On This Day: February 1st

What is remarkable about this game in 1932, wasn’t that this was the third attempt at progressing to the next round of the FA Cup for Southport and Newcastle United, it was that given the eventual result, the previous two attempts had been a stalemate at all.

The manner of defeat was the most difficult thing to understand for the now widely regarded “Giant Killers”.

With the second replay held at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough ground, the Sheffield press that seized upon the opportunity for local football enthusiasts to be able to see “that remarkable team, Southport”, who, along with Watford, were the only Third Division sides remaining in the competition.

Two special trains were scheduled to bring about 1,000 Southport supporters including the Mayor, Councillor W.H.Bellis who was also president of the club.

Manager Bert Pelham declared all his men fit and looking forward to the encounter with confidence, with Holmes (left-half back) and Waterston both returning from injuries that had kept them out of the first replay.

The Sandgrounders held firm for the first half an hour and even created chances of their own, switching the ball from side to side and causing the Newcastle defence some early problems. It was an even contest with good football on both sides but as the game progressed Newcastle grew much stronger in attack. Newcastle scored on the half hour mark and the floodgates opened. By half-time it was Four.

The second half fared no better and as the Sheffield reports put it “there was only one team in it”.

NEWCASTLE UNITED 9 – 0 SOUTHPORT

Stadium: Hillsborough, Sheffield
Competition: FA Cup / 42R
Date: 01/02/1932
Attendance: 19181

Southport Line-Up: Jack Little, Jimmy Cowen, Paddy McConnell, Tommy Bell, Archie Waterston, Matt Middleton, George Dobson, Ted Robinson, Tommy Holmes, Jack Seagrave, Ernie Vincent,