Bury midfielder Stephen Dawson has lifted the lid on how the club’s financial crisis is affecting their players, saying they have endured ‘six months of torture’.

Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT on Friday, the Irishman said he and has team-mates have gone five months without pay and faces losing his family home if the club ceases to exist in the coming weeks.

Bury face being booted out of the English Football League after having their fifth straight game called off by league chiefs.

Getty 2 Crisis-hit Bury could be kicked out of the Football League

The EFL announced on Thursday afternoon that Bury’s league fixture against Rotherham, due to be played on Tuesday of next week, had been suspended.

The governing body have now threatened to terminate Bury’s 125-year membership of the Football League due to the state of the club’s finances, while neighbouring giants Manchester United and Manchester City have been called upon to help rescue the cash-strapped club.

Bury owner Steve Dale, who bought the club in December 2018 for £1, said on Monday he is still working on a deal to sell to new ownership.

In the meantime, though, their players are facing financial ruin.

In an interview with Jim White, Dawson said: “This has been a long seven months for us players and fans.

“It will be five months at the end of the month that we’ve been without pay and we’re a week away from being kicked out, no more excuses.

“I’ve had to borrow money, I’m not afraid to say that. If the club goes under I’m on the verge of losing my house. It’s got that bad.

Getty Images - Getty 2 Dawson is fed up of the goings on at Bury and is desperately hoping for a change in ownership

“We’ve been in for seven weeks straight, training every day and begging, pleading with the EFL that we get some word we can play some games for the club itself, because if the club isn’t playing games the club is not making any money.

“As a group of players all we can do is remain positive, but it’s getting to the point now where it’s getting desperate.

“It’s not only affecting the first team, the academy has suffered too as they can’t play any games. The coaches cant find any players, there’s no water at training ground, that’s how far it’s got and that’s where we’re at at the minute, it’s really desperate.

“It’s sad. This has been torture for five or six months.

“Most of our team has left now. There was a chance to move [to other clubs] three or four hours away, but I’ve got a young family of two young girls, a wife and I want to be around my kids and family. All I want to do is get to play for this club, especially after what we achieved last year.

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“What went on behind the scenes last year, I don’t think people really realise what was going on. We had this owner promising to our face and signing letters that he’d pay us, and in the end he didn’t. There have been lies and broken promises made for six months, so it’s hard to take. It’s just been an absolute nightmare.

“We’re just praying the EFL, the owner and hopefully the new boys come in and get this sorted before it’s too late.”

Dawson’s comments prompted a response from Bury’s owner Dale and led to an extraordinary on-air exchange between the pair.

You can listen to that in full here or below…