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{{short description|Town in Merseyside, England}}
{{About|the town in Merseyside|the village in Cumbria|Bootle, Cumbria|other uses|Bootle (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox UK place
|official_name            = Bootle
|static_image_name        = Bootle Town Hall 2020-1.jpg
|static_image_caption     = Bootle Town Hall (2020)
|type                     = Town
|civil_parish             = Bracebridge Heath
|unitary_england          = [[Metropolitan Borough of Sefton|Sefton]]
|lieutenancy_england      = [[Merseyside]]
|metropolitan_borough     = [[Metropolitan Borough of Sefton|Sefton]]
|metropolitan_county      = [[Merseyside]]
|country                  = England
|region                   = North West England
|shire_county             = [[Lancashire]]
|shire_district           = [[Metropolitan Borough of Sefton|Sefton]]
 |parts_type = Districts of the town
 |p1 = [[Aintree]] (Village)
 |p2 = [[Ford, Merseyside|Ford]]
 |p3 = [[Kirkdale, Liverpool|Kirkdale]] (Part)
 |p4 = [[Litherland]] (Town)
 |p5 = [[Netherton, Merseyside|Netherton]]
 |p6 = [[Orrell, Merseyside|Orrell]]
 |p7 = [[Orrell Park]] (Part)
 |p8 = [[Seaforth, Merseyside|Seaforth]]
 |p9 = [[Waterloo, Merseyside|Waterloo]]
|area_total_sq_mi         = 
|area_total_km2           = 
|population               = 51,394
|population_ref           = (2011)<ref name=2011census/>
|coordinates              = {{coord|53.4457|-2.9891|display=inline,title}}
|os_grid_reference        = SJ340944
|london_distance_mi       = 179.78
|london_direction         = SE
|post_town                = BOOTLE
|postcode_area            = L
|postcode_district        = L20, L30
|dial_code                = 0151
|constituency_westminster = [[Bootle (UK Parliament constituency)|Bootle]]
|website 			      = {{URL|https://sefton.gov.uk}}
}}
'''Bootle''' (pronounced {{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|uː|t|əl|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Bootle.wav}}) is a town in the [[Metropolitan Borough of Sefton]], [[Merseyside]], England, which had a population of  51,394 in 2011;<ref name=2011census>{{cite news |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/php/uk-england-northwestengland.php?adm2id=E11000002 |title=Merseyside: Settlements|website=CityPopulation |access-date=18 February 2019}}</ref> the wider [[Bootle (UK Parliament constituency)|Parliamentary constituency]] had a population of 98,449. It is part of the [[Liverpool City Region]].<ref name="Liverpool City Region">{{cite web |title= Liverpool City Region |publisher = Office for National Statistics |url=https://explore-local-statistics.beta.ons.gov.uk/areas/E47000004-liverpool-city-region |access-date=26 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-city-region-explained-how-19427821 |title=Liverpool City Region explained and how it's different to Merseyside |date=28 December 2020 |publisher=Liverpool Echo |access-date=26 October 2024}}</ref>

Historically part of [[Lancashire]], Bootle's proximity to the Irish Sea and the industrial city of Liverpool to the south saw it grow rapidly in the 1800s, first as a dormitory town for wealthy merchants, and then as a centre of commerce and industry in its own right following the arrival of the railway and the expansion of the docks and shipping industries. The subsequent population increase was fuelled heavily by Irish migration.

The town was heavily damaged in [[World War II]] with air raids against the port and other industrial targets. Post-war economic success in the 1950s and 1960s gave way to a downturn, precipitated by a reduction in the significance of [[Liverpool Docks]] internationally, and changing levels of industrialisation, coupled with the development of modern suburbs and the expansion of industries into the Merseyside hinterlands. By the 1980s, there had been a sharp spike in unemployment and population decline. Large-scale renewal projects have begun to help regenerate the local economy.

