Beau-tiful for Gigg Lane

But now 65 years later the Unsworth-born musician believes he is just days away from sealing a multi-million pound deal to buy the struggling Shakers.

Beau, who legally adopted the name nearly 30 years ago, is heading a secret consortium of eight businessmen said to be worth around £460 million. And the Leeds-based Nearly Red Management and Investment in Sport team has pledged to pump a staggering £23 million into the ailing club over the next ten years.

What started out as a joke four years ago, with 71-year-old Beau's light-hearted suggestion to buy Bury, has now become a genuine ambition.

"In 1997, when the consortium was formed, we sat around one day and asked ourselves what we could spend our money on," he recalled. "I said I'd like to buy Bury Football Club. It was just a joke then. But we've spent the past three years actually putting the whole thing together."

To show the colour of their money, Nearly Red recently lodged three cheques with the High Court. These comprised £1.3 million for the shares, £1.5 million for the club and a further £13 million for investment.

"If we buy the club, we will invest £13 million over the next five years and a further £10 million during the following five years," Beau disclosed.

Their cheques were initially returned by the High Court, along with a judgment barring them from bidding for the club until the "preferred bidders" had made their intentions clear. Now, with early favourites Mansport seemingly ruled out of any deal, Beau sees no reason why their bid can't go ahead quickly.

"If we were given the go-ahead, then as far I'm concerned the whole deal could be done in a day," he added.

Beau, who never uses his Christian and family names,was born at Radcliffe's Bealey Maternity Home and lived in East Drive, Unsworth, for many years. One of two brothers, he attended St George's CE Primary School where his mother taught. Later, he was a pupil at Bury High School before leaving at the age of 16 in 1947.

The world of music then beckoned and Beau spent the next few years studying the piano. An accomplished organist, he played at his first service at Unsworth Methodist Church when he was 16. To this day, he still plays there occasionally.

In 1958, he was contracted by MGM to play the organ in theatres all over the UK and abroad.

"I've been very lucky," he says. "I've travelled extensively and played all over the world. MGM extended my contract in 1976 and today I'm the only staff MGM organist in the whole of the country."

In 1971, Beau left Unsworth and had 12 different addresses before finally settling into his current home in Horwich, near Bolton, six years ago.

Speaking about his fondness for the Shakers, he recalled: "I first went to Gigg Lane with my father in October 1937." He was a season ticket holder throughout the 1960s, occupying seat G107 in the south stand. And when he renewed his season ticket six years ago, after an interruption of around 25 years, he was lucky enough to secure the same-numbered seat.

"I can't think of anywhere better to go on a Saturday afternoon. I'm absolutely lost in the summer," he says.

Beau is fiercely loyal to the Shakers. "As far as I'm concerned, people can't support a football team unless they actually go and watch it. I look upon Bury as my club. It's as simple as that."

And if his consortium is successful in buying the Shakers, then fellow season ticket holders will be rewarded for their loyalty.

"What we would do is to give back 50 per cent of the season ticket price to all those fans who have watched Bury this season," he pledged.

Beau also outlined the strategy Nearly Red would adopt should they take over the reins at Gigg Lane.

"We would immediately confirm manager Andy Preece in his job and bring in someone to help him. We want to financially secure the club and break the cycle whereby we have had to sell good players to keep our heads above water. I wouldn't want to become involved in the day-to-day running of Bury FC, just to occupy a place on the board."