I voted for 4 points, but I actually think we could win both - and my predictions have been good lately, so that's what I'm going for ! We've got a bit of momentum and confidence now. I'm in Liverpool for the weekend, so I'm hoping I can get away for a few hours Saturday afternoon to Southport.
Mildy Danny T.Lockyer T.Parkes Browners Mansell Monk Stu Goslin Cunningam Matty I really hope we go to Southport with a line up like that. ATTACK!!!
A Look At Southport F.C. - Part 2 - History Part 1 Foundation: 1881–1921 It was on Thursday 12 November 1881 that Southport played its first Association Football match Although association football was played in the town's private schools in the late 1870s the original Southport Football Club began as a rugby team. Southport Football Club arranged rugby fixtures for 1881–82. After some heavy defeats, the last recorded being on 15 October 1881, the club switched to association football. On 12 November, six of that team lined up when Southport played Bootle 'second' in their first match under Association Rules. Ralph Rylance did more than anyone to establish association football in the town. He came to Southport from Blackburn having played for the Blackburn Law team, a noted eleven in those days. Performances soon improved with him playing, and Tranmere Rovers were beaten twice whilst the Tradesman of Southport and Liverpool Excelsior were both overcome 7–0. On 7 October 1882, Southport entertained Liverpool Ramblers in their first ever F.A., or English Challenge Cup tie as the competition was called for years. The game was watched by 300 spectators and resulted in a 1–1 draw. In the 1884–85 season the club merged with the Southport Athletic Society and the team moved to the Sports Ground, Sussex Road. As football grew in popularity other clubs sprang up in the town. Southport Wanderers, High Park, Churchtown and Southport Old Boys were amongst the most prominent however Southport Football Club was considered to be the town's premier side. At the Southport Wanderers AGM in June 1886, at which a representative of Southport Football Club was present, they invited Southport to amalgamate following the severance of their connection with the Athletic Society, whose unfortunate connection with the Football Club had resulted in the Society incurring an expenditure on their account of £88–3 shillings. After 5 years existence Southport's first football club folded. At least six former Southport players and many of their supporters transferred their affiliations to Southport Wanderers. Southport Wanderers moved to a new ground in Scarisbrick New Road for the 1886–87 season. On 28 September 1886, at a General Meeting held in the Mather's Saleroom, it was unanimously resolved that in future the club be called Southport Football Club. In the summer of 1888, the year the Football League was founded, with the game increasing in popularity, It was felt that a team of stronger calibre should be formed to represent the district. The idea met with favour and the initial meeting called to form such a club took place on 12 June at Scarlett's Rooms, Chapel Street. At a second meeting, held at the Railway Hotel a week later, Mr. McGowan successfully proposed that the name of the club should be Southport Central Association Football Club. At the start of the 1905–06 season Central moved to its present home, Merseyrail Community Stadium which was then known as Ash Lane. In 1911, the club became founder members of the Central League. In 1918, the club was renamed as Southport Vulcan – having been bought by the Vulcan Motor Company – becoming the first club to take a sponsor's name. League history: 1921–1978 In 1921 the club, now named simply Southport, joined The Football League and became a founder member of the Third Division North. In 1931, Southport became the first club from the Third Division North to reach the sixth round (quarter-finals) of the FA Cup, where they lost 9–1 to Everton. A year later the club recorded its record attendance, when 20,010 watched them play Newcastle United in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Having finished in the bottom half of the table at the end of the 1957/8 season, the club dropped into the Fourth Division following the reorganisation of the Third Division North and Third Division South into Third and Fourth Divisions. The club's first promotion came at the end of the 1966/7 season, when they finished as runners-up in the Fourth Division behind Stockport County under the guidance of Billy Bingham, who later went on to manage the Northern Irish national team. They were relegated back to the Fourth Division in 1970, but won promotion again in 1973 when they finished as Fourth Division Champions. Relegation back to the Fourth Division followed the very next season. This heralded a period of decline as crowds dropped – on some occasions into just three figures – and the ground fell into disrepair. Disaster struck in 1978, when the