==History==
===Toponymy===
[[Etymologically]], Bootle derives from the [[Old English|Anglo Saxon]] ''Bold'' or ''Botle'' meaning a dwelling.<ref>{{Cite web
 |title=Bootle History: Bootle Past
 |url=http://www.bootlehistory.com/bootle_past.html
 |access-date=10 November 2007
 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20071013082455/http://bootlehistory.com/bootle_past.html
 |archive-date=13 October 2007
 |url-status=dead
 |df=dmy
}}</ref>
It was recorded as ''Boltelai'' in the ''[[Domesday Book]]'' in 1086. By 1212 the spelling had been recorded as ''Botle''. The spellings ''Botull'', ''Bothull'' and ''Bothell'' are recorded in the 14th century. In the 18th century, it was known as Bootle cum Linacre.<ref name="bho">{{Cite book  | last1 = Farrer | first1 = W.  | last2 = Brownbill | first2 = J.  | title = 'Townships: Bootle', A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3  | pages = 31–35  | access-date =25 February 2016  | year = 1907  | url = https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp31-35}}</ref>

===Resort===
Bootle was originally a small [[Hamlet (place)|hamlet]] built near the 'sand hills' or [[dunes]] of the river [[estuary]]. In the early 19th century, it began to develop as a bathing [[resort]], attracting wealthy people from Liverpool.<ref name=photos>{{cite news |first=Janet |last=Tansley |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/bootle-remembered-brilliant-archive-photos-7373303 |title=In pictures: Bootle through the years in photos from the Echo archive |newspaper=Liverpool Echo |date=4 July 2014}}</ref> Some remaining large villas which housed well-to-do [[commuter]]s to Liverpool are located in the area known locally as 'Bootle Village', centred around the junction of Merton Road and Litherland Road.

===Development===
[[Image:Bootle civic buildings 2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Bootle Town Hall]]]]
[[Image:Bootle town hall 4.JPG|thumb|right|''Bootle-cum-Linacre'' inscription on the town hall's external stonework]]
The [[Liverpool, Crosby and Southport Railway]] arrived in the 1840s and Bootle experienced rapid growth. By the end of the 19th century<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.merseyreporter.com/history/historic/dockseaforth/index.shtml |title=Merseyside History, Seaforth Dock|publisher=Mersey Reporter}}</ref> [[Port of Liverpool|the docks]] had been constructed along the whole of the river front as far as Seaforth Sands to the north. The town became heavily industrialised. Fearful of annexation by Liverpool, Bootle was incorporated as a [[municipal borough]] in 1868<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1GOWTUYFPRQC&q=bootle+docks&pg=PA244|title=Town, City, and Nation|isbn=9780192891631|last1=Waller|first1=Philip J.|last2=Waller|first2=P. J.|year=1983|publisher=Oxford University Press }}</ref> under the [[Municipal Corporations Act 1835]], and in 1889 was granted the status of a [[county borough]] by the [[Local Government Act 1888]], becoming independent from the [[administrative county]] of [[Lancashire]]. During this time period it was sometimes formally known as ''Bootle-cum-Linacre''. [[Orrell, Sefton|Orrell]] was added to the borough in 1905. There are still large areas of [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] terraced houses in Bootle, formerly occupied by dock workers. These are built in distinctive pressed red brick.

[[Bootle Town Hall]] and other municipal buildings were erected in the last quarter of the 19th century. The population of the town swelled during this period, boosted in large part by Irish immigration and the attraction of plentiful work on the docks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.merseyreporter.com/history/historic/irish-immigration.shtml |title=Merseyside History, Irish Immigration in Liverpool|publisher=Mersey Reporter}}</ref> The wealth to pay for the splendour of the town hall and the gentrified 'Bootle Village' area was generated by these docks. The skilled workers lived in terraced houses in the east of the town, while the casual dock labourers lived in cramped, dwellings near the dockside. Stories about three streets in particular, Raleigh Street, Dundas Street and Lyons Street, caused great alarm. Lyons Street, the scene of the 'Teapot Murder', was renamed Beresford Street shortly before the [[First World War]].<ref name=photos/>

