CITY of Liverpool FC are preparing for a celebration of working-class culture tomorrow when various organisations, including trade unions and supporter groups, will descend on their stadium in Bootle.

The club are linking up with the organisers of Tresstival, an event which celebrates the work of Robert Tressell and the messages delivered in his novel, The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists, as part of their ongoing collaboration with and support of the community in which they reside.

A pre-match banner parade will feature everyone from local trade unions to representatives from other supporter-owned football clubs around Europe, as well as City of Liverpool fans.

“We took the inspiration from Sunderland AFC’s support for the Durham Miners’ Gala,” says club director Peter Furmedge.

“Every year Sunderland have a parade of banners from the Durham Miners’ Association, so we thought we could do something similar.

“It is left-wing, but non-party partisan in line with our rules. It ties in with the pre-election period and is a show of solidarity between the organisations involved.”

Tresstival emerged last year as a show of working-class solidarity inspired by Tressell’s writing. 

The organisers and the football club are hoping that events such as this will help build momentum and provide an outlet for like-minded people to come together.

There will be trade union involvement from the north west region of the TUC, the Public and Commercial Services Union, the Communication Workers Union, the National Education Union (NEU), the taxi drivers’ branch of Unite and transport union RMT.

“As a proud social justice union, I’m delighted that the NEU Liverpool District will be supporting Saturday’s events,” said Peter Middleman, the NEU’s regional secretary.

“We’ll be highlighting our #ValueEducation #VoteEducation campaign and the fact that 99 per cent of the city’s schools are facing a funding shortfall next year.

“On top of that, we learnt this week of a horrific 39 per cent increase in incidences of child poverty in the north-west region.

“That was, of course, a central theme in Tressell’s book and it’s utterly shameful that more than 100 years later capitalism has proved itself incapable or unwilling to find a solution.”

There will be a football match, too. A 3pm kick-off against Widnes in the Northern Premier League Division One North West.

City of Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six league games and sit just a point off the play-offs with games in hand on a number of the teams above them.

The club were crowned champions of the North West Counties Premier Division last season, and in doing so were promoted for the second time since their debut season in 2016/17. 

Manager Craig Robinson was named Premier Division Manager of the Year in what was his first season in an official managerial role.

In many ways, the club is still in its formative years, but it is making great strides on the pitch. After a period of adjustment to what Furmedge describes a much more physical and direct league, the team are in good shape and hope to continue their good run of form this weekend.

Events like this also show the progress they are making off the pitch. As a socialist-oriented supporter-owned club, City of Liverpool attracts like-minded fans from across the world, and its Brigade International supporters group contains members from as far away as Australia and the United States.

Joining them for tomorrow’s event will be German fans from Hamburg-based supporter-owned club HFC Falke and also fans from Italian side CS Lebowski, a community-owned club in Florence. 

Though they have no official links with other clubs, City of Liverpool have formed friendships home and abroad, thanks to the way they have gone about their business in the past three seasons.

Tomorrow’s event will continue after the match with a rally and social fundraising event at The Church on Oakfield Road, Anfield, featuring live music and guest speakers.

“What we’re really hoping is that we’re going to do this every year,” adds Furmedge.

“The interest has been great and it’s something we can build on. The actual Tresstival march is in February after the Christmas break so we will hopefully raise awareness of that.

“We think this could really develop and build into something. The book is a classic piece of working-class literature, and it’s a case of raising awareness whilst also showing solidarity with like-minded people.”

A hopeful line towards the end of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists reads: “From these ruins was surely growing the glorious fabric of the co-operative commonwealth.” 

It seems apt heading into an election period where a Labour Party is once again embracing socialism and commonwealth. 

This celebration of Tressell shows his writing is relevant and important to this day, and the event at City of Liverpool this weekend serves as a timely reminder of this.