COLFC

City of Liverpool FC are already planning for the 2022/23 season, with a number of developments on and off the pitch ahead of the next campaign.

With five fixtures remaining in the current season, the team currently sit mid-table in the Northern Premier League Division One West.

It’s been a mixed 2021/22 for COLFC so far, and across non-League clubs have been looking to rebuild and settle following the disruption to recent campaigns.

But the club are already laying the foundations for next year when their players hope to at least challenge for the playoffs.

COLFC are currently playing their home games in Ellesmere Port at the home of Vauxhall Motors FC, but for 2022/23 they will re-establish their ground share agreement with Bootle FC, beginning on July 1, 2022, subject to ratification by the Northern Premier League.

“The two clubs enjoyed an excellent working relationship during the initial five-year ground share agreement, which expired during a very difficult period for all football clubs brought about by the Covid pandemic,” said a COLFC club statement.

“The Bucks [Bootle FC] and The Purps [COLFC] strongly believe that the new agreement is an outstanding opportunity and are looking forward to the partnership of both clubs.”

The Purps have already secured the services of some important players ahead of the new campaign.

Attacking midfielder Jack Hazlehurst, captain Nathan Burke and February arrival James Steele will all be wearing purple into 2023.

“I think the club is going places and I think next season we could really have a go at challenging in the league,” Hazlehurst said.

“Lately I’ve been playing my best football under Ello [manager Michael Ellison] and I’m feeling much fitter lately too.

“I’ve been doing all of my stuff off the field and I’m hoping to kick on next year.

“I think the sky is the limit, I think we have got to be pushing for the playoffs next season at least, we’d be very disappointed if we didn’t.”

Midfielder Burke has missed much of this season through injury but agrees with his teammate that the playoffs are the target next season.

“I just can’t wait to get started in the new season,” he said.

“The lads can finish this season as strongly as possible, but going into next season we really want to be going for it and to challenge, at the minimum, for the playoffs.”

Meanwhile, the community arm of the club continues to do important work off the pitch.

The free football sessions for refugees are approaching a fourth year of operation, while a fundraiser has been set up for those in the area who have been hit hardest by a rise in energy prices.

Links to the Gofundme page are available on the COLFC website and social media channel @CityofLpoolFC on Twitter.

gofundme.com/f/assist-with-energy-bills-for-the-hardest-hit

Women’s Football

Liverpool are on the brink of a return to the Women’s Super League and can achieve promotion today if they avoid defeat against second-place Bristol City.

The Reds have enjoyed an impressive season in the Championship having failed to achieve promotion last season when they finished third.

This time around they have been emphatic in their bid to return to the top flight, losing only once and conceding just six goals in 19 games so far.

The club’s top scorer Leanne Kiernan (12 goals) hasn’t found the net for five games and is due a goal, especially as she looks to catch Bristol City’s Abi Harrison (14 goals) at the top of the league’s goalscoring charts in the three remaining games.

Liverpool manager Matt Beard, who previously managed this weekend’s opponents on an interim basis at the end of last season, recognises how tough this game will be, but says his side will go all out for the win.

“We will do as much as we can to try to win the game and get everything wrapped up,” he said in his column on the Liverpool website.

“We certainly won’t be going into this game just looking for a draw to get the point we need.

“That’s not our style as we go into every game looking to get the three points.”

Liverpool laid on free coach travel for supporters who wished to make the trip south to Ashton Gate, while Bristol City had already sold over 4,000 tickets by the middle of last week for this game between the Championship’s top two sides.

It promises to be one of the weekend’s big games.