Key Dates In SFC History

No Date Event
1 12 November 1881 First Ever Game-1-1 v Bootle
2 07 October 1882 First apperance in FA Cup drew 1-1 away at Liverpool Ramblers
3 14 September 1889 First League game in Lancs League v Rossendale 3-1
4 2 February 1895 Southport Central reach First Round of FA Cup for first time lost 3-0 v Everton
5 24 April 1895 Crisis! Club affairs suspended
6 4 May 1895 Club revived after public appeal under the title “Shall It Die”
7 19 October 1901 Record Win in Pre FL 11-0 v Bacup
8 26 May 1903 Medal presentation after winning Lancs League for first time
9 12 August 1905 First game at Ash Lane (later renamed Haig Avenue)
10 16 December 1911 Southport Central record defeat 12-3 v Everton Reserves
11 04 September 1915 First Game of war time football  won 3-0 v Blackpool
12 1918/19 One Season as Southport Vulcan
13 05 June 1919 Reorganisation sees Club change name to present day Southport Football Club
14 07 March 1921 Elected to the Football League
15 27 August 1921 First Game in Football League 1-1 v Durham City
16 10 September 1921 Billy Halsall 334 and Tommy Sinclair 320 games make their debuts
17 22 October 1921 Billy Glover scores 6 in 7-1 win against Grimsby Town
18 03 December 1921 First FA Cup game as league team win 3-0 v Altrincham
19 05 January 1923 Peter Mee disappears “found drowned” in the River Mersey some weeks later!
20 01 June 1923 Gordon Hunt’s 53 year association with the Club starts
21 05 January 1924 Jack Sibbald scores first FL hat trick for the Club (note 22/10/21)
22 29 January 1927 Highest ever attendance 51620 at Liverpool
23 18 April 1930 Ben Twell scores all five goals in 5-3 win against Wrexham
24 01 January 1931 Record FL Victory 8-1 v Nelson
25 01 January 1931 Archie Waterston scores 5 of the goals
26 28 February 1931 9-1 defeat in FA Cup at Everton
27 25 April 1931 Archie Waterston scores his 31st goal-A Football League Record
28 26 January 1932 Highest Ever Haig Ave attendance 20010 v Newcastle 1-1
29 06 May 1939 Joe “Hat-Trick” Patrick makes final appearance after scoring 76 goals-5 Hat-Tricks inc a four timer
30 07 December 1939 First match postponed at Haig Avenue
31 22 January 1949 Trevor Hitchen’s first appearance of 247
32 27 December 1949 Highest League attendance at Haig Ave 14766 v Rochdale
33 24 September 1955 Ray Rimmer makes his debut at 17 Yrs and 49 days old-the youngest ever FL Player
34 19 November 1955 George Bromilow scores 5 in FA Cup v Ashton United
35 23 February 1957 Stan Mortensen makes the first of 36 appearances
36 01 November 1957 John Church co-opted to The Board and remained involved until his death in 1990
37 31 March 1958 The start of 644 minutes without scoring this ended on 23 April 1958
38 28 April 1959 For the only time in our history we finish 92nd of 92 Clubs
39 05 November 1960 Reg Blore scores our last ever FA Cup Hat-Trick as FL side
40 09 January 1962 Floodlights first used in game v Shrewsbury
41 10 February 1962 Arthur Peat makes his debut and goes on to play 401 League games
42 15 September 1962 Alan Spence scores the first of his Club Record 98 League goals
43 26 December 1962 Record FL Defeat, 11-0 at Oldham
44 02 November 1963 Alex Russell makes his debut and goes on to make 346 starts second only to Arthur Peat
45 01 January 1965 Billy Bingham (The Miracle Worker) appointed manager
46 12 February 1966 2-0 win v Cardiff in FA Cup 4th Round
47 05 March 1966 FA Cup 5th Round at Hull City (lost 2-0)
48 20 August 1966 Eric Redrobe makes his debut
49 27 December 1966 The Main Stand burns down after match v Wrexham
50 24 April 1967 Colin Alty is our First Player Of The Year
51 06 May 1967 Promoted to Division Three after 1-0 win against Southend
52 27 January 1968 Southport v Everton 0-1 in front of 18795 spectators in FA Cup Round Three
53 13 April 1968 First Appearance on Match Of The Day 3-3 at Swindon
54 16 November 1968 Last FA Cup win as FL Team 1-0 at Tranmere
55 03 September 1969 FL Cup v Man City 11215 attend, the best at Haig Ave in the FL Cup
56 04 December 1970 Peter Withe makes his debut, one of just three appearances for the club
57 01 June 1971 Jimmy Meadows appointed manager
58 10 September 1971 The 4-2 win against Newport is the fourth time in a row we score 4 goals at home
59 16 October 1971 Last Hat-Trick scored as a FL Club by Barry Hartle at Exeter but Jim Fryatt did get a 4 timer
60 06 January 1973 7-0 win at a very foggy Feethams
61 06 January 1973 Jim Fryatt scores 4 of the goals and became the last FL player to score 3 or more in a game
