Records smashed in Marine cup run
MARINE chairman Paul Leary says the club’s history-making season has laid the foundations for a brighter future after the Crosby giant-killers announced they broke 18 club records during their fairytale FA Cup run.
Neil Young’s Pitching In Northern Premier League Division One North West side toppled Chester and Colchester to reach the third round and tee up the competition’s biggest ever mismatch against Spurs.
The eighth-tier minnows, who were 161 league places below Jose Mourinho’s Premier League outfit when the tie was played, went down 5-0 in front of the BBC cameras but captured the hearts of the nation with their thrilling run.
The records broken have been announced by Marine Officials and are listed as:
1st FA Cup victory away at a Football League Club: Colchester Utd 1st round won 5-3 on penalties
Most FA Cup rounds progressed: Won through 7 rounds-Barnoldswick Town Home Prelim; Frickley Away 1Q; Runcorn Linnets Away 2Q;
Nantwich Town Home 3Q; Chester Away 4Q; Colchester Utd Away 1st Round & Havant & Waterlooville Home 2nd Round. This season’s eventual winners will not win as many matches as Marine.
Number of FA Cup wins over teams in higher leagues: Won 4 games-Nantwich Town NPL Premier Division Home 3Q won 4-1; Chester Away National League North 4Q won 1-0; Colchester Utd Away Football League 2 Won 5-3 pens 1st Round and Havant & Waterlooville Home National League South 2nd Round Won 1-0.
Most FA Cup Penalty shootout wins: Runcorn Linnets Away 2Q Won 4-3 Pens; Colchester Utd Away 1st Round Won 5-3 pens
First season, the first and last games of the season were FA Cup ties: 12th September 2020 v Barnoldswick Town; 10th January 2021 v Tottenham Hotspur
First FA Cup game against Premier League team:
Paul Leary
Tottenham Hotspur Home 3rd Round. The game created an amazing and instant bond between Marine and Tottenham Hotspur fans around the world demonstrated by the hundreds of letters and messages received by Marine and especially to the support given by Spurs fans in purchasing thousands of virtual match tickets.
In appreciation of such magnificent support the Mariners are to build a virtual wall outside their stadium listing the names of the Marine and Tottenham Hotspur fans who purchased the tickets.
No of places in the football pyramid FA Cup opponents were above Marine: FA Premier League Tottenham Hotspur 161 places above Marine. This is an FA Cup record.
Highest home FA Cup attendance: 32,202 [virtual] tickets sold previous highest attendance 5,005 v Port Vale 1946
First home live broadcast game on national television: FA Cup 2nd Round Havant & Waterlooville Sunday 29th November 2020 BT Sport
First home BBC Match of the Day live broadcast: FA Cup 3rd Round Tottenham Hotspur Sunday 10th January BBC1 with 6.8m viewers and 1.2m BBC red button.
Number of FA Cup rounds played behind closed doors: Played 4 - Chester Away
4Q, Colchester Utd Away 1st Round, Havant & Waterlooville Home 2nd Round and Tottenham Hotspur Home 3rd Round
First time published an FA Cup song: Mighty Marine written and sung by The Secret Ukulele Band & friends for Marine. Published 29 December 2020 and reached no. 91 UK iTunes chart
First time appointed a media consultant to handle
PR, UK and international interview & film requests etc. With an experienced broadcaster and commercial PR consultant joining the team following the FA Cup 3rd round draw .
Highest number of programmes sold for a home game: 4,137 programmes sold for Tottenham game [Usually 80 per league game]
Highest number of scarves sold for a home game: 1,517 scarves sold for Tottenham game [Usually 6 per league game]
Highest number of TV, Radio, Newspaper & media journalists present at a home game: 40 for the Tottenham Hotspur FA Cup game [Usually 4 for a league game]
Number of new Twitter followers: 35,000 new followers after FA Cup game with Tottenham Hotspur taking number of followers to 55,500 from 20,000.
Record Sponsorship deals: National and International companies partnered with the club, ensuring record sponsorship receipts for one FA Cup game.
Marine Chairman Paul Leary said: “This has been an historic and record-breaking season for our football club. A total of eighteen Club records have been broken or created through our amazing achievements in the Emirates FA Cup which started on the 12th September in the preliminary round against Barnoldswick Town and ended at home against Tottenham Hotspur on the 10th January, our eighth FA Cup game of the season. Our players, staff, officials, supporters and sponsors are all incredibly proud of what has been achieved this season culminating in that most magical game at home against Tottenham Hotspur.
“I must especially mention the Tottenham Hotspur fans who since the third round draw have shown a genuine interest in our football Club and demonstrated a clear willingness to help with the purchase of thousands of virtual match tickets.
“Marine officials will forever remember their kindness and expect the very special bond created between the two football clubs to be everlasting.
“The list of records broken or created must itself be a record and demonstrates quite clearly that the magic of the FA Cup lives on.
“It has been a journey to remember for us all but we look forward now to the day when we will be able open our gates again for a game when fans are allowed and life will return to some level of normality, whenever that will be.
“Who said the FA Cup is losing its magic? In the leafy suburb of Crosby, that will never be the case.”
The list of records broken or created must itself be a record