THERE was a weird atmosphere around the end of season clash between Stanley and Bury at the FES last year.

The whispers had already started about betting being suspended on the League Two game - with a lot of money placed on a Bury win - and that was the talk in the press box ahead of the clash with various national newspapers suddenly wanting more information about the match.

Many were speculating that betting was high because some people had got wind of a rumour that it was Stanley captain Peter Cavanagh’s stag party the night before the game.

However that wasn’t true as watchers of the Granada Television documentary on the club showed with the stag party taking place later that month.

But it was really no surprise that punters would favour a Bury win as Stanley had lost 15 of their 23 home league games and scored in only three of their last 10 games at the FES. However, it was the amount bet on a Shakers win - around £300,000 - which alerted the bookmakers

Manager John Coleman was expected to make sweeping changes with it being really a meaningless end of season match with the Reds safe while Bury were in mid-table.

But the Reds chief admitted that he was forced to change his team after hearing of the betting scandal, with youngsters Jay Bell and Peter Murphy the only real surprises, playing their second league games.

Only Jay Harris and Peter Cavanagh - two of the five named in the Football Association’s investigation - played in the game with David Mannix not in the squad and Robbie Williams sat out the match injured.

Bury were awarded a penalty by Darren Deadman - a late replacement referee for Jon Moss with the change made "to protect the integrity of the fixture" due to the betting scandal and not due to the original officials being under suspicion.

And Stanley could have few complaints about the decision as Phil Edwards - not involved in any of the allegations - did bring down Nicky Adams and sure-fire Andy Bishop scored from the spot.

Bishop scored with the last kick of the first half and then it was the Jim Provett show as the Bury keeper thwarted Bobby Grant, Paul Mullin and Leighton McGivern in the second half with Stanley battering the Shakers goal.

Coleman said after the match: "Anyone who thought we weren’t the better side either doesn’t know anything about football or needs their eyes checking.

"I couldn’t have asked any more from the players. They gave 100 per cent.

"There were rumours flying around about a stag do but it is not true. It’s rubbish.

"And I had to leave out a couple of players I was going to play because of the investigation and it wasn’t fair on them and it wasn’t fair on me having my team picked for me."