Marine FC’s £8m plans for 5k-capacity new ground in deal with national housebuilder

CGI of proposed new ground

Housebuilder, Bellway, will provide a new home for Crosby National League North team, Marine FC, in a pioneering partnership.

The two are working on a proposal for a 5,000-capacity new stadium for the club, linked to a 250-home Bellway housing development on Edge Lane, Thornton, north Liverpool.

Land owner, Craig Sneddon, has agreed to sell a 30-acre plot of land to Bellway, which will sell 8.32 acres to Marine, for just £1.

The national housebuilder has also agreed to gift £2.5m towards the total £8m cost of the new ground development.

Bellway will also fund most of the club’s pre-planning and full planning costs.

CGI of main stand

However, the future of the proposed new ground hinges on Bellway achieving planning permission from Sefton Council for the 21.68-acre housing scheme.

Marine FC chief executive, James Leary, said Bellway will submit its planning application by the end of the first quarter this year, with the aim of achieving full planning permission by the end of 2025. If so, construction of the new ground, including a 3G pitch, could begin in 2027.

The new stadium’s main stand would include a 20-bed hotel, five classrooms, a gym, bar and a health and wellbeing clinic housing doctors, a dentist, a physio and a community hub.

Up to 100 jobs could be created at the new site.

Mr Leary said construction would be a multi-stage build, dependent on funding the venture in the coming year. He appealed for support from the local community, with a Crowdfunder hoping to swell the coffers.

The club, founded in 1894, has played at its current three-sided 3,050-capacity Marine Travel Arena (MTA) ground, formerly Rossett Park, since 1903.

Unveiling the new plans, Mr Leary said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to safeguard the future of Marine FC for the next 100 years. If we didn’t do it now we might never ever do it.”

He added: “The support from the community as a whole is higher than it has ever been. The general opinion from a lot of people is that this could be the right time to do it.”

And he said: “It has been a long and painful process, but the deal that we have got with this current plot of land is unique.”

CGI of new ground

Marine launched a funding drive last May to develop a new 4,000 capacity ground, with several locations under consideration.

A total of 19 sites were identified across the borough before the Edge Lane plot became available.

The Mariners have undertaken a breathtaking period of growth since they captured the imagination of the footballing world after being drawn against the then Premier League leaders, Tottenham Hotspur, in the 3rd round of the FA Cup in January 2021.

Since then the club has enjoyed two promotions, joining the National League North for the first time in its history this season, funded by the financial windfall from the Spurs game.

Marine lost the tie 0-5, but raised £650,000, including the sale of 32,202 virtual tickets, as the match was played behind closed doors due to Covid restrictions.

Mr Leary said: “People locally, and people from every continent got behind us. Everybody wanted to feel a part of it because it was such a unique game.”

Among their backers were former Liverpool FC and England defender, Jamie Carragher, and Crosby-born retail guru, George Davis.

Mr Leary said Jamie Carragher provided £20,000 of sponsorship, while former Next boss Davis, phoned the club to make a donation.

The proceeds have paid for a £500,000 3G pitch at the current College Road ground and a £250,000 investment in bar and function room facilities.

Following the Spurs game the club’s average attendance has also soared, from 350 in 2020 to 1,400 last year, driving turnover from £350,000 in 2020 to around £1.8m.

The club’s social media following has also expanded, from 12,000 followers to more than 50,000.

The intention is to retain the current stadium which would operate as a training facility and community hub. Mr Leary said: “Most football clubs operate with two sites. Southport recently identified a separate site for training facilities.”

Marine estimates a new ground could generate a 25% increase in attendances and is actively courting an expanded fanbase from the borough.

Traditionally its fans are from the Crosby, Waterloo and Thornton areas, but the new location could appeal to the neighbouring Netherton and Litherland, Aintree, Maghull and Formby areas.

CGI of plans for reception area

Mr Leary said: “Our neutral name, Marine, will give us the benefit of attracting new support from other areas. We don’t want to lose any of our current fan base, but we want to grow our fan base from other areas.”

The Marine Travel Arena is within walking distance of Crosby & Blundellsands rail station. Mr Leary said Edge Lane’s location could be a challenge.

But the club proposes to lay on a Soccer Bus service from Crosby & Blundellsands to the new ground, which will also provide more than 300 car parking spaces.

National League North was a huge step up in footballing standards and the club is currently fighting to pull away from the relegation zone, but Mr Leary insisted the new stadium proposals are not dependent on retaining National League North status.

The proposed ground is also located on Green Belt land, but the CEO believes this can be overcome as football clubs are classed as recreation by local authorities.

Mr Leary added: “The work to making this a reality is far from complete and it will need to be a huge effort from everybody to ensure we can raise the funds to make it happen.

“I would like to thank Bellway Homes for their support and contribution so far. We still have a huge seven-figure sum to raise, though, and I would like to urge anybody who wants to get involved with the club in any way and help with the funding of the stadium to email me confidentially at ceo@marinefc.com

“I would also like to thank Sefton Council who have been supportive of the club from the outset.”

 

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