Marske United 3-1 Bamber Bridge, Tuesday 22nd August 2023

Marske United 3-1 Bamber Bridge, Northern Premier League Premier Division, Mount Pleasant, att. 392

With a house purchase in the Yorkshire Pennines on the go, time is starting to run out on getting to grounds here in the north-east. In the top 8 tiers I’m missing 2 in the north east, Marske and Morpeth…and by the weekend I’ll have been to both. Tonite, it’s a trip to the Yorkshire coast, but it’s an easy drive, Marske being just the other side of Redcar. Indeed, Redcar Athletic is closer to Marske’s ground than it is to their town rival Town.

Marske have done very well for themselves in recent years. How does a village, with a population one-fifth the size of Redcar, manage to have a football team 2 tiers higher? I asked the father of one of the players and he doesn’t know either, whether they’re bankrolled or not. What is not in doubt is that Marske have had an upward trajectory in recent times, being in the 11th tier (the Wearside League) until 1985.

Not having enough intelligence to get here early and savour the seaside, I parked up around the corner from the ground with 15 or so minutes to kick-off. I didn’t risk going down the one track lane to Mount Pleasant, though it turned out there was room in the car park(s). After a couple of photos, I spied the programme seller. ‘Limited edition’ he told me, ‘Only 50 printed’. Really? ‘No, not really, but it sounds better dun’t it?’ Respect. He got my money all the same.

I had no time for the social club outside, but there was a can bar inside. All the favourites, if by ‘favourites’ you mean a list of alcoholic beverages I don’t drink. Coors, Fosters, Guinness, Strongbow Dark. Nevermind, I have a pocket full of Opal Fruits and a ground to root around. Turns out I’ve entered right by the corner flag. Behind the goal is a small covered structure with the end backed by a wooden fence tight to the touchline. The opposite end is the same, fronting on to the gardens of a row of semis.

The far side also backs onto gardens, though a small bank proves useful to many of the locals. I elect to stand on this side, siding with a TV gantry on scaffolding which hogs the halfway line. Across from me is the main stand behind which is the silhouette of a church. Lovely. Another low-slung stand sits beside it, both with about 4 rows of seating.

Tonite Marske face Bamber Bridge and come up surprising 3-1 victors, arch goalscorer Adam Boyes with a hattrick. How do they afford him? Fans on the small terrace beside the entrance make the most of it, chanting ‘you’re just a s*** town in Blackpool’ at the shellshocked visitors. How they have lost, only they will know. Marske only had one tactic – kick it to Boyes. And it worked.

The Damage:
£12 ent
£2.50 prog
= £14.50

*Less than 3 weeks later Marske went bust, all their results for the season annulled. I guess they couldn’t afford Adam Boyes after all.