2026-27 Recruitment Plan for Marine

Player Decisions

Retain

Fin Sinclair-Smith, Leigh Whelan, Harvey Gregson, George Newall, Adam Anson, Matty McDonald, Jack Hazlehurst, Harrison Huby, Josh Wardle, Dec Drysdale, Jack McIntyre, James Potter, Adam Thomas

Release

Jed Abbey, Ash Hunter, Offrande Zanzala, James Brown, Sam Fielding

Loan End

Fraser Barnsley, Charlie Jolley, Joe Ashton, Marley Luelai, Charlie Booth

Retained Squad

New Signings

Tom Watson (Wigan Athletic – loan)

Despite Fraser Barnsley having impressed on loan, youngster Jack McIntyre has really shown himself up as being ‘one for the future’ for Marine with a number of impressive displays. That said, I think Bobby Grant will likely again look to loan in a goalkeeper from a higher league ahead of 2026-27 to provide competition to McIntyre for the #1 jersey. 

I don’t see Watson getting the opportunities to play first-team football with his parent club Wigan Athletic, and so a loan is the most realistic avenue for the youngster to go down to get that playing time. He stepped up to the plate in Jasper Sheik’s absence with South Shields, yet I think that joining Marine with the strong competition of McIntyre would particularly drive him on and give him the challenge that he perhaps needs. That healthy competition could be really effective in refining his game. 

The 21-year-old is highly-rated within Wigan Athletic circles, and I feel that he can only do his own prospects the world of good if he goes and gets a full season under his belt at the level. He will be a better player for that spell with Ian Watson’s South Shields side. He signed a new deal with Wigan Athletic until the end of 2027-28, and so has got a future with The Latics, but for a player of his age I think that he just needs to go out and play. Continue learning. Developed aggression in his game. Be more confident coming for crosses. Demonstrate that confidence and authority to dominate his penalty area, and not being afraid to come out and clatter attacking players. 

The Latics have got one of the best academy sides in the country and have got a good track record when it comes to player development. If The Mariners can land him on loan from Wigan Athletic for the duration of the 2026-27 campaign, I think that they would be landing themselves one of the best young goalkeepers for the level.

Joe Ashton (Burnley – free)

The first of two players on this list that finished the campaign with Marine is Joe Ashton. A key part of the side that got to the FA Trophy semi-final. He is out of contract with his parent club Burnley this summer, and will no doubt be someone that Marine have already enquired about keeping. 

The youngster enjoyed a successful loan spell with Marine this season, and since his signing has been an ever-present for Bobby Grant’s side at left-back. He isn’t the most athletic or attack-minded, but he is someone with a good engine, strong defensively, and utilises his body well in protecting the ball. He is only 19 years of age, and I think that he would represent a good project for Bobby Grant to work with. Hugely coachable. A strong work-rate. Someone that perhaps isn’t the most technical, but has shown steady progress. 

One of the other advantages that I think Bobby Grant gets in signing a player of Joe Ashton’s profile is the versatility that he offers. Marine are not one of the bigger hitters in the National League North and will likely have to run with one of the smaller squads in the league, and so signing players who can play in different roles would be incredibly useful. Indeed, while Ashton has played the majority of his spell at the club as a left-back, he can also be used as a centre-back. 

While the youngster may have alerted clubs from higher in the league that are perhaps better-placed to offer him a strong financial package or from a higher level, but given that he clearly enjoyed his time with Marine and played some good stuff in the black and white of The Mariners then I think that Bobby Grant will be able to re-sign him and bring him back into the club on a permanent deal. If they can, I feel it would be a good piece of business.

Ajay Weston (Bolton Wanderers – free)

If The Mariners are to re-sign Joe Ashton on a permanent basis, you’d expect that he will be the #1 pick. As such, I think that Bobby Grant can afford to go and sign another young prospect that they can develop. A long-term deal. Someone that they can improve organically with little pressure of being a regular starter, yet can equally provide good competition for Ashton. 

One option that I feel they could look at is youngster Ajay Weston. He has been on loan with FC United of Manchester this year, and has shown steady progression with The Reds. An attacking full-back. A couple of goals to his name. He is still very much a fledgling player in first-team football and has played around 30 games in FC United of Manchester colours, but he has managed to get good experience under his belt and I am confident that he is a better player for it. 

As a profile, Ajay Weston is a diminutive, ball-carrying, transitional threat with his energy and athleticism to get up on the overlap. Technically strong. Comfortable on the ball. Defensively I feel that there is definitely work to do, but he has got the skillsets that makes him a good bet for providing endeavour going forward. 

