BURY are gearing up for a rarity next Saturday - a fan invasion.

Whether Bury clinched automatic promotion at Watford today or not, they will have their biggest backing in years behind them for the last game of the season at home to Millwall.

Shakers supporters took their time getting behind their team's magnificent promotion push in numbers.

But the age old theory that they couldn't attract more than 3,500 no matter how well they performed was blown sky-high when 5,500 cheered them to the Easter Gigg Lane victory over Wycombe Wanderers.

And just to prove that wasn't a one-off, 4,000 backed Stan Ternent's men against Crewe and 4,500 in the last home match against Peterborough.

But those figures are expected to pale into insignificance when the prospect of a promotion and championship party pulls in a bumper crowd.

Bury's hope is that many of their new fans will stick with the club in the future - particularly the youngsters who, major shareholder Hugh Eaves explains, the club have been trying to attract for years.

"Our support has been steadily rising and a lot of that is down to attracting younger supporters," he declared.

"We have had a 10-year policy of cheaper season tickets for youngsters because once you get a youngster coming to watch a team they tend to stay a supporter.

"Supporters are very loyal and they rarely switch their allegiance."

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