Bootle
going across all the groups then have
a club meeting at the end to highlight
where we can still grow and to fill
any gaps that we have. We are also
looking to start a Mini Kickers section
and have teams interested already in
plating under the Bootle FC banner. both physically and mentally in
bridging the gap. Having highly
competitive U15/16 teams playing in
good leagues also helps this. We feel
this has been shown by lots of young
lads being involved in the senior
squad this season.
FF: How important is youth football
to the club? FF: Would you consider yours to be a
community club?
CdA: The club has always had
youth football in the forefront of its
minds. The club is for local kids to
play at a good standard and we have
always offered the chance for them to
do that. As well as our teams we also
provide facilities for the local youth
leagues to play their cup finals at. CdA: We feel a strong duty to be
part of the community and help out
in any way we can. We have lots of
partner clubs that do lots of fantastic
work for the community and we offer
as much support as we can. The more
exposure we get will help us establish
our links within the Bootle, North
Liverpool/South Sefton Community
even further.
FF: How do you ensure that young
players enjoy a smooth transition
into the senior game?
CdA: I touched on this earlier in the
conversation, by the club providing
football at U18 and U21 level we
feel that this helps the transition
massively into adult football and
gives time to those players that need
a bit more time in their development
FF: What do you believe could be
some of the biggest challenges the
club may face in the coming years?
CdA: The challenge is making
sure our facilities are improved on
and maintained and that is down
to finances. We have numerous
volunteers who built the current
ground from nothing to what it is
today, but to enhance that the biggest
challenge is where to find the funds to
build on that.
Further from that we are looking to
continue to grow our Youth Academy
and ensure there is a continuing
pathway for players to play for their
local club.
FF: What are the club’s ambitions for
the next five years?
CdA: To keep the good work
and momentum carried on, our girls
and inclusion sections to grow even
further, starting Mini Kickers in the
community and incorporating more
local schools. Another possibility
that’s been mentioned is making our
first team pitch an all-weather pitch
and hopefully having lads who are
currently in our youth section playing
for the first team. We will hopefully
be in our fourth year as Standard
Chartered Community club as we are
currently applying for this now. We
will also be in our fifth year of holding
Bootle FC football tournament.
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