Sometimes a town is in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. And that’s certainly true in relation to Bury and the recent demise of its 148-year-old football club Bury FC. Bury and its component townships is a vibrant town which has responded well to the challenges and opportunities presented by austerity and devolution.

Let’s be clear the collapse of its much-loved football team is a direct response to the greed of its owners and the incompetence of the English Football League (EFL) as a regulator. If we are willing to listen then there are lessons to be learnt about how civic society nurtures and encourages its local sporting teams elsewhere.