Can Bootle-mania win over Town of Culture judges?

It may be more famous for producing footballers than poets or artists, but Bootle will be Sefton council's nominee for the title of UK Town of Culture.

The town, which was the birthplace of both Jamie Carragher and Alex Greenwood, is the first Merseyside location to throw its hat in the ring.

Council leader Marion Atkinson said she would be "getting her elbows out" to get Bootle nominated ahead of other towns with their eyes on the prize.

Atkinson said Bootle was starting to emerge as a real force in the local music scene, with the band Red Rum Club leading the way.

A mural of Red Rum Club was painted at Bootle's flagship venue Salt and Tar in 2024.

Atkinson said Bootle was an up-and-coming cultural destination which deserved to be on the map.

She said "it's got everything, it's got all the bells and whistles, it's got culture, it's got music – we are going to give it a good go."

The town's MP Peter Dowd said the bid was "a great idea".

He added: "Bootle's confidence to play a role in Merseyside's cultural heritage is there to be seen.

"I remember people from outside being sceptical of Liverpool's bid to be Capital of Culture. How wrong they were."

A visit to its weekly market revealed mixed opinions about whether Bootle should be awarded the title.

Marie, who did not want to give her surname, said Bootle "was so sad, not the thriving place it once was", and that a lack of disposable income would prevent people paying for art, music or theatre.

However, at his busy stall, baker Andy said the bid was a "good idea" and the town's potential to draw visitors to cultural events by using the canal had been proven by Salt and Tar.

Claire Morgans, chief executive of Ykids charity and children's bookshop Kingsley and Co, said she was fully backing the bid.

"Bootle has so much to offer. And culture isn't just opera," she said.

She added "I think there's a real entrepreneurship about Bootle, people make things happen".

Morgans founded a biennial children's literature festival in the town in 2013, and said she aimed to make it "like Hay-on-Wye for children".

"If a small village in Wales can attract the world's attention, why can't Bootle?" she said.

Bootle is mentioned in the Domesday book, and in the 19th century was competing with Liverpool for wealth and shipping.

Its architecture reflects its wealthy maritime history, though it was bombed heavily in the second world war.

The towns fortunes have risen and fallen with the shipping industry, and changes to the docks.

It can claim some notable figures from the world of entertainment: comedian Tom O'Connor, TV presenter Keith Chegwin, and rock n roll singer Billy J. Kramer.

The government's UK Town of Culture follows the City of Culture competition, which has been won by Hull, Coventry and Bradford in recent years.

The new competition is open to small, medium and large towns that offer a "vibrant cultural programme".

The government said the competition "brings local investment, creates a lasting sense of pride in towns, and opens doors to the arts for everyone".

Sir Phil Redmond, who was one of the driving forces behind Liverpool's European Capital of Culture programme in 2008, will lead an expert panel to select the winning town.

The government said the strongest bids would progress to a shortlist, with each shortlisted town receiving £60,000 to help deliver their full bids for the competition.

Three finalists - one small, one medium, one large town - will be chosen. The winner will be crowned UK Town of Culture 2028 and receive a £3m prize.

The deadline for expressions of interest for UK Town of Culture 2028 is 31 March, with the shortlist of towns expected to be announced in the spring.

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