GRAEME MARRS, MBE (HONORARY OS) 1939-2019

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Honorary OS Graeme Marrs, who died on Friday 16th August at the age of 79.

Please see below for an obituary written by Peter Greville, Vice President and Press Office, Birkenhead Park Football Club.

Graeme made a huge contribution to rugby at Birkenhead Park over many years from the 1970’s to the current day. A proud old boy of Rossall School he played also for Rosslyn Park a club he always maintained a great fondness for. By his own admission he may not have scaled the heights as a full back but as an administrator and alicadoo he was a colossus indeed.

He acted as Fixture Secretary for many years at Birkenhead Park maintaining a first class list for the club at a time when the game was changing prior to the introduction of league rugby. His camaraderie with his opposite numbers at clubs such as Wasps, Gloucester, Harlequins, London Scottish and The Royal Navy played a significant part in helping maintain these fixtures for another generation of Park players who remain eternally grateful to Graeme for providing them with the opportunity to play against these top clubs.

Graeme became the driving force behind the annual North of England Schools Sevens which regularly attracted the top schools to Birkenhead and he fought tooth and nail to maintain the high standards as the best tournament in the North.

Graeme was made an Honorary Old Sedberghian in September 2017 in recognition of his generous contributions to the Sedbergh 10’s tournament over the years. He was a friend and advocate of both the school and the OS Club, also assisting with the organisation of the Anti-Assassins fixtures.

He also made his annual pilgrimage to the Rosslyn Park National Schoolboy Sevens where he gained notoriety as an announcer at that prestigious tournament.

Graeme through his professional life with MKR in Liverpool was awarded the MBE for services to Caribbean trade and he was of course extremely proud of this honour. It was his business contacts that led Graeme to play a major role in organising tours to Jamaica in 1981 and the Bahamas in 1989, both absolutely fabulous with Graeme leading both ventures. The close ties between MKR and Birkenhead Park continue to go from strength to strength in the current era helping the club to develop its facilities and rugby together.

A tribute of this nature can only scratch the surface of Graeme’s magnificent contribution to Birkenhead Park and the wider game. He was well known throughout the county and indeed the country frequently visiting Twickenham in a variety of roles. One thing is for sure,the Upper Park will be a far poorer place with the new season getting underway. Graeme was a unique rugby character and his witty and amiable personality will be most sorely missed particularly on match days at the Upper Park.

I am sure over the coming weeks many tales of Graeme’s rugby adventures will be regaled in the Park bar and we hope the esteem in which he is held will be of some consolation to Poppet and the Marrs family at this saddest of times.

Peter Greville
Vice President and Press Officer
BPFC