1988 - Bury FC is taken over by multi-millionaire Hugh Eaves. The Hampstead stockbroker proceeds to plough much-needed cash into the club, £4million in total.

1996 - Under the guidance of Stan Ternent, Bury climb out of Division Three after finishing third in the table.

1997 - Ternent steers Shakers to Second Division title.

1999 - Relegated from Division One under Neil Warnock. Eaves confesses to losing large sums of money from the sale of his business then disappears without trace.

2000 - London solicitors Ashurst Morris Crisp demand repayment of a £750,000 debt left by Eaves. Sheffield solicitor Richard Prentis hands Bury a £1million loan secured on Gigg Lane.

Two weeks later, Prentis' firm is closed down by the Law Society, claiming his "collective investment schemes" could not be legally operated. The Russell-Cooke trust appointed to recover the debt from Bury FC.

2001 - Legal proceedings delayed as Mansport Developments negociate a deal to buy Bury.

2002 - Club chairman Terry Robinson leaves to join Sheffield United, claiming the Mansport deal is ready to sign but deal falls through as Mansport bosses Paul Barrett and David Jones are revealed as ex-conmen with criminal records. Creditors re-start legal proceedings to recover the debt, which has now risen to £1.3million.

March 1 - Bury enter into administration and are given two-weeks to raise £400,000 or face liquidation. A later extension is granted until the end of the season to raise the cash.

May 3 - Administrators given until May 31 to attract outside investment and agree a settlement with creditors or face extinction. An anonymous buyer - believed to be the Save Our Shakers Trust - is to make a formal takeover offer.

May 17 - Trust table an offer to pay off minor creditors using funds raised by fans, while unnamed businessman offers £500,000 to buy Gigg Lane. Administrators confident of saving the club.

May 31 - ????