A credible bid for Bury FC will be made to under-fire owner Steve Dale tonight, according to MP James Frith.

The Shakers are edging ever closer to the midnight deadline that would see them thrown out of the Football League, likely leading to liquidation and ending 134 years of history for the Gigg Lane club.

After the EFL announced at 5pm that “limited progress” had been made the Bury North MP says a potential buyer with proof of funds, different to one mentioned by Dale earlier in the day, was ready to make a takeover bid tonight.

It would however be conditional on the league extending their deadline beyond this evening.

“"As I understand, that may well be case (that Dale has a bidder), but that particular buyer is not the person I am talking too, he possibly has two irons in the fire,” Frith said.

"The news I have is that the (potential) owners I have been liaising with for several months have got proof of funds and that documentation will be on the way to the EFL and a bid for the club will be made tonight.

"That bid will be conditional on the EFL extending the deadline and a number of details on the complexities around the financial picture of the club, not least the state of the loan on the ground.

"It will come with conditions but it's a credible bid which will be made tonight with proof of funds submitted to the EFL."

Frith also looked to bring some clarity to the work done by Dale given the strength of feeling swirling around Gigg Lane.

The MP said while some positive work had been done by the owner, he now had to complete the job.

"Let me say, I have been in conversation with Steve Dale today and I want to put on record the success he has had in the CVA does make the viability of Bury more, not less likely,” Frith told BBC Radio 5Live.

"That won't mean anything unless he successfully sells the club, but in this binary whose-side-are-you-on narrative, nothing is ever black and white, good or bad and I want to put on record that Steve Dale had achieved a CVA which will enable Bury to be stable for a new owner.

"Steve Dale has to sell, that's the first and last of it, it's a credible option, will recognise the work he's done, it's more than a glimmer of hope.

"We're not over the line by any means but it is a substantive bid that will be made that I am privy to with the proof of funds demonstrated to the EFL. No one can say they didn't have a credible option."