Michael Jolley: Bury manager steps down after two days in role
Former Grimsby Town and Barrow boss Michael Jolley has resigned as manager of non-league side Bury, just two days after a backlash against his appointment.
This relates to a 2009 incident in which Jolley pleaded guilty to having sex with a 15-year-old girl.
He was sentenced to one year’s probation and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 12 months.
Jolley always maintained that the girl did not reveal her real age to him and said she was 19 years old. He said in a statement on X on Sunday that subsequent investigations revealed that he was “deceived and never acted in bad faith.”
He was not prevented from continuing his football career and has worked for seven clubs since the incident, including two in the Football League.
Bury, who play in Division One West, the eighth division of the Northern Premier League, announced the appointment of the 48-year-old player on Friday.
Bury fans, who have come under criticism on social media, chanted for his sacking as they watched the 2-1 win against Mossley in the stands at Gigg Lane on Saturday. The away team’s fans also sang derogatory songs about him.
In a statement on Sunday, Bury said the club understood “the strength of the emotions expressed by fans, staff, partners and players in recent days and the real impact the board’s decision to appoint Michael has had on individuals connected to the club”.
These included a statement from Jolley: “I do not want my presence to deter the board from their mission to return the club to its rightful place in the EFL.”
In a statement about X, Jolley said his appointment had become a “distraction” for the club and that he would “give up the opportunity to become first team manager”.
Bury said he was “dismissed by mutual consent”.
In response, some fans called for the board members to resign.
Bury said assistant manager Tim Lees would take charge of the team on an interim basis while the board carries out a “wider review of the club’s operations”.
“We will be engaging directly with players, staff and stakeholders to listen, learn and ensure appropriate support is available,” the club added.
“Our immediate priority is the welfare of our people and the stability of our club and community.
“We believe this step is necessary to help rebuild trust, create space for reflection and enable Bury FC to move forward in a way that reflects our values and responsibilities.”
The club said it remained committed to “acting with integrity, transparency and respect”.
Samantha Harman, ambassador for the club’s supporters group Her Game Too, said there had been no advance notice of Jolley’s appointment.
“I was away from work when the news broke and came back immediately,” Harman wrote on X. “I went straight to the match and made my feelings clear to the board members at the first possible opportunity.
“Since the announcement I have had to manage the very real impact this decision has had on our volunteer base, including volunteers resigning. This has been an extremely difficult situation to manage.
“As volunteers, we are required to comply with a social media policy that limits our ability to publicly express our personal feelings and opinions online.
“However, I want to be absolutely clear that the Her Game Too team at Bury FC were entirely in agreement with the concerns raised by fans and do not stand behind the decision made on this appointment.”
Jolley was appointed after Dave McNabb stepped down as head coach and became head of football operations earlier this month.
Announcing his appointment on Friday, Bury said in a statement: “Michael’s combination of strategic expertise, coaching background and global management experience makes him the right leader to inspire our squad and bring our fans together.”
Jolley said in a statement about
“Now in 2025, 16 and a half years later, my CRB [Criminal Records Bureau] The check has long been out in the open, but in the interest of transparency and openness I continue to ensure that prospective employers can see the issue should I receive any job offers and have done so once again in my discussions with Bury FC.
“If potential employers would like to see evidence heard in court in 2009 or character references, I would ensure that these documents are made available to them as well.
“In football, I have become accustomed to being harassed in stadiums and on the internet by people who do not want or cannot accept the facts. Since I have a clear conscience about the incident, I have always believed that it was right to stand up against the harassment I encountered throughout my football career.
“But now that I have a young family who want to attend the games and support the club, I naturally put their welfare above my own and approach this issue from a different perspective.”
