Marine FC is delighted to announce that Tina Vale has joined the club’s Board as a Non-Executive Director, becoming the third NED appointment of the year following Alf Mangor Johannessen and Dave Thompson. She becomes the second woman to sit on the current Board.
Tina grew up in West London and the Thames Valley before later making the North-West her home with her husband and his two daughters. Football has long been part of her life, including four years managing a boys’ youth football team, and she was keen to join an ambitious, inclusive and community-led club.
A driven HR professional with an international business, Tina also brings with her a wealth of senior commercial experience and will support the development of the club’s HR processes and policies as Marine continues to professionalise off the pitch.
Alongside her expertise, Tina will also make a significant investment in the club, supporting Marine’s continued development and its ambitions for the future.
Tina is a passionate advocate for women in the game and for women’s causes more broadly. She will work closely with the women’s representative on the club’s fans’ board to help grow female support at Marine. Away from the club, Tina will run the 2027 London Marathon in support of The Eve Appeal, a charity focused on preventing and improving the early diagnosis of womb and ovarian cancer – a cause that is very close to her heart.
Tina also gives her time every year volunteering at events such as Creamfields, supporting festival-goers in the welfare zone and offering a safe space for those who need it.
Marine CEO James Leary said:
“Tina is inspirational and her appointment is another fantastic addition to our Board, bringing huge strategic value to the football club. It has been a pleasure getting to know her over recent months. She is passionate about what she does and will have a real impact on Marine Football Club over the coming years. Women have been underrepresented at Marine at board level, and her appointment will help support the growth of women at the football club. Her commitment to running the London Marathon in support of The Eve Appeal which is deeply personal to her is an example of her character. We look forward to her contribution in the years ahead”
Tina Vale said:
“I’m genuinely delighted to be joining the Board at Marine. From my first conversations with James, I really liked what the club is building – ambitious, but still very much rooted in its community and in the people who support it. At the first game I attended, I got a real feel for the passion around the club. Everything I saw – and everyone I met – reinforced that Marine’s values and the way it sees its role in the community really align with my own.
Football has been part of my life for a long time, but being involved at Board level is completely new territory for me, which is exciting! I’m looking forward to bringing the experience I’ve gained throughout my career, but also to learning from the people already doing such a great job at the club. For me, being a good Non-Executive Director is about being part of that already established team – supporting and advising, bringing a different perspective and, where it’s helpful, being prepared to challenge the thinking too.
I’m particularly passionate about getting more women involved in football and making sure they feel that Marine is a club for them too. There’s already lots of great work happening at the club, so I’m looking forward to getting stuck in, contributing where I can and hopefully making a difference.”
The first initiative focused on growing female support at Marine is the club’s Women’s Day fixture against Spalding United on Saturday 10th October, led by the Marine FC Fans Board, when all female supporters can claim free entry using the promo code WOMENSDAY via the club’s online ticket store, part of a wider push to grow the club’s female fanbase
Welcome to the club, Tina!