They're the side that lost their name and their ground - but found a bright new future as Radcliffe's first women's football team. M.E.N chief reporter Neal Keeling reports on their journey
On a slightly overcast August morning, club volunteer, and "the slowest left winger in history", Ivan Cooper, is crouched painting the perimeter walls of a football pitch white. On the pristine turf, groundsman Billy Quarmby is ensuring the surface is immaculate for the new season.
In 2019 Bury FC was expelled from the English Football League following financial collapse. But its women side, Bury FC Women's Foundation, stepped into the ground the men vacated, Gigg Lane, and would go from strength to strength - achieving back-to-back promotions in the last two seasons. He had become chairman of Radcliffe FC in 2016 and, since 2019, had wanted to bring women's football to the stadium. He twice opened negotiations with two existing women's teams in the north west for such a move, but those proposals came to nothing. Then, finally, the stars aligned.
Now playing in the North West Women's Division One North, Hilton sees the delayed arrival of women's football at the club as a blessing. "We want to take it as far as we can. The point is now the team has an identity, a platform, we can try and take them into the women's national league. The good thing about women's football is that it is blossoming. We have got involved so we can be part of that revolution.
He discovered a club rooted in the doldrums. Each season was spent hovering just above relegation and only "sixty blokes and a dog" were watching the games. Six months later Hilton became chairman as Manning indicated he wanted step down. The club now average 750 spectators for each home game and is three promotions away from the Football League.
When he took over seven years ago the club had no senior men's squad and no manager - and just two players. His first real act as chairman was to make entrance for all under 16s free "to arrest the issue of a small, ageing fanbase". That policy remains today. Luke Haughey, one of Radcliffe FC Women's three coaches, said: "I believe this is definitely an opportunity for the team to flourish and move forwards. It's fantastic and refreshing to be part of a club which the fans are the heartbeat of, with togetherness and unity.
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