CITY of Liverpool FC’s inaugural season was a statement of intent. 

Off the pitch, the club set its stall out as one that would embed itself in the community in which it resides. A socialist-oriented, inclusive, supporter-owned club that was founded as a community benefit society.

On the pitch, it’s all about winning. This may seem like an obvious aim for any sports team, but ask the fans of numerous clubs throughout the country and they will tell you that their clubs are now business first while everything else, including winning and the supporters, takes a back seat.

“Ultimately, if you are a football club, winning has got to come first,” said COLFC chairman Paul Manning in 2017.

“That was the reason City of Liverpool Football Club was formed. Community has been lost at Premier League level, and we are trying to bring that back.”

To back this up, the final of the North West Counties League Challenge Cup was the third final COLFC reached at the end of their debut season under Simon Burton, the club’s first manager.

The first piece of silverware arrived in the form of the First Division Trophy. Jamie McDonald scored the only goal in the final against Sandbach United in front of over 1,000 supporters in Runcorn.

Two weeks later a First Division Play-Off Final win secured promotion. McDonald was again on the scoresheet with a brace alongside a Matty Williams goal in a 3-0 win at Litherland REMYCA.

Just three days later, the League Challenge Cup completed this treble of finals as COLFC travelled to Highbury Stadium in Fleetwood to take on Barnoldswick Town.

“I remember being quite relaxed as we made our way up to Fleetwood,” recalls Purps fan Sam Pearson.

“We had already won a cup, a semi-final and then the play-off final in the last two weeks, so our players had that experience.

“Despite that, we were technically the underdogs as Barnoldswick played in the league above us at that time. So for us fans, it was a case of let’s create an atmosphere, enjoy it and see what happens.”

The game was a tight, fiery affair on the pitch and off it. COLFC took the lead through a Williams penalty, but the goalscorer was sent off later in the half following a clash with Harry Thompson.

Purps fans applauded their 10 men as the teams went off at half-time. A match report from that day by Ian Templeman describes a “typically rapturous reception by the travelling support, who had once again turned up in large numbers to support their team.”

Tensions rose in the main stand as Barnoldswick’s small following sung about “Liverpool slums” and “signing on” along with a few more unsavoury remarks about Liverpool in an attempt to trigger a reaction.

Purps fans responded and later, true to their socialist leanings, adapted a song to the tune of The White Stripes “Seven Nation Army” originally used for midfielder Kevin McEllin, into one about Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

It’s a chant which would eventually spread across the UK ahead of the 2017 general election.

Back to the field, Aaron Hollindrake eventually made Barnoldswick’s man advantage count, sending the game to extra-time.

“We actually looked more likely to win it at this point,” says Pearson. 

“Just before the second-half of extra-time, there was a mass purple movement as the fans went from the main stand to behind the goal we would be shooting toward. 

“We knew this last 15 minutes would be crucial, so getting behind the goal and cranking the noise up and hopefully we could nick a winner.”

COLFC were reduced to nine men when McEllin was shown a second yellow card, but they held firm despite this disadvantage and the game went to penalties.

“I saw a few of the players trying to get our attention and pointing and urging us to get down the other end where the penalties would be taken,” adds Pearson. 

“We were in good hands though as Ste Longy [Stephen Longrigg], our ’keeper, had saved a few penalties during the season and had saved two in a shootout in the semi-final against Chadderton to get us here. Still, I was incredibly nervous!”

Longrigg won the North West Counties First Division Goalkeeper of the Year award that season, and saved two more penalties in the ensuing shootout.

Despite these heroics between the posts, a couple of misses from the Purps gave Barnoldswick the chance to take it to sudden death with their final penalty, but it hit the bar.

“As soon as they missed that last one it just went off!” says Pearson. “People were falling over each other celebrating. 

“Simon Burton didn’t run to celebrate with the team but legged it to our end to celebrate with the fans. 

“The stewards and police thought he was a pitch invader, though, and grabbed hold of him. The fans had to point out he was actually the manager! 

“Then the players ran down and started jumping into the crowd to celebrate. They did the trophy presentation in front of the main stand then straight back down to us to celebrate together.

“It was incredible. I think we played nearly 60 games that season and ended it with promotion and two cups! As it’s three cups in a season, it definitely counts as a treble!”