BURY FC manager Andy Preece is quietly confident the club will win a stay of execution until the end of the season when they go to the High Court on Friday writes Chris Hall

Shakers' administrators were given just two weeks to raise the £400,000 needed to keep them afloat until the end of the season.

And fund raising efforts have been frantically drawing in cash from across the country as football fans and clubs join together to help save the 117-year-old institution.

Preece now expects the club to meet their deadline but warned against any complacency as Friday draws near.

"We are feeling confident that things are going the right way now but we can't take our foot off the pedal," he said.

"We have to keep at it. Last week went really well but £100,000 is still a long way from our target. We've made a good start to this week but the donations usually tail off as the weekend gets nearer, so we've got to keep doing whatever we can. But I'm positive that things will be all right come Friday."

With just days to go before D-Day, efforts to raise the lifeline sum have been picking up pace, with new initiatives launched this week to drag in the much-needed cash.

The 'Buy a Seat' appeal has now gone on-line, with fans able to purchase their seat securely via the official website, www.buryfc.co.uk. Each seat costs a minimum of £10, with some offering as much as £5,000 a seat to help dig the Shakers out of trouble.

Manchester City have already bought 250 seats while Manchester United will allow a mass collection outside Old Trafford before tonight's Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.

"It's fantastic," said Preece.

"The fans have been magnificent, both at our club and from others. But it's not fair to keep asking the fans to stick their hands in their pockets and that's why it's so nice to see support coming from inside the game.

"We really appreciate everything that Man City, Man United and lots of other clubs have done for us."

A Save Our Shakers memorabilia auction will also run on the site until tomorrow evening, with Bury FC collectibles such as Jon Newby's boots and signed footballs attracting bids alongside fully autographed Liverpool shirts and a signed picture of Chelsea's World Cup winning midfielder Emmanuel Petit.

Bids and seat purchases can also be made by contacting the club on 0161 764 4881.