Southport F.C. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Southport

Full name	Southport Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Sandgrounders, The Port
Founded	1888; 137 years ago (1888)
Ground	Haig Avenue
Ground Capacity	6,008
Chairman	Steve Porter
Manager	Neil Danns
League	National League North
2018–19	National League North, 14th of 22
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Southport Football Club is a football team located in Southport, Merseyside, England. They are often called "the Sandgrounders." The club plays its home games at Haig Avenue, which can hold 6,008 fans. Currently, Southport competes in the National League North, which is the sixth level of English football.

The club started in 1888 as Southport Central. For many years, they played in local leagues. In 1921, they joined The Football League as a founding member of the new Football League Third Division North. Southport stayed in The Football League until 1978. Their biggest achievement during this time was winning the Football League Fourth Division championship in the 1972–73 season.

In 1978, Southport lost its place in The Football League. Since then, they have played in non-league competitions like the Northern Premier League and the Football Conference. In 2004, they became part of the new National League North. They have moved between this league (tier 6) and the tier 5 National League. In 2017, Southport moved down to their current league, the National League North.

Southport's best performance in the FA Cup was in the 1930–31 season, when they reached the quarter-finals (the last eight teams). They lost 9–1 to Everton. In the 1965–66 FA Cup, they reached the fifth round (last sixteen). The team also made it to the final of the FA Trophy in 1997–98, playing at the old Wembley Stadium, but they lost 1–0 to Cheltenham Town.

Club History

Early Days: 1881–1888

Football was played in Southport schools in the late 1870s. The first official football club, called Southport Football Club, started in November 1881. It actually began as a rugby club. A former Welsh international player, Thomas Blundell Burnett, helped the club switch to football. He was very important as the club's secretary and captain.

The club played its games on a field near Scarisbrick New Road. In 1882, Southport joined both the Lancashire and English Football Associations. They started playing in cup competitions. Their first ever English Challenge Cup game was on October 7, 1882, against Liverpool Ramblers. About 300 people watched this game, which ended in a 1–1 draw.

In the 1884–85 season, the club joined with the Southport Athletic Society. The team moved to a new ground on Sussex Road and changed their red jerseys to red and white striped shirts, earning them the nickname "The Stripes." Other football clubs started in the town, but Southport Football Club was seen as the best. However, the club faced financial problems and eventually closed down after five years in 1886.

Southport Wanderers and a New Start: 1884–1888

Southport Wanderers was another amateur club formed in 1884 by members of a rugby club. By 1886, Wanderers became very popular. After the first Southport Football Club closed, many of its players and fans joined Southport Wanderers.

Southport Wanderers moved to a new, larger ground on Scarisbrick New Road for the 1886-87 season. It had space for three matches and a covered stand for 140 fans. In June 1888, the club decided to change its name to 'Southport Football Club' to represent the town.

Becoming Professional: Southport Central (1888-1921)

In the summer of 1888, the same year the Football League began, people in Southport wanted a stronger football team. They decided to form a professional club. On June 19, 1888, at a meeting, it was decided the club would be called "Southport Central Association Football Club." The club decided to pay players, bringing in "foreign talent" (players from outside the area).

In their first season, Southport Central played 40 games, winning 21. A very exciting event was when Preston North End, who had just won both the League and Cup, visited Southport on May 13, 1889. A record 3,500 fans watched the game.

The club joined the new Lancashire League. In 1905, Central moved to its current home, Haig Avenue, which was then known as Ash Lane. In 1918, the club was renamed Southport Vulcan after being bought by the Vulcan Motor Company. This made them the first club to take a sponsor's name.

Joining The Football League: 1921–1978

In 1921, the club, now simply called Southport, joined the Football League. They were one of the first teams in the Football League Third Division North. In 1931, Southport became the first club from this division to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. A year later, in 1932, the club had its highest ever attendance, with 20,010 fans watching them play Newcastle United in the FA Cup.

