Southport F.C.


Southport Football Club, nicknamed "the Sandgrounders", is an association football club based in Southport, Merseyside. The club competes in the National League North, the sixth level of the English football league system. Their home matches are played at Haig Avenue football stadium.
The club was founded in 1888, with the name Southport Central. Through 1921, they were members of regional leagues, including the Lancashire League, the Lancashire Combination, and The Central League.
From 1921 to 1978, they were a member of The Football League. In 1921, became one of the founding members of the newly formed Football League Third Division North. In 1973, they won the 1972–73 Football League Fourth Division championship. They failed to gain re-election in 1978.
From 1978 to 2004, their association memberships were:
In 2004, Southport was transferred to the new National League North. From 2004 to 2017, they have played in either tier 6 or the tier 5. In 2017, Southport were relegated to the National League North.

History

The original amateur club: 1881–1886

Although association football was played in the town's private schools in the late 1870s, the first association club was not formed in the town until November 1881. Bearing the name of Southport Football club, the club originally began as a rugby club, the 'handling code' having been played competitively since 1872.
The man responsible for the decision to switch to association football was a former Welsh international, Thomas Blundell Burnett. He was the instigator of the switch, he was the Secretary of the new club, and he was also the Captain.
The club played its games on a field on a large plot of land opposite to the entrance of Chambres Road on the corner Scarisbrick New Road and Ash Street backing onto Trap Lane, roughly where Westmoreland Road lies today. There was space enough for multiple pitches, one of which was used by Southport Olympic rugby club.
Encouraged by their first year, Southport joined both the Lancashire and English Football Associations and entered the English, Lancashire and Liverpool and District Challenge Cups. The competitive element of the cup-ties aroused most interest. On 7 October, Southport entertained Liverpool Ramblers in their first ever F.A., or English Challenge Cup tie as the competition was called for years. This game was watched by 300 spectators including many women supporters and resulted in a 1–1 draw, Ambler scoring for Southport following a neat pass from Arthur Dalby.
In the 1884–85 season the club merged with the Southport Athletic Society. The team moved to the Sports Ground, on Sussex Road. It was unanimously decided to change their red jerseys for red and white striped flannel shirts. The Reds were thereby now known as “The Stripes”.
As football grew in popularity other clubs sprang up in the town. Southport Wanderers, High Park, Churchtown and Southport Old Boys were amongst the most prominent. However Southport Football Club was considered to be the town's premier side.
Off the field the club was not in a healthy state and in the 1885/86 season they were facing stiff competition from twenty six other clubs in the town. Southport reduced their annual subscriptions to five shillings to try and compete but were later forced to sever their connections with the Athletic Society and in the Athletic Society's Annual report the Committee regretted ‘their unfortunate connection with the Football Club which resulted in the Society incurring an expenditure on their account of £88-3 shillings.
After five years existence Southport's first football club folded.

Southport Wanderers: 1884–1888

Southport Wanderers formed as an amateur outfit in 1884 by members of the Southport Olympic rugby club. By the summer of 1886 Wanderers had grown into one of the most popular clubs in the town. In fact, by the time of the demise of the original Southport Football Club they were able to field a first and second eleven on a regular basis, something the original club struggled to do for much of the 1885/1886 season.
At the Wanderers AGM in June 1886, at which a representative of the original Southport association club was present, they invited Southport Football Club to amalgamate
At least six former Southport players and many of their supporters transferred their affiliations to Southport Wanderers. Southport Wanderers moved to a new ground in Scarisbrick New Road for the 1886-87 season. It was a large field, enclosed to a height of 7 foot 6 inches and big enough to accommodate three matches at once. A covered grandstand, to seat 140 spectators, and a dressing tent were provided. Three cows which grazed on the field withdrew behind the grandstand during matches.
At a General Meeting held in the Mather's Saleroom on Chapel Street, it was unanimously resolved that in future the club be called ‘Southport Football Club’ Thus imparting to it a representative character which it had not hitherto enjoyed.

