TALKS between a Norwegian billionaire and Bury Football Club were ongoing today in a deal which could save the Shakers in the nick of time.
The club was shocked to receive an out of the blue phone call from self-made tycoon Atle Brynestad, 46, on Friday announcing that he was flying to Bury on his private jet to watch the cup tie against Northwich Vics.
He sat in the Main Stand, alongside his family, business associates - including former AIK Stockholm coach Stuart Baxter - and Bury chairman Terry Robinson, and left shortly after the final whistle.
His presence is a major boost for the cash-strapped club who have been desperately searching for a buyer for months.
A bid of £1m would be enough to purchase the Shakers and to Brynestad that is small change.
He owns department stores and glass factories in Oslo as well as running a luxury cruise liner business.
He didn't come from a wealthy family but made his first £100,000 by the time he was 16 after setting up a business with his sisters.
And those who know him in his homeland are not surprised at his interest in Bury.
"He is a big sports fan and is involved in a lot of clubs throughout Norway," said Wallace Solholm, chief editor of the Norway Post.
"He is a very shrewd financial investor, a quiet man who does things very sensibly. He is very well known in Norway.
"I don't know whether he is the richest man in the country but he can't be too far off."
Bury chairman Terry Robinson and Brynestad, who the Evening News contacted yesterday, were staying tight-lipped this morning about how the talks were progressing.
Robinson has struggled to keep the club afloat since major shareholder Hugh Eaves lost £20m in a stock exchange gamble and pulled out of ploughing any more money into the Gigg Lane coffers.
That, coupled with an alarming drop in attendances and the failure this season to sell a top player, has led to the wage bill piling up.
Robinson is in the unenviable position of keeping the club going until a buyer is found.
Manager Andy Preece, who is also in a difficult position because the club is so short of cash that he can't even bring a player in on loan, summed up what it meant to the club. .
"It's very important for the club to find a buyer as soon as possible and hopefully them coming over means something is going to happen," he said.
"The most important thing is that this football club is still here in 20 odd years time and for that to happen we need someone to come in and put their money in."
Former Chesterfield chairman Norton Lea had made a £1m bid for Bury but he has been prevented from buying the Gigg Lane club because he is still tied up in unfinished business at Chesterfield.
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