City of Liverpool FC and Bootle FC’s groundshare agreement was terminated with ‘immediate effect’
Two of Merseyside’s most popular semi-professional football clubs are locked in a dispute after Bootle FC terminated a groundshare agreement they had with City of Liverpool FC (CoL).
It now leaves CoL FC with no long-term designated space to play their home games.
Since forming in 2015, City of Liverpool FC has been on the lookout for a pitch to call home. The Northern Premier League club has so far been unable to put down permanent roots.
New plans designed by CoL FC in 2023 recommended a future settlement at land off Edge Lane, but nothing concrete materialised in regards to the proposed 2,000 capacity ground.
In 2015, Bootle FC and CoL FC struck an agreement to share the Berry Street Garage Stadium – a deal which ran up to 2020. City of Liverpool FC then moved on from the stadium on Vesty Business Park and settled at Vauxhall Motors FC’s, VanEupen Stadium up to 2022.
A new agreement was reached between Bootle FC and CoL FC in 2022 which saw ‘the purps’ return to north Merseyside. Both parties were said to be ‘delighted’ and it looked like the clubs would share a mutually beneficial future.
All seemed well until rumours were sparked following the postponement of CoL FC’s match with Widnes FC scheduled on Saturday January 20.
CoL FC released a statement at the time on social media. It said: “Due to completely unforeseen circumstances, our match tomorrow v @Widnes_FC has been postponed at this very late stage.
“We apologise to all fans planning on attending, to both sets of players and staff, and the various staff due to be working at it tomorrow.”
Nothing was confirmed in regards to the future CoL’s home fixtures until Bootle FC released a statement on Monday February 5. It said: “Following a material breach of the ground-share agreement, and despite opportunities to rectify other identified breaches, the agreement between Bootle Football Club and City of Liverpool Football Club has been terminated with immediate effect.
“The trustees of the club do not take any decision like this lightly.
“The trustees and the club would like to extend sympathy to all supporters, volunteers and players affected by this. However primarily, we must always protect the interests of Bootle Football Club, its committee, members, players, staff and most importantly the fans.”
CoL FC were quick to respond to Bootle FC’s statement. The club said: “As our members are aware, we entirely refute the ludicrous allegation made by Bootle FC of a material breach of our Groundshare Agreement.
The statement continued: “We have now begun to incur significant costs in seeing out this season, in which Bootle FC are contractually committed to hosting our home fixtures, and will be seeking redress by whatever means are appropriate.
“Our club will not be stopped from playing football and we refuse to be bullied into unfair terms by any party.”
CoL FC said those ‘significant costs’ come from having to hire out stadiums to host their home fixtures. They already confirmed a deal to hire out the DCBL Stadium to play their fixture against Prescott Cables on Saturday February 3.
Both clubs play in the Northern Premier League and are committed to fixtures up to the end of the season in April. However, an impasse has been reached with no confirmed long-term location for CoL FC to play their home games.
The Northern Premier League said they offered mediation to both clubs and released a statement saying they are ‘disappointed that this offer was not taken up’. CoL FC dispute this.
Nevertheless, the sporting governing body has committed itself to working with CoL FC to ensure they are able to meet their obligations and play out their fixtures.
A statement from the Northern Premier League read: “The NPL notes the recent statements made by Bootle FC and City of Liverpool FC.
“The league became aware of a dispute between our member clubs Bootle FC and City of Liverpool FC 24 hours before the scheduled game v Widnes on 20th January.
“Ultimately, however, this is a dispute between landlord and tenant in which the NPL has no powers to intervene. Our overriding responsibility is to the integrity of the competition and to ensuring that all fixtures remaining are fulfilled.
“The League will continue to work with City of Liverpool FC to ensure the club completes the 2023/24 season.
“In accordance with FA rules, City of Liverpool FC has until 31st March 2024 to provide a compliant Groundshare Agreement with another club with the necessary grade to maintain its place at Step 4 of the National League System.”
