Fan of the week

Barry can trace his love of Marine and NonLeague football to 1963 when he saw his first game which was Marine v Altrincham in the FA Cup.

Five years later he co-founded a supporters club that ran until 1984 and when the Chairman Paul Leary wanted another one Barry was the man asked to get it off the ground.

And the Marine Supporters Association is still thriving and has raised more than £50,000 for the club since its formation.

Five years ago Barry became Marine's Community Development Officer. As a former teacher he used his contacts and visits more than 20 schools and hands out tickets for selected games and organises the half-time penalty shoot-out competition which involves all the local primary schools.

The final is during the last game of the season when a school band will be playing on the terraces.

Barry said: "I am always looking for new ways of attracting young fans to the game as we see these as our future."

The 56 year-old is also responsible for the ball and kit sponsorship, raising advertising for the programme and does a lot of work at the ground during the close season.

The first thing he does when he returns home after a game is telephone exiled mariners across the country to give them a verbal report of the match. He even keeps in touch with Marine's Norwegian following, the Bergen Boys.

Barry also loves NonLeague football and from 1975 to 1981 he co-edited a magazine dedicated to NonLeague football called Netstretcher. It was the only publication covering NonLeague football at the time and he made many friends across the country through it.

The care worker also pens football poetry. All have been published in some form but one was included in a collection of Merseyside poetry alongside the likes of Roger McGough.

As Barry admitted: "There were many famous names in the book. In fact I was the only person who I hadn't heard of."

You can read one of his poems, under his pen name the Unibard, at the end.

His involvement with the KGB came about when he played for the Marine Supporters team. They arranged to play against the crew of a Soviet Union cargo ship that had docked in Liverpool.

After the game in the pub both sides were trying to communicate as best they could but one of the crew members didn't join in. It turned out he was a Russian KGB member who was there to keep a check on the Ukrainian crew.

On a more serious note, Barry also thanks Marine for aiding his recovery after a serious car crash in 1988.

He was involved in a head-on collision with a motorbike travelling at 100 mph on the wrong side of the road. He broke both feet badly and smashed his pelvis in three places.

"It took the best part of a year to learn to walk again unaided. I spent eight weeks on my back in hospital and if it hadn't been for the Marine supporters, players and manager at the time, Roly Howard visiting me, then it would have been an even more stressful time for me.

"I received letters from all over the country giving me support and have never forgotten this."

This life changing episode in Barry's life reinforced his love of Marine and NonLeague football.

"Marine is a real football club-unlike Everton and Liverpool which I regard as businesses. Marine is a family club and our fans are special."

Barry does have one secret though. In 1969 he played against Marine in a Lancashire Combination League match. Their opposition, Dukinfield Town turned up with just eight players and Barry and a friend played for them against his beloved side. Barry insists he tried his best for the opposition but it comes as no surprise that Marine won 8-2.

ODE TO THE GROUNDHOPPERS  by The Unibard

When I was just a nipper

I confided in my dad
'I want to be a groundhopper
It isn't just a fad'

He looked at me in disbelief
'Oh, where did I go wrong?
I thought you'd follow Liverpool!'
He pondered all day long.

He said, 'You¹ll need an anorak,
A plastic bag and cap,
A pad to write your memoirs in,
A rail pass and a map.'

I set off on my travels
And hopped onto a train.
My first stop was at Daisy Hill
I braved the wind and rain.

I hopped across the Pennines
To Pontefract and Goole.
Then travelled south to Tadley Town
To see their game with Poole.

I ventured on the Northern Hop,
To Morpeth Town and Crook,
Then Jarrow Roofing BCA
(I wrote these in my book).

I scribbled down team changes,
When every goal was scored
And added up attendances
Whenever I was bored.

I noted every blade of grass
And never gave up hope
Of measuring geometrically
Which way the pitch would slope.

So next I'm off to Cornwall,
To Launceston and Saltash,
But I'll have to get back home soon
As I'm running out of cash.

I've used up twenty biros
And filled three dozen pads.
My friends think that I'm crazy
-But I'm just groundhopping mad!