On Saturday, Celtic’s first game of 2024 sees us travel to Liverpool to face Bootle. Bootle are currently eighth in the league on thirty-one points, three places and three points behind Celtic, with two games in hand. Kick-off is 3pm.

Bootle have won the same number of games as Celtic, nine, but Celtic have drawn seven to Bootle’s four. The Liverpool side started the season with one win in their opening five. Their season has picked up, finishing 2023 with six wins in eight, drawing one and losing one. However, their festive fixtures were both losses, losing 2-0 at home to groundshare partners City of Liverpool, and again on New Year’s Day to Prescot Cables, again 2-0. Though they’ve beaten both Leek and Avro at home, out of their ten home games so far this season, Bootle have won four, lost four and drawn two.

Ben Hodkinson is Bootle’s top scorer with seven goals, with Thomas Peterson right behind on six, both have scored more away from home. With eleven home goals, Bootle have the fourth worst home attack behind Northwich, Newcastle and Mossley. On average they score 1.1 goals per home game from an overall of 1.4 goals per game and have failed to score twice at home (and twice away), with their last home game one of those. Defensively, they have kept three of their seven clean sheets at home. Having conceded thirteen at home, they have the seventh best home defence. Overall, they have the fourth best defence. They concede an average of 1.3 goals per game at home and 1.2 overall.

In the past thirty years we’ve been to Bootle twice in Cup competitions. Our last visit in 2021 in the FA Trophy saw us earn a draw in the dying moments and win on penalties. Our visit prior to that saw us win 3-1 in the FA Cup in 1993. Two other meetings between the clubs have both been at Bower Fold, and both finished draws, including the 1993 FA Cup game which was taken back to Bootle. Indeed, excluding penalties, three of the four meetings have finished in draws, and we’ve always had to come from behind.

In Bootle’s last match, the 2-0 away defeat to Prescot, Bootle lined up as:
1. Tony Thompson
2. Jay Roberts
3. Michael Carberry
4. Sam Hughes
5. Scot Sephton
6. Anthony Miley
7. Sonny Hilton
8. Moses Yoak
9. Conor Harwood
10. Jake Burton
11. Ben Hodkinson

In Celtic’s last league match, the 2-2 home draw with Avro, Celtic lined up as:
1. Luke Hewitson
2. Scott Wara
3. Cole Lonsdale
4. Max Leonard
5. Connor O’Grady
6. Jack Tinning
7. Aaron Dwyer
8. Michael Brewster
9. Darius Osei
10. Darius Palma
11. Obua Mugalula

Celtic could go third with a win, level on points with second placed Prescot if results go our way. Prescot (away at Northwich) are three ahead, Runcorn (at home to Kidsgrove) are two ahead and Avro (at home to Witton) are level on points. Leek are now ten points ahead of us. If results don’t go our way, Bootle can leapfrog us, being three points behind and level on goal difference. Kidsgrove are two behind and Clitheroe (at home to Nantwich) three behind but with a superior goal difference.