Football club mourns loyal supporter of more than 70 years after his death

A football club has paid tribute to a long-serving fan of more than 70 years after his death.

Kenny Hindle was a passionate Bury FC fan - boy and man.

He told the Manchester Evening News of his despair in an interview in 2019 as the Gigg Lane club stood on the brink of extinction under the ownership of Steve Dale.

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Bury went on to be kicked out of the football league later that year.

But just months after the Shakers' demise, a group of fans rallied to form a new team, Bury AFC. The club went on to win promotion from the North West Counties Division One North during its first season. A separate fan group, meanwhile, worked up a plan to purchase Bury FC's name, assets and the famous old Gigg Lane ground.

Then last year a vote to merge the Shakers Community Society - the founders of Bury AFC - and Bury Football Club Supporters Society groups, which secured the ground, was passed.

Bury Council pledged funding and a Government grant was secured to support the new club following the merger. Now the Shakers play in the North West Counties Football League's Premier Division - and proudly sit top of the table as optimism returns to the stands once more.

Kenny - aged 78 in 2019 - recalled his mother taking him to Gigg Lane on the bus as an eight-year-old boy for his first match.

His love of Bury never dwindled over the years - and he became synonymous with the club's plight and battle for survival in 2019, giving newspaper interviews and appearing on TV.

Kenny said he would take the bus every Saturday from his sheltered accommodation flat near