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LATEST UPDATE - VVG '25 / SPORTPARK DE POL OOST II, GAANDEREN (NETHERLANDS)

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author

NETHERLANDS: vv Gaanderense Boys (1973-2004) / VVG '25 (B) (2004-)

Gemeentelijk Sportpark De Pol West, Gaanderen (B pitch of VVG '25, formerly vv Gaanderense Boys)

Netherlands, province: Guelders = Gelderland

January 2026 / no match visited

Timeline

• 1925 / Foundation of no fewer than three football clubs in Gaanderen; first, there is vv Gaanderen, a non-confessional club, which joins the so-called Geldersche Voetbalbond (GVB), the Guelders sub-branch of the official Netherlands’ Football Association (NVB, later KNVB). Furthermore, two Roman Catholic clubs see the daylight, GVV (Gaandersche Voetbalvereeniging) and GVC (Gaandersche Voetbalclub), with the later taking on the name Eendracht later on – probably already in 1925 or 1926. Both of these clubs join the RKUVB (Roomsch-Katholieke Utrechtsche Voetbalbond), one of the sub-branches of the Roman Catholic Football Federation (RKF).
• 1929 / Whereas GVV and Eendracht conclude a merger to form one Roman Catholic club, RKSV VVG, vv Gaanderen ceases its activities, renouncing its membership of the GVB after four years. Some members of vv Gaanderen join RKSV VVG in the following years. 
• 1933 / As RKSV VVG wins a title in the Roman Catholic Federation, this club runs into problems due to one or two of its players turning out not to be members of the village’s Roman Catholic parish. This even leads to the title being withdrawn from the club. Thereupon, all non-Catholics are thrown out, which leads to the foundation of a new non-confessional club in Gaanderen. Initially named vv Gaanderen, just like its predecessor which had wound up in 1929, the club takes on the new name vv Gaandersche Boys in September 1933. Joining the GVB, vv Gaandersche Boys settles at Terrein Vlakweg, situated at the back of Café Mijnen.
• 1934 / vv Gaandersche Boys takes part in a GVB league championship for the first time.
• 1940 / Upon the outbreak of World War II and the occupation of the Netherlands, vv Gaandersche Boys is wound up, ceasing all activities.
• 1945 / Five years after the demise of vv Gaandersche Boys, the club is reformed under the slightly adapted name vv Gaanderense Boys. vv Gaanderense Boys settles on the old pitch at Vlakweg, with the club rejoining the KNVB – or rather, its Guelders sub-branch GVB.
• 1973-74 / In 1973 or 1974, simultaneously with village rivals VVG ’25, vv Gaanderense Boys settles at the newly laid-out Gemeentelijk Sportpark De Pol, with the club being given the luxury of two pitches at the western end of the new park; VVG ’25 settles at the eastern side.
• 1996 / Having spent fifty consecutive seasons in the ranks of the GVB, vv Gaanderense Boys is now placed in District East’s Sunday League 6F, the new bottom division in District East, following the abolition of the GVB and all other KNVB sub-branches.
• 2000 / In the best season the club had during the last ten years of its existence, vv Gaanderense Boys finishes in third place in District East’s Sunday League 6F, 16 points behind champions vv H en K.
• 2004 / In its last season, vv Gaanderense Boys, coached by Bart Beurskens, finishes bottom of the table in District East’s Sunday League 6C, with only 7 points (4 points less than the club in second-last place, SV Halle). As the club ceases all its activities, the two pitches at the western end of Gemeentelijk Sportpark De Pol are now added to the park of VVG ’25 as Pitch/Veld 4 and Pitch/Veld 5. The clubhouse of vv Gaanderense Boys is taken over by the local dog training club, Kringgroep Slingeland.
• 2016 / As Sportpark De Pol is thoroughly renovated, with a synthetic pitch being laid out as the new main pitch of VVG ’25 and the old main pitch being taken away, the park consists of just three pitches from now on, with the two old pitches of vv Gaanderense Boys still in use as Pitch/Veld 2 and Pitch/Veld 3.
• 2017 / Inauguration of the newly renovated Gemeentelijk Sportpark De Pol.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author

NETHERLANDS: VVG '25 (2016-)

Gemeentelijk Sportpark De Pol Oost II, Gaanderen (VVG '25)