Southport League Performances Since Entering The Football league

After the 1957–58 season, the club moved into the Football League Fourth Division. Southport's first promotion happened at the end of the 1966–67 season. They finished second in the Fourth Division under manager Billy Bingham, who later managed the Northern Irish national team. They moved down to the Fourth Division again in 1970 but won promotion as Fourth Division Champions in 1973. However, they were relegated again the very next season. This started a tough period for the club, with fewer fans attending games.

In 1978, Southport was voted out of The Football League after finishing near the bottom for three years in a row. Wigan Athletic took their place. Southport was the last club to leave The Football League this way, as automatic relegation was introduced later in 1986–87.

Non-League Football: From 1978 Onwards

After leaving The Football League, Southport played in the Northern Premier League. Brian Kettle became manager and helped the club have a very successful period. Even after losing key players, the team improved.

In the 1992–93 season, Southport won the Northern Premier League with 96 points and scored 100 goals. They also had a great FA Cup run, reaching the second round. In 1998, the club made its first trip to Wembley for the FA Trophy final, where they lost 1–0 to Cheltenham Town. About 10,000 Southport fans traveled to London for the match.

Southport (in yellow) playing against Kidderminster Harriers at Haig Avenue, November 22, 2005.

The club moved down to the Northern Premier League again at the end of the 2002–03 season. In 2004–05, they became founding members of the new Conference North and were the first champions of that league, earning promotion back to the Conference National.

Full-Time and Back to Part-Time: 2006–2008

In 2006, the club decided to become a full-time professional team. This meant many players left, and a new manager, Paul Cook, had to build a new squad. This change did not go well, and after poor results, Cook left. Peter Davenport took over as manager, but the team still struggled and was relegated in 2007.

The club tried to stay full-time, hoping to quickly return to the top non-league division. However, manager Peter Davenport and his assistant left in April 2008. Former player Gary Brabin took over and led the team to the play-offs, but they lost. Brabin then left for another club.

Return to Part-Time: From 2008

The Conference North trophy awarded to Southport in the 2009–10 season.

On June 30, 2008, Liam Watson returned as manager. This meant the club went back to being a part-time team, with many players joining from Watson's previous club. In the 2008–09 season, Southport reached the Conference North play-offs but did not get promoted.

However, in the 2009–10 season, Southport finally won the Conference North league title! They finished just one point ahead of Fleetwood Town. The first team also won the Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy.

Non-League Top Flight: 2010 to 2017

In the 2010–11 season, Southport was back in the Conference National. They finished in a relegation spot but were saved when another team, Rushden & Diamonds, was removed from the league.

The 2011–12 season was much better. Southport finished in a very good 7th place, their highest league finish in 10 years. In 2013, manager Liam Watson left the club. Alan Wright and then John Coleman took over as managers. Coleman helped the club avoid relegation.

After Coleman, there were several changes in managers, including Martin Foyle, Gary Brabin, Paul Carden, and Dino Maamria. In September 2016, Liam Watson returned to Southport in a new role as Operations Director. Steve Burr became manager, but he was sacked in January 2017. Andy Preece was appointed, but on April 14, 2017, Southport's relegation to the National League North was confirmed. Long-time chairman Charlie Clapham also stepped down.

National League North and New Board: 2017 Onwards

On May 15, 2017, James Treadwell became the new chairman. Mark Wright and Alan Lewer were appointed to lead the team. After a good start, they were dismissed in September 2017.

Kevin Davies became manager in October 2017. Southport managed to stay in the league in April 2018, but Davies was dismissed shortly after. Liam Watson was reappointed manager for his third spell in May 2018.

In the summer of 2019, Phil Hodgkinson, who owned Southport, stepped down to become chairman of Huddersfield Town. He sold his shares to Ian Kyle, Steve Porter, and manager Liam Watson, forming a new board. Liam Watson later stepped back from his manager role in August 2023 to focus on being a Club Director. Jim Bentley was appointed the new manager.

