Bury A.F.C.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, English football league competitions below the top flights were cancelled, but Bury AFC anticipated a September 2020 restart and advertised for a team manager, receiving some 750 applications.[4][13] On 29 July, Ossett United manager and former Sunderland, Leicester City and Blackpool midfielder Andy Welsh was appointed as the club's first team manager.[3][14] On 10 August, the club announced its first signing, Scottish midfielder Adam McWilliam, aged 25, who had spent the previous season with AFC Totton in the Southern League.[3] The next day, Bury signed forward Liam MacDevitt, also aged 25, from Stalybridge Celtic.[3] The draw for the first qualifying round of the 2020–21 FA Vase was completed on 19 August and Bury were drawn away against NWCFL Division One South side West Didsbury & Chorlton at Brookburn Road.[15] On 26 August, Bury AFC played its first-ever match, a pre-season friendly at Daisy Hill, and won 5–0.[16]

The 2020–21 season is the club's inaugural season. The FA Vase tie, played on 19 September, was the team's first competitive game, but they lost 2–1.[3] The club's first competitive goal was a penalty scored by Greg Daniels.[17] On 3 October, they played their first league game, at home against Steeton, and won 3–2 having being 1–2 down at the end of normal time.[3] Tony Whitehead had scored in the first half and the match was won after Tom Greaves scored two goals in injury time.[18]

Bury's next two matches were postponed because of local COVID-19 restrictions affecting their intended opponents, Holker Old Boys (based in Barrow-in-Furness) and Pilkington FC (based in St Helens). They played another phoenix club AFC Darwen (the successor to Darwen FC) at home on 17 October and won 6–2 after two goals by Aidan Chippendale and four by Tom Greaves.[19] They took four points from the next three games to go second in the table but then the season was postponed for six weeks in November and December because of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions then in force.[20] It was hoped that matches could recommence on Saturday, 19 December, when Bury were due to play a home game against Garstang.[21]

As of 24 January 2021

Source: [22]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  JAM Abidan Edwards — GK  ENG Ben Tinkley — GK  ENG Ed Wilczynski — DF  ENG Matty Williams — DF  ENG Bailey Sloane — DF  ENG James Moore (vice-captain) — DF  ENG Scott Metcalfe (captain) — DF  ENG Jordan Downing — DF  ENG Joe Stanley — DF  ENG Tommy Lent — MF  SCO Adam McWilliam — MF  ENG Lewis Gilboy — MF  ENG Kristian Holt — MF  IRL Tony Whitehead

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  ENG Kieran Nolan — MF  SCO Callum Bagshaw — MF  ENG Patrick Carney — MF  ENG Aidan Chippendale — MF  ENG Alex O'Keefe — MF  NED Arthur Feudjio — MF  ENG Szymon Czubik — FW  ENG Liam MacDevitt — FW  ENG Aaron Dwyer — FW  ENG Mitch Bryant — FW  ENG Greg Daniels — FW  ENG Sam Cook — FW  ENG Tom Greaves — FW  ENG Kamar Moncrieffe