THE question 'does the town of Bury really want a professional soccer club' must be raised again after the dismal crowd for Tuesday night's FA Cup first round replay against Lincoln City writes PHIL THORP.

Only 2,194 people turned up for the crucial game and depressingly 263 of those were visiting fans.

The defeat has cost the Shakers £30,000 - £20,000 for winning the first round game and around £10,000 gate money from the second round - so a decent crowd was vital given the financial situation the club find themselves in while waiting for the proposed boardroom takeover .

And it's a fair bet that paltry sub-2,000 home attendance won't have gone unnoticed to the consortium waiting to take charge at Gigg Lane.

Before Wrexham are the visitors on New Years' Day the club have only one home game to gain revenue following the visit of Brighton tomorrow.

That's when Blackpool make the trip to Gigg on December 22, traditionally a poor day for attendances being the final Saturday before Christmas.

So with the "Guest for a Fiver" and "Quid A Kid" initiatives on offer club officials will be looking for a big improvement tomorrow afternoon.

For details on the cut price deals ring the club on 0161-764 4881.