It’s another two games in two days affair for Sports as they play two games with second one beginning not even 24 hours after the first one. On Friday night John McGrath will take his side across to Staffordshire to face old Burton Albion team mate Ryan Austin who’s team are also in preparations for their season in the new Division One West League of the Northern Premier League. Then we head over the other end of the A50 a mater of hours later on Saturday to Nottinghamshire to face Carlton Town as they also prepare for a new league in the Division One East of the Northern Premier League.

Press & Media Officers Sam & Kerry Goldsworthy spoke with Sports Boss John McGrath about his thoughts on the up and coming games and about meeting up with his old Brewers team mate Ryan Austin…

Were you happy with the Huddersfield Friendly?
“Yes delighted with the performance from all involved. Our work rate was exceptionally good and we played the game at a very high tempo. Another game unbeaten and that’s great to take in to the next two games and obviously into the start of the season”.

How good will it be to see Kidsgrove manager Ryan Austin on Friday night?
“It’s always great to see my old team mates and Ryan was and still is a great pal of mine. He’s doing a great job at Kidsgrove and I am looking forward to seeing him Friday night”.

What would you say are your best memories of playing alongside Ryan at Burton?
“Ryan had unbelievable pace and a rocket of a right boot and was always one to give 100% and was a pivotal part in our conference winning team and established himself as a regular stater in our league football campaigns”.

What kind of test will both Kidsgrove & Carlton give your side a week before the season?
“It will be a different test to what Huddersfield posed us. They will be physical and aggressive and I except both teams to compete for a full 90 mins. It will be a great ending to our pre season campaign playing teams only one division below us”.

Will you be splitting the sides like you did for RBL & Heanor or differently this time?
“I am going to speak to our club physio Jake Shaw and assess and monitor who is 100% fit for the games. Obviously the most important thing is players are ready for the 18th August away at Staylebridge Celtic so I’ve not finalised the squads just yet”.

GOING TO THE GAMES?
Kidsgrove Athletic vs Mickleover Sports – Friday 10th August 2018 7:30pm KO
35 Hollinwood Road, Kidsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST7 1BQ

Carlton Town vs Mickleover Sports – Saturday 11th August 2018 3pm KO
Stoke Lane, Carlton, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG4 2QS

NOT GOING TO THE GAMES?
Then don’t worry, Press & Media Officers Sam & Kerry Goldsworthy will be there updating you via Twitter, Facebook & of course will have reaction on Mickleover Sports TV (Youtube after the game).

South Shields are the focus of today’s 21 in 21.

When do we play them?

Home: Saturday 2nd February
Away: Saturday 17th November

Name: South Shields
Nickname: The Mariners
Founded: 1888
Ground: Mariners Park
Manager: Graham Fenton & Lee Picton
Home Kit: Burgundy & Blue
Away Kit: Blue & White
2017-2018 – Northern Premier League – Division One North – 1st – Champions

Club History:

The club was formed in the same year as the previous club failed, after a second move to Gateshead by the previous club, and the sale of Simonside Hall, given to the club by supporters. The re-formed club under chairman Martin Ford (a director at the club who disagreed with the sale of Simonside Hall and subsequent move to Gateshead International Stadium) was based at the council’s Jack Clark Park, and began a 17-year crusade for a home of its own.

After two title winning seasons in the Northern Alliance, and an appearance in the quarter-finals of the FA Vase in 1976, Shields joined the Wearside League winning the league at the first attempt in 1977 and completing a league and cup double by winning the Durham Challenge Cup against Consett at Roker Park, the first county cup win for the club since the reformation. The team however was broken up as the club did not have the facilities needed to meet the requirements of joining the Northern League. So the club spent the next 15 years languishing in mid table in the Wearside League while the club searched for a suitable home.

Ultimately, chairman John Rundle and his family provided the long wished-for new ground by purchasing the run down and vandalized facilities next door to the Filtrona factory, the ground was refurbished and ready for use in 1992, the team thanks to the management of Bobby Elwell and the goals of striker Steve Harkus responded by winning a double of the Wearside League for the first time since 1977 and the Sunderland Shipowners Cup.