Bootle was the first borough to elect its own [[School boards in England and Wales|school board]], following the passage of [[William Edward Forster|William Forster]]'s [[Elementary Education Act 1870]]. In 1872 Dr R.J. Sprakeling was appointed the first Medical Officer of Health, and was instrumental in improving sanitary conditions in the town. The Metropole Theatre on Stanley Road played host to stars such as [[music hall]] singer [[Marie Lloyd]].  Tree lined streets surrounded magnificent open spaces, such as Derby Park, North Park and South Park. [[Roman Catholic]] and [[Anglican]] churches sprang up all over the town, and [[Welsh people|Welsh]] immigration brought with it [[Nonconformist (Protestantism)|Nonconformist]] chapels and the [[temperance movement]]. Local societies thrived, including sports teams, [[scouting|scouts]] and musical groups. The Bootle May Day carnival and the crowning of the [[May Queen]] were highlights of the social year. The town successfully fought against absorption by neighbouring Liverpool in 1903. It subsequently made good use of its [[Latin]] motto ''Respice, Aspice, Prospice'', ("look to the past, the present, the future").<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/bootle-remembered-brilliant-archive-photos-7373303|title= In pictures: Bootle through the years in photos from the Echo archive|publisher=Liverpool Echo|date=4 July 2014|access-date=24 November 2020}}</ref>

===Second World War===
The docks made Bootle a target for [[Nazi German]] [[Luftwaffe]] bombers during the [[Liverpool Blitz]] of the [[Second World War]], with approximately 90% of the houses in the town damaged.<ref>{{Cite web
   | title = Liverpool Blitz: Buildings damaged in the May Blitz
   | url = http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/nof/blitz/0500_info.html
   | publisher = Liverpool Museums
   | access-date = 9 November 2007
   | url-status = dead
   | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929091707/http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/nof/blitz/0500_info.html
   | archive-date = 29 September 2007
   | df = dmy-all
   }}
</ref>
Situated immediately adjoining the city of Liverpool, and the site of numerous docks, Bootle had the distinction of being the most heavily bombed borough in the UK,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/liverpool-blitz/liverpool-blitz-stories/2011/05/03/50-bombs-dropped-on-bootle-as-adolf-hitler-attacked-town-100252-28601102/|title=50 bombs dropped on Bootle as Adolf Hitler attacked town|work=Liverpool Echo|date=3 May 2011|access-date=28 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merseyfire.gov.uk/Historical/blitzCronology2.htm|title=Blitz Chronology|work=Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service|access-date=28 November 2015}}</ref> with 458 civilian deaths from enemy action recorded within the borough.<ref>{{cite web|last=CWGC|title=Civilian War Dead, Bootle County Borough|url=https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/4004222/bootle-county-borough/|website=[[Commonwealth War Graves Commission]]|access-date=2023-10-06}}</ref> Bootle played an important role in the [[Battle of the Atlantic]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/26/a1135126.shtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120803013958/http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/26/a1135126.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 August 2012 |title=People's War: Bombed Out in Bootle and Evacuated|publisher=BBC}}</ref> 

[[Royal Navy]]'s Captain [[Frederic John Walker]], the famous [[U-boat]] hunter, would rest in the Mayor's Parlour of Bootle Town Hall and his ships, [[HMS Stork (L81)|HMS ''Stork'']] and [[HMS Starling (U66)|HMS ''Starling'']], sailed out of [[Gladstone Dock]] Bootle. Memorabilia associated with Walker including the ships's bell from HMS ''Starling'' which was presented to Bootle County Borough Council on 21 October 1964 by Admiral Sir [[Nigel Henderson]] Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/sefton-celebrate-spirit-johnnie-walker-12157692|title=Sefton to celebrate the spirit of Johnnie Walker by offering HMS Mersey freedom of the borough|date=11 November 2016|publisher=Liverpool Echo|access-date=23 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://postimg.cc/ZvyVkfVC |title=Worth its Weight in Solid Silver|date=19 December 1969|publisher=Bootle Times Herald| access-date=23 November 2020}}</ref> can be viewed in [[Bootle Town Hall]].