A new professional club - Southport Central: 1888-1921

On 2 June 1888 the Southport Guardian newspaper revealed that there was a scheme in the town to provide a football club of ‘Mighty proportions’..by raising an importation team’ Professional football was about to be launched in Southport.
In the summer of 1888, the year the Football League was founded, with the game increasing in popularity, It was felt that a team of stronger calibre should be formed to represent the district The idea met with favour and the initial meeting called to form such a club took place on 12 June at Victoria Galleries, Chapel Street.
At a second meeting, held at the Railway Hotel a week later, Mr. Robert McGown, once secretary of the High Park club, successfully proposed that the name of the club should be “Southport Central Association Football Club”.
When the proposition to form a committee was put eleven voted in favour, none against and nineteen abstained. Mr James of Hoghton Street was appointed Honorary Treasurer, Edwin Ramsbottom Secretary and an executive committee was formed.
At a meeting held on 29 August, Mr. J. B. Watson explaining the objects of the club said it was likely to place Southport in the front rank of football with the certain result of bringing increased crowds of visitors to the town and it was confirmed that “Foreign talent” would be introduced by paying players.
The club's record for their initial season was Played 40 Won 21 Drawn 6 Lost 13.
The event which caused the most excitement in the town was the visit of Preston North End who had just carried off the League and Cup double. They came to Southport on 13 May and were given a rapturous welcome on arrival at the railway station. They were driven to the ground behind a marching band. There was a record gate of 3,500 and North End won 4-2 even though Central were re-inforced for the occasion by Forbes, Townley and Southworth of Blackburn Rovers.
The club joined the newly formed Lancashire League. Following the success of the Football League it was hardly surprising that there would be a demand for a County Competition in Lancashire At a meeting organized by the Secretary of the Earlestown club the Lancashire League became a reality. Isaac Smith, Central's Chairman, became the league's first treasurer.
At the start of the 1905–06 season Central moved to its present home, Haig Avenue, which was then known as Ash Lane. In 1911, the club became founder members of the Central League. In 1918, the club was renamed as Southport Vulcan – having been bought by the Vulcan Motor Company – becoming the first club to take a sponsor's name.

Football League: 1921–1978

In 1921 the club, now named simply Southport, joined the Football League and became a founder member of the Third Division North. In 1931, Southport became the first club from the Third Division North to reach the sixth round of the FA Cup, where they lost 9–1 to Everton. A year later the club recorded its record attendance, when 20,010 watched them play Newcastle United in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Having finished in the bottom half of the table at the end of the 1957–58 season, the club dropped into the Fourth Division following the reorganisation of the Third Division North and Third Division South into Third and Fourth Divisions. The club's first promotion came at the end of the 1966–67 season, when they finished as runners-up in the Fourth Division behind Stockport County under the guidance of Billy Bingham, who later went on to manage the Northern Irish national team. They were relegated back to the Fourth Division in 1970, but won promotion again in 1973 when they finished as Fourth Division Champions. Relegation back to the Fourth Division followed the very next season. This heralded a period of decline as crowds dropped – on some occasions into just three figures – and the ground fell into disrepair.
Disaster struck in 1978, when the club was voted out of the Football League following three consecutive 23rd placed finishes, and was replaced by Wigan Athletic. The voting couldn't have been tighter, as the clubs drew on the first ballot, but Wigan's superior canvassing ensured that they won the second ballot. Southport was the last club to leave the Football League through the re-election process. Automatic relegation from the Fourth Division was introduced in 1986–87.

Non-League football: from 1978

After several seasons with South Liverpool, Brian Kettle was appointed manager and was instrumental in one of the most successful periods. Kettle had a difficult task from the off, his first season in charge saw him start with only three players Andy Johnston, Stuart Bimson and club captain Rob Sturgeon. After a poor start to the season which saw the club in the relegation places until mid-October after bringing in several new players such as Ossie Smith, Bob Howard, Steve Whitehall, Steve Holden, Peter Wright, Alan McDonald, the returning Ian Baines and for the third time Tony Quinn they finished the season in a very respectable seventh place in the Northern Premier League, albeit 38 points off the champions Colne Dynamoes who were not accepted for promotion and ultimately folded.
For the 1990–91 season, very little changed and was a very exciting season for the club. The free-scoring prowess of Holden and Whitehall saw the club reach 100 league goals in March and four semi-final appearances, losing only one. Ultimately due to the cup runs, the league performance suffered and they only managed to finish 5th in the league. However, there was now renewed optimism in the town.
The 1991–92 season started dreadfully for the club due to the loss of key personnel in the summer. Holden and Whitehall both left within weeks, the latter going for a club record £25,000 to Rochdale. Kettle had to rebuild once again, but it didn't go to plan straightaway. The club were bottom of the table till September, only managing to win their first game at the start of October. After a series of good runs, they managed to claw their way up the table to once again finish seventh.
The 1992–93 season was one of the most important seasons in the clubs recent history. Southport impressively won the league with 96 points and once again scoring 100 goals and tasted success in two more cup competitions and an excellent FA Cup run took them through to the second round proper for the first time since 1968.
In 1998 the club had its first trip to Wembley, when they lost 1–0 to Cheltenham Town in the final of the FA Trophy. 10,000 Southport fans made the trip to London to see the match.
File:Southport vs Kidderminster Harriers 1.jpg|thumb|right|Southport vs Kidderminster Harriers at Haig Avenue, 22 November 2005.
The club were relegated back to the Northern Premier League at the end of the 2002–03 season. They became founder members of the new Conference North in 2004–05, and were the league's first Champions, earning promotion back to the newly renamed Conference National. In the 2005–06 season, Southport spent much of their time at the bottom of the table, but managed to secure survival with a five-game unbeaten run culminating in a 1–1 away draw with third-placed Grays Athletic on 25 April. The manager at the time, Liam Watson, stated that this feat was more impressive than their title winning accomplishments the season before.