In 1994–95 the club won the Wearside League for the second time in three years (with a big highlight being a run to the final of the Durham Challenge Cup, in which Filtrona Park hosted the replay which Shields lost 3-0 to Spennymoor United in front of a record attendance 0f 1’500), and were promoted to Northern League Division Two. Shields were quickly promoted again to Northern League Division One the following season after finishing runners up, The club enjoyed a 4 year stay in the 1st division with a big highlight in that time being a run to the 3rd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup in 1997 which ended in a close 3-2 defeat at Gainsborough Trinity. The club however could not build upon this and ultimately were relegated down to Division 2 in the 1999-2000 season with just 16 points. Chairman John Rundle publicly threatened to fold the club if they went down, though he did not follow the threat through.

After several seasons stuck in mid table in Division Two, John Rundle again threatened the club with closure in 2006, locking the gates at Filtrona Park before a home game. However, a new committee was formed, headed by new chairman Gary Crutwell, and the club was saved, the team was quickly rebuilt under the management of Micky Taylor and come the end of the season, a 2-1 win at home to Penrith on the final day prevented relegation back to the Wearside League. The club’s performance improved the following season, although the team missed out on promotion by just 5 points. An FA Vase run to the 3rd round that season was a big highlight, coming to end in a 7 goal thriller at home to eventual semi-finalists Curzon Ashton. The club however built on the success of the previous season and won promotion back to Division 1 finishing runners-up to Penrith. Shields then settled down as a solid mid-table Division one side with a big highlight being winning the Northern League Cup in 2010 after beating Ashington 6–5 on penalties after a 2–2 draw at Dunston, the club’s first honour since joining the Northern League.

In the 2012–13 season, despite uncertainty regarding the ground, there were early positive signs shown in a good FA Cup run which included a win over Darlington RA and knocking out NPL opposition in the form of Harrogate Railway Athletic before falling to Spennymoor Town in the 1st Qualifying Round. From then on, the season went downhill, despite some positive performances, these were few and far between and despite a late season charge of 5 successive wins, Shields were ultimately relegated from Northern League Division One. Things took a turn for the worse when the club were forced to move to Eden Lane in Peterlee, after its lease on Filtrona Park expired.

The club spent the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons in Division Two of the Northern League, despite having to play home games 20 miles away in Peterlee in front of double digit crowds and difficulties when it came to raising teams to play, manager Jon King still managed to maintain the club’s Northern League status with 17th and 15th place finishes.
In the summer of 2015 however, a local businessman by the name of Geoff Thompson bought the original Filtrona Park from John Rundle, moved the club back in, renamed the ground Mariners Park and became the new club chairman. To celebrate the return, a crowd of over 650 showed up to see Shields play a friendly against Darlington. The new season itself started off brightly with genuine hopes for promotion back to Division 1 before the club pulled off a coup, tempting the former Sunderland and Middlesbrough midfielder Julio Arca out of retirement to sign for South Shields and become a massive part of Jon King’s reconstruction of the team.

Arca was joined by the likes of former Hartlepool United forward David Foley and ex Gateshead and Spennymoor midfielder Wayne Phillips as well as the return of the likes of Leepaul Scroggins and Robert Briggs to name but a few. Shields went on to achieve promotion with a new division record of 107 points. Attendances slo improved massively as the club were beginning to generate a positive buzz around the town peaking with a then new Filtrona/Mariners Park record attendance of 1,827 for the local derby against Hebburn Town.

The rebuilding continued in the summer with further additions, the likes of Jon Shaw, Gavin Cogdon, Carl Finnigan and Craig Baxter (to name but a few) were brought in as Shields attempted to push for the Division 1 championship. However part-way into the season, manager Jon King was dismissed and a new management team brought in of Lee Picton and North Shields manager Graham Fenton. In October 2016, South Shields then appointed former Sunderland defender Martin Scott as assistant manager.