===Post-war===
After the Second World War large [[Public housing|council housing]] estates were built inland from the town centre, including the area of [[Netherton, Merseyside|Netherton]], which was built on [[new town]] principles. The [[Liverpool Overhead Railway]] and [[Liverpool Tramways Company]] closure in the 1950s reduced Bootle's connection to Liverpool.

Bootle did share in the postwar boom. The centre of the town was redeveloped and the 'Bootle New Strand' shopping centre was opened in 1968. At the same time, new offices were built in the town centre. The town lost its access to the beach when neighbouring Seaforth Sands was redeveloped in the early 1970s, but the [[Seaforth Dock|Seaforth Container Port]] brought new jobs into the area. The local authority, and other 'social' landlords, saw to it that new housing was built and older stock renovated. Bootle did not go down the route of massive housing clearance, and many local communities remained intact.

The borough celebrated its centenary in 1968 and civic pride was much in evidence.

===Decline===
The docks declined in importance in the 1960s and 1970s,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.touruk.co.uk/merseyside/bootle.htm|title=Bootle tourist information|publisher=Tour UK|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090313072654/http://www.touruk.co.uk/merseyside/bootle.htm|archive-date=13 March 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and Bootle suffered high unemployment and a declining population. The establishment of large office blocks housing government departments and the [[Girobank|National Girobank]] provided employment, filled largely by middle-class people from outside the Bootle/Liverpool area. In the early 1970s Bootle was absorbed into the new local authority of Sefton under local government reorganisation.<ref name=photos/> More fundamental than political change was economic change. The very reason for Bootle's existence, the access to the Mersey, became almost irrelevant as the docks closed and the new container port required far fewer workers than the old docks had. This in turn affected practically every other industry in the town. The problems slowly gathered pace until Merseyside hit crisis point in the early 1980s. Even by 2006 the area was one of the poorest in the country and had high levels of unemployment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/shippingports/ports/ir/seaforthriver?page=13|title=Seaforth River terminal harbour revision order|publisher=Department for Transport|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327170148/http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/shippingports/ports/ir/seaforthriver?page=13|archive-date=27 March 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

===Regeneration===
[[Asda]] heavily invested in Bootle by building a new eco-friendly superstore on Strand Road in 2008. Among refurbishment and rebuilding projects in the 2010s, the [[Health and Safety Executive|HSE]] buildings and the new-look Stanley Road have been created,<ref name=photos/> Oriel Road Station has been refurbished, and a new block of flats on the site of the Stella Maris building and a [[Lidl]] store on Stanley Road have been built. The Klondyke Estate located off Hawthorne road saw the Welsh terrace houses get demolished and replaced with two-, three-, and four-bed modern houses. This was after the controversial move by Bellway after residents opposed demolition.<ref>Echo</ref> Sefton Council submitted a bid to the Government's Levelling UP Fund in July for £20 million to underpin a regeneration scheme to transform Bootle town centre. The outcome of the fund is expected to be announced in 2023.<ref>Echo</ref> In March 2023, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced, as part of the Spring Budget, a £58 million fund for "Capital Levelling Up", of which £20 million has been allocated to the first phase of repurposing the Strand shopping centre and wider transformation of Bootle Town Centre.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tague |first=Neil |date=2023-03-15 |title=Budget 2023 {{!}} £120m for North West regen |url=https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/stockport-secures-20m-boost-for-marple-leisure/ |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=Place North West |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In November 2016, [[Liverpool2]] was opened, expanding Seaforth Docks with river berths that can accommodate large container ships.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Deep sea container port opens to ships |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-merseyside-37866804 |access-date=2024-09-05 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

===Unemployment===
The economic recovery on [[Merseyside]] since the 1980s has meant that Bootle is ranked as only the tenth worst area for unemployment in Britain, and all other parts of the region have lower unemployment—a stark contrast to the 1970s and 1980s when areas of Merseyside dominated the list of Britain's least economically active areas. As of 2009, in the depth of a [[Late 2000s recession|recession]], unemployment stood at 12%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.virginmedia.com/jobs/features/uk-unemployment-blackspots.php?ssid=1|title=Virgin Media}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 2022, it was reduced to less than 4%, similar to the national average.{{Cn|date=September 2024}}

==Geography and administration==
Bootle Docks was created as a part of the [[Mersey Docks and Harbour Board|Mersey Docks]] and now promoted as [[Port of Liverpool]], with the Liverpool and [[Wirral Peninsula|Wirral]] Docks, being located on both bank sides of the [[River Mersey]]. Bootle Docks are situated at the northern end, that is closer to the [[Irish Sea]] estuary.

