A.F.C. Liverpool

Affordable Football Club Liverpool is a semi-professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club were formed in 2008 by 1,000 supporters of Liverpool Football Club; a not-for-profit organisation, it is run on a one-member, one-vote system.[1] They are currently members of the North West Counties League Premier Division and play at Marine's Rossett Park.

AFC Liverpool
Full nameAffordable Football Club Liverpool
Nickname(s)The Little Reds
Founded2008
GroundRossett Park, Crosby
ChairmanChris Stirrup
ManagerPhil Stafford
LeagueNorth West Counties League Premier Division
2022–23North West Counties League Premier Division, 6th of 22
WebsiteClub website

History

After plans were announced in February 2008,[2] A.F.C Liverpool were established by Alun Parry in March 2008 for Liverpool fans who had been priced out of Premier League football,[1] and who were unhappy with Liverpool F.C. being owned by American businessmen George Gillett and Tom Hicks, adopting the same colours as Liverpool. The new club applied to enter Division Two of the North West Counties League for the 2008–09 season,[3] with their place in the now-renamed Division One confirmed in June.[4] They also agreed a groundshare with Prescot Cables to play at Valerie Park.[4] By mid-July the club had attracted around 1,000 members.[5]

The club played their first match on 16 July, a friendly against St Helens Town at Ashton Town's Edge Street. In front of a crowd of around 600, the game ended in a 1–1 draw, with Martin Crowder scoring A.F.C. Liverpool's first-ever goal.[6] The club's first league match on 9 August saw them beat Darwen 5–0.[7] Their first season saw the club win the Division One Trophy with a 1–0 win over Padiham, whilst they finished fourth in the league, missing out on promotion by four points.[8]

In 2009–10 the club finished fifth in Division One.[9] They also played in the FA Vase for the first time, losing 2–1 at home to Dinnington Town in the second qualifying round.[9] However, they retained the Division One Trophy.[10] In 2010–11 the club entered the FA Cup for the first time, losing 4–1 at Hemsworth Miners Welfare in the extra-preliminary round. In the league they finished fourth, earning promotion to the Premier Division after Rossendale United were expelled from the league and third-placed Holker Old Boys declined promotion.[11] However, they failed to retain the Division One Trophy, losing 3–2 after extra time in the final by Atherton Collieries.[12]

In 2012–13 they reached the final of the Liverpool Senior Cup, losing 4–3 on penalties to Bootle after a 1–1 draw.[13] Prior to the 2014–15 season the club announced that they would be leaving Valerie Park and playing at Rossett Park in Crosby.[14] They reached the Liverpool Senior Cup final again in 2014–15, losing 5–4 to Skelmersdale United.[15] The 2017–18 season saw the club finish in the relegation zone, resulting in relegation back to Division One. In 2021 the club were promoted to the Premier Division based on their results in the abandoned 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons.

Season-by-season

Honours
  • North West Counties League
    • Division One Challenge Trophy winners 2008–09, 2009–10
  • Joe Fagan Commemorative Trophy
    • Winners 2008–09, 2009–10
  • The Fans Club Trophy
    • Winners 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11

Records
  • Best FA Cup performance: First qualifying round, 2015–16[9]
  • Best FA Vase performance: Third round, 2010–11[9]
  • Record attendance: 604 vs Wigan Robin Park, 6 September 2008 (at Valerie Park)[28]
  • Biggest win: 9–0 vs St Helens Town, 13 September 2014[29]
  • Heaviest defeat: 1–8 vs Winsford United, North West Counties League Premier Division 18 August 2012

See also

References
  1. Liverpool fans form a club in their price range The Daily Telegraph, 18 March 2008
  2. Reds fans plan AFC Liverpool Liverpool Echo, 25 February 2008
  3. Reds fans form 'affordable' club BBC Sport, 18 March 2008
  4. Parry’s delight as new club is elected to league Liverpool Echo, 17 June 2008
  5. Liverpool's little brother prepares to enter the world The Guardian, 16 July 2008
  6. AFC Liverpool – A club is born Liverpool Echo, 17 July 2008
  7. AFC Liverpool off to flying start BBC Sport, 28 August 2008
  8. 2008-09 North West Counties League Football Club History Database
  9. AFC Liverpool at the Football Club History Database
  10. AFC Liverpool Retain The first Division Trophy North West Counties League, 27 April 2010
  11. League Constitution 2011–12 – AFC Liverpool promoted North West Counties League,
  12. Atherton Collieries – 1st Division Trophy Winners North West Counties League, 26 October 2014
  13. Liverpool Senior Cup joy for Bootle Liverpool Echo, 23 August 2013
  14. AFC Liverpool Moving to Marine Next Season Archived 21 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine A.F.C. Liverpool, 25 January 2014
  15. Liverpool Senior Cup Final – Skelmersdale U 5 AFC Liverpool 4 North West Counties League, 20 April 2015
  16. AFC Liverpool Announce First Ever Manager Archived 10 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine AFC Liverpool, 15 May 2008
  17. Manager Derek Goulding Leaves AFC Liverpool Archived 29 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine AFC Liverpool, 8 April 2010
  18. Paul Moore Accepts the Role as First Team Manager Archived 10 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine AFC Liverpool, 13 May 2010
  19. Moore Becomes Director of Football Archived 29 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine AFC Liverpool, 25 September 2015
  20. Gibbons Appointed Manager Archived 29 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine AFC Liverpool, 26 September 2015
  21. Kevin Dally Appointed Manager Archived 29 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine AFC Liverpool 8 February 2016
  22. "AFC Liverpool Appoint New Manager". 21 June 2017.
  23. "New Joint Bosses for AFC Liverpool". February 2018.
  24. "Coronavirus: All football below National League to end". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  25. "AFC Liverpool appoint Chris Anderson as Manager – AFCLiverpool.tvAFCLiverpool.tv". Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  26. "FA Council Ratify Curtailment of 2020-21 Season". NWCFL. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  27. "FA Restructure Details Announced". NWCFL. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  28. Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2016) Non-League Club Directory 2017, Tony Williams Publications, p453 ISBN 978-1869833695
  29. St. Helens Town 0-9 (nine) AFC Liverpool Archived 30 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine A.F.C. Liverpool, 13 September 2014
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