• Jimmy Davies has won 72 trophies with Liverpool amateur side • 'Ferguson never had to wash kits and footballs like me'

The longest-serving manager in English football history, Jimmy Davies, will bow out on Tuesday evening when the Liverpool County Premier League side Waterloo Dock play their final match of the season against Red Rum.

Davies, 71, has managed the club for its entire 50-year history and was the driving force behind its formation in Clubmoor, near Anfield, in 1963 when he and some fellow dockworkers set the ball rolling.

After making a handful of less-than-impressive appearances as a player, he decided management was probably a better option. He hasn't looked back since. He has won 72 trophies in 50 years and puts his longevity down to a winning mentality similar to that of another recent retiree of the same age, Sir Alex Ferguson.

"We're quite similar," Davies said. "He was a shop steward in the Glasgow shipyard, I was a shop steward on Liverpool dockyard. And while Fergie had a lot of pressure on him, he never had to wash kits and footballs and deal with the day-to-day stuff like me. My wife will be relieved because at this level, you're just totally involved."

It is hoped the final match will attract a healthy crowd to Edinburgh Park, behind the Dockers Club, a short walk away from Goodison Park and Anfield. "There'll be a lot of former players, hopefully, and it will be nice to get a fond farewell."

One of Davies's proudest moments was steering Waterloo Dock to the final of the Liverpool Senior Cup in 2009, where they were narrowly defeated 1-0 by Liverpool reserves – an astonishing feat for an 11th-tier club. "We weren't overawed and we only lost after a late goal against a strong Liverpool team who were managed by Gary Ablett [who has since passed away]. He came over and congratulated us afterwards."

The end of Davies's long run as a manager will be tinged with sadness, not just for himself, but because of the changing landscape of local grassroots football, which now has fewer clubs than at any time in his 50-year tenure.

"All the clubs used to belong to factories and there were numerous in Liverpool. It was called the Business Houses League then and had four divisions. Now it's gone. It's a shame because it's hard to get kids down now. And we're just trying to keep the community involved.

"The FA [Football Association] say they're trying to support grassroots football … locally, they're making an effort. But it's very hard. It's much more costly than it used to be. Referees cost a lot, insurance is high and ground fees in Merseyside are astronomical."

So will Davies be relieved when it's all over? "No, I'll be sad. I'll step away but I'll still come and watch them. I'll haunt them like a spectre from the touchline. But I'll keep my distance from the dressing room. It's important to give the new manager some space."

• This article has been amended since first publication