These changes however did not deter the squad, in fact it appeared to galvanise the team even further, between the appointment of the new management team and the end of the season, South Shields went on to lose just ONE game in all competitions out of 55, this included a period between November and April of 32 successive wins, an unofficial world record. During this time, the club embarked on a crusade in the cups, they would go on to win the Durham Challenge Cup for the first time since 1977, beating Billingham Synthonia 2-0 in Hartlepool, they then went on to win the Northern League Cup with an astonishing 5-0 beating of rivals North Shields at Whitley Bay, but the most notable and memorable achievements came in the FA Vase. Shields had dispatched Esh Winning, Runcorn Linnets, Marske United, Staveley Miners Welfare, Morpeth Town and Team Solent before a home quarter-final against Newport Pagnell Town, here the attendance record was smashed as 3’161 saw Shields dispatch their Buckinghamshire opponents 6-1 setting up a semi-final tie against Warwickshire outfit Coleshill Town.

Despite a spirited display from their opponents, Shields managed to grind out what turned out to be a crucial 2-1 win in the away leg at Coleshill, a week later, Shields turned on the style in a 4-0 win in front of a new ground record of 3,464 meaning South Shields would be going to Wembley for the first time in the history of the town. In the final on 21 May 2017, South Shields’s opposition was in the form of the Northern Counties East League champions Cleethorpes Town in which Shields played in front of an estimated 14,000 of their own fans. Shields went on to win 4-0 to lift the FA Vase.

In this time, South Shields also managed to use their games in hand to overturn a 17 point deficit to North Shields at the top of the Northern League to win it with 108 points meaning that when the FA Vase was won, South Shields had completed a ‘quadruple’ of trophies.

The 2017–18 season brought more success in the form of a club record run in the FA Cup, after a Preliminary Round 3–1 win over Bridlington Town in front of the BBC cameras and a 2–0 victory at Witton Albion, South Shields then inflicted two of the biggest cup shocks of that season’s qualifying campaign, firstly going away to Darlington and impressing hugely in a 3–0 win and then in the 3rd qualifying round, Gavin Cogdon scored an injury time winner in a pulsating 3–2 win over the previous season’s FA Trophy winners York City. Their cup run ended in the 4th Qualifying Round with a narrow defeat to Hartlepool United (a team three divisions higher) in front of another sellout crowd. As the season went on, Shields reached the 2nd Qualifying round of the FA Trophy, a competition that the town had not been represented in since 1974, they dispatched Scarborough Athletic and Farsley Celtic (after a replay) on the way to being knocked out by Stafford Rangers in a 3-1 away defeat.

Apart from that, the club enjoyed a run in the Integro League Cup, knocking out Farsley Celtic, Stocksbridge Park Steels, Cleethorpes Town and Workington on a run to the semi-finals where they fell to Coalville Town despite a valliant showing by a largely youthful Shields eleven. Both promotion and the league title were secured with games to spare and for the third season running, the 100 point mark was surpassed. Julio Arca went on to lift the league championship trophy in front of a jubilant home crowd on the final day, however this turned out to be his last act as a South Shields player as he would announce his retirement weeks later.

In the 2018-19 season, South Shields will ply their trade in the NPL Premier Division, the same division which the previous incarnation of the club left behind in 1974 and also the highest level of non league football that the current incarnation of the club will have ever played at.

Scarborough Athletic are the focus of today’s 21 in 21.

When do we play them?

Home: Tuesday 25th September
Away: Saturday 23rd February

Name: Scarborough Athletic
Nickname: The Seadogs
Founded: 2007
Ground: Flamingo Land Stadium
Manager: Steve Kittrick
Home Kit: Red & White
Away Kit: Yellow & Black
2017-2018 – Northern Premier League – Division One North – 2nd – Promoted

Club History:

A covenant existed on the McCain Stadium that restricted its use only to sporting activities. Scarborough failed to convince the Scarborough Borough Council that its proposals to sell the McCain Stadium to a housing developer would raise enough money to pay off the debts and build a new ground.

Scarborough were wound up in the High Court with debts of £2.5 million on 20 June 2007, ending its 128-year existence as a club. The Seadog Trust (a supporters’ trust established in 2006) then formed Scarborough Athletic to carry forward the spirit of the former club.

