Verdi Godwin

A strongly built fair-haired centre-forward, he was among the greatest rolling stones in the immediate post World War II period, playing for 10 League clubs before leaving the senior scene. He was not a prolific scorer,netting only 27 goals in his 143 League games. He did however notch for goals for Southport Reserves against South Liverpool in October 1954 and was the Reserves’ top goalscorer with 12 goals. Less happily he was sent off in a Lancashire Combination game with Burscough, being suspended for 7 days and ordered to pay costs. A popular character and resident in the town, he was a long-serving lifeguard on the beach, but was best known as a successful scout who spotted local talent like Dave Party, Graham Rowe, Martin Hodge and Paul Comstive. He was also responsible for taking Paul Mariner to Chorley and fixing up Bruce Grobbelaar at Crewe Alexandra. He worked in close association with Tony Waiters (another of his discoveries) at both Plymouth Argyle and Vancouver Whitecaps. He feels a great responsibility for the players he has helped. ‘When they’re with me, they’re always with me.’

Profile reproduced with Permission from:
The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F. C., by Michael Braham and Geoff Wilde (Palatine Books, 1995). ISBN 978-1-874181-14-9