Maryland Bobcats FC are happy to announce that a formal partnership has been reached with Merseyside, UK-based club Marine Association Football Club. The club, which was founded in 1894, is a member of both the Liverpool County and Lancashire County Football Associations, and currently plays in the Northern Premier League Division One West, the 8th division of soccer in England.

The partnership between Marine FC and Maryland Bobcats FC will see the sharing of best practice in all areas of both clubs. This will range from the player development to Stadium plans and community development plans and It will also allow mutual opportunities for the furthering of education of players and staff. 

Both clubs have similar structure and mentality – They are community clubs at heart with large ambitious plans for growth. 

The deal was brokered by Gary Beggs & Paul Abrams of Gorilla Sports Group.

Gary Beggs Partner of Gorilla Sports Group said “We are delighted to bring these two great clubs together and are excited to see the partnership grow over the coming years. We want to thank James and Evan for listening to our ideas and sharing our vision of growing both clubs in the right way and also thank Simon Rose from NISA for working with us to find the right club to work with in the US.”

Vice President, Evan Raimist of Maryland Bobcats said “"When Gary and Paul approached us with this potential partnership, we were immediately interested. In talking to James from Marine, it became instantly clear how similar the Bobcats and Marine are, both on and off the field. I think this partnership will allow both clubs to grow, again on and off the field, and offer more to both of our players, staff, and supporters. Everyone saw what they were able to do as a community club last year in the FA Cup and I think every club, no matter where they are from, dreams about developing something like that. We're excited to develop alongside James and Marine and look forward to the growth of both clubs."

Marine CEO James Leary said “Following talks with Evan, I am delighted to announce this partnership. It is clear that Maryland Bobcats are very similar to Marine in terms of their mentality and the way they operate. I look forward to a strong working relationship with Evan and the team going forward.”

The National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) (the league MBFC plays in) aims to be the number one league for soccer in the US which sits outside of the MLS. The league and clubs are set up to mirror the operation of Football clubs across Europe and it has huge ambitions to attach sporting merit to it's system.