One week on from Bootle's Liverpool Senior Cup Tie against Everton, Ian Porter reflects on a great night for the Bucks.
"The thing about football - The IMPORTANT thing about football - Is that it is not just about football". (Terry Pratchett)
The eagerly awaited LCFA Senior Cup Quarter Final clash between Bootle FC and Everton FC lived up to everybody's expectations both on and off the pitch.
Historically, this game was of huge importance; the original Merseyside derby game was to be resurrected after a 117 year absence but, of equal importance, was its contemporary significance to the club as a whole. In addition, our opponents were captained by Bootle-born James McCarten, a regular visitor to the ground and the Everton Academy's 'Player of the Year' for 2008/09.
In the aftermath of a defeat on the field of play, we have spent the last few days thanking people for their contributions and initiating a range of discussions around our future development, on the back of what was an extremely successful night for the club and for the town of Bootle.
Not only did our match-day operational plan manage to cope with nearly 1100 fans (a stadium record by some distance), we also welcomed 32 (well behaved) mascots, 60 (equally well-behaved!) parents, some 40+ community guests, sponsors and FA officials and did so with the valuable assistance of approximately 25 volunteers from within the Bootle Bucks' ranks.
Reading Dan Cummerson's brief match report was of huge significance to the majority of the Bootle FC group who worked the game because we certainly didn't get to see a great deal of it! Still, the fact that we had the entire event filmed means that we can sit back and relive a tremendous game in the comfort of our own homes when the official club DVD is released for sale in two weeks time.
During the evening, we witnessed a number of interactions and events that just added a little bit extra to the occasion.
The free raffle (for all ticket holders and those who paid on the gate) went down very well; all of the mascots had their names put into a hat and the winner (Max Lindo - Bootle FC Under 7s team player) received a signed match ball. There was an outbreak of 'blue-tongue disease' (long story and you'll have to buy a future edition of 'New Bucks News' to find out about that).
There were so many Everton supporters who told us that they were cheering the opposition for the first time in memory. The 'Red side' of the city turned up - replete with a suitably coloured banner which depicted the Liver Bird with the name 'Bootle' beneath it.
Our new stadium sign had been erected earlier during the day and our main sponsors, Delta Taxis and the local Councillors who accompanied then to the game were greatly impressed with the set up at the club and we managed to recruit two additional members to what we hope will become our Club Development Team (that's in addition to the 9 people who responded to the advert we placed on the Vodkat League site and other places earlier this year). We also managed to put a bag of Bootle goodies together to donate to a colleague who works for the magnificent 'Positive Futures' organisation and who is in training for a marathon run in aid of kidney research.
In addition, we sold 500 programmes, took a number of bookings for future hire of the clubhouse, Tony Onslow's book "The Forgotten Rivals" and Bootle FC scarves were flying off the table, and Tony himself was on hand to sign copies of his superb book. Needless to say, the clubhouse and diner were heaving but the people staffing them both coped brilliantly.
If that wasn't enough, we have received a number of emails and texts from Blues' supporters who have pledged to come back to the Delta Taxis Stadium (when their beloved Everton aren't at home of course!) and the souvenir programme seems to be developing the status of a 'collector's item' - since Monday, we've had requests for copies from 7 different countries and, on the night, a dozen people who didn't have tickets for the game actually turned up just to buy a programme!
With regards to the staff of Everton Football Club; not only did they handle themselves superbly well on the night, without exception, they have been an absolute joy to work and communicate with both before, during and after the game. In addition, their very public and positive comments on the club as a whole have been very welcome indeed.
Also, a special mention is due to the staff at the Everton Collection for their professionalism and responsiveness to our requests for additional programme materials.
One of the oft-quoted clichés in football management parlance is: "Once they cross that line, there's nothing I can do' - well, that may be true in relation to activities on the pitch, but, as we all know, off the pitch and behind the scenes, it's when the real work starts and you discover if your best laid plans had any merit at all.
We will hold a debrief at our next Committee meeting and discuss 'lessons learned' but, for me, the most important lesson is that this kind of an event is much more than a game for a club of our stature and ambition - it's a stepping stone and we intend to take full advantage in the short to medium term development of the club.
As for the game, we lost it - but I can assure you that the team and everybody connected with the club felt like winners at the end of the night.
As one of our young supporters said: "Let's hope we don't have to wait another 117 years before we play the Blues again - I won't be here!" - I've got a feeling that he just might be around the next time the two sides meet (I think that's what they call an 'enigmatic' finish!)
Historical Postscript: On 9 out of the previous 10 occasions when the Bucks & Blues have met in the LCFA Senior Cup (previously known as the Liverpool & District Challenge Cup), the winner of the game has gone on to lift the trophy - maybe they should just give it to Everton now! We'll be following their progress with great interest and wish their extremely talented side well in the semi-finals and beyond.
Ian Porter, Head of Club & Community Development, Bootle FC
The picture below shows the teams taking to the field before the game.
