“It’s Got to Work Now”: Inside Southport FC’s Fans Forum

Southport FC held a Fans Forum on Friday 4 July 2025 at Haig Avenue, drawing a strong turnout both in person and online. It was the club’s first public event under the new ownership of David Cunningham and Kieran Malone, and covered a wide range of topics including finances, football, governance, facilities, and community relations.

Panel Members

• Steve Porter, Chairman
• Andy Burgess, Chief Operating Officer
• Kieran Malone, Co-owner
• David Cunningham, Co-owner
• Neil Danns, First Team Manager
• Mark Duffy, First Team Assistant Manager

Ownership and Investment

Asked directly why they chose to take on Southport FC, and why now, David Cunningham gave a simple but pointed answer:

“Truthfully, I believe me and Kieran together are capable of actually doing something with this.”

He described it as “probably the Everest of businesses,” acknowledging the scale of the challenge. Both he and Kieran Malone insisted their decision to step in was driven by a belief that they could make a meaningful difference.

Malone added that he believed the club had a lot of potential. He described how, as a Liverpool season ticket holder used to attending games with people he didn’t really know, he enjoyed the atmosphere when he could attend with all his mates at Haig Avenue. “The way football should be,” he said. He’s given up his Liverpool season ticket, so, as he joked, it “had to work”.

“We’ve pumped a lot of money and time into it. Time we could be spending with our families, and money we could be spending with our families. So it’s got to work now. Because if we don’t make it work, we won’t have either a football club or a family.”

Cunningham and Malone made it clear that while they are currently the only people financially backing the club, they are open to bringing others on board, but the reality of doing so is difficult.

“We would love to bring more investment in because there’s less pressure on us,” Malone said. “But at the moment, trying to get people to invest in something that loses so much money… it’s not easy.”

The two co-owners explained that they had not originally planned to be the sole investors.

“At the start, we didn’t want it to be just us two,” said Malone. “But the way it was going, there was no option. It had to be.”

There was no suggestion that a formal search for minority shareholders is currently underway, but they acknowledged the benefit of spreading the financial responsibility, and the door remains open for the right kind of involvement.

Their answers struck a note of realism. This is not an attractive business proposition right now, and they are under no illusions about the risks. But they reiterated their commitment to funding the club sustainably and building something that, in time, others may want to support.

“We didn’t win the lottery. We’re not being backed by our mums and dads.”

The line from Malone drew laughs, but it was a firm clarification. Their involvement is self-funded, not reliant on windfalls or family wealth. They stressed throughout the forum that the money being spent comes from their own businesses and personal finances, reinforcing the message that they are investing because they believe they can make the club work, not because they have limitless resources behind them.

“It’s not just our money. It’s our wives’ money, our kids’ money, it’s our family’s time.”

There was no talk of lifelong support or childhood dreams. Instead, the message was that they took on the club because they believed they had the skills, experience, and drive to stop it from collapsing and to build something better in its place.

Drawing a line between their approach and that of the previous regime, where the club’s control was tied into broader organisational structures and related companies, Cunningham confirmed that the majority shareholding is personally held by David Cunningham and Kieran Malone, rather than through a corporate vehicle, holding company, or external business interest.

Questions about the club’s financial health under the previous regime were answered bluntly. David Cunningham admitted that they hadn’t fully understood the extent of the crisis when they first got involved:

“We didn’t realise at the time, really, the club was hours away from having the doors shut permanently.”

Their early weeks in charge involved what they called “turning things a bit positive” just to stabilise basic operations. The financial and structural damage left behind had clearly shocked them, and several times during the evening they referenced how little time they had had to prepare or plan before being forced to act.

Their overall message: the club was much closer to the edge than most people realised, and they stepped in not just to invest, but to stop it from folding altogether.

One supporter publicly thanked David Cunningham and Kieran Malone for stepping in and saving the club, especially given how close things came to collapse. They drew a pointed comparison to the situation at Widnes FC, which recently made headlines for its own financial and governance crisis.