Mickleover Sports 2-1 Huddersfield Town XI

Wednesday 8th August 2018
Written by Sam Goldsworthy

Another game, another win as Mickleover Sports’ pre-season nears its conclusion to as John McGraths side came away 2-1 winners over a very young but talented Huddersfield academy side. The Terriers as expected three days before their Premier League opener, brought a youthful but very well organised academy side who gave Sports a defensive test with long spells of possession with the ball and look very comfortable doing so. But in the end Sports experience of how to see games out physical element came through as the goals all came in the first half. Aaron Rowe the talented young winger for the visitors scored either side of two Nathan Jarman goals which in the end proved to be enough in a typical pre-season affair with only two more games to play before the opener with Stalybridge in just over a weeks’ time.

John McGrath elected not to name himself in the squad and started with regular keeper Lewis King with Kevin Grocott, Pablo Mills, Tom Burgin and Ben Turner in defence. The midfield consisted of Jake Scott, Oliver Roberts, Jimmy Phillips and Curtis Burrows. Up front Niall Doran played just behind main striker Nathan Jarman.

Sports kick off proceedings and immediately got proceedings under way with a goal in the first minute. A corner from the far left hand side made its way into the area and found its way to Nathan Jarman who controlled the ball nicely and struck an effort low into the bottom left hand corner.

Within five minutes though Huddersfield got an equaliser and only Sports second goal conceded in pre-season. Aaron Rowe was the scorer as the left winger broke down the left after being played in and beat the Sports defence for pace as he hit a low effort past King and into net. But like the Burton game Sports didn’t let it knock their confidence and they were back on the front foot again. They were rewarded with their second and ultimately winning goal when Sports were awarded a penalty. It was very unclear which Sports player was bundled to the ground due to a packed penalty area but the referee saw something he didn’t like and pointed immediately to the Sport with little appeal from the Terriers players. Up stepped Nathan Jarman who bag his second of the game and fourth goal of pre-season with a neat low effort to the right hand side of the goal.

The rest of the first half was mainly dominated with possession in the middle third of the park and both sides settled into a rhythm after a frantic start. The next chance came ten minutes before half time as Ben Turner went close to lobbing the keeper with a free kick that went just over the bar. Then a good ball in from Niall Doran picked out Nathan Jarman who headed over the bar. The final chance came a minute before half time as Kevin Grocott drove in a great cross which again was aimed at Jarman but his touch on the ball was only a faint one with his head and it went out for a goal kick to bring the first half to a close.

The second half began with Huddersfield nearly having a gift to equalise. A mix up at the back between Lewis King and Ben Turner allowed Ben Jackson to nip in for the visitors for what seemed like a chance he couldn’t miss. But that was exactly what happened as the young full back put his effort wide of the left hand post. A real let off for Sports as they soon learnt quickly from it. Trialist then came on for Niall Doran in the first of many changes that happened in the second half. A fantastic free kick from Oliver Roberts was well saved by the keeper before a string of several substitutions then proceeded. Nathan Jarman, Curtis Burrows, Jimmy Phillips, Jake Scott, Oliver Roberts, Pablo Mills and Ben Turner made way for Evan Garnett, Will Norcross, Jack Walsh, Lewis Belgrave, Isia Marselia, Tyreece Robinson and Tom Eccleshall.

Huddersfield then had another chance as Oliver Dyson struck an effort over the bar from close range. Then from a Sports corner Tom Burgin leaped well to power a header towards goal that was saved by the Terriers keeper. Then some excellent pressure from the Sports front two forced the Huddersfield defenders into an error which put Marselia through 1v1 but his effort was only just wide of the left hand post. Huddersfield then made some changes of their own before Kevin Grocott picked up a slight ankle injury in the last minute. But instead of brining another player back on, Sports decided to play on with 10 men to carry out an exercise of how to close a game out when down to 10 men. An exercise that proved successful as Sports saw the game out to record more pre-season fitness under the belt and more successful preparations ahead of the new season.

Sports now have two final pre-season games before the season begins with visits to Kidsgrove Athletic on Friday 10th August (7:45pm) and Carlton Town on Saturday 11th August (3pm).

North Ferriby United are the focus of today’s 21 in 21.

When do we play them?