62 18 April 1973 Promotion to Division 3 after 2-0 win at Crewe Alexandra
63 23 April 1973 Champions of Division Four after 1-1 draw v Hartlepool
64 15 April 1974 Ground taken over by Oldham fans in gate of 9504 (lost 2-0)
65 27 April 1974 Relegated to Divison Four
66 16 August 1975 Alan Wilson makes his debut and becomes the only player to make 100+ apps in NL and FL Games
67 10 September 1975 Newcastle 6 Southport 0 in FL Cup gate 23776 is the highest FL Cup attendance
68 06 December 1975 After 18 games without a win a victory finally arrives 2-1 at Scunthorpe
69 26 December 1975 George Best plays for Stockport against Southport-Lost 1-0
70 12 April 1977 Only our third win in the whole of the 76/77 season 2-1 v Scunthorpe
71 23 September 1977 Phil Ashworth scores his seventh goal in consecutive games, a FL record
72 28 November 1977 Last FA Cup game as FL Team lost 1-0 at Runcorn
73 14 January 1978 Last away win in FL 2-0 at Scunthorpe previous away win was 19/4/76 635 days
74 07 April 1978 Last win as Football League team 4-1 v York City
75 29 April 1978 Last game in Football League lost 3-2 at Watford
76 02 June 1978 Club fails to gain re-election
77 19 August 1978 First Ever NL Game Away At South Liverpool resulted in a 1-0 win Joe Turner scores the goal
78 04 November 1978 First FA Cup Game as NL Club 0-0 at Northwich
79 10 February 1979 Nearly the end for the Club with winding up petition pending
80 01 April 1980 118 v Netherfield our lowest ever home league attendance
81 30 April 1980 Record NL defeat 8-0 at Matlock
82 23 September 1980 100th Non League goal Tony Brookfield v Oswestry
83 10 September 1981 First Player Reunion with 125 former players in attendance
84 24 November 1981 First NL Hat Trick Gary Cooper at Marine
85 15 March 1982 116 is our lowest ever league gate, at Tamworth
86 27 November 1982 Charlie Clapham witnesses his first game
87 30 April 1984 First Trophy as NL Club a 4-0 win over Horwich in Lancs Floodlit Trophy
88 04 March 1986 John Coleman becomes the only player to score 4 goals in NL game
89 15 November 1986 First game against FL opposition in FA Cup at Scunthorpe(lost 2-0)
90 09 February 1988 The Gainsborough 77 “Wind Assisted” game (won 2-1)
91 19 November 1988 First game against FL Opposition (Port Vale) at Haig Ave as NL Club
92 26 November 1988 Record Home win 7-0 v Gateshead
93 31 May 1989 Brian Kettle appointed
94 17 March 1990 John Bishop(yes, that John Bishop) makes the first of his 35 appearances
95 26 January 1991 Leading NL Goalscorer David Gamble makes his debut
96 06 December 1992 Second Round of FA Cup as NL Team at Hartlepool (lost 4-0)
97 17 April 1993 NPL Champions with a 4-0 win at Emley
98 26 December 1994 1000th Non League goal David Gamble v Runcorn
99 11 February 1995 Charlie Powell passes away after 45 years at the Club
100 31 January 1998 6-0 win at Yeading in FA Trophy en route to FA Trophy Final
101 28 March 1998 Win 1-0 at Slough in First Leg of FA Trophy Semi Final
102 05 April 1998 Second Leg of FA Trophy v Slough drew 1-1 and the club are Wembley bound
103 17 May 1998 FA Trophy Final at Wembley v Cheltenham (Lost 1-0)
104 05 December 1998 Giant Killers with a 2-1 win at Mansfield Town
105 02 January 1999 FA Cup Third Round v Leyton Orient  New Ground Record 4950
106 20 March 1999 Paul Futcher becomes the oldest NL player at the age of 42 yrs and 145 days
107 14 August 1999 Steve Dickinson makes his debut and goes on to make a NL record 283 league starts
108 16 March 2002 1000th Non League game, home v Barnet Lost 1-0
109 16 November 2002 Giant Killers 4-2 v Notts County
110 26 April 2003 Relegated to Conference North
111 18 October 2003 Liam Watson’s first game in charge v Radcliffe Borough(Won 2-1)
112 23 April 2005 Southport 1 Hucknall 0, Worcester 3 Droylsden 1-The roar from the crowd was amazing
113 30 April 2005 Conference North Champions 5-2 at Harrogate
114 30 April 2005 Terry Fearns scores his 33rd league goal a Club Record
115 25 April 2006 Conference survival after 1-1 draw at Grays
116 26 April 2006 The birth of Trust In Yellow
117 23 May 2006 Liam Watson quits
118 24 April 2007 Relegation to Conference North
119 17 November 2007 Josh Hine becomes our youngest ever Player at 16yrs 258 days
120 05 April 2008 Tony Gray scores at Solihull to create a record of scoring in 8 consecutive games
121 04 May 2008 First Appearance In Play Offs end in a penalty shoot out defeat at Stalybridge