Netherlands, province: Guelders = Gelderland

18 I 2026 / VVG '25 - vv VIOD 1-1 / Sunday League 2F (= NL level 7)

Timeline

• 1925 / Two Roman Catholic football clubs see the daylight in Gaanderen, a village in the Province of Guelders, to the south of Doetinchem; GVV (Gaandersche Voetbalvereeniging) and GVC (Gaandersche Voetbalclub), with the latter taking on the name Eendracht later on – probably already in 1925 or 1926. In those early days, football is being played on pastures around Gaanderen, with sources mentioning locations such as Terrein Oude Möl (Hogeweg), Terrein Jan Geurtsen (Kerkstraat), and Terrein Café Waarbroek, nicknamed Bij Willem in de Bult.
• 1929 / With Eendracht having had to cease its activities, a merger is concluded between Eendracht and GVV, leading to the foundation of Roomsch-Katholieke Sportvereniging (RKSV) VVG (Voetbalvereeniging Gaanderen). RKSV VVG probably started its activities at Terrein Huitink, also referred to locally as Terrein Tergun, at Rijkschweg. 
• 1937 / Relocating from Terrein Huitink, RKSV VVG settles at a newly laid-out pitch at Vreeltstraat, at the back of the local state-run primary school.
• 1938 / After one season at Terrein Vreeltstraat, RKSV VVG moves to a new pitch at the crossroads of Hoofdstraat and Pelgrimstraat. The new park is renamed Sportpark Den Elshof subsequently. 
• 1941 / RKSV VVG takes on the new name (RKSV?) VVG ’25 to avoid confusion with VVG from Groningen.
• 1973 / VVG ’25 moves to the new Gemeentelijk Sportpark De Pol – in fact situated right next to the old Sportpark Den Elshof, which had to make way for the new local sports hall. 
• 1974 / Official inauguration of Gemeentelijk Sportpark De Pol (Oost). The new park consists of three pitches and a large covered grandstand alongside the main pitch. Simultaneously, village rivals vv Gaanderense Boys moves into Sportpark De Pol as well, being given the luxury of two pitches at the western end of the park.
• 2016 / As a complete renovation of Gemeentelijk Sportpark De Pol gets underway, a new – synthetic – main pitch is laid out at the other, western, side of the clubhouse, which is knocked down later that same year. The old main pitch has to make way for the new clubhouse.
• 2017 / As the facelift of Gemeentelijk Sportpark De Pol is completed, the new MFA (‘Multi-Functionele Accommodatie’) is inaugurated, featuring a clubhouse with an uncovered stand, with the two primary schools in Gaanderen – the state-run as well as the Roman Catholic school – being housed in another part of the same building. The new park consists of three pitches – including the two former vv Gaanderense Boys pitches – and a smaller training pitch.
• 2019 / Runaway champions in District East’s Sunday League 4C, 14 points ahead of closest followers vv GWVV, VVG ’25 wins promotion to Sunday League 3 after an absence of 49 years at that level. The successful coach is Lars Krabbenborg.
• 2020 / In the 2019-20 season, cut short due to the first COVID lockdown in March 2020, VVG ’25 finds itself in second place in District East’s Sunday League 3C, 2 points behind leaders SV OBW, but with two games in hand. On that basis, VVG ’25 is placed in Sunday League 2 for the new season – a historic promotion, brought about under the aegis of coach Lars Krabbenborg.
• 2023 / Finishing in fourth place in Sunday League 2H, VVG ’25 qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is knocked out in R1 by vv ATC ’65 (5-2). In the summer of 2023, the club is joined by former VVG youth academy defender Ties Evers, who had enjoyed a nine-year-long professional league career at BV De Graafschap, AGOVV Apeldoorn, and FC Volendam (2010-19), as its new head coach. Evers would stay on at the club for the following three years.
• 2024 / VVG ’25 finishes as runner-up in Sunday League 2G, 1 point behind champions vv DVC ’26. In a dramatic end of the season, VVG gave away the title on the last day, suffering a 2-0 away defeat at SV Leones, whilst vv DVC ’26 had the better of SV DCS (2-0). Qualifying for the promotion play-offs, VVG ’25 is knocked out in R1 by SV Gramsbergen (1-2).

