BURY FC this weekend officially launch a new fundraising scheme that is set to save the club from extinction and put it back on the road to recovery.

With the news that troubleshooter Neville Neville has reached agreement with the Inland Revenue on reduced CVA payments, the scheme aims to rid the club of the debt in only 12 months.

It's not often a communication from the taxman is received with delight, but the fax Neville received at Gigg Lane late on Wednesday afternoon was one with a difference.

It confirmed that the IR were prepared to slash £55,000 off the CVA debt as long as the club pay the remaining £50,000 at £2,000 a month, the same rate as he had already agreed with the Professional Footballers' Association debt.

And that's where the townsfolk of Bury come in.

The new initiative is entitled "Clear View Ahead," an anacronym on the £10,000 a month CVA agreement that the club have struggled to pay two years into it's four year lifespan.

This crippling debt, which pays off creditors following the Shakers spell in administration two years ago, has been in danger of dragging the 120-year-old club under, due to a cashflow crisis caused by insufficient revenue streams.

Supporters, indeed anyone interested in helping the club survive, are invited to join an exclusive 100 Club with the aim of paying off the debt which has become such a burden.

Organisers are seeking 100 donations of £10 a week, these can be paid by an individual, couples, groups of fans, companies, pubs, clubs or any other organisation.

Membership of the club is to be taken for a minimum period of 12 months, and although the principal reason for joining is to ensure Bury Football Club doesnt die, there are a number of incentives on offer for members.

After six months of the scheme a draw will be made for a brand new car, with another at the end of the 12 months.

These vehicles are a new City Rover, supplied by Horner Motor Group, and a new Ford Ka, supplied by Dixon Ford, plus there's the use of an MG TF Cabriolet for summer weekends up for grabs.

A number of social events are also being planned for contributors who can pay weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually by credit card. Monthly, quarterly or half-yearly by standing order or by cash or cheque in one or two payments.

"It's great news, the Inland Revenue have been totally sympathetic to our situation and their proposal will slash 50 per cent off our CVA," explained Neville.

"Our 100 Club is now in a position to pay off the whole of the debt in twelve months.

"We have achieved everything we set out to do three weeks ago and now everything is in place to go forward.

"The main thing now is we have to get our fundraising right, we need to raise another £40,000 to £70,000 by April and if we fail on that we would be back in trouble.

"The slogan Clear View Ahead is right, but we need everyone to pull together.

"We need businesses, families, syndicates, fans and individuals, in fact anybody who has any feeling for the club to contribute to this fund.

"This time next year the club could be rid of the debt and on an even keel, the sooner it is paid off the better."

Some major fundraising events are on the agenda in the next few months, starting with the Forever Bury Beer Festival to be held at the Social Club over the weekend of February 25, 25 and 27.

Supporters' trust organisers have done superbly to get sponsorship for the whole event, and every penny spent over the bars over the three days will go straight to the club via Forever Bury.

To follow that there will be a "Fill The Ground Day" for the visit of Grimsby Town on Good Friday afternoon followed by a major fundraising dinner at Manchester United's Manchester Suite at the end of April that will benefit both the club as a whole and the youth development side.

Another of the highly-popular Cabaret Night's is on the agenda for May and this will be held at the town's Village Hotel at Waterfold Park, Heap Bridge.

But the most immediate get-together is only a few days away.

"Next Thursday (January 27) there will be a meeting at the Social Club where anyone can ask questions of myself, the board and Graham Barrow about the current situation at the club," added Neville.

"The last time I went to a meeting there only 20 or 30 people attended so this will give us a good indication of whether our work has been justified.

"If it's a full house, as I hope it will be, it will inspire us to move forward.

"Make no mistake, this has been a very hard few weeks and very sad too.

"Some good staff have lost their jobs but we have to look forward now.

"It's not down to me, it's up to everybody who wants the club to survive to pull together over the next three months."

Plans are now in hand to put the football club on the market, although it has realistically been up for sale for about six years, since majority shareholder Hugh Eaves gave up his control.

"We have drafted together an advertisement because the one glaring thing that is clear from this situation is that we can't sustain a level of income to run a Football League club," said Neville.

"Unless the fundraising significantly increases we need someone to come in and back the club with some investment to sustain a good Football League team.

"As it stands now the budget for next season will be the same as it is now, consequently it will be a struggle to stay in the League, it's no use kidding people.

"Our directors have done well to get the wage bill down from £1.4 million to £900,000 and they should be applauded for that.

"But Graham Barrow's budget levels for mid-February will be the equivalent of a mid-table Nationwide Conference club, thats a fact."

Application forms for the 100 Club can be obtained from Bury Football Club's commercial offices at the Gigg Lane ground and will be available from distributors before Saturday' home match against Northampton Town.

For more information call the Bury FC commercial department on 0161-705 2144.