“Thank you very much for taking over the club. I’m absolutely delighted,” the supporter said, before referencing the turmoil at Widnes and acknowledging how different things might have been for Southport had the current owners not intervened.

The comment wasn’t expanded on by the panel, but it drew a warm response from the room. It served as a reminder, amid the talk of new bars, kit launches and training grounds, of just how close the club came to serious danger, and how recent those concerns still are in the minds of many supporters.

Community Foundation, and Club Identity

During the wider discussion about the club’s infrastructure and long-term development, there was a brief mention of the Southport FC Community Foundation and how it may support future activities. While no concrete update was able to be given on the governance or leadership of the Foundation, Kieran Malone confirmed that work is ongoing relating to the transfer of trusteeship and noted that Scott Blundell, who has worked with the Foundation, is involved in supporting some of the new initiatives. This was followed by a comment about a new minibus, implying that transport could form part of expanded Foundation-supported provision, likely in connection with community activity, accessibility, or youth engagement.

One of the most pointed remarks made by David Cunningham was about the disconnect between Southport FC and the town, reflecting on the club’s recent troubles and the legacy of mistrust from the previous ownership. He made a very clear causal link:

“We can’t just expect people to come back. We need to give them a reason to come back. We need to show them change. And we need to embrace them as well. We also need people like you guys who are committed to get the message out for us as well and let them know that those guys are not involved anymore.”

The phrase “those guys are not involved anymore” was a direct reference to the Big Help Group, underlining how closely the disconnect is tied to recent leadership failures. Cunningham’s comments clearly indicated that the club had become an outsider in its own town, and that only through demonstrable change in governance, communication, and matchday experience would Southport earn its place back in the town’s affections.

Commercial and Retail Operations

The club confirmed that significant improvements are being made to merchandise, both in terms of quality and availability. Keiran Malone said they are working with a supplier who also handles merchandise for Liverpool, bringing professional experience and credibility to Southport’s retail offer.

“I’ll bring on different merchandise, working with someone who works with Liverpool and does all their merchandise.”

In addition to revamping the product range, he also revealed that the club is looking to open a shop in Southport town centre. The comment was brief:

“We’re looking to open a shop in town.”

It marked the first public indication of plans to expand retail operations beyond Haig Avenue since Wembley in 1998. No timeline or location was given, but the move would provide a visible, year-round presence in the town, support commercial growth, and give fans easier access to club merchandise outside of matchdays.

Together, the changes reflect a more serious approach to retail and brand visibility, with merchandise now treated as a core part of the club’s broader commercial strategy.

When asked what the stadium would now be called, following the departure of the Big Help Group, they were clear that there was no immediate pressure to do a quick deal simply for cash flow:

“We’re looking for a sponsor. It’s got to be the right one. We didn’t want to rush in and sell it too cheap. We don’t need to just rush in to keep the lights on.”

One attendee praised commercial manager Darren Court for his recent commercial efforts. The panel acknowledged how difficult that job had been:

“It’s been a hard job obviously selling commercial stuff, especially because of the name the previous owners had. Sponsors were like, ‘I’m not getting involved.’”

This underlined the reputational damage the club had suffered, particularly with local businesses. The new leadership now views rebuilding those relationships as essential to restoring the club’s position.

Kit Launch

Supporters asked when the new 2025–26 home kit would be released. David Cunningham confirmed the kit is already on site and there are no delays or issues this year.

“The kit is here. It’s on site. We want to do a proper kit launch. There’s no issues like last year. We’ve got quite a special idea to launch the kit from an advertising and marketing perspective. We’ll be looking to happen next week.”

Training Facilities and Long-Term Ambition

One of the most substantial updates concerned the club’s new training base, having signed a lease on a plot of land over the back of the stadium, backing onto KGV College. David Cunningham confirmed:

“There’ll be an eleven-a-side and training area solely for the first team. There’s another four or five football pitches that will be held for the community. We will maintain and ensure that they play well throughout the year. And we’ve got the full use of a pavilion that we are completely refurbishing to give us changing rooms, analysis room, massage room, office, gym. It’s incredible. It will be fully branded up as Southport Football Club and we are over the moon to get it over the line.”

