Marine F.C.

1894–1970

The club was formed in 1894 by a group of local businessmen and former college students. Marine takes its name from a hotel on the River Mersey sea front at Waterloo, seven miles to the north of Liverpool city centre, where the founders of the club met. Marine moved to its present ground, Rossett Park, in 1903. In 1923, a Marine player won international honours for the first time when Robert Idwal Davies was selected in the Wales team to face Scotland. Davies was one of four debutants. Marine quickly won multiple titles in the I Zingari League and the Liverpool Combination. The club's greatest success as an amateur team in this period culminated in an FA Amateur Cup Final appearance in 1931–32, where they lost 7–1 to Dulwich Hamlet in front of a crowd of 22,000 fans at the Boleyn Ground. In 1935–36, the club moved to the all-professional Lancashire Combination and enjoyed limited success before moving to the Cheshire County League in 1969–70.

1970–2010

In 1972, Roly Howard was appointed first team manager. Over a 33-year period he completed 1,975 competitive games, before being forced out at the end of the 2004–05 season. He was recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the longest serving manager in world football as Marine enjoyed their most successful period, winning 30 trophies. The club relinquished its amateur status and became professional in 1974. Following this, three Cheshire League Championships were won in five seasons before…