Note 1 – Part of the information above has been derived from a magazine published on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of VVG ’25 in 2025: “Jubileumuitgave VVG ’25. 100 joar springlèavend.”

Note 2 – Below, a compilation of photos of two different visits: pictures 1-4 = non-matchday visit, October 2016 (during building works, old clubhouse still standing, old main pitch already removed to make way for MFA) / pictures 5-19 = match visit, January 2026.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author

NETHERLANDS: vv Noordwijk (2012-)

Sportpark Duinwetering II, Noordwijk (vv Noordwijk)

Netherlands, province: South Holland = Zuid-Holland

17 I 2026 / vv Noordwijk - SV Blauw Geel '38 4-0 / Derde Divisie B (= NL level 4)

Timeline

• 1933 / Foundation of a football club in Noordwijk, which takes on the name vv Noordwijk. Not having the luxury of its own accommodation as yet, the new club concludes a groundsharing agreement with the Sunday club in the village, RKVV SJC, which means it can use that club’s pitches at Lageweg on Saturdays.
• 1936 / Rescinding its groundsharing agreement with RKVV SJC, vv Noordwijk settles on a newly laid-out pitch at Achterweg, a plot of farmland which the club rents from the Count of Limburg-Stirum. 
• 1945 / As Terrein Achterweg has been left abandoned in the course of the war, vv Noordwijk resumes its activities as a competitive club once again as groundsharers with RKVV SJC at Terrein Lageweg – not the same park as the pre-war SJC ground which had been demolished by German occupation forces, but two newly laid-out pitches elsewhere on that same road. 
• 1946 / Moving away from Terrein Lageweg after one season, vv Noordwijk settles at the newly laid-out Terrein Duinweg – formerly a plot of farmland. As the sole pitch of the new park is insufficient to allow all other senior and youth teams to play their matches, vv Noordwijk additionally rents a pitch from KRV, a club in nearby Katwijk aan den Rijn. 
• 1950 / Moving away from Terrein Duinweg after four years, vv Noordwijk moves to a newly laid-out pitch at Van Panhuysstraat, of which the entrance was later moved to the southern side, at Duinwetering – as a result of which the park was later renamed Sportpark Duinwetering.
• 2012 / In view of the prospective renovation of Sportpark Duinwetering as a whole, the main pitch of the park is given a quarter’s turn and laid out anew with a synthetic surface. The three old stands at the western touchline as well as the terracing opposite of it are removed completely. After playing the first two of its home matches on one of the side-pitches of the park, vv Noordwijk plays its first official match on the new main pitch, resulting in a 4-2 win over SV Spakenburg. Prior to this, the new 3G had been inaugurated by Noordwijk’s mayor, Mr Jan Pieter Lokker. As the works on the new clubhouse and main stand have yet to get underway, a truck trailer is put in place as a temporary covered stand. 
• 2014 / Finishing in thirteenth place in Zaterdag Topklasse with coach Robbert de Ruiter, vv Noordwijk is knocked out in R1 of the promotion-relegation play-offs against AFC Ajax AV (8-7 aggr.). As a result, the club suffers its first relegation in sixty (!) years, dropping back into Zaterdag Hoofdklasse. Also in 2014, works get underway on the construction of a new clubhouse and main stand for vv Noordwijk at the northern touchline of the new main pitch. Works are carried out by contractor VBK Groep under the aegis of the Van Egmond architectural firm and the municipal authorities of Noordwijk.
