The largest supporter-owned club in Liverpool fears they have reached a glass ceiling as its search for a permanent ground continues to stall.
The chairman of non-league club City of Liverpool FC (COLFC) told the ECHO he doesn't know how high the club can go as the hunt for a permanent home continues. Paul Manning, who was one of the founders back in 2015, said the club feels "demoralised" as they continue to play their home matches in Bootle.
COLFC was founded as a community club at a time when the globalisation of the Premier League made Liverpool and Everton inaccessible to a lot of fans. Since then the supporter-owned club, second biggest in the north west after FC United of Manchester, has grown to 1,700 members.
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The club originally intended to play within Liverpool from its formation. But it soon had to explore other opportunities as suitable facilities were not available. Since then COLFC has primarily played its home matches at Bootle FC's TDP Solicitors Stadium - as well as briefly playing at Vauxhall Motors FC's ground in Ellesmere Port.
Mr Manning, from Huyton, told the ECHO COLFC has been in constant communication with Liverpool City Council' s regeneration team about finding the club a home. But the chairman said that a list of potential sites presented to the club by the council in 2015 has been exhausted, with a permanent ground still just a dream.
The ECHO reported in 2018 that the club had taken a huge step to securing a ground on a former playing sites in Fazakerley. But the club didn't meet the "major hurdles" to move forward with the development - and another recent plan to develop on Adlam Park was met with the same response.
Mr Manning told the ECHO : "We've been trying to secure a piece of land within the city boundaries that could accommodate a community football stadium since we started. We've been working hard to get something all that time and have dealt with a lot of people at the council's regeneration team.
"We're completely self-funded and volunteer led. It costs a lot of money to enter the pre-planning process - and it's always been made clear to us that its a very high bar to succeed. It's been an extremely difficult process and at times can feel like we're wasting our time."
COLFC has enjoyed a lot of success already on the pitch, gaining two promotions and winning several trophies. And off the pitch the club has worked hard in the community with a number of initiatives such as an acclaimed food bank.
Mr Manning said the club has gained support from Mayor Joanne Anderson who wants to see the club find a home in the city boundaries. The chairman said "she has been absolutely fantastic support" - and added the club hope to have a meeting with Mayor Anderson next month to find a solution to the problem.
Mr Manning told the ECHO he's "very proud" of what the club has achieved. But he admitted: "We don't know know how high we can go without our own ground. We face a glass ceiling. We know it is a long process, it's not a quick thing.
"We want to get our own ground to see how big this club really is. Because when we do, we'll be ready. We'll be the biggest non-league club in the city. There's no question of it."
A spokesperson for Liverpool City Council told the ECHO : "Mayor Joanne supports the City of Liverpool FC’s ambitions to find a permanent home in Liverpool and is committed to working with them to identify sites.”
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