Ollie Canfer opens up on making switch from Stowmarket Town to Bury Town as he looks to complete some unfinished business

Ollie Canfer has said he felt the time was right to return to Bury Town and complete some unfinished business at Ram Meadow.

The striker, who turned 35 last month, moved back to his home-town club Stowmarket Town for a third spell as the Old Gold & Black’s marquee summer signing of a reduced budget rebuild.

But he admitted after some deliberation he decided to be selfish and accept an approach from their Pitching In Isthmian League North Division rivals Bury to re-sign for the club last Friday.

It sees Canfer return to the club he spent two years with, scoring 13 goals in 43 appearances as an attacking midfielder, up until October 2017 when a troublesome back injury led him to announce his retirement aged 29.

Having taken some time out, including a short spell as assistant manager at Debenham LC, he found a better way to manage the issue which subsequently saw his playing career reignited with Stowmarket ahead of the 2018/19 campaign.

Asked if he felt he had unfinished business back with Bury, he said: "A little bit, yes. I loved my time at Bury and I've always been close to returning.

"The last time I almost returned was before going to Felixstowe (& Walton United) as it was choice between them, and now just feels like the right time to go back into it and try and help them push on."

He added: “It was a little bit of a surprise but I had spoke to Muzzy (Paul Musgrove, assistant manager) briefly in the summer, so I knew he had always been quite interested in whether I was available or not.”

Still, leaving a Stowmarket side without a win in the league season, and a club he had helped up the divisions, was not an easy decision.

“It's not nice, that's what made it such a tough decision,” he said.

“I don't want to just look like I'm jumping a ship that's sinking but at the same time I had to be a little bit selfish being at the latter end of my career.

“I need to pick the thing that short-term for me is more competitive and where I will win more games than lose.

"It's tough as I've got so much respect for Wilks (Richard Wilkins, manager) and Alex (Rossis, assistant manager) and the work they put in is unbelievable.”

Canfer went straight into the starting line-up for Bury at Maldon & Tiptree on Saturday, up front alongside a familiar face in Cemal Ramadan, but his return became memorable for the wrong reasons.

With Ryan Horne having levelled for the visitors on the stroke of half-time, after Louis Britton’s 13th minute opener, two floodlights failing eventually saw the game abandoned early in the second half.

Canfer, who has also had spells with AFC Sudbury and Mildenhall Town, said: "It was definitely a weird one, I don't think I've ever been part of a game that has been abandoned.

"We were playing really well, which doesn't help.

"We had the opportunity to try and get three points with it being 1-1 but it is just one of those things."

Work commitments in his day job in the Police means he is unavailable to make his Ram Meadow return at home to eight-placed Walthamstow tomorrow (3pm) as 14th-placed Bury look to reply to a 6-2 home defeat to Basildon United.

But despite Bury’s lowly position, Canfer feels all is far from lost this season.

"It's a really good squad with some youngsters and some experience, so much the opposite at Stowmarket at the minute where I ended up just feeling so old,” he said.

"This league is all about just putting a run together.

"They've had a bit of a rough time and Muzzy and Cole (Skuse, manager) have spoke about putting it right and I think they're the right people to do that, 100 per cent.

"I think if we go on a run there is nothing to say we can't make the play-offs. There are so many twists and turns in this league. Who thought Basildon would be up in third place after last year?”

His arrival comes as 34-year striker Darren Mills announced his retirement, having struggled with injuries in his third spell, only making one appearance and scoring one goal.

Meanwhile, Stowmarket – who have allowed Dylan Kirk and Sam Chilvers to go on dual registration with lower-league clubs Thetford Town and Framlingham Town – host Grays Athletic tomorrow (3pm) in a battle of the bottom two.