• 2015 / vv Noordwijk signs Dogan Corneille as its new head coach. Corneille, a former professional league midfielder of VVV, SC Eindhoven, and SBV Eindhoven (1994-2001), stays on for three years at Sportpark Duinwetering. That same year, on August 29th, 2015, the renovated Sportpark Duinwetering (II), which includes two new sports halls, two canteens, and a covered stand, is officially inaugurated by Noordwijk’s mayor, Mr Jan Rijpstra.
• 2016 / Runners-up in Zaterdag Hoofdklasse B, 2 points behind champions KVV Quick Boys, vv Noordwijk qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club has to leave the honours to vv ASWH (5-3 aggr. A.E.T.). As a result, the club misses out on promotion to the newly created Saturday Division 3 – with Zaterdag Topklasse being renamed Saturday Division 2 – and, as such, the club now finds itself at the third tier of non-league football, and the fifth tier of the Netherlands’ football pyramid as a whole. In a bizarre moment during the season, former AFC Ajax and Netherlands’ international goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar makes a return to the vv Noordwijk goal in March 2016 at the age of 45 – and five years after having hung up his boots at Manchester United FC – 27 years after last having played for the club; Van der Sar had been called upon due to all other available goalkeepers being injured. In the home match against CVV De Jodan Boys, Van der Sar stops a penalty, with the match ending in 1-1. As if the season was not eventful enough as it was, vv Noordwijk also wins District West II’s Regional Cup by defeating HV&CV Quick in the final (1-0, goal by Emiel Wendt), played at Sportpark Kikkershoek in Oud-Beijerland. Subsequently, the club also reaches the final of the nationwide non-league cup competition following subsequent wins over vv HHC Hardenberg and Magreb ’90, but vv Noordwijk suffers defeat in the final at Sportpark Het Noorderslag against home side vv Staphorst (6-3 A.E.T.).
• 2017 / Finishing in third place in Zaterdag Hoofdklasse A, 3 points behind vv Spijkenisse and vv Ter Leede, vv Noordwijk qualifies for the promotion play-offs, in which the club is eliminated in the semis by vv DOVO (6-3 aggr. A.E.T.). On the upside, vv Noordwijk wins its second consecutive Regional Cup in District West II following a win over vv DHC in the final, played at Sportpark Zegersloot in Alphen aan den Rijn (2-1, goals by Tom Duindam & Samuel Tas).
• 2018 / Champions in Zaterdag Hoofdklasse A, 7 points ahead of closest followers vv Ter Leede, vv Noordwijk wins promotion to Saturday Division 3. The successful coach is Kees Zethof.
• 2019 / Winning back-to-back titles, vv Noordwijk clinches first place in Saturday Division 3, 8 points ahead of closest rivals KVV Quick Boys. As such, the club wins promotion to Saturday Division 3, heralding a return to the top level of the Saturday pyramid after an absence of five years. The successful coach is Kees Zethof.
• 2020 / vv Noordwijk signs former Jong Sparta Rotterdam and Sparta Rotterdam striker Youssef El Kachati. El Kachati would remain in Noordwijk for one season only, as he resumes his professional league career at KVC Westerlo in the summer of 2021, going on to have spells at KVV Quick Boys, SC Telstar, and NEC.
• 2025 / Coached by Kees Zethof, who had replaced Florian Wolf in the course of the season, vv Noordwijk finishes in fifteenth place in Combined Sunday & Saturday Division 2. Having to save its skin in the promotion-relegation play-offs, vv Noordwijk knocks out SV Blauw Geel ’38 (5-3 aggr.) and vv Harkemase Boys (5-3 aggr.) in the first two rounds, only to suffer defeat in the final against SV Kozakken Boys (4-1 aggr.). As such, the club descends into Division 3 along with bottom clubs SVV Scheveningen and vv ADO ’20.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author

