📺 Marine Lives: Episode 5 of 6 (2001)

In this fifth episode, Merseyside's Marine AFC hosts local rivals Runcorn in a Unibond league match. The club is spending £200,000 on a new stand, but the committee is having problems with the VIP lounge, and they worry about losing opportunities to "launch people" without a proper facility. Mark Stuart, in charge of security, is keeping a close eye on the car park as local fans arrive. Money is tight due to the redevelopment, and this has affected the team's performance, as they have finished in their lowest league position since 1955. Chairman Tom Culshaw expresses concern that without success on the field, good players won't join Marine, and the club could cease to exist. Manager Roly Howard is feeling the strain, pleading with his team for enthusiasm and a will to win after they go a goal down against Runcorn. The match ends in a humiliating 4-1 defeat, which Howard calls the hardest season in his 27 years as manager. The supporters' club organises a fundraising quiz night, but a few people are missing. Meanwhile, the club's ground improvements are the biggest change to Rossett Park in over 70 years, and the committee is worried about upsetting the neighbours. The episode also follows Nigel Bannister, a league referee who is also a transport manager. He travels with the team for their last away game of the season against Accrington Stanley. Accrington, who are facing relegation, score first, but Marine equalises. The match ends in a close game, with Accrington winning 3-2, a defeat that makes a rare loss for Roly Howard. The episode ends with the announcement that Captain John Gautrey will be undergoing surgery and demolition work will be starting at the ground.