTS – MEET & GREET ONLY
CHARLIE BISHOP – MEET & GREET ONLY
GEORGE JONES – MEET & GREET ONLY

BURNLEY FC
Manager: JOHN FRANCIS
Assistant: GERRY HARRISON
Physio: JOHN DAWSON
RICHIE JONES
CHRIS BRASS
ROGER ELI
DAVID EYRES
JAMIE HOYLAND
ROBBIE PAINTER
DAVID HAMILTON
WAYNE DOWELL
JUNIOR BENT
ANDY PAYTON
PHIL EASTWOOD
MATT O’NEILL
PAUL SMITH
DENNIS HILL
CHRIS CLARK
STEVE DUNLEAVY
RICHARD EVANS
JASON HEFFERNAN
EAMON KELLY
ALEX KEVAN
GEORGE OGHANI
JOEL PILKINGTON
GRAHAM LANCASHIRE