The investment significantly upgrades Southport’s infrastructure and creates a professional working environment for the senior squad.

Asked about a move towards a full-time model, Cunningham added:

“There are things happening behind the scenes where that can be a natural progression. It’s not going to happen overnight.”

The club is not committing to full-time football in the short term, but is laying the foundations. The training ground redevelopment is key to that strategy.

Ground Improvements and Fan Zone Upgrades

Several upgrades to Haig Avenue were outlined, with an emphasis on improving the matchday experience. Cunningham confirmed the club has already invested in a bigger fan zone inside the ground, using a temporary marquee structure which will be reviewed and replaced with a permanent version once tested.

The entire 1881 Lounge will instead be used to boost corporate table availability, along with a new corporate box being built at the back of the grandstand.

The new fan zone space will be open before and after matches, with Sky Sports, proper beer, and a warmer, more social atmosphere.

Addressing concerns about a divide between corporate guests and regular fans, Malone said:

“We don’t want it to be them and us. We’re going to be in the fanzone with you.”

He added, humorously, that if Darren didn’t sell all the tables in the lounge he wouldn’t turn down a free dinner. Cunningham smiled and replied:

“No pressure, Darren!”

It was a light-hearted moment that reinforced the club’s message of inclusivity.

The panel also addressed the Haig Avenue playing surface. Malone said:

“Sadly as well, the pitch was done a bit late. There was no plan to do the pitch.”

That delay impacted pre-season scheduling, requiring additional behind-closed-doors games. The comment suggested more robust planning is now being put in place.

Southport FC Women

Addressing the future of the women’s team, particularly now that Everton U23s no longer play at Haig Avenue. Cunningham said:

“It is something that we’ve discussed this week and it’s something that we’re trying to work towards.”

He acknowledged that few clubs at this level champion women’s football, but said Southport aims to change that. No timeline was given, but the intention was clear.

When asked if the women’s team would return to wearing traditional yellow (after wearing blue last season due to a kit issue), Cunningham confirmed:

“Southport wear Yellow. The Women play for Southport. They will.”

Cup Competitions and Fixture Congestion

Several supporters questioned whether it remained worthwhile for a part-time squad to compete in regional cups. Andy Burgess responded:

“We obviously get fined if we come out of them… We were asking if we wanted to enter the Manchester one but we’ve managed to dip out of that one. They cost us money… we’ll probably make a decision depending on how they’ve impacted the season.”

Playing Budget, Squad and Football Style

The budget for 2025–26 remains on par with last year and around 20 players are in training, though not all have signed. Danns and Duffy set out a clear footballing philosophy:

“We want a young, hungry, exciting team that plays on the front foot and attacks teams,” said Danns. “I’d rather win games 4–3, 5–4, than 0–0. That’s what we want, ones you can be proud of to watch and develop and go to the leagues.”

The club has already arranged behind-closed-doors games to complement four public pre-season fixtures.

Several supporters raised concerns about the disconnect between the academy and the first team. One recalled how talented players had slipped through the net in the past.

The panel acknowledged past failings. Danns said:

“Southport should be a club where you have young, exciting, local players who want to develop… who aspire to go back up to the Football League.”

Local scouting and youth integration are now stated priorities.

Closing Remarks

One noticeable feature of the forum was the absence of some of the more trivial questions that were a staple feature in years gone by. The tone was serious. Supporters asked well-judged questions about structure, stability, development, and direction.

Cunningham and Malone believe they are capable of building something positive, but made no false promises:

“Some stuff we might do might not be right, and it might have not been done before and didn’t work. But let’s see how it goes.”

It summed up the spirit of the evening. No guarantees, but a firm commitment to rebuild the club with energy, honesty, and accountability. They cannot promise success, but they are clearly determined to give it everything they’ve got.