Fans team up with club for awards

The EVO-STIK League Premier Division's Mariners sent out an open invitation to supporters and sponsors to join their players, coaching staff and their friends and families at the Marine Travel Arena after Saturday's play-off finals brought the curtain down on the campaign.

Taking place from 8pm in the Arriva Suite and hosted jointly by Marine's management committee and the Marine Supporters Association, the event will see a host of accolades handed out to both players and fans including Supporters' Player of the Season, Supporter of the Year and Young Supporter of the Year.

Mariners manager Tommy Lawson will also handing out his own managerial awards and chairman Paul Leary is looking forward to seeing a big turn out after the success they've enjoyed.

Leary said: “It is important that we stage this event to recognise the player’s efforts this season. All of the football staff and the team have worked hard throughout with the highlight being the FA Trophy run and getting to the final of the Liverpool Senior Cup for the first time in ten years.

The season’s first team shirts are also being auctioned to raise funds for Marine's ongoing ground appeal and the chairman added: "I hope that as many people turn up as possible to share in the excitement of the awards being presented by the MSA and the club to the players."

* Tommy Lawson is looking for a new number two and physio after sports therapist Chris Roberts and assistant-manager and former Prescot Cables boss Tony Sullivan left their roles over the weekend.

Lawson said: “Firstly, I’d like to thank Tony and Chris for their input over the last couple of years. They’ve both worked hard and done the jobs they were asked to do. Chris is spending a lot of time working down in London and was finding it difficult to cover midweek games, this became more of an issue at the back end of the season with all the games we had to fit in and obviously we need cover for all matches.

“Tony and I had an honest face to face chat, at the end of the day I’m responsible for the team and my backroom team and I felt it was time to freshen things up starting with my staff. That’s not in any way a criticism of Tony, who don’t forget was a manager himself before becoming my assistant and knows the challenges that the job can bring.

“I’m aware that Tony was popular with our fans but sometimes you have to make difficult decisions that you believe are the right ones for Marine. I am looking to fill the role quickly as we plan for next season and am hoping to announce a new assistant sooner rather than later."

He added: “Once again my thanks to both Tony and Chris and I wish them well wherever their career takes them."

Images courtesy of @MarineAFC/Twitter

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