ENGLAND: Southport Central FC (1905-1918, 1919-1921) / Southport Vulcan FC (1918-1919) / Southport FC (1921-)

Haig Avenue, Southport (Southport FC)

England, county: Merseyside

3 I 2026 / Southport FC - Scarborough Athletic FC 1-1 / National League North (= ENG level 6)

Timeline

• 1881 / Foundation of a first football club in Southport, in fact a reformed rugby club, which takes on the name Southport FC. The decision to turn to football was taken at the initiative of former Welsh international Thomas Blundell Burnett, who became the new football club’s secretary and captain. The club plays its home matches on a field on a large plot of land opposite to the entrance of Chambres Road – roughly where Westmoreland Road lies today. This was a field large enough for multiple pitches, one of which was used by rugby club Southport Olympic.
• 1882 / Southport FC enters the Lancashire FA as well as the English FA. In the following years, no regular league football is being played yet, but the club enters various cup competitions, including the English Challenge Cup (later renamed FA Cup).
• 1884 / Southport FC merges with the Southport Athletic Society, apparently without adapting its name, with the club moving its activities to the Sports Ground on Sussex Road. Also in 1884, a new football club sees the daylight in Southport, Southport Wanderers FC, with all of its founders being members of the Southport Olympic rugby club.
• 1885 / Southport FC reaches R3 of the English Challenge Cup, in which the club suffers a rather clear-cut 10-0 defeat at the hands of Church FC. Also in 1885, the merger between Southport FC and the Southport Athletic Society is severed.
• 1886 / With the club facing stiff competition from other clubs in town – not just Southport Wanderers FC, but also High Park FC, Churchtown FC, Southport Old Boys FC, and over twenty more – Southport FC runs into financial problems, folding in the summer of 1886. At a general meeting of Southport Wanderers, this club successfully invites former Southport FC members to amalgamate into their club, with part of the old club’s fan following taking the leap as well. That same year, Southport Wanderers moves to a new ground at Scarisbrick New Road, which includes a covered grandstand for 140 spectators.
• 1887 / Southport Wanderers FC takes on the new name Southport FC.
• 1888 / As it seems, Southport FC – the former Southport Wanderers FC – folds after an existence of four years. That same year, coinciding with the introduction of the (professional) Football League, a new club is founded in Southport, Southport Central FC. Southport Central FC may have taken the place of the former Southport (Wanderers) FC at Scarisbrick New Road, but no certainty is to be had on this matter.
• 1889 / One year following its foundation, Southport Central FC joins the newly formed Lancashire League.
• 1894 / Southport Central FC reaches R1 of the FA Cup, in which the club is knocked out by Everton FC (0-3).
• 1899 / Southport Central FC finishes as runner-up in the Lancashire League, 7 points behind champions Chorley FC.
• 1901 / Southport Central FC finishes as runner-up in the Lancashire League, missing out on the title on goal difference against Stalybridge Rovers FC (+ 34 vs. +41).
• 1902 / Southport Central FC finishes as runner-up in the Lancashire League for the second year running, 6 points behind champions Darwen FC.
• 1903 / Champions in the last season of the Lancashire League, finishing 5 points ahead of closest rivals Darwen FC, Southport Central FC joins the Lancashire Combination as a founder member of the newly created Division 2.
• 1904 / Champions in the Lancashire Combination Division 2, 1 point ahead of closest rivals Earlestown FC, Southport Central FC wins promotion to Division 1 of the said league system.
• 1905 / Southport Central FC finishes as joint runner-up in the Lancashire Combination Division 1 along with Liverpool FC Reserves, 7 points behind champions Stockport County FC. Also in 1905, Southport Central wins the Lancashire Senior Cup, defeating Everton FC in the final, played at Ash Lane (2-1). It is one of the first matches to be played at the club’s new ground at Ash Lane (later renamed Haig Avenue) in the eastern suburb of Blowick, where football is still being played by Southport FC today.
• 1920 / Southport Central (Vulcan?) FC wins the Lancashire Junior Cup for the first time. The club goes on to win this cup, as Southport FC, on several more occasions (1993, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2025).
• 1911 / Southport Central FC is one of the founder members of the Central League, with many reserves’ teams of professional league sides joining as well. That year, the club also reaches R1 of the FA Cup, in which Reading FC proves too strong (0-2). In the following four years, until the breaking off of regular league football due to the war effort, Southport Central FC fails to play a major role in the Central League.
• 1913 / Former Southport Central FC midfielder Billy Watson, meanwhile playing for Burnley FC, wins the first of three caps for the England national team (1913-19). After leaving Burnley, Watson also had spells at Accrington Stanley FC and Blackburn Rovers FC, hanging up his boots in 1927. 
