THE so-called "sick message" that upset Neil Warnock last week was on my Internet site - and it was not posted by a Bury fan. A Sunderland supporter posted it.

Sunderland supporters have struck up a very good relationship with the Internet supporters who use my site, stemming from the after-match celebrations of Sunderland's victory over Bury last season which saw them promoted to the Premiership.

The particular message Mr Warnock referred to (Bury Times, Dec 3) as a personal insult to himself and a threat to his wife is baffling.

The poster of the message was attempting to put across his views regarding the Bury supporters' relationship with Mr Warnock - we never did like him as a manager - and he listed various ways that supporters generally could use "fan power" to remove a club manager. The message, in part, read: "Neil Warnock, apart from being a bad manager, is hated by the Bury fans and, seeing that we (Sunderland fans) have a bit of a rapport with the Shakers, we have come up with ways that Bury fans could speed up his departure. I suggest, in jest you understand, that the Bury fans take a leaf out of the book of their Lancashire neighbours Burnley. A fan there set fire to the dress of manager Jimmy Mullen's wife whilst they were in a Chinese restaurant".

In no way can I see this as a personal threat against Mr Warnock or his wife. I have written to them to apologise for any offence caused, though I do not feel I should have had to do that.

Neil Warnock was not the best choice for Bury Football Club and the solid, hard work done by predecessors Mike Walsh and Stan Ternent has been ruined.

I remain a Shakers supporter and will always be a Shakers supporter. That is mainly the reason why I have created a massive web site dedicated to the Shakers. To be slurred in this way by the manager of the club I have followed for more than 30 years appals me.

I, along with the many, many users of Shakers On-Line, would like to emphasise our total support for the current regime at Bury Football Club and for the new manager, whoever he is to be. I only hope he does not wear the ties of other clubs when he is on national TV, nor accuse us of threatening his wife!

GORDON SORFLEET,

Shakers On-Line

(the unofficial Bury FC web site)

E-Mail: shaker.gord@virgin.net

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.