Ambitious Marine reveal what their impressive £8m new stadium will look like

Ambitious Marine reveal what their impressive £8m new stadium will look like, with it to be state-of-the-art and have a capacity of 5,000.

It will be on an 8.32-acre site on Edge Lane, L23 1TR, marking one of the biggest community benefit projects in the North West.

The new project, developed in collaboration with Bellway Homes and landowner Craig Sneddon will not only serve as the National League North club’s new home but also provide a huge boost to the local community, including a community Hub, gymnasium, 3G pitch and Health & Wellbeing Hub including provision for a doctors, dentist and mental health nurse.

A 20-bedroom accommodation will also be incorporated into the main stand. The existing site on College Road will be retained as a Community Hub, with the project overall creating up to 100 jobs.

Marine Football Club are proud to announce the full plans for a new 8.32 acre stadium to be situated on Edge Lane, L23 1TR, in conjunction and with support from Bellway Homes and land-owner Craig Sneddon.

Read more https://t.co/iPpgrF5Udn #COYM #WeAreMarine pic.twitter.com/OUZ69x9xzo

— Marine Football Club (@MarineAFC) February 4, 2025

CLUB STATEMENT:

Marine Football Club are proud to announce the full plans for a new 8.32 acre stadium to be situated on Edge Lane, L23 1TR, in conjunction and with support from Bellway Homes and land-owner Craig Sneddon.

The stadium, of 5,000 capacity, is one of the biggest community benefit projects in the North West. The plans include a Community Hub, classrooms, gymnasium, 3G pitch and Health & Wellbeing Hub including provision for a doctors, dentist and mental health nurse.

A 20-bedroom accommodation will also be incorporated into the main stand. The existing site on College Road will be retained as a Community Hub. Up to 100 jobs will be created from the project.

Since the club played Tottenham Hotspur in 2021 the club has progressed with 2 promotions and an increase in attendances from 350 to an average of 1,400.

Marine In The Community, which launched in 2019, has grown exponentially and is now actively supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of thousands of people locally.

Marine FC CEO James Leary said “It was our aim to find a site within L23 that could become our new long-term home. I am delighted that we have made it this far in our aim to safeguard the future of Marine Football Club for the next 100+ years and create a project that will become a huge community asset.

Our aim is to retain and improve our support from the Crosby/Waterloo/Thornton triangle whilst growing our supporter base from the surrounding areas of Formby, Maghull, Aintree and Netherton. With that, the expansion of Marine In The Community to these wider areas will also further improve the community impact.

A soccer bus will be launched to support anybody living the opposite end of L23 or who use the railway to come to games departing from Crosby & Blundellsands Station passing through College Road, Crosby Village and onto Edge Lane.

The work to making this a reality though 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 7-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”

This is the most ambitious project the club has embarked in its 130-year history and a crowdfunder has been set up to assist in the fundraising efforts. James Leary added “If anyone can donate to support the project it will be a massive boost. If we can’t raise the funds the project will not happen.”

Anybody can donate to the Crowdfunder through the below link:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/marine-football-club-community-stadium

Further announcements regarding the project progress will be made in due course.

Twitter users reacted as ambitious Marine reveal what their impressive new stadium will look like…

@StevieR60: Can’t the shortfall be funded via a loan from the FA? Paid back over an extended period of time? The game is awash with money. Maybe enter into an agreement with Liverpool FC for their women’s team to use the ground. All the best

@AgentITK24: Another club showing great ambition and forward thinking. Well done everyone @MarineAFC

@PeatyIronmatt84: Very nice looking ground that

@Sniffa80: Wow

@LiverpoolShots_: The plans look good & whilst College Rd is our home & it’ll be very hard to leave, needs must to future proof the club. Lot of hard work to come with raising the funds. Great presentation and Q&A last night and appreciated by all who attended. @JamesLeary7 @DavemcMarine

@McCannRachel13: Really impressed with the work done by the club + by the ambition. A really compelling argument on the timing was made as well. I’m a bit torn on it not being in Crosby (if L23) but the other constraints were explained really well.

@IainHunter1968: A great step up for Marine and a real boost to football on Merseyside.

@richthorndike: Wow! That is amazing. You must have fantastic support from your local Council and commercial partners. Good luck with everything. Truly transformational.

@CrosenderWay: So excited about the clubs future, lots of hard work has gone into this project to make it happen, club has to move or risk stagnating, be a sad day to leave college road but one that must be done for future generations, what an amazing time for our club

@SoupheadFC: Brilliant news this. Hopefully help the club push on.

@JoshuaJPE: Fantastic to see this ambition. I’ve always really enjoyed my trips to Marine over the years, as it always feels like a proper away day. Best of luck.

@PaulWatkinson10: amazing progress for the club, well done to everyone involved