• 1914 / Former Southport Central FC forward player Eddie Mosscrop, meanwhile playing for Burnley FC, makes two appearances for the England national team. 
• 1918 / Southport Central FC is renamed Southport Vulcan FC after having been purchased by the Vulcan Motor Company – thus becoming the first club in England to take a sponsor’s name.
• 1919 / After only one year, the Vulcan Motor Company pulls out of the running of the football club. Most probably, the club reverted to its old name Southport Central FC, but very little is known about the club and its achievements in the 1919-21 years.
• 1921 / Taking on the new name Southport FC, the club turns to professional league football, becoming one of the founder members of the Football League Division 3 North. Also in 1921, Ash Lane is renamed Haig Avenue in honour of World War I Field Marshall (Earl) Douglas Haig. Following election to the league, the grandstand of the ground at the newly renamed street is lengthened on either end, raising total capacity of the wooden construction to an estimated 2,000. Furthermore, a tiny covered terrace, referred to in jest as the Scratching Shed, is added to the touchline opposite of the main stand, at the southern side of the ground.
• 1923 / The Scratching Shed, no more than a makeshift wooden construction, is replaced by a larger covered terrace, “a much loftier and decidedly superior erection” (according to the Southport Guardian), at the southern side of the ground.
• 1924 / As a further extension of the ground, the paddock in front of the grandstand is terraced, while the roof of the main stand is redone with galvanised steel.
• 1925 / In its best pre-war performance, Southport FC finishes in fourth place in Football League Division 3 North, 7 points behind champions Darlington FC.
• 1928 / An open terrace at the Scarisbrick New Road End (at the western end of the ground) is added to the set-up at Haig Avenue.
• 1931 / Southport FC reaches the quarterfinals of the FA Cup, in which the club is washed away by Everton FC (9-1). Also in 1931, the club wins the Liverpool Senior Cup for the first time, going on to take home this piece of silverware on several more occasions in the course of its history (1932, 1944, 1963, 1975, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2012, 2019). That same year, the Scarisbrick New Road terrace at the western side of the ground is equipped with a roof, with a new open terrace being added at the opposite Blowick End.
• 1932 / Southport FC reaches R4 of the FA Cup, in which the club holds Newcastle United FC to a 1-1 draw at Haig Avenue in a tie attended by an all-time record crowd of 20,010. The replay at St James’ Park in Newcastle ends in a 9-0 defeat. 
• 1933 / Southport FC reaches the semis of the Welsh (!) Cup, in which the club is knocked out by Wrexham AFC following a replay (1-1, 3-1).
• 1935 / Finishing in second-last place in Football League Division 3 North, Southport FC is re-elected into the league along with bottom club Carlisle United FC.
• 1936 / Finishing in second-last place in Football League Division 3 North, Southport FC is re-elected into the league along with bottom club New Brighton AFC.
• 1937 / Haig Avenue is chosen as the venue for Southport’s local celebrations for the coronation of King George VI, with an estimated attendance of 15,000.
• 1939 / Equalling its best performance in the league, achieved fourteen years previously, Southport FC finishes in fourth place in Football League Division 3 North, 17 points behind champions Barnsley FC.
• 1947 / Finishing in second-last place in Football League Division 3 North, Southport FC is re-elected into the league along with bottom club Halifax Town AFC.
• 1949 / Finishing in second-last place in Football League Division 3 North, Southport FC is re-elected into the league along with bottom club Bradford City AFC. In the summer of 1949, Southport is joined by young midfielder Trevor Hitchen of non-league club Wellington Town FC. Hitchen would wear the yellow and black club colours for seven seasons, in the course of which he made 242 league appearances (34 goals). Subsequently, Hitchen spent one season at Oldham Athletic FC and one more at Wigan Athletic FC, closing off his playing career in 1959 after one last season at Haig Avenue.
• 1956 / Southport FC striker George Bromilow is part of the Great Britain squad taking part in the football tournament of the Summer Olympics in Melbourne. Bromilow made two appearances in the tournament, scoring as many goals. 
• 1958 / Finishing in second-last place in Football League Division 3 North, Southport FC is re-elected into the league along with bottom club Crewe Alexandra FC. For the new season, the club is placed in the newly created (nationwide) Football League Division 4.
• 1959 / Finishing bottom of the table in Football League Division 4, Southport FC is re-elected into the league along with Oldham Athletic FC, Aldershot FC, and Barrow AFC.
