Remyca United Football Club started life in the Seaforth area of Liverpool as St Thomas F.C. (1959) playing in the Church of England League.
Players were recruited mainly from Seaforth and Bootle and the team later became known as Bootle C.L.B. (Church Lads Brigade). The founder members of Remyca Utd, Bill and Ken Edwards, acted as managers having recently given up their playing careers.
The area, predominantly working class, provided an abundance of talented amateur players and links were formed with Bootle YMCA which provided a club base and facilities to train.
In 1967 the team again changed its name to REM Social as a local workingman’s club offered to finance the running of the club. One year later REMYCA UTD F.C. came into being, the name derived from connections with both REM Social Club and Bootle YMCA. The team entered the Third Division of the I Zingari Alliance League and became Champions at the first attempt. Thereafter, successive championships followed culminating in acceptance into the I Zingari League that was regarded as a higher standard of football.
In 2013 the Management Committee of REMYCA began exploring the potential to grow and develop the club.Social and cultural changes had impacted on grass roots football with many teams, clubs and even leagues folding due to lack of support.The basis for a sustainable club was clearly a community based model offering football opportunity with good coaching to all ages from 7 years upwards.
The first stage of the new development plan was to add Litherland to the club name so as to identify with the local area and enhance the community ethos of the club.A key appointment was Colin Begbie as head of youth development whos experience and network of football contacts has proven invaluable.The longer term plan is to achieve Community Charter Standard status and the journey has commenced extremely well.
In line with aspirations to compete at the highest level the club applied to be promoted to step 6 of the Football Pyramid and enter the North West Counties Football League.A tremendous amount of work being undertaken to finance and fabricate a 50 seater spectator stand at Litherland Sports Park.A roller coaster season on the pitch resulted in the senior team managing to secure a fifth place finish, just, meaning Litherland REMYCA FC will enter non league Football for the first time next season.
An amazing year of development also witnessed the junior section grow and next year youth and womens Football will be introduced.There are currently 14 teams from under 7s to Veterans playing under the REMYCA banner, a fantastic achievment and testimony to the passion , committment and hard work of a fatastic group of people.There efforts have been rewarded by winning Merseyside Charter Standard Club of the Year also picking up the regional prize North West Charter Standard Club of the Year.The standard has been set as we are now offically regarded as a well organised and managed club with development at its heart.To maintain the standard the hard work actually starts here but we relish this and look forward to further development next season and taking our football as far as Cumbria in the North to Staffordshire in the south enjoying our North West Counties experience
In 1972, due to demands from players wishing to join the club, a reserve team was formed. The First XI made steady progress through the divisions earning a reputation for playing open and attractive football. The I Zingari Challenge Cup was claimed in the 1975/76 season as Remyca Utd began to establish itself as a force within amateur football on Merseyside.
The formation of a Premier League led to the club being invited to become inaugural members. This demanded improved playing facilities and the club left its spiritual home at Moss Lane, Litherland to move to Maghull High School. A former player, Steve Smith, became manager and began building a squad capable of competing with the best amateur sides in the region.
Remyca Utd became the I Zingari League Champions in the 1987/88 season and in 1991 became one of the few Merseyside Teams to win the all Lancashire FA Amateur Cup.
The 1990s was a significant period in the club’s history, and the most successful, as both Premier League and Cup doubles were achieved in seasons 1993/94, 1994/95 and 1995/96 followed by again winning the Challenge Cup in the 1998/99 season.
This period of dominance and success resulted in Remyca Utd seeking entry to the Liverpool County Combination League to test itself at a higher level again. Unfortunately this experience was short lived as manager and players were enticed away from the club by offers from semi-professional clubs. The club returned to the I Zingari League only for a merger between its former League, Liverpool County Combination to take place. This left the club in the difficult position of having to work through the divisions to achieve top status again.
Immediately the club secured the Liverpool County Premiership Division 2 title in 2007 and missed a further promotion by one point the following season. It also added the Fred Micklesfield Cup in 2008/09 to the list of trophies won.
Under various names and guises, Remyca Utd has been established for close over 50 years. Special mention must go to Bill and Ken Edwards, founder members.
The club has become a well-respected team in amateur football circles. It strives to play the game in the correct spirit and has a winning mentality. The social element of football is also an important part of the club ethos at Remyca Utd.
The club has now developed a veterans section with teams over 35 and over 40. Many players have played for Remyca as young men and have returned to enjoy the game and camaraderie. Many of the First XI are the sons of fathers playing for Remy Vets football making it a true ‘Dads and Lads’ club.
Remyca Utd are now based at Litherland Sports Park, which is one of the finest facilities within the region providing a wide range of activities for all ages and abilities, encouraging use by the local community and performance athletes alike. The club continues to make progress, always holding ambitions to play football at the highest amateur level. It is now looking to develop junior and youth sections to ensure continuity of players, all within a friendly and sociable atmosphere.
In 2014-15 the Club Achieved a number of firsts. Obviously competing at Step 6 in the Non-League Pyramid immediately stands out, over the course of the season after a rocky start the club adapted well to its new surroundings and finished a respectable ninth in the NWCFL Division One table and came within a couple of points of a promotion play-off spot. In the same season we reached the semi-finals of the NWCFL Division One Cup Sponsored by Reusch. Sadly we went up against the Divisions form team Atherton Colls at the time on a mudbath of a pitch, it just was not meant to be on the day but still very much a source of pride, one recognised by a small but important financial reward by the league at the end of the season.
In Another first for us we took part in the Liverpool Senior Cup for the first time, an honour for any club with affiliation to the County FA as for the fans this was the first sight of us in a cup with the local big-boys. Ultimately we went out against Skelmersdale United in the early rounds but it was still quite an achievement for us.
Overall 2014-15 was quite a season for us.