There's a lot of talk these days of footballers forgetting where they came from and being too…read morepreoccupied with fancy cars and Page 3 models, to the extent that they've lost touch with the grassroots side of things. One place where grassroots football is definitely on show is at playfootball.net in Crosby. The centre contains several 5 and 7 a-side pitches that are of the highest quality Astroturf; none of this sand on carpet nonsense like it used to be, think more like playing on a green carpet that can be played on in any weather conditions (nothing too extreme, mind). As well as offering pitches for hire, the centre also has weekly leagues that can be entered into where, whilst the quality of football might not be the greatest, you can definitely count on blood, sweat and the occasional tear. The centre has a sports bar to relax in which is perfect for a post-run out pint or for watching the footy and is also available for private hire (I had the pleasure of attending a party there once and was most impressed with the size of the room). A brilliant place to go for those of you still looking to strut your stuff on pitches that are small enough to hide how unfit you really are.

From the owner: Small Sided Football Floodlit 3G Football Pitches…read moreFootball Coaching Adult Leagues Junior Leagues Function Suite Children's Parties Changing Rooms 5 a side 6 a side 7 a side Zorb Football Football Training Football Pitch Hire Football Parties Football Facilities Sports Bar

I recently attended a fancy dress birthday party that took place at the Marine Football Club in…read moreCrosby. I am in no way a football fan, so I can say nothing about the sports side of this facility, but I can safely say what I know about the party venue and the bar inside. To be honest, this place is a bit dingy. I'm sure that's partly because it's old and sadly in need of a remodel, but as I dressed up as a hippy and was therefore barefoot in this establishment for a couple of hours, I was not impressed to return home and find my feet were quite dirty. A risk I knowingly took, of course, but I think the custodians here could afford to spend some quality time with a carpet shampooer. The bar staff were friendly, and seemed to enjoy my American accent rather than be offended by it, which is always a pleasure. The drinks were inexpensive, and there was a fairly decent variety available, although, again, sadly not a cocktail friendly place. (Sigh.) For the party I attended, the room was set up with dozens of small round tables with generally four chairs to a table. There was a buffet set up on the stage area. This is not a bad venue if you need a room for a large party or dance. It just really needs an update, that's all.

Red or blue it's strange but most foolball followers on Merseyside hold a little place in their…read moreheart for Marine and I know that I for one always look out for their results. The Club celebrated its centenary in 1994 having been formed by a group of local businessmen and former college students taking its name from the hotel on the River Mersey sea front at Waterloo, seven miles to the north of Liverpool where the founders met. They moved to their 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. Their 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 West Ham United. In 1946 they went close again by reaching the semi-final. In 1935/36 they 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(Is it only rumour that Roly was Kenny Dalglish's window cleaner) and completed 1,975 competitive games over a 33 year period before retiring 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 progressing 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 three occasions (1984/85, 1991/92, and 2002/03). The best performance in the F.A. Cup was reaching the 3rd Round in 1992/3 when they lost 3-1 to Crewe Alexandra. Marine have also achieved ten first and two second round appearances in the FA Cup and have beaten two Football League Clubs (Barnsley and Halifax Town) in the competition. Marine have twice reached the semi-finals of the F.A. Trophy in 1983/84 and 1991/92 and have been winners of 13 senior county cups. Under the new management team of Alvin McDonald and his assistant, Peter Carroll, Marine have begun to challenge for honours again. In the past two years the Mariners have qualified for the UniBond Premier play-offs only to lose to the eventual winners on both occasions. Last season Marine finished seventh and won the Liverpool Senior Cup. A lovely well run club so if you can't get to the 'big boys' then have a look in at College Road, you might get hooked.

Llandudno Football Club play in the second tier of the Welsh pyramid and although they've from time…read moreto time threatened to earn promotion to the Welsh Premier League they've always managed to fall short just when it mattered. A couple of years ago the WPL was reduced from sixteen to twelve teams which has made promotion even more difficult and Llandudno F.C. haven't really got close to going up since. Ironically the Welsh Football Association require any team playing in the WPL to have a home ground which meets certain requirements and Llandudno are (or at least were) the only team in North Wales not already in the WPL with a ground that meets these requirements. So the town has a top flight stadium but not a top flight team. To be honest though, having only been there a couple of times, I can only think that the FAW set the standards quite low because it isn't the most impressive football ground I've ever visited. There's a little stand which is somewhat bizarrely located along the touchline right at one end of the pitch so you get a great view of one goal but not the other. Why it wasn't built closer to the halfway line where you'd get an equal view of both sides of the pitch I don't know. The other stand on the other side of the pitch which was located a bit more centrally was blown over by strong winds but will be rebuilt! The facilities, snack bar, clubhouse, etc are ok though and parking isn't a problem if you need to drive. If you're already in town the ground a short walk away and it's also an easy walk from the railway station.

Premier League coaches running a programme designed to suit ages ranging from 2 years up to 11…read moreyears old.