• 1960 / Finishing fourth from bottom in Football League Division 4, Southport FC is re-elected into the league along with Oldham Athletic FC and Hartlepools United FC – whereas the club in third-last place, Gateshead AFC, fails re-election, thus being demoted into non-league.
• 1962 / Floodlights are added to the set-up at Haig Avenue, with an FA Cup tie against Shrewsbury Town FC in January 1962. Also in 1962, Southport FC signs striker Alan Spence from Darlington FC. Spence would stay at Southport for six successful seasons (230 matches, 98 goals), ultimately moving on to Oldham Athletic FC in 1968.
• 1964 / Finishing fourth from bottom in Football League Division 4, Southport FC is re-elected into the league along with York City FC, Hartlepools United FC, and Barrow AFC.
• 1965 / Southport FC signs Billy Bingham as their manager. Bingham had just ended his career as a professional league player, which saw him have spells at Glentoran FC, Sunderland AFC, Luton Town FC, Everton FC, and Port Vale FC. Moreover, he was also capped 56 times for Northern Ireland between 1951 and 1963.
• 1966 / Southport FC is joined by striker Eric Redrobe of Bolton Wanderers FC. Redrobe would stay at the club for six seasons, in the course of which he made 192 league appearances (55 goals); Redrobe had subsequent spells at Hereford United FC and Bath City FC. Later that same year, on December 27th, 1966, the wooden grandstand at Haig Avenue, originally purchased from the Southport Flower Show, is consumed in a fire. Two small temporary ‘main stands’ are put up as a replacement.
• 1967 / Runner-up in Football League Division 4, finishing 5 points behind champions Stockport County FC, Southport FC achieves its first-ever promotion as a professional league club, acceding to Division 3 along with the aforementioned club as well as Barrow AFC and Tranmere Rovers FC. The successful manager is Billy Bingham. Also in 1967, Southport FC reaches R3 of the FA Cup, suffering elimination at the hands of Everton FC (0-3) in a tie drawing just under 20,000 spectators to Haig Avenue – close to the record crowd of 20,010 from 1931.
• 1968 / After three years at Haig Avenue, manager Billy Bingham leaves the club to sign a contract with Plymouth Argyle FC; Bingham would go on to win most fame as the manager of the Northern Ireland national team in the 1980s and early 1990s, leading his country to two World Cups (1982 & 1986). Also in 1968, more specifically in the month of August, the inauguration of the new – and current – main stand at Haig Avenue takes place, with the ceremony being performed by Mr Bob Lord, the well-known chairman of Burnley FC.
• 1969 / In the club’s best post-war season, Southport FC finishes in eighth place in Football League Division 3.
• 1970 / Finishing in third-last place in Football League Division 3 with player-manager Arthur Peat, Southport FC drops back into Division 4 along with Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic FC, Barrow AFC, and bottom club Stockport County FC. One of the players to leave the club after the relegation is midfielder Alex Russell, who had broken into Southport’s first team as a youth player seven years previously. Between 1963 and 1970, he had made 263 league appearances for the club (63 goals). Russell, who left to sign a deal with Blackburn Rovers FC, also went on to have spells at Tranmere Rovers FC and Crewe Alexandra FC, ultimately spending the last two years of his professional league career at Haig Avenue again (1973-75, 85 more matches, 12 more goals).
• 1972 / Midfielder Arthur Peat, who had broken into Southport’s first team eleven years previously as a youth player, leaves the club to sign a deal with Crewe Alexandra FC. Between 1961 and 1972, Peat made 401 league appearances (27 goals) for Southport, making him the record appearance maker of all times. Eventually, Peat, who had also briefly served as player-manager, hung up his boots in 1974. 
• 1973 / Champions in Football League Division 4, 4 points ahead of closest rivals Hereford United FC, Southport FC manages a return to Division 3 after three years, along with the aforementioned club as well as Cambridge United FC and Aldershot FC. The successful manager is Jimmy Meadows. The 1973 first place stands as the only-ever title for Southport FC during its spell as a professional league club.
• 1974 / Coached by Matt Woods, who had taken over following spells with Brian Green and caretaker Alan Ball Snr., Southport FC finishes bottom of the table in Football League Division 3, thus suffering relegation into Division 4 after just one season, along with Cambridge United FC, Shrewsbury Town FC, and Rochdale AFC. 
• 1976 / Finishing in second-last place in Football League Division 4, Southport FC is re-elected into the league along with Stockport County FC, Newport County AFC, and bottom club Workington AFC.
• 1977 / Finishing in second-last place in Football League Division 4, Southport FC is re-elected into the league along with Halifax Town AFC and Hartlepool FC – whereas bottom club Workington AFC fails re-election and is demoted to non-league football.
