STRIKER Rob Matthews will be out of action until October after undergoing a second knee operation.

While his teammates were securing glory with a 2-0 win over Milwall, Matthews was in hospital recovering from ligament damage.

He had a similar repair job done on his other knee some years ago and made a full recovery so is sure he'll be back in action sooner rather than later.

"I watched the scores coming through on Ceefax from my hospital bed," he admitted at the civic reception on Wednesday night (May 7). "A couple of the lads telephoned me after the game and winning the title is the best tonic I could have had."

Matthews, who is on crutches, will miss the players' trip to Spain and his absence from the first three months of the season will mean boss Stan Ternent stepping up his search for new strikers.

On-loan Tony Battersby is set to complete a £100,000 move from Notts County in the next ten days while the Shakers have already been linked with Paul Stewart, the Sunderland forward who wants a move back nearer his home in Blackpool.

Any new faces will, however, have a difficult task supplanting more familiar ones in the hearts of the supporters.

Star defender Chris Lucketti (26) made club history on Tuesday evening (May 6) when he picked up the fans' Player of the Season award for the third successive time.

The popular £1 million-rated centre-half, a model of consistency at the heart of the defence since his arrival from Halifax Town four years ago, pipped goalkeeper Dean Kiely to the accolade at a packed Bury FC Social Club.

The runner-up award is just reward for the Shakers' custodian has become something of a cult hero with the Gigg Lane faithful, keeping an amazing 22 clean sheets in the league to cap a memorable season.

The event was, once again, hosted by GMR Talk sports presenter and self-confessed Shakers' devotee Jimmy Wagg.

As well as announcing Nick Daws' vital strike at Brentford as goal of the season Wagg interviewed players and staff who received their league championship medals from former Manchester United boss and Gigg Lane favourite Wilf McGuinness.

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