Extreme Football Tourism: 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.