Runcorn Linnets FC give helping hand to AFC Liverpool

Following a similar model to Runcorn Linnets FC, AFC Liverpool is a new independent football club owned and run by fans. Whereas Runcorn Linnets were borne from the desire to keep the name of Runcorn alive within Non-League football, AFC Liverpool is aimed at those Liverpool fans priced out of Premier League football.

AFC Liverpool are in the process of putting their team together, and hope to start next season in Division 2 of the Vodkat league, just like the Linnets did in 2006. The Linnets, who were offered help from a number of sources as they were starting out, including another new Fan's club, FC United of Manchester, were happy to offer practical help and advice to the AFC Liverpool Board, as they try to pull together all of the different pieces that are needed to create a football club from scratch.

Tony Waddington, Club Secretary of Runcorn Linnets said "An exciting time lays ahead for the fans behind AFCL. There's a lot of work involved but this will all be worth it at the beginning of next season when they see their new team join the field".

The volunteers of AFCL will have the opportunity of first hand training to see how a club is run, on the 19th April, when they will shadow their Runcorn counterparts at a league fixture. Alun Parry, one of the key figures in the AFC Liverpool organisation, said "It's great that Runcorn are helping us out in this way. To be able to shadow their operational staff at a match will give us a great insight into what lies ahead". Waddington said "This opportunity will allow the new volunteers the chance to see for themselves how their match-day operations will work, it will also give them scope to adapt what they see to what will work for their club, as opposed to being thrown in at the deep end at the beginning of season 2008/09".