CARLISLE are considering taking legal action against Bury in a bid to play Andy Preece in the Boxing Day clash at Gigg Lane writes Mike Whalley

Preece joined the Cumbrians last Friday after being sacked as player-manager by Bury as part of cost-cutting measures.

Carlisle claim that Bury would only release Preece's registration if Carlisle player-boss Paul Simpson agreed not to pick him for Friday's game.

In order to sign Preece in time for last weekend's game against Torquay -- in which the 36-year-old opened the scoring -- Simpson reluctantly accepted the conditions of the agreement.

But Carlisle claim they had little option but to agree, and that Bury had no right to demand such a clause in the contract as Preece was a free agent.

"Paul has been on the phone to Bury to try and sort it out, but at the moment it looks like Andy won't be playing on Boxing Day," said a Carlisle spokesman.

Preece admitted that he was grateful to Simpson for the offer of a playing contract until the end of the season.

"You are at an all-time low when you lose your job," Preece told Carlisle United's official website. "To have a message from Simmo on my answering machine as soon as I got home picked me up.

"We had to sort things out, so I haven't had a lot of time to even think about what has happened over the last week.

"I'm gutted about what happened at Bury, but I'm now able to enjoy playing the game again."

Preece steered the Shakers through the most turbulent period in their history during his four years in charge at Gigg Lane.

Bury nearly went out of business just under two years ago, and although the club's darkest days are now in the past, it is still struggling financially.

And the Shakers are currently without a chairman following Manchester-based businessman Albert Doweck's resignation just over a week before Preece's departure. But Preece has walked into a challenge every bit as tough at Brunton Park.

For despite Saturday's win, the Foxes are still 13 points adrift of safety -- a chasm to bridge for a club that has picked up only eight points all season.

Carlisle have also had plenty of off-field drama. Chairman John Courtenay was sentenced to 150 hours community service last week after being convicted of using threatening behaviour for his part in a brawl at Lincoln City in August 2002.

Striker Richie Foran was given 200 hours community service for his part in the same brawl.

Yet despite the Foxes' on and off-field problems, Preece does not believe that his new team are doomed.

"I know that in previous weeks they have been playing well but have been really unlucky with results," he said.

"A lot of games have brought single goal defeats and what I have seen suggests they are a good bunch of lads with good spirit."

Preece was greeted by one familiar face on his arrival in Cumbria. Midfielder Chris Billy joined Carlisle after leaving Gigg Lane in the summer, and will be available for the Boxing Day clash.

"It helps when there is someone at the club you know, it helps you to settle in. I know he is a good player and I have seen that there are other good players at Carlisle," Preece said.

The Shakers lost their first match without Preece at the weekend, going down 2-0 at Leyton Orient.

But caretaker-boss Graham Barrow is keen to concentrate on Bury's exploits rather than those of the former player-manager.

Barrow said: "All I know is I'd rather be where we are in the league than Carlisle, and it's up to us to keep focused on what we have to do."