Bootle, along with [[Southport]], is one of the two main administrative headquarters for the [[Metropolitan Borough of Sefton]]. Among Bootle's neighbouring districts are [[Kirkdale, Liverpool|Kirkdale]] to the south, [[Walton, Merseyside|Walton]] to the east, with [[Seaforth, Merseyside|Seaforth]], [[Litherland]] and Netherton to the north. To the west it is bounded by the [[River Mersey]]. In the centre is a sizeable area of large office blocks, and the [[Leeds and Liverpool Canal]].

The old civic centre of Bootle contains large [[Victorian era|Victorian]] buildings such as the [[town hall]] and the municipal [[Public bathing|baths]]. To the north lies the [[New Strand Shopping Centre]], which gained notoriety after the abduction and murder of two-year-old [[James Patrick Bulger|James Bulger]] in 1993.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/01/07/james-bulgers-mother-reveals-biggest-regret-25-years-murder/ |title='If I'd turned right instead of left, I'd have saved his life': James Bulger's mother reveals her regret 25 years on |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=7 January 2018 }}</ref>

==Sport and Leisure==
===Football===
Bootle has one [[association football]] non-league team known as [[Bootle F.C.]] who currently play in the [[Northern Premier League]] Division One West. They are a reformed version of the original [[Bootle F.C. (1879)]].

===Cricket===
Bootle Cricket Club was founded in 1933 and they incorporated Firwood into the club's name in the 1990s.<ref name="Founded in 1833">{{cite web |url=https://firwoodbootlecricketclub.com/founded-in-1833/ |title=Founded in 1833 |website=firwoodbootlecricketclub.com |publisher=Bootle CC |date=14 February 2021 |access-date=10 March 2024}}</ref> Their main ground is on Wadham Road.<ref name="Club Play-Cricket">{{cite web |url=https://bootle.play-cricket.com/Aboutus |title=About Us |website=bootle.play-cricket.com |publisher=Firwood Bootle CC |access-date=10 March 2024}}</ref> Firwood Bootle CC has a significant success record, with 6 [[Liverpool and District Cricket Competition]] championship titles to their name.<ref name="L&DCC">{{cite web |url=https://ldcc.play-cricket.com/home |title=Liverpool and District Cricket Competition |website=ldcc.play-cricket.com |publisher=L&DCC |access-date=10 March 2024}}</ref>
    
Bootle field three senior teams that compete in the [[Liverpool and District Cricket Competition]]<ref name="L&DCC" /> and they have an established junior training section that play competitive cricket in the Liverpool Competition Junior League.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://lcjl.play-cricket.com/home |title=Liverpool Competition Junior League |website=lcjl.play-cricket.com |publisher=LCJL |access-date=10 March 2024}}</ref>
[[File:Hugh_Baird_College_Bootle_from_South_Park.jpg|thumb|right|Hugh Baird College (2020)]]
==Education==
The town has one [[further education]] college, [[Hugh Baird College]], located on Balliol Road. The college delivers over 300 courses to more than 7,000 students with course levels from Entry Level to Level 3, A Levels, apprenticeships and university level courses and degrees.

In January 2014, a multimillion-pound facility called the L20 Building located on Stanley Road was opened. This houses a dedicated University Centre with open-plan study areas for students studying University level courses.