Home: Friday 24th August
Away: Saturday 20th April

Name: North Ferriby United
Nickname: The Villagers
Founded: 1934
Ground: Grange Lane
Manager: Chris Bolder
Home Kit: Green & Blue
Away Kit: Blue & White
2017-2018 – National League North – 22nd – Relegated

Club History:

Formed in 1934, the club reached the Premier Division of the NPL for the first time in the clubs history in 2005, after winning the Division 1 of the NPL. In 2013, North Ferriby won promotion to the Conference North. In 2015, they beat Wrexham of the Conference Premier to win the 2014–15 FA Trophy. They were promoted to the National League in 2016, having won the National League North play-offs, but were relegated after one season.

Written by Sam Goldsworthy

It’s been nearly a month since that 2-1 win over Burton Albion which was the last pre season friendly Sports played at the Don Amott Arena. But of course so much as happened since the win over the Brewers. Wins over Handsworth Parramore, Frickley Athletic Mickleover RBL & Heanor Town as well as a 0-0 draw with Worksop Town mean that Joe Sbarra goal for Burton is the only goal Sports have conceded this pre season. Combine that with the signing of promising midfielder Oliver Roberts from the New Orleans Jesters, and you have yourself a pretty successful pre season with no real major injury worries picked up too.

Now John McGrath and his side return home to face Premier League Opposition in Huddersfield Town. The Terriers story is truly inspiring. Getting promoted via then play offs back in 2017 from a Penalty Shoot-Out over Reading and then defining the odds and staying in the Premier League above established sides Stoke City, Swansea City & West Brom was fantastic to see and shows the romance of the beautiful game is not dead just yet. A club that puts its fans first and gives back to them with affordable season tickets and many other benefits the top clubs fans would die for.

We do expect the side from West Yorkshire to field a team made up of mostly U23 players mixed in with fringe first team players but non the less playing against full time Premier League standard players will be the perfect first for Sports as the new season draws ever closer.

TEAM NEWS:

No new injury news has been reported so we can expect a fully fit side to be available for the game with the handful of Trialist still at the club having not had decisions made on them yet, expect to them them play a part in proceedings at some stage.

GOING TO THE GAME?

Kick off on Wednesday is at 7:30pm with Admission Prices set at £8 Adults £5 Concessions & FREE for U16’s. Bar and Snack Facilities will be open as normal. Car Parking is FREE and is first come first serve.

NOT GOING TO THE GAME?

Then don’t worry, Press & Media Officer Sam Goldsworthy will be there updating you via Twitter, Facebook & of course will have Reaction on Mickleover Sports TV (YouTube) after the game.

Nantwich Town are the focus of today’s 21 in 21.

When do we play them?

Home: Saturday 13th October
Away: Saturday 6th April

Name: Nantwich Town FC
Nickname: The Dabbers
Founded: 1884
Ground: The Weaver Stadium
Manager: Dave Cooke
Home Kit: Green & Black
Away Kit: Yellow & Black
2017-2018 – Northern Premier League – Premier Division – 16th

Club History:

Nantwich Town won the FA Vase Final on 6 May 2006. Two goals from Andy Kinsey and one from Stuart Scheuber produced a 3–1 win over Hillingdon Borough at St Andrew’s.

In 1995, in an F.A. Cup preliminary round tie against Droylsden, Andy Locke scored the fastest ever F.A. Cup hat trick. Locke completed his hat trick in 2 minutes 20 seconds. This record still stands for a hat trick in any round of the F.A. Cup, including the preliminary rounds before the First Round Proper.

Nantwich followed up their FA Vase winning season of 2005–06 with another successful campaign in 2006–07 (their last at Jackson Avenue). Finishing 3rd in the North West Counties League Division One they were promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One South for the 2007–08 season and then gained a second consecutive promotion to the Northern Premier League Premier Division.

Nantwich also progressed to the Semi-Final stage of the FA Trophy in their 2015-16 campaign, losing 6-4 over two legs to Halifax Town.

Matlock Town are the focus of today’s 21 in 21.

When do we play them?

