He was in many ways the precursor of the great success the club enjoyed under Roly Howard. It was Harry Boyle who brought Roly to Crosby as Reserve team manager when he took over the first team at the beginning of the 1970-71 season.

Marine had enjoyed very little success in the previous 20 years. The position of manager was still not what it is today. A selection committee and football committee still had lots of power and it was under Harry that happily that started to wane.

He had a great football pedigree. Born in Scotland he was briefly at Manchester United before enjoying a long professional career as a defender with Southport, then in the League, and Rochdale before carrying on in non-league with Runcorn and Altrincham.

When he retired from playing he was one of the first people to really go for coaching qualifications. He led the way in this area and became a coach to the Zambian national side and the chief coach to the Lancashire FA, the post which led to his involvement at Marine.

Coaching was everything to him and his obsession with it perhaps came as a shock to part time players previously only used to 'training.'
I remember as a junior treasurer going with Harry and the team to a pre-Amateur Cup tie lunch at the Blundellsands (yes they did eat steaks hours before a vital match) and by the time Harry had finished with his blackboard and pointer I think the players were as confused as me. Though we did win the match.

Some of his free kick routines were legendary and even after he went any complicated manouevre on the field was known to some supporters as 'a Harry Boyle.'

In his seasons in charge Harry did enjoy some success. His coaching meant that the team always tried to play the passing game and he had some excellent players to do it. He certainly got off to a spectacular start because he was a second cousin of the great Sir Matt Busby and that allowed a strong Manchester United side to visit Marine in a pre-season winning 1-0.

The FA Amateur Cup was what Marine lived for in those days and Harry's side reached the 3rd round in his first season going out to Essex club Aveley and again the following season before losing out to then all powerful Enfield.

Harry Boyle will also probably go down in Marine history as the manager who was sacked after winning his last game 6-1 against Rossendale. The decision certainly rocked the Crosby faithful with the Herald leading the storm of protest. Ironically he had also taken the team to a two legged final of the Cheshire League Cup and at the second leg (we lost) at Oswestry supporters demonstrated against the sacking, led, I seem to remember, by Barry Lenton.

The problem for those of us on the commitee was that Harry still had his Lancashire coaching and a host of other commitments away from Marine. It was becoming obvious that to enjoy success you had to have a manager who would devote all his time to Marine. It was a curious but I suppose in hindsight amazingly beneficial decision to replace him with Roly.

Throughout all this Harry showed the greatest of dignity. He was a thoroughly nice man who would always find time for anyone.

He has suffered a long illness and our deepest sympathy goes out to his family.