==Transport==
[[File:Bootle Bus Station - geograph.org.uk - 1537086.jpg|thumb|Bootle bus station]]
There are two railway stations served by frequent electric services from Liverpool to Southport. These are [[Bootle Oriel Road railway station|Oriel Road]] near the [[Victorian era]] civic centre, and [[Bootle New Strand railway station|New Strand]], serving the shopping centre. A third railway station is situated on the boundary of Bootle (Old Roan), and is part of the Liverpool to Ormskirk Line. A goods line, the [[Canada Dock Branch|Bootle Branch]], is still in use, but it used to be a passenger line which had a station at [[Bootle Balliol Road railway station]] and served the areas of [[Clubmoor]], [[Tuebrook]] and [[Childwall]] among other places. It closed during the 1960s. Called the [[Canada Dock Branch]], a second route, the [[North Mersey Branch]] could still be opened.{{citation needed|date=July 2013}}

The bus station is under the New Strand Shopping Centre and provides services to [[Liverpool City Centre]], [[Penny Lane, Liverpool|Penny Lane]], [[Allerton, Liverpool|Allerton]], [[Tuebrook]] and [[Crosby, Merseyside|Crosby]].

Bootle Docks used to host passenger ships to [[Belfast]] and [[Dublin]], but now it is used solely for freight services, and it is somewhat less important than the port of Liverpool.

==Amenities==
The town has a [[leisure centre]], located in the North Park area, which includes a modern gym, swimming pool, and various indoor sports halls. The Bootle New Strand shopping centre contains many of the regular high street stores, combined with a smaller collection of local businesses. For entertainment there is a wide variety of [[public house]]s, [[snooker]] clubs and late-night bars. There are also a number of restaurants.

==Politics==
Originally a Conservative seat, Bootle elected early MPs such as [[Bonar Law]], a future Tory Prime Minister. The seat was briefly [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]] in the early 1920s. [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] first captured the seat in 1929, in the personage of local hairdresser [[John Kinley]], but lost it in 1931. Although Kinley recaptured it in 1945 it did not become safely Labour until the long tenure of [[Simon Mahon]]. It is now impregnable, politically, and since 1997 the [[Bootle (UK Parliament constituency)|Bootle]] constituency has been one of the safest Labour Party seats in the whole of the United Kingdom. The area was represented in parliament by [[Joe Benton]] until he stood down in 2015. The current MP is [[Peter Dowd]].

For elections to [[Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council|Sefton Council]] the town of Bootle is split between the [[Ward (country subdivision)|electoral wards]] of [[Netherton and Orrell (ward)|Netherton and Orrell]], whose three representatives, are all members of the Labour Party, and are Susan Ellen Bradshaw, Ian Ralph Maher and Tom Spring. [[Derby (ward)|Derby]], whose three representatives are Brenda O'Brien, David Robinson and Anne Thompson and are all members of the Labour Party, and finally [[Linacre (ward)|Linacre]] whose three representatives, are all members of the Labour Party, and are John Fairclough, Christine Maher, and Daniel McKee. Overall there are nine councillors representing the Bootle area, all of them are members of the Labour Party.
Overall the electoral wards of Sefton Council in and around Bootle and the parliamentary constituency itself are extremely safe seats for the Labour Party, sometimes standing uncontested by the other parties.

==Notable people==
{{main|List of people from Bootle}}
Many notable [[association football|footballers]] were born in Bootle. [[Jamie Carragher]],<ref>{{soccerbase|9709}}</ref> [[Steve McManaman]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lfchistory.net/player_profile.asp?player_id=371|title=Steve McManaman|publisher=www.lfchistory.net|access-date=17 January 2008}}</ref> and [[Roy Evans]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lfchistory.net/player_profile.asp?player_id=296|title=Roy Evans|publisher=www.lfchistory.net|access-date=17 January 2008}}</ref> came to prominence playing for [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] (with Evans later going on to become the club's manager) whilst [[Alvin Martin]]<ref>{{Englandstats|ref=y|951|Alvin Martin|access-date=17 January 2008}}</ref> is regarded as one of [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]]'s greatest-ever players. Former Evertonian [[Jose Baxter]] of Sheffield United was also born in Bootle.<ref>{{cite news |first=Phil |last=Kirkbride |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ex-everton-player-jose-baxter-11366067 |title=Ex-Everton player Jose Baxter released by club |newspaper=Liverpool Echo |date=21 May 2016 }}</ref> [[England women's national football team|England Lioness]] and [[Manchester City W.F.C.|Manchester City]] player [[Alex Greenwood]] grew up playing on the streets of Bootle.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Association |first=The Football |title=Alex Greenwood's grassroots story |url=https://www.englandfootball.com/articles/2022/Jul/28/alex-greenwood-grassroots-story-20220728 |access-date=2022-09-07 |website=www.englandfootball.com |language=en}}</ref>

