When my great‑grandfather, Thomas Watts, was captured during the first world war, I can only imagine what thoughts filled his head during his incarceration. Not yet married to my great‑grandmother, Sarah Pilling, he might have been dreaming of a pint in the magnificent Oak Room of the Old White Lion in Bury town centre or lounging in the summer sun in Kay Gardens a short walk away.
He might, too, have longed for a small patch of land on Gigg Lane that the Earl of Derby had donated to Bury Football Club in 1885 and that was home to the 1900 and 1903 FA Cup winners. After he had emerged from the horror of the trenches, he would go on to take my dad, Graham, and my uncles to that same patch of land. In turn, my dad took me and for the past 31 years we have repeated the trek countless times.
Written by James Bentley
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/aug/21/losing-bury-would-devastate-a-community under the title “Bury are an extension of family, losing them would devastate a community | James Bentley”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
