Bootle Bucks Inclusion FC have set out plans to build a new education hub after seven years of success in their local community.
The planned location is at sister club Bootle FC’s Berry Street Garage, past the Astro-turf visible on the far-side of the pitch, which they aim to have installed by summer 2026.
Chairman John Doran told Mersey Sport Live: “At their ground, up at Vesty Road, there’s a piece of wasteland that we’re hoping to build this educational hub. There’s a little piece of ground where we could do some growing of vegetables and things to help the local community. It’s in a very deprived area.”
They hope to run courses in the hub to help parents of Bucks Inclusion players get themselves further income streams and qualifications.
The club describe themselves as ‘offering football coaching to local, challenged children who have little or no access to organised football.’
“We never say no to anyone.”
The development is the latest in a long line of commitments the club has made to the local community. Recent estimates suggest the being inclusive is worth over £1.2 million to the club’s surrounding area thanks to the 81 volunteers regularly working to help the attendees.
According to data from November 2025, the club has reached 11,337 members of the public since its inception with an estimated 300 players of all ages regularly attending Saturday’s practice sessions.
They became known for their annual Bootle Bucks Social Inclusion tournament, but will deviate from usual expectations this summer with a trip to Margam for the first year of a new format, in collusion with Margam YC Stags.
Doran explained the background for the move, saying: “A group of Swansea fans came up to watch a Bootle match a few years ago. As you do, you get drinking with them, we had the common interest in football, and we told them what we were doing.
“This guy called John Haycock, a social worker down in Margam, a place where they’ve gone through a lot of deprivation, has started an inclusion club up. They started off with five or six players; they’re now up to 60 players and they host a tournament. We’ll go to them one year, they come to us the next year.”
The club are expecting 266 people to travel to South Wales for the tournament, commencing on the weekend of June 20-21 in 2026, with teams from Belfast, Middlesborough, South Wales and Merseyside all regulars for the now biannual competition.
This will be the latest in a long line of away trips, that included a notable tournament win for a Bucks Inclusion adult team in Sassuolo earlier this year. The win marked the third time the side had made the trip to Italy.
Bucks Inclusion were also recently awarded at the LCFA Awards in November, a feat they have repeated across their seven years in multiple categories. In addition, Doran was given the Sefton Council Diversity and Inclusion Award in 2024.
He said: “Seven years ago, because of austerity and council cutbacks, myself and a group of friends realised there was a shortage of opportunities for disabled kids to access football.
“We felt that mainstream children’s football had gone too elite, so we wanted to set up a little club to give kids the opportunity, not just to play football but to develop friendship groups and feel as though they’re part of society.”
He added: “We have a group of people who have started an open water swimming club. We’ve got a group of people (friends and parents) who do regular roller-skating. There are visible, evidential positive things coming from this.
“We never say no to anyone. Even if we have children with behavioural issues, which we have in the past, we will always listen to people and support people and offer them the chance to carry on playing.”
Young Buck Freddie Bullen, Bucks Inclusion player and Bootle FC’s videographer, has reaped the benefits of being involved with the club. He said: “It’s a huge part of my life. The club has helped me build confidence in my footballing ability but also socially.
“They’re always bringing people together with events and my parents have even got involved with the club through the Bucks Café and helping when coaches aren’t available. That’s what the club is all about – community spirit, support and inclusion for all.”
Bootle FC Women’s Manager Alex Garbe said: “You never want to be feeling left out because of having learning difficulties and Bucks Inclusion can really spark you to life where you can get these opportunities and pathways into full-time work and everything through the Inclusion.
“It’s given many opportunities and long may that continue.”
The side support the CHICS charity based in Alder Hay, which focuses on children’s cancer, donating parts of all fundraisers to the cause as a result of three players in the adult’s League One team who have recovered from brain cancer.
They are also involved in a movement with the local FA called Ability Counts, offering their players the opportunity to play against other teams across Merseyside.
Bucks Inclusion train on a Saturday morning at the Netherton Activity Centre and encourage new participants to contact them via Facebook for any new members.