In the arts, Bootle has produced the comedian [[Tom O'Connor (comedian)|Tom O'Connor]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tomoconnor.co.uk/pages/index.html|title=The Legendary Tom O'Connor|publisher=www.tomoconnor.co.uk|access-date=17 January 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080121080625/http://www.tomoconnor.co.uk/pages/index.html|archive-date=21 January 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref> the television presenter [[Keith Chegwin]],<ref>{{cite news |first=Francesca |last=Fitzsimmons |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/showbiz-news/keith-chegwin-hurt-vile-joke-10997646 |title=Keith Chegwin hurt by 'vile' joke at expense of his dead mum |newspaper=Liverpool Echo |date=6 March 2016 }}</ref> television producer and presenter [[Will Hanrahan]] and early [[rock and roll]] singer [[Billy J. Kramer]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.45-rpm.org.uk/dirb/billyjk.htm|title=Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas|publisher=www.45-rpm.org.uk|access-date=17 January 2008}}</ref> The fashion retailer [[George Davies (retailer)|George Davies]] was educated in Bootle.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.liverpool08.com/News/Archive/2007/MarApr07/08CitySignsUpGeorge.asp |title=08 City signs up George |publisher=www.liverpool08.com |date=23 March 2007 |access-date=17 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010163012/http://www.liverpool08.com/News/Archive/2007/MarApr07/08CitySignsUpGeorge.asp |archive-date=10 October 2007 |url-status=usurped |df=dmy }}</ref>

[[John C. Wells]], linguist. He was born in Bootle.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/wells/cv.htm |title=Professor J.C. WELLS: brief curriculum vitae  |publisher=Phonetics and Linguistics, University College London |access-date=29 April 2018 }}</ref>

[[Derek Acorah]], psychic medium. He was born in Bootle.<ref>{{cite news |first=Una |last=Brankin |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/news/derek-acorah-im-accused-of-showmanship-but-i-just-try-to-be-bright-and-positive-on-the-stage-31571841.html |title=Derek Acorah: 'I'm accused of showmanship but I just try to be bright and positive on the stage' |newspaper=Belfast Telegraph |date=1 October 2015 |type=interview }}</ref>

<!-- [[Alex Smith (ice hockey)|Alex Smith]], a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 11 seasons in the [[National Hockey League]], was born in Bootle.
 -->
[[Paul Nuttall]], former Leader of the [[UK Independence Party]]. He was born in Bootle.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-38062589|title=Paul Nuttall: The new leader of UKIP |work=BBC News |date=28 November 2016 |access-date=5 March 2017}}</ref>

[[Sergiusz Pinkwart]], writer, journalist, traveler, Magellan Award winner. He lives in Bootle.

[[Pat Kelly (trade unionist)|Pat Kelly]], [[New Zealand]] trade unionist. He was born and raised in Bootle.