Home: Tuesday 16th October
Away: Saturday 23rd March

Name: Matlock Town FC
Nickname: Gladiators
Founded: 1878
Ground: Causeway Lane
Manager: Dave Hoole
Home Kit: Blue & White
Away Kit: Grey & Green
2017-2018 – Northern Premier League – Premier Division – 15th

Club History:

The club was established in 1878 as Matlock Football Club. They began entering the FA Cup in 1885, but did not win a match in the competition until 1890. In that year the club were founder members of the Derbyshire Senior League and went on to win the title in the league’s inaugural season. After winning the league again the following season, they joined the Midland Amateur Alliance in 1892. However, the league was disbanded at the end of the 1892–93 season and Matlock returned to the Derbyshire Senior League. They subsequently joined the Midland League in 1894; after finishing bottom of the league in their first season, the club lost all 28 league matches in 1895–96 and left the league, again returning to the Derbyshire Senior League. They finished bottom of the league in 1897–98.

After World War I the club was renamed Matlock Town. They joined the Central Alliance in 1924, but the league folded at the end of the 1924–25 season and the club rejoined the Debryshire Senior League, in which they were runners-up in 1926–27. In 1933 they joined the new Central Combination, but left after two season. After World War II the club played in the Chesterfield & District League for the 1946–47 season, before the Central Alliance was re-established in 1947, with Matlock becoming members again. When the league gained a second division in 1950, they became members of Division One. Despite finishing bottom of the division in 1951–52, the club were not relegated.

In 1955–56 Matlock finished bottom of Division One again. The league was then reorganised, with the club placed in Division One North. They won the division in 1959–60, also reaching the first round of the FA Cup, losing 1–0 to Crook Town in a replay. After retaining the league title the following season, the club moved up to the reformed Midland League, which they won the at the first attempt. They were Midland League champions again in 1968–69, subsequently joining the Northern Premier League.

They reached the first round of the FA Cup again in 1974–75, losing 4–1 at home to Blackburn. In the FA Trophy the club reached the final at Wembley Stadium, in which they defeated Scarborough 4–0 to win the trophy; three Matlock players in the final were brothers, the only occasion on which three brothers have played for the same team in a Wembley final. The following season saw them automatically qualify for the first round, but they lost 4–1 at Wigan Athletic.

Matlock were drawn against Wigan in the first round of the FA Cup again in 1976–77, this time winning 2–0. They went on to beat eventual Third Division champions Mansfield Town in an incredible 5–2 away from home, marking the first time the club had defeated Football League opposition. In the third round they lost 5–1 at Carlisle United. The club won the Northern Premier League’s Challenge Cup and the Peter Swales Shield in 1977–78. In 1979 they entered the Anglo-Italian Cup, finishing second in the English section.

The 1983–84 season saw them finish as runners-up in the Northern Premier League. When the league gained a second division in 1987 the club became members of the Premier Division. Another FA Cup first round appearance in 1989–90 ended in a 4–1 defeat at Scunthorpe United. After finishing bottom of the division in 1995–96, they were relegated to Division One.

In 2003–04 Matlock were Division One runners-up, earning promotion to the Premier Division. They won the league’s Challenge Cup the following season. A fifth-place finish in the Premier Division in 2007–08 led to the club qualifying for the promotion playoffs, in which they lost 4–2 to Witton Albion in the semi-finals.

Marine are the focus of today’s 21 in 21.

When do we play them?

Home: Saturday 6th October
Away: Saturday 9th February

Name: Marine FC
Nickname: The Mariners
Founded: 1894
Ground: Marine Travel Arena
Manager: Tommy Lawson
Home Kit: White & Black
Away Kit: Yellow & Green
2017-2018 – Northern Premier League – Premier Division – 19th

Club History:

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, the Arriva Stadium (formerly known as Rossett Park), in 1903.

Marine quickly made an impression on local football, winning numerous 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 F.A. Amateur Cup Final appearance in 1931–32, when they lost 7–1 to Dulwich Hamlet in front of a 22,000 crowd at Upton Park.

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. In 1972 Roly Howard was appointed first team manager and completed 1,975 competitive games over a 33-year period before he retired 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 its most successful period, winning some 30 trophies.

The club relinquished its amateur status and became professional in 1974. Three Cheshire League Championships were won in five seasons, before Marine progressed to the Northern Premier League in 1979–80. They have twice been Champions (1993–94 and 1994–95) as well as twice being runners-up and have won the League Cup on four occasions (1984–85, 1991–92, 2002–03 and 2015–16).

