Marine Association Football Club, nicknamed “The Mariners,” is a non-league football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside.
Established in 1894, they currently compete in the Vanarama National League North, which is part of the sixth tier of English football. The team calls Rossett Park their home ground.
Founded in 1894 by local businessmen and former college students, the club took its name from the Marine Hotel in Waterloo, near Liverpool. The club moved to its current ground, The Marine Travel Arena, in 1903. Initially competing in local leagues, Marine achieved early success with several titles and made a notable appearance in the FA Amateur Cup Final in 1931/32. After turning professional in 1974, the club won multiple Cheshire League Championships and joined the Northern Premier League in 1979/80, where they have since won the league twice and the League Cup four times.
Roly Howard, appointed as manager in 1972, holds the record for the longest managerial tenure, overseeing 1,975 games over 33 years, during which Marine won 30 trophies. Following Howard’s retirement in 2005, the club experienced several managerial changes with varying degrees of success, including Alvin McDonald, who led the team to the UniBond Premier play-offs, and Neil Young, who guided Marine to a notable FA Cup run in 2020/21, culminating in a match against Premier League Tottenham Hotspur. Marine’s performances in the FA Cup have seen them reach the 3rd Round twice and beat three Football League clubs.
Recent years have seen Marine continue to develop their facilities and community presence, earning accolades such as the Football Foundation Community Club of the Year. The installation of a FIFA Quality Pro 3G pitch and other infrastructure improvements have bolstered the club’s operations. Under Neil Young’s management, Marine achieved promotion back to the Northern Premier League Premier Division in 2021/22 and finished 9th in the 2022/23 season, while also winning the Liverpool Senior Cup for the eighth time. With increasing attendance and Young’s contract extended to 2027, Marine AFC is poised for further success.