Sponsors open new community space

Work started on the new multi-purpose community facility at the Marine Travel Arena less than eight weeks ago after the Premier Division club's successful appeal for much of the labor and building materials needed.

As well as a new home for fans and events on matchdays, the new facility will be used for a range of purposes from education and training to serving as a social venue for local charities and other organisations.

Marine chairman Paul Leary is pictured at last Saturday's official opening of The Tom Culshaw Boardroom before the Mariners hosted Nantwich Town by the club's main sponsor Dave Thompson from the Marine Travel Company, ten members of his staff travelling up from their headquarters in Canterbury in Kent to cut the ribbon in the presence of visiting directors from the Dabbers before their 2-1 success.

The Mariners are also planning to demolish an old timber building currently housing their shop, treatment room and groundsman’s store to make way for an extension of the car park and new stadium boundary fencing as part of a major makeover but still need to raise more funds through their ground appeal to complete the project.

Hailing the new facility at their stadium as fantastic news for the local community and appealing for more donations, Marine chairman Paul Leary said: “We are very proud of this new facility which has been built by tradesmen, all from Crosby and mainly from the College Road area.

"This has been a real community project providing a fantastic facility for local people, organisations and charities as well as for our own use on match days and for boardroom meetings.

"The total cost of the fit out of £12,000 is much less than anticipated due to the support given by the tradesmen involved but appeal funds at the moment do not quite cover that cost in addition to needing a further £6,000 for the demolition and fencing cost of the next stage of the project.”

Donations should be made payable to 'Marine FC Ground Appeal' and sent to Marine AFC Secretary Richard Cross at 74 Elvington Road, Hightown, Liverpool L38 9AN. Alternatively, donations can be made on line by at www.groundappeal.co.uk.

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