In 2001, Marine were the subject of a six-part television series for Granada TV, titled Marine Lives. The series included footage of former player Jason McAteer returning to visit the club.
In 1999, the magazine Fourfourtwo did a monthly feature on the club sending Michael Hann to follow them for an entire season.

Under the new management team of Alvin McDonald and assistant Peter Carroll, Marine twice qualified for the Northern Premier Division play-offs twice in succession (2005–06 and 2006–07), losing to the eventual winners each time. In the 2007–08 season, the club finished seventh and won the Liverpool Senior Cup. McDonald left the club partway through the 2008–09 season following a poor run of form, with players Kevin Lynch and Phil Brazier being appointed caretakers. At the end of the season, Lynch was appointed permanent manager with Brazier as his assistant.

Lynch departed the club at the end of the 2012–13 season to become first team coach at Chesterfield FC, and was replaced by Brazier. However, Brazier was sacked at the end of the following season with the club having narrowly avoided relegation.

Former Vauxhall Motors boss Carl Macauley took over at the beginning of the 2014–15 season, but a poor run of form saw the club in the relegation zone, 11 points from safety, and he was sacked. Defender Sean Hessey was placed in temporary charge until the end of the season, and guided the club to a remarkable escape from relegation, with only one defeat in their final twelve games. The club were reprieved from relegation despite finishing in 21st place, due to having the highest average points per game of clubs in the highest relegation spots across the three equivalent divisions. This meant that the club continues to hold their record as the longest-serving members of the Northern Premier League. Hessey was confirmed as the club’s permanent manager prior to the end of the 2014–15 season.

In the 2015–16 season, Marine had a less turbulent ending to the league campaign culminating in a 15th-place finish. Trusting in many of the players that ensured the clubs survival the previous season, the club started the campaign well but with the weather leading to many postponements the winter saw not only a disjointed fixture list, but also a run of poor performances. Marine gained more stability in the latter stages of the season and this in particular led to a strong performance in the league cup, beating Glossop North End, Ramsbottom United and Workington to progress to the quarter-finals. A home draw saw Ossett Town narrowly beaten 1–0 before Colwyn Bay were drawn to visit Rossett Park in the semi finals.

Under new management and with relegation all but sealed, Colwyn Bay struggled in the game and were defeated 4–1 with Alan Burton, Andy Owens, James Foley and player-manager Sean Hessey getting on the score-sheet. This set up a final against Scarborough Athletic to be held at Throstle Nest, home of Farsley Celtic. Marine struggled in the match with Hessey dropping himself to the bench in place of defender Liam Willis who became captain in place of the unavailable Andy Nicholas. Going 0–1 down in the 58th minute, it wasn’t until the player-manager subbed himself on for Willis in the 80th minute that Marine looked dangerous. The defender taking a free-kick which was headed in by Warren Bellew in the 87th minute. At 1–1, the game looking destined for penalties, was turned on its head in the fourth minute of added time as that seasons highest club goalscorer Danny Mitchley curled in an effort from the edge of the box to win the game for Marine. This was the fourth time that Marine FC have won the league cup, a record for this competition.

Towards the end of a dismal 2016–2017 season. Hessey left the club and was replaced by Tommy Lawson. A mass walk-out of players didn’t help Lawson but he managed to assemble a squad at short notice. He then guided the club away from the relegation zone after 5 wins in 11 games. Marine finished in 18th place in the table.

The 2017-2018 season was once again a disappointment with Marine unable to improve on the previous campaign and ended up finishing in 19th place in the table. Very poor home form once again saw the Mariners win only 6 of their 23 league games at the Marine Travel Arena. However the team did do well in the cups reaching the final of the Liverpool Senior Cup. Home advantage at Marine didn’t help and 750 fans saw them well and truly beaten 4-0 by Prescot Cables. They also went on a decent run in the FA Trophy beating Whitby Town and Atherton Collieries. They then saw off teams from the division above in FC United and Chorley before a first ever visit to Dover Athletic saw them unlucky to lose 3-4 against the Conference National team.