New Ownership: 2023

On October 27, 2023, the Big Help Group bought Southport FC and became the main owner. Peter Mitchell, the CEO of Big Help Group, became the new chairman.

On November 10, 2023, Southport FC held its first Fan Forum under the new ownership. Assistant Manager Andy Burgess announced that the club would use GPS vests for player training to improve performance. Peter Mitchell shared his big plans for the club, saying they want to become a full-time football club. He also said they committed to investing a lot of money to help the club grow. Mitchell talked about plans to build a new two-story changing facility at the ground, with dressing rooms and offices, to improve the club's facilities.

On March 12, 2025, manager Jim Bentley and assistant manager Alan Morgan were dismissed after a series of poor games. Player-manager David Morgan took charge of the first team temporarily.

Further Takeover: 2025

On May 14, 2025, David Cunningham announced that the Big Help Group was no longer involved with the club. Ownership was transferred to Cunningham and Kieran Malone. The takeover was officially completed on June 6, 2025.

Summary of Recent Seasons

Trust in Yellow

Trust in Yellow is the Supporters' Trust for Southport Football Club. It was started on April 26, 2006, by fans who wanted to be more involved in how the club was run. The Trust helped fund the building of a new Fanzone at the club's stadium in 2021.

Players

Current squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Chris Renshaw 2 DF Dan Pike 3 DF Jack Doyle 4 DF Ted Lavelle 5 DF Tom Moore 6 DF Luke Tabone 7 MF Danny Lloyd (Captain) 9 MF Momodou Touray 16 DF Jordan Keane 18 MF Sonny Hilton 20 MF Luke Burgess 21 DF Aaron Pickles 22 DF Sam Minihan 23 FW Arthur Gnahoua

No. Position Player 24 FW Will Russ 26 MF Rio Alston 27 MF Malakai McKenzie 28 DF Ted Lavelle 29 MF Danny Philliskirk (Vice Captain) 31 FW Renato De Oliveira Gomes 32 MF Dana De Oliveira Amaral 33 FW Nathan Sandison 34 DF Paul Murphy-Worrell

Out on loan

Club Officials

Source:

Board of directors

• Chairman: Steve Porter
• Director: Kieran Malone
• Director: David Cunningham
• Director: Liam Watson
• Secretary: Julie Ankers
• Chief Operating Officer: Andy Burgess
• Commercial Manager: Darren Court
• Head of Media: Rob Urwin

Coaching and medical staff

• Manager: Neil Danns
• Assistant Manager: Mark Duffy
• First Team Coach: Antony Kay
• Head Of Player Recruitment: Ash Hoskin
• Strength & Conditioning Coach: Kyle Taylor
• Performance Analyst: Aaron Minton
• Goalkeeping Coach: Tony McMillan
• Physiotherapist: Daniel Gabrielson
• Kit Manager: Hamish Morton

Managerial history

Records

Southport Central FC

• Best FA Cup performance: Third round, 1884–85

Southport FC

• Best FA Cup performance: Quarter-finals, 1930–31
• Best League Cup performance: Second round, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1977–78 (replay)
• Best League Trophy performance: First round, 2001–02, 2002–03
• Best FA Trophy performance: Runners-up, 1997–98

Honours

League

• Fourth Division (level 4)
  • Champions: 1972–73
  • Runners-up: 1966–67
• Conference North
  • Champions: 2004–05, 2009–10
• Northern Premier League
  • Champions: 1992–93

Cup

• Third Division North Cup
  • Winners: 1937–38
• FA Trophy
  • Runners-up: 1997–98
• Lancashire Senior Cup
  • Winners: 1904–05
• Lancashire Junior Cup
  • Winners (12): 1919–20, 1992–93, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2000–01, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2024-25
• Liverpool Senior Cup
  • Winners (12): 1930–31, 1931–32, 1943–44, 1962–63, 1974–75, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1998–99, 2011–12, 2018–19
• Northern Premier League Challenge Cup
  • Winners: 1990–91

See also

In Spanish: Southport Football Club para niños