• 1978 / Finishing in second-last place in Football League Division 4, Southport FC fails re-election, being replaced by Wigan Athletic FC; in fact, the first ballot between the two clubs ended in a draw, but allegedly Wigan’s superior canvassing carried the day in the second round. The other three clubs facing re-election all saved their skin, Hartlepool United FC, York City FC, and bottom club Rochdale AFC. As such, Southport FC has to withdraw into non-league after a spell of 57 years as a professional league club – in fact being the last-ever club to leave the Football League through the re-election process, with automatic relegation being introduced from the 1986-87 season. For the 1978-79, the club is placed in the Northern Premier League, the top non-league level in Northern England until the introduction of the Alliance Premier League (later renamed Football Conference & National League) in 1979. In the following seasons, Southport fails to play a major part in the Northern Premier League.
• 1987 / The Scarisbrick New Road End and Poplar Side terraces are demolished after being found to be no longer safe. Both stands had been closed down and fenced off since 1985.
• 1991 / Southport FC wins the Northern Premier League Challenge Cup, defeating Buxton FC in the final (4-1), played at Maine Road in Manchester (att. 1,700).
• 1992 / Five years after the demolition of the Scarisbrick New Road End, a new covered terrace is erected alongside the western end of Haig Avenue – a construction later renamed the Jack Carr Terrace in honour of a former club chairman. Also in the course of the 1992-93 season, new terracing is erected alongside the southern (Poplar Side) and eastern (Blowick) sides of the ground. Later on in the 1990s, these two terraces are further extended to raise the capacity of the ground to 6,008 (1,537 seated, 4,471 standing).
• 1993 / Champions in the Northern Premier League Division 1, 6 points ahead of closest followers Winsford United FC, Southport FC wins promotion to the Football Conference. The successful manager is Brian Kettle.
• 1995 / In the club’s best achievement since its demotion from the Football League in 1978, Southport FC finishes in third place in the Football Conference, 8 points behind champions Macclesfield Town FC and 3 points behind runner-up Woking FC.
• 1998 / Reaching the final of the FA Trophy, Southport FC travels to Wembley Stadium with 10,000 supporters. However, Southport’s only-ever match at Wembley ends in a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Cheltenham Town FC.
• 2003 / Finishing in second-last place in the Football Conference with manager Mike Walsh, who replaced Phil Wilson in the course of the season, Southport FC suffers relegation along with Nuneaton Borough FC and bottom club Kettering Town FC. For the 2003-04 season, the club is placed in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, i.e. the sixth tier of the English football pyramid.
• 2004 / Finishing in sixth place in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, Southport FC qualifies for the Football Conference North, the newly created level directly below the Football Conference. 
• 2005 / Champions in the Football Conference North, 3 points ahead of closest rivals Nuneaton Borough FC, Southport FC wins promotion to the Football Conference National along with play-off winners Altrincham FC. The successful manager is Liam Watson.
• 2007 / Finishing in second-last place in the Football Conference National with manager Peter Davenport, who replaced Paul Cook in the course of the season, Southport FC drops back into the Football Conference North after three years, with the other drop-outs being Tamworth FC and St Albans City FC.
• 2010 / Champions in the Football Conference North, 1 point ahead of closest rivals – and subsequent play-off winners Fleetwood Town FC – Southport FC wins promotion to the Football Conference National – renamed Football Conference Premier in 2012 and National League in 2015. The successful manager is Liam Watson.
• 2012 / The stadium at Haig Avenue is officially renamed Merseyrail Community Stadium in a sponsorship deal. Later, the ground would take on other sponsor names in new deals.
• 2015 / The floodlights dating back to 1962 are replaced by a new and more economical installation.
• 2017 / Managed by Andy Preece, who replaced Steve Burr in the course of the season, Southport FC finishes in second-last place in the National League, thus suffering relegation into the National League North – with the other drop-outs being York City FC, Braintree Town FC, and North Ferriby United AFC.
• 2018 / A thorough renovation of the main stand sees a replacement of the roof as well as the stand being equipped with new seats.
• 2023 / After the passing of former club vice-chairman and longtime supporter Sam Shrouder, the grandstand at Haig Avenue is renamed in his honour.
• 2025 / After over twenty years of playing in Southport with its U21 squad, Everton FC withdraws from Haig Avenue. In the past, Liverpool FC also staged its U21 matches in Southport for some time.

All photos: (c) W.B. Tukker / www.extremefootballtourism.blogspot.com. Publication of any of these images only after permission of author