The Trotters have got a number of good left-back options at their disposal in the form of Max Conway and Richard Taylor, and so I don’t envisage a pathway for the youngster to go and get minutes in the first-team. He is out of contract at the end of the 2025-26 campaign and so may well be let go in any event, but if I am in Ajay Weston’s shoes then I would be advising him to go and find himself a new opportunity to go and play his football. A new environment. A more realistic chance of minutes. That is what he needs for the sake of his own development. 

Given that Marine have to operate rather frugally in the market, I think that these are the types of signing they should be making. Young, hungry, a point to prove, out of a good academy, using Marine as the kickstart to get their career going, and a project. The 20-year-old would be stepping up to sign for Marine having only experienced first-team football at a lower level, but I feel he could represent quite a nice project for Bobby Grant.

Ashton Fox (Peterborough Sports – free)

While Peterborough Sports were relegated from the National League North with a bit of a whimper, I still feel that there are a few talented players in their group and under the right coach and with a new lease of life then I think that they could be a useful option for the level. One player who fits that bill and who I’d be intrigued to see play is Ashton Fox. 

Given that Marine already have two good centre-backs in the form of Adam Anson and Josh Wardle, any signing that they do make in that department is likely going to have to be a back-up centre-back and so I feel that The Mariners can afford to put trust in a likely younger option that they can develop long-term. Ashton Fox is 23 years of age and so at the other end of the spectrum to the likes of Thomas and Wardle in that defensive third. 

His time at Peterborough Sports has hardly been plain-sailing and he has had loan spells at clubs lower than the level – joining Spalding United earlier in the year – and despite only playing a total of 12 times out of 45 in the league in 2025-26 for The Sports there is something which I quite like about the young defender. 

He is your typical box defender profile. A towering presence standing at 6ft 3in, well-built physically, a good athlete and strong in the air. I think that in a 4-2-3-1 system that Marine employs with two defensively-minded players sitting at the base in a double-pivot, I feel that would allow Fox greater protection and that would enable Bobby Grant to platform him properly. He isn’t the type to carry the ball out from defence, but he is the type that will defend his box well, a no-nonsense, aggressive style and has got a lovely temperament for a defender. Out of a good academy with Peterborough United, I think there are some raw tools there that may be useful to work with.

There will be the odd question mark over his fitness given that he did have much of the 2024-25 campaign out through injury, but he is someone that I am confident can still provide real value at National League North level. Marine are set up to be defensively strong and Fox will have some good professionals and in particular centre-backs for this level to learn from, and so I would be really intrigued to see how he could fare in Marine colours.

Max Wright (FC Halifax Town – free)

Marine are likely to have to take a chance on a younger profile of players during the summer, however if Bobby Grant wants his side to take that next step and push for the top seven then I think they could do with adding one or two experienced faces to complement the group. One player that I would look at is Max Wright. 

Wright has had a tricky 2025-26, with spells out through injury and a loan away from The Shaymen, and so going into 2026-27 I think that we may well see him drop out of the National League to sign elsewhere. He is now 28 years of age and has good experience of playing in the fifth tier, and got promoted from the league with Grimsby Town in 2022. Given his time on the sidelines this term, I feel that he may well have to forgo being a guaranteed starter and instead be more of a squad player. 

In this Marine squad, I think that his experience will be invaluable. He has been there and done it. A good professional. He may not play 46 games a season, but even if he plays 20-30 games then just having him around the place, as a role model for the young players break through such as Harrison Huby, and the type of adaptable player that can be used on either flank or slightly deeper as a central midfielder then I think that Bobby Grant is getting real value out of the midfielder. 

When he was at his most effective best with The Shaymen, Max Wright was a high-energy, pressing wide forward that is looking to be aggressive in getting out to press the opposition full-back, forcing turnovers, and then when he has won the ball back utilise his pace and agility in driving to goal. He can play on either side of the pitch, and as a more experienced option to what they have got currently then I think that he represents a smart bit of business in ensuring that they’ve got what it takes to challenge for the top seven.

Tyler Roberts (Tamworth – free)

When I watched Marine this season, I was impressed. However, one area in which I felt that – on the day – Marine could improve is out wide. Jack Hazlehurst played as a right winger on the day, yet I’ve always felt he is better as a #10 where he can pick up clever pockets. 

As such, I think that Bobby Grant may well look for a right winger in the market. More natural width. Some pace, skill and trickery out wide. The ability to provide that little more quality in 1-on-1 situations. One player who I feel will be let go by their current club and who would represent a bit of a coup to land in the National League North is former AFC Fylde attacking player Tyler Roberts. 