==Mayors==
{{div col}}
*Charles Howson, 1869
*Thomas P. Danson, 1870
*William Geves, 1870–1874
*George Barnes, 1874
*Thomas P. Danson, 1875–76
*Louis W. Heintz, 1877 (Conservative)
*J. Newell, 1878 (Conservative)
*John P. McArthur, 1879 (Conservative)
*James Webster, 1882 (Liberal)
*James Webster (Liberal, re-elected in November 1883, supported by both Liberals and Conservatives)
*James Leslie, 1884 (Liberal)
*Matthew Hill, 1885 (Liberal)
*William Jones, 1886 ("Klondike Bill")
*John Wells, 1888
*Benjamin Cain, 1889 (Liberal)
*John Vicars, 1890–91
*William Thomas, 1892
*Benjamin Sands Johnson, 1893–94
*Isac Alexander Mack, 1895–96 (Liberal)
*John McMurray, 1897
*William Robert Brewster, 1898 (Conservative)
*George Lamb, 1899 (Liberal)
*Peter Ascroft JP, 1900 (Conservative but elected with unanimous cross-party support)
*George Samuel Wild, 1901
*William Henry Clemmey, 1902 (Conservative)
*James Julius Metcalf, 1903
*Owen Kendrick Jones, 1904 (son of William Jones, Mayor, 1886)
*Robert Edward Roberts, 1905
*Alfred Rutherford, 1906
*James Person, 1907
*George Randall, 1908
*Hugh Carruthers, 1909
*James Roger Barbour, 1910
*John William Edwin Smith, 1911
*William Henry Clemmey, 1912 (Conservative)
*John Rafter, 1913
*George Alexander Cassady, 1914
*James Pearson, 1915
*Benjamin Edward Bailey, 1916
*James Pearson, 1917
*Harry Pennington, 1918–19
*John Henry Johnston, 1920–21
*Thomas Alfred Patrick, 1922
*Robert Turner, 1923
*Birty Wolfenden, 1924
*Thomas Harris, 1925
*Frederick William King, 1926
*Edmund Gardner, 1927–28
*Simon Mahon, 1929, first Catholic Mayor of Bootle, father of MPs [[Peter Mahon (politician)|Peter]] and [[Simon Mahon]]<ref>''Bootle Times'', 12 May 1961, "Bootle loses a great worker by the death of Alderman Simon Mahon".</ref>
*Donald Samuel Eaton, 1930
*Arthur Hankey, 1931
*James Scott, 1932
*Maurice Stanley Webster, 1933
*Edwin Smith, 1934
*John William Clark, 1935
*James Burnie, 1936
*James O'Neill, 1937
*Nicholas Cullen, 1938 (Labour) 
*James Spence, 1939
*Joseph Sylvester Kelly, 1940 (Labour) 
*James Stubbs Riley, 1941
*Richard Owen Jones, 1942
*George Alfred Rogers, 1943
*William Keenan, 1944 (Labour) 
*John Thomas Hackett, 1945
*Harry Oswald Cullen, 1946
*Thomas Harris, 1947–48
*Charles G Anderson, 1949 (Conservative) 
*David Berger Black, 1950 (Conservative) 
*Robert James Rogerson, 1951 (Conservative) 
*Mark Connolly, 1952 (Labour) 
*Robert J Rainford, 1953 (Conservative) 
*[[Peter Mahon (politician)]], 1954 (Labour) 
*Thomas A Cain JP, 1955 (Labour) 
*Dr Israel Harris JP, 1956 (Labour) 
*Albert Sidney Moore JP, 1957 (Labour) 
*John Cyril Hevey, 1958 (Labour) 
*Hugh Baird, 1959 (Labour) 
*Joseph Samuel Kelly, 1960 (Labour) 
*Joseph Sylvester Kelly, 1961 (Labour) 
*[[Simon Mahon]] Jr., 1962 (Labour) 
*John Morley, 1963 (Labour)
*Thomas E Dooley, 1964 (Labour)
*Griff Williams, 1965 (Labour)
*James Grimley, 1966 (Labour)
*Veronica Bray, 1967 (Labour)
*Oliver Ellis, 1968 (Conservative) 
*Harold Gee, 1969 (Conservative) 
*Fred Morris, 1970 (Conservative) 
*George Halliwell, 1971 (Conservative) 
*John Marray, 1972 (Labour)
*William A Wiseman, 1973 (Labour)
{{div col end}}

==See also==
* [[Listed buildings in Bootle]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
*

{{Metropolitan Borough of Sefton}}
{{Merseyside}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Bootle| ]]
[[Category:Liverpool Urban Area]]
[[Category:Towns and villages in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton]]
[[Category:Towns in Merseyside]]
[[Category:Unparished areas in Merseyside]]