November 2025 Update

The past couple of months has seen a substantial amount of new work added to Southport Central, covering topical issues, major historical themes and detailed research into the people who shaped the club. Here’s an overview.

Topical pieces

• The Liverpool Senior Cup Stalemate set out the background to the (still) unresolved position in this season’s competition.
• I decided to pen a purely hypothetical piece to look at the IMG grading used in Rugby League following on from the earlier themes on football governance to look at how English football could change under a similar model. I’m certain it won’t…but I thought it an interesting exercise.
• From Ash Lane to Bramley Moore compared Southport Central’s big ground move to Ash Lane in 1905 with Everton’s project on the Mersey waterfront, timed with renewed interest in the rugby league Ashes series.

Historical decisions and competition structure

Two major pieces have examined defining moments from the modern era of the club’s history.

• The Price of Saying No to the Alliance revisited a decision that shaped Southport’s future path.
• The Day Southport FC Chose Liquidation set out the events of 1980/81 more clearly than has often been the case.

The Shifting Shape of the FA Cup explained how the competition has evolved throughout the club’s long involvement.

All three of these articles help bring order to periods/subjects where assumptions have often frustratingly replaced detail. It is for the same reason that I chose to opine on the problems with mixed messaging when it comes to the clubs overall history.

Early development and club formation

Southport’s Twenty Year Climb to the Football League traced the story of two decades of ambition, frustration and steady political groundwork. There will be more to come on this in the coming weeks.

Player related research

Several new pieces have added to the record of the individuals who played their part.

• James Brown Meunier has been the subject of a feature on Southport Central’s French connection.
• Charlie Weir’s journey from Third Lanark to Haig Avenue has been revisited in detail.
• George Dobson has been profiled as Southport’s first captain in league football.
• Southport’s dual sport traditions have also been explored through the story of Thomas Burnett.
• The ninety ninth birthday of Trevor Hitchen was also marked, thanks to Michael Braham, with a full profile of his career and contribution to the club, recognising a remarkable life in football.

These sit alongside Heritage Numbers: One Unbroken Line, which explains how appearance records link the different eras together.

The annual feature on Southport’s fallen heroes was updated for Remembrance Day, maintaining the commitment to record the lives of players and officials who served and died.

International and programme features

International Sandgrounders brings together those who earned caps while registered with Southport. Alongside this we have, with his permission, started to reproduce some of the excellent articles written by Kim Wood for the matchday programme so that these pieces remain available beyond their original print editions. In particular his series entitled “A Sandgrounder Before a Lion” which has seen a number of pieces produced along the International theme.

There will be more on the topic of Internationals in the coming months, alongside further writing from Kim.

Matchday previews

You will have noticed that a match preview has been published on the morning of every game too, covering past encounters, events on the same date, anniversaries, birthdays and other historical notes. Whilst they will “disappear” from the home page after the game has passed, these continue to sit alongside each match entry in the results archive so that supporters can follow the day’s context in one place.

…and in other news

Whilst there have been no articles produced on the subject, it is now been confirmed that Southport have not entered the Lancashire Junior Cup this season. A history of our participation in the Lancashire County Cups has been written in the past and is still available to view on the site, but we will not be adding to that history in 2025/26. This could be (subject to the result of the stalemate with Liverpool County FA) the first season for a long time (apart from covid) that we will not participate in the county cups at all.

The Inductees into the 2025 Class of the Southport FC Hall of Fame have now been chosen by the selection committee and will be revealed in the middle of December.

And finally, a shameless plug. If you’re still looking for a Christmas present for someone who loves Southport’s history…look no further than The Town’s Game. Find it here on Amazon where the hard back is just £19.99: http://sfc1888.uk/book

I am always happy to consider new submissions and contributions for Southport Central from supporters who wish to add to the record. Thanks for your continued support,

Daniel Hayes
Editor, Southport Central