As a player, Roberts is a good technical footballer that is elegant in the carry, smart close control and the intricacy to play in tight areas. When I watched Marine earlier in the season, I felt that too much of their play was either down the left-hand side through Finley Sinclair-Smith or down the middle of the pitch. Hazlehurst looking to cut inside. Having a player of Roberts’ profile that is a direct ball-carrier that takes risks and wants to commit players in providing natural width and wanting to drive to goal as more of an out-and-out winger will definitely make them a more dangerous attacking outfit.

Currently on the books at Tamworth. Formerly of Wolverhampton Wanderers. A player that has not played a great deal of football, and in my opinion needs to find himself an opportunity where he can go and get regular minutes under his belt. When he was at AFC Fylde, he was particularly impressive during his loan spell initially. He is someone that plays a little bit off the cuff in wanting to get the fans off their feet, and dropping down into the National League North might provide him with the opportunity to get more regular minutes and in a league where potentially he will get more time to influence proceedings on the ball. 

He has definitely lost his way a bit and not had the best luck with injuries during his time with The Lambs, but if Marine can keep him fit and get him back enjoying his football then they have got a top player.

Charlie Jolley (AFC Fylde – free)

Perhaps the least surprising signing suggestion in this piece is Charlie Jolley. The forward finished the campaign on loan with Marine and enjoyed a particularly strong year with Bobby Grant’s side. With AFC Fylde already well-stocked in the attacking third and Jolley seemingly surplus to requirements, I envisage that the 25-year-old will be allowed to depart the club during the summer. 

He managed to get into double figures for the campaign for Marine, and I don’t think that represents that bad a return for a striker playing in a Marine side who are not the most creative from open-play in terms of clear-cut chances. Bobby Grant will no doubt want to try and keep together the key architects of their season, and so retaining the services of Charlie Jolley will without a doubt be near the top of his summer list. 

The Mariners typically played a 4-2-3-1 system, with Jolley playing largely off the right-hand side. Next term, I could quite foresee a situation whereby he is used more so alongside Newell with a 2-striker formation to provide them with more in the way of attacking threat in transition and occupying the centre-backs of the opposition. In turn allowing more room for the likes of Finlay Sinclair-Smith and Jack Hazlehurst to make those intelligent runs from deep beyond the play. 

Jolley is full of running, high energy, a capable presser, quick, good movement and is always on the move. He has started to show that end product to his game, and if he can continue to develop at the rate that he has done so far in Mariners colours then Bobby Grant will be confident that he has potentially got a 15-20 goal striker. He scored 11 goals this term, and so that represents a decent starting point. It wouldn’t surprise me if Grant has already opened up discussions with the forward about a return to the club, and that is exactly what I am expecting to see happen going into 2026-27.

Tunde Owolabi (Hyde United – free)

The final player that I have picked out as an option for Marine to sign in the close season is a striker that has played at a higher level before, yet is currently plying their trade at Hyde United in the form of Tunde Owolabi. 

Bobby Grant does not have the resources to be able to go and sign the finished article, and perhaps has to take a chance on players and back himself to get the best out of them. Perhaps an unpolished player that needs the right environment to flourish. In the case of Tunde Owolabi, the 30-year-old is one that has always been someone that has threatened to have a real breakthrough campaign, and yet he has drifted around non-league in the last few years without overly ripping up trees. 

As a player, Owolabi is a quick, agile and high-energy #9 that looks to play on the shoulder of the opposition. Always willing to make clever runs in behind. I can see him being the type to get on the end of knock-downs from George Newell and running off him, yet he has equally got the physicality and intelligence to play as the reference in lieu of Newell. Most effective as a secondary striker playing off a physical #9, I think that he is a good stylistic fit for this Mariners squad. 

One of the benefits that Bobby Grant does have in signing Owolabi is that he represents a middle ground between being an experienced option that has experience of playing in the National League North and has a lot of games under their belt, yet equally one that Grant can view as a bit of a project. He had fruitful spells with FC United of Manchester, Finn Harps and Macclesfield, and showed during those periods that he definitely has that composure and ball-striking in front of goal. 

While Tunde Owolabi is now in his 30’s, I think that he would jump at the chance to step back up into the National League North and test himself once again. He provides The Mariners with something a little bit different in profile to what they have already got at their disposal, and so complements the work-rate and physical attributes of George Newell and the trickery and clever movement of Charlie Jolley. With Owolabi, Newell and Jolley, I think that The Mariners would be confident they’ve got a nice mix of skillsets.