Marine

Marine FC is a non-league football club based in Crosby in Merseyside, a few miles north of Liverpool, that was formed in 1894. The club were formed following a meeting between former students and local businessmen at the Marine Hotel in Waterloo on the waterfront of the River Mersey.

Marine moved to Rossett Park in 1903 from Waterloo Park and they quickly made an impression in local football circles. In 1932, the 'Lillywhites' with the 'Mariners' being the clubs' other nickname) reached the final of the FA Amateur Cup, only to go down 7-1 to Dulwich Hamlet at the home of West Ham United in front of 22,000 fans.

The Mariners joined the otherwise all-professional Lancashire Combination in 1935 as an amateur club. They had limited success before moving to the Cheshire County League in 1969. The legendary figure of local window cleaner Roly Howard was appointed as manager in 1972. 

Howard went on to appear in the Guinness Book of Records as he amassed an amazing 1,975 games over thirty-three years as the club won thirty assorted trophies. The club turned semi-professional in 1974 and they progressed into the Northern Premier League in 1979. They lifted the league title in 1993-94 and 1994-95. 

In 1993 they reached the third round of the FA Cup, defeating Halifax Town and then Stafford Rangers before Crewe Alexandra ended the run with a 3-1 win. Wembley was nearly reached on a couple of occasions, but Marine went out in the semi-finals of the FA Trophy in 1983-84 and 1991-92.

Marine remained in the top flight of the Northern Premier League, missing out on promotion to the newly-formed Conference North in 2003-04 when they lost their playoff game to Burscough. Howard retired in 2005 to be replaced by Alvin McDonald whose side reached the playoffs in his first season in charge.

Promotion dreams were halted in the semifinal by Farsley Celtic. the following season saw defeat at the same stage to AFC Telford United. Kevin Lynch was named as the new manager in the summer of 2009 after a lengthy spell as interim boss. His assistant Phil Brazier replaced him at the end of the 2012-13 campaign.

The team narrowly avoided relegation twelve months later, leading to the appointment of Carl Macauley to take over team affairs. The appointment didn't work out and it was left to defender Sean Hessey as interim boss to lead the team to a miraculous escape from the drop. His work was rewarded by being given the permanent role ahead of the 2015-16 season.

Hessey's side won the NPL League Cup, defeating Scarborough Athletic in the final before Tommy Lawson was brought in as manager around eleven months later. In September 2018 Neil Young succeeded Lawson. His team was relegated, the first relegation in Marine's history, to Division One North West.

The board kept faith in Young. In 2020-21 the club reached the third round of the FA Cup for a second time after wins in the previous rounds against Colchester United and Havant & Waterlooville. They were rewarded with a home tie against Tottenham Hotspur, the problem being that it was during Covid restrictions with no fans allowed inside Rossett Park.

The club instead sold 32,202 virtual tickets to football fans who felt part of the action when watching the live TV coverage. it was proved to be a masterstroke as awareness of Marine rose in an instant which would help grow crowds once things got back to normal. The match ended in a 5-0 defeat but the cash raised paid for the 1895 Bar and Bistro to increase revenue streams.

In 2021-22 Workington and then Runcorn Linnets were defeated as Marine returned to the Premier Division of the NPL. The 2023-24 season also brought success through the same pathway as Warrington Rylands and then Macclesfield were seen off to gain promotion to the National League North.

The requirements for staging the higher level of football at Rossett Park with crowds never being higher along with having no space to expand led to Marine announcing plans in February 2025 for a new stadium. It would be built, subject to planning permission on Edge Lane in nearby Thornton.

Marine FC will compete in the National League North in the 2024-25 season.


My visit

Marine Youth Team 3 Nantwich Town Youth Team 2 (Sunday 16th October 2011) North West Youth Alliance (att: approx 30)

I was staying in nearby Waterloo for a few days to do some sightseeing and groundhopping. I awoke on a pleasant Sunday morning and decided to make the Arriva Stadium, or Rossett Park before sponsorship, my first call of the day.

After a brisk ten-minute walk from my excellent bed and breakfast lodgings, I stood outside a locked stadium. It looked extremely secure and I abandoned all plans of entering and put it off until the following day, when I hoped some club staff may have been about, or so I thought....

I had travelled on the Merseyrail up to Southport and then Burscough. My plans were flexible so I returned to have a look at Formby. My idea was to try again at Marine and then watch some of the Everton v Liverpool derby in a hostelry that would hopefully capture the passion of the occasion.

I returned to find the gates open and a match in progress. I knew Everton Ladies used the ground for their home games but that they charged admission so I ruled them out. I had a chat with a couple of friendly stewards who told me of the game in progress and welcomed me to wander around and take photos.

The ground was oozing with character and was extremely hemmed in, but neat and tidy. The College Road end had all the changing room and office facilities along with the clubhouse. The only seated stand was behind this goal along with some neat terracing. To the right-hand side, there was a low full-length cover over a narrow terrace. 

The other side of the pitch had only the dugouts and no spectator accommodation. The far Crossender Road End had neat open terracing. The match was keenly contested and play flowed from end to end at great speed. 

I resisted staying too long and instead, I went into the clubhouse where a packed audience was fairly quiet while being glued to the big match on TV. I had a pint before deciding to try the more animated atmosphere of the wonderful old-fashioned pub, The Edinburgh. There was hardly any room but the service was quick and the atmosphere superb.

I left after the game to head off for a brief siesta before enjoying the evening's activities. Liverpool city centre was like New Year's Eve with plenty in blue smiling and making the most of their victory!