122 30 June 2008 Liam Watson returns to the Club
123 24 April 2010 Conference North Champions 3-0 at Eastwood
124 07 November 2010 Home v Sheffield Wednesday in FA Cup-Live on ITV
125 12 March 2011 2000th Non League goal JP Kissock v Cambridge United
126 30 April 2011 Relegated to Conference North
127 11 June 2011 Reprieved and reinstated into Conference National
128 05 November 2011 NL Club Record beaten with 7 consecutive away wins and 3 goals in 6 consecutive away games is all time record
129 26 November 2011 All Time Away wins record(8) beaten after 1-0 win at Stockport County
130 13 February 2013 2000th Non League game( v Barrow)
131 17 April 2013 Liam Watson quits
132 15 May 2013 Alan Wright appointed as manager with John Hills as assistant
133 08 October 2013 1500th Non League League game
134 06 December 2013 Alan Wright Leaves by mutual consent
135 07 December 2013 John Coleman appointed manager with Jimmy Bell assisting
136 29 April 2014 John Coleman departs
137 04 May 2014 Martin Foyle appointed manager
138 08 October 2014 Martin Foyle departs
139 09 October 2014 Gary Brabin appointed manager with Paul Carden assisting
140 18 November 2014 Southport beat Football League opposition for the first time in 12 years with a 2-0 win over Dag & Red
141 03 January 2015 Southport in FA Cup Third Round at Derby County narrowly go down 1-0 to added time penalty
142 19 January 2015 Gary Brabin leaves for a coaching job at Everton and is replaced by Paul Carden
143 11 April 2015 Highest Away NL League attendance 8251 at Bristol Rovers
144 16 November 2015 Paul Carden leaves by mutual consent after 299 days in the hotseat
145 19 November 2015 Dino Maamria becomes Southport’s 27th NL Manager
146 02 January 2016 Southport equal our Conference winning run of 6 games after 3-2 win against Wrexham
147 14 March 2016 Dino Maamria stands down as manager citing family and travel reasons
148 27 April 2016 After a spell as caretaker manager Andy Bishop is appointed on a permanent basis
149 03 September 2016 Andy Bishop is sacked after one win in the opening eight games
150 07 September 2016 Liam Watson, Nigel Allen and Dave Barron appointed as Directors
151 08 September 2016 Steve Burr appointed manager
152 30 January 2017 Steve Burr sacked and Liam Watson appointed as interim manager-Steve in charge for 144 days
153 08 February 2017 Andy Preece is next in the managerial hot seat
154 14 April 2017 Southport are relegated to National North
155 21 April 2017 Charlie Clapham, Sam Shrouder and Haydn Preece stand down as directors
156 29 April 2017 Highest home NL League Attendance 3462 v Lincoln (2500 est from Lincoln)
157 29 April 2017 Andy Preece leaves the club
158 9 May 2017 James Treadwell & Adrian Shandley announced as new owners of the Club
159 22 May 2017 Mark Wright returns as Head Of Development
160 26 May 2017 Alan Lewer appointed manager
161 5 September 2017 Phil Hodgkinson joins the Board
162 5 September 2017 Beaten 6-0 at Stockport County our highest ever NLN Defeat
163 26 September 2017 Alan Lewer sacked with Mark Wright also leaving
164 17 October 2017 Manager number 32 is Kevin Davies with John Dreyer as his assistant
165 18 December 2017 John Dreyer departs and Jon McCarthy takes over as Assistant Manager
166 26 December 2017 Equal longest ever run without a win after 0-0 draw at Chorley
167 13 March 2018 NL Club Record 6 home wins in a row
168 26 April 2018 A bad run at the end of the season with just one win in the final 9 games sees Kevin Davies dismissed
169 7 May 2018 Liam Watson returns as manager
170 17 December 2018 NL record home attendance set 5414 v Tranmere Rovers in FA Cup Round Two Replay
171 29 April 2019 Lancs Jun Cup & Liv Sen Cup double after wins against Colne & Prescot
172 12 October 2019 Liam Watson’s 500th game as manager-all games
173 22 April 2020 Season cancelled due to COVID 19. Southport had played 32 games out of 42
174 3 October 2020 New season starts behind closed doors and club puts out its first live stream
175 18 February 2021 Season Declared Null & Void-COVID
176 2 May 2022 Liam Watson’s 600th game as manager
177 16 August 2023 After a total of 660 games in charge in all games Liam stands down as manager
178 16 August 2023 Andy Burgess and David Morgan put in temporary charge
179 19 August 2023 An unwanted all time club record 12 defeats in a row 8 from 2022/23 4 into 2023-24
180 30 August 2023 Jim Bentley appointed manager

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