Fan explains why he gave up supporting Liverpool in favour of non league Marine FC

Footage has resurfaced online and in it, a fan explains why he gave up supporting Liverpool in favour of non league Marine FC.

In 2012, Liverpool fan Dickie Felton went on a whim and checked out his local team, which turned out to be Marine, but discovered that the passion he saw at the game was more dominant than he was used to on the Kop stand at Anfield.

This in turn saw him give up his season ticket at the Premier League side and start volunteering and getting involved at the club instead.

He says in a video: “If someone had, like, said to me during the height of my Liverpool supporting days that you’re going to pack all this in and start following a team 167 places below, I would have laughed at them. My name is Dickie Felton. I’m a Marine season ticket holder in the Northern Premier Division.

“I was a season to get holder at Liverpool FC for 25 years. So a quarter of century watching Liverpool, some of the greatest times of my life following them, some amazing memories, but, like, a lot of people just got disillusioned with the cost and the way the modern game had gone.”

Marine chairman Paul Leary said: “What we’ve always tried to do as a club is to try and persuade the Everton and Liverpool fans to adopt Marine as their number two team.

“Certainly in the last two to three years, it’s been noticeable, the number of mainly Liverpool fans, but some Everton too, who have decided to support non league.:

Dickie Felton recalls: “There was a pivotal weekend in 2012. I was sitting in a cafe in Crosby, just down the road, and noticed Marine playing away in the FA Cup. And I hadn’t seen them for years and just decided just to go, just to go and watch Marine in the FA Cup away at Trafford. We won 3-1. Marine had about 120 fans there who, to be honest, made more noise than 12,000 fans do on the Kop at Anfield.

“When we won 3-1. The players jumped into the fans at the end of the game and hugged the fans. And I just realised the complete bond between the players and the supporters, which you don’t get at the at the highest levels.”

Leary adds: “It’s good, family friendly football, affordable to the ordinary Dad and his lad. The pricing now to watch Premiership football well exceeds the ordinary family to come to Marine and they see good football.”

Dickie says: “I worked it out that with my train ticket, programme, pie, couple of pints, a programme, I spent £25, and then the following day, I was at Anfield on my season ticket watching Liverpool against Stoke. It would have been about £45 when you work out how much it would have cost with a terrible game. And before the game, the PA system was on full belt, which was all designed really to drown out any atmosphere generated on the Kop.

“And the club spent that entire pre match talking about commercial activity and I just felt this wasn’t really my club anymore.”

In a different video, the Guardian speaks to a number of people, including such quotes as:

“The players are more passionate because they give up their own time to play.”

“I’d play in front of a man and a doctor, be honest and try and impress him.”

“You’re part of the club.”

“It’s like a family.”

“Most people come and see non league are more sort of totally genuine football people.”

“I think once you find non league football, it’s hard to go back.”

Go give it a watch, it would be worth your time that’s for sure…

Here’s what Facebook users said as a fan explains why he gave up supporting Liverpool in favour of non league Marine FC…

John Voysey: I did the same I gave up supporting afcbournemouth after 42 years I’ve now followed my local team poole Town fc for 6 years

Stephen Blease: More Heart More Pride More Honesty More Passion and More Real and Clubs are Happy to see You and Don’t treat You like Cattle and Money Cows ready to be milked and Stewards don’t look at You like You’re a Criminal and that’s Your Home Stewards by the way.Non League is beautiful is not corrupted not taken over and more importantly NOT LOST ITS SOUL.NON LEAGUE FOOTBALL IS THE WAY FORWARD.

Andy Hudson: More people are doing this…my chose his own path, he supports Bootle FC and has a soft spot for Everton…..I am support prescot cables and don’t care about Everton that much these days….been like this for years….was down south for 10 years and followed my local side in Brighton Whitehawk….

Phil Walton: Non league is the way forward, you can change ends for the 2nd half, have good crack and a pint with the opposition fans, wish them a safe journey home, quite often the away games are within a reasonable driving distance. However, my team South Shields FC are now in the NLN, 5 games are within 2 hours drive, but we’ve also got Hereford, Gloucester and Bishops Stortford!

Richan Booth: How can anyone stop supporting their club regardless & I love non league football but I will still go and watch Sunderland until I’m unable to

Craig Seago: Richan Booth I did, I had a season ticket for years at the SoL but got fed up with the dire football that was in display and having a daughter the same age as the girl in the AJ case, and the way the club still played and paid him knowing what he had done made me turn my back on the club and start watching my home town non league club to get my footie fix. I put morals first and haven’t regretted a single minute. And now I can see a game have a couple of pints a bite to eat for less than a seat in the SoL.

Tony Parrott: I stopped going league football on favour of non league 13 years ago now, follow Hemel Hempstead Town FC.

Kevin Omahony: I enjoy watching Torquay Utd away(as I live in Hemel Hempstead!) Gave up going to Arsenal years ago, as it got too expensive as they got too greedy!) Enjoy a pie, pint & non-league football!)

Craig Mullen: Kevin Omahony Same with me been a Manchester City fan of 39 years. I’m Exile Mancunian what lives in Scarborough, so I’ll watch them. There’s need for premier League clubs to charge what they do. 5 to 7 Billion in TV revenue between 20 Clubs plus sponsorship etc, it’s seem to happen after Euro 96 when grounds went all seater stadiums the club’s trebled the prices overnight!!!

Ian Black: Non league is just a far more enjoyable afternoon 👍

Barry Hayward: Agree, the football is obviously not as good but non league is well worth a try. Season ticket cost me £177 for 23 home games .