THE man favourite to buy Bury Football Club has been credited with saving Chesterfield from extinction.

Who says so? The harshest critics of all - the fans.

At last week's Chesterfield match against Rochdale the BEN grabbed the opportunity to speak to fans about Norton Lea - the millionaire businessman who looks like making a £3.5m bid to buy Bury.

We asked them what kind of owner he is and the answers were encouraging.

It transpires that Lea saved Chesterfield from extinction when he took over at Saltergate in the early 1980s and though his relationship with the fans wasn't always great (he sold the club in May this year after a protest by supporters) they will never forget his contribution.

"He will certainly stabilise the situation at Bury," said Gary Robinson, a Chesterfield fan since 1972. "He pulled Chesterfield round because we were in dire straits. We were losing money left right and centre every week and he came in and saved us.

"Bury seem to be in a similar position now as to what we were in during the 80s and if that's the case he will certainly sort out the cash problems they've got."

The vast majority of Chesterfield fans who were asked whether Norton Lea was a good or bad chairman during his 20 year tenure answered good.

And that is despite two protest days launched during last season against the chairman and his manager. Organised by the Spireites Independent Fans Association, the crowd held up yellow and red cards during matches aimed at the board.

It was shortly after, as Chesterfield headed towards relegation from the Second to the Third Division, that Norton Lea announced the club was up for sale.

The transfer of the club to its new owners took place on May 31 this year when Norton Lea eventually severed links with the team he had single-handedly saved.

Now Chesterfield are top of the Third Division and the fans are delighted with new chairman and owner Darren Brown- though it reflects well on Norton Lea that not many will bad-mouth him.

Fan Andrew McCormack added: "He runs a very tight ship. He'll keep it so Bury are in the black and there will certainly be never any danger of a club he runs going bankrupt.

"He is a great moneyman and he was a good chairman for us. But overall fans want to see a winning team and towards the end of his time with us we just felt he lost heart."

Chesterfield fanzine writer, Fred Barless, reiterated Lea's skill with money.

He said: "We were within a week of being closed down but he came in and bailed us out. He is very frugal with his money and even up to the point when he left we were one of the best run football clubs in the country.

"But he won't do a Jack Walker and come in and buy players. In fact one of the reasons we became disillusioned was because he began to sell our better players for a profit without replacing them. Last season he sold two to Bristol City and didn't get anyone in to take their place. We ended up being relegated, though that was a combination of the manager John Duncan and Norton."

Another Chesterfield supporter, Ian James, continued the theme. "He signs every cheque which goes out including the milk cheque. He makes sure the finances are kept well and truly in order, which will be good for a club like Bury who are struggling to keep their head above the water.

"On reflection he was a good chairman but in the last season or so he lose interest and I think it was best for everyone that he left."

The main repeated criticism of Lea from fans was a lack of ambition. The plus point is the financial security he would quite obviously bring to Gigg Lane.

And that is important. Whatever happens at Bury in the next year could make or break the club and getting the right owner is vital to their long term future.

The Shakers were thrown into disarray after former owner Hugh Eaves fled the country on the back of a stockmarket shares scandal.

The club is up for sale for £3.5m and though there are said to be three interested parties the favourite is Norton Lea.

Accompanied by his financial advisor, he has been on two fact-finding missions to Gigg Lane and Bury chairman Terry Robinson - who is keen to see a sale go through - confirms that discussions have been taking place.

The thoughts of the Chesterfield fans (while not allaying all the fears of Shakers supporters) at least show that Lea is a shrewd businessman who will put money into Gigg Lane and save the club from the very real danger of being wound up.

Expect further developments soon.