club was voted out of the Football League following three consecutive 23rd (out of 24) placed finishes, and was replaced by Wigan Athletic. The voting couldn't have been tighter, as the clubs drew on the first ballot (when many had expected Rochdale to be voted out), but Wigan's superior canvassing ensured that they won the second ballot. Southport was the last club to leave the Football League through the re-election process. Automatic relegation from the Fourth Division was introduced in 1986–87. Non-League football: from 1978 After several seasons with South Liverpool, Brian Kettle was appointed manager and was instrumental in one of the most successful periods. Kettle had a difficult task from the off, his first season in charge saw him start with only three players Andy Johnston, Stuart Bimson and club captain Rob Sturgeon. After a poor start to the season which saw the club in the relegation places until mid-October after bringing in several new players such as Ossie Smith, Bob Howard, Steve Whitehall, Steve Holden, Alan McDonald, the returning Ian Baines and for the third time Tony Quinn they finished the season in a very respectable seventh place in the Northern Premier League,albeit 38 points off the champions Colne Dynamoes who were not accepted for promotion and ultimately folded. For the 1990–91 season, very little changed and was a very exciting season for the club. The free-scoring prowess of Holden and Whitehall saw the club reach 100 league goals in March and four semi-final appearances, losing only one. Ultimately due to the cup runs, the league performance suffered and they only managed to finish 5th in the league. However there was now renewed optimism in the town. The 1991–92 season started dreadfully for the club due to the loss of key personnel in the summer. Holden and Whitehall both left within weeks, the latter going for a club record £25,000 to Rochdale. Kettle had to rebuild once again, but it didn't go to plan straightaway. The club were bottom of the table till September, only managing to win their first game at the start of October. After a series of good runs, they managed to claw their way up the table to once again finish seventh. The 1992–93 season was one of the most important seasons in the clubs recent history. Southport impressively won the league with 96 points and once again scoring 100 goals and tasted success in two more cup competitions and an excellent FA Cup run took them through to the second round proper for the first time since 1968. In 1998 the club had its first (and only) trip to Wembley, when they lost 1–0 to Cheltenham Town in the final of the FA Trophy. 10,000 Southport fans made the trip to London to see the match. The club were relegated back to the Northern Premier League at the end of the 2002–03 season. They became founder members of the new Conference North in 2004–05, and were the league's first Champions, earning promotion back to the newly renamed Conference National. In the 2005–06 season, Southport spent much of their time at the bottom of the table, but managed to secure survival with a five-game unbeaten run culminating in a 1–1 away draw with third-placed Grays Athletic on 25 April. The manager at the time, Liam Watson, stated that this feat was more impressive than their title winning accomplishments the season before.
Eastleigh have increased ground capacity in time for our game so more tickets available for home fans. they did have only 250 tickets left. now they have plenty more http://www.eastleighfc.com/2014/09/24/breaking-news-ground-capacity-increased/
A Look At Southport F.C. - Part 2 - History Part 2 Full time: 2006â2008 In 2006 the club changed to full-time, with Liam Watson moving to Burscough at the end of the season a new manager in Paul Cook was appointed. This led to a massive overhaul of the squad, with many players unwilling or unable to go full-time. This proved to be a disastrous turn of events. Cook had to assemble a complete squad with just six of the original squad remaining. After a run of poor results, his contract was terminated on 3 January 2007. The first match after Cook's departure saw Dino Maamria and Steve Whitehall take over as caretaker manager team and they succeeded in leading the team to a 3â1 home win over free-falling Grays, a match which also saw Carl Baker make his 100th appearance in a Southport shirt. The only other match which saw the Maamria-Whitehall manager team was a 2â1 defeat in the FA Trophy at the hands of Salisbury before Peter Davenport, who had previously had an unbeaten spell as caretaker-manager of the club in 2001, was named as Cook's successor two weeks later. Davenport's new team, aided with decent signings in the transfer window, started to churn out decent results. This did not last long however, and, due to Southport's ability to concede late goals in most games, the club looked certain to drop down a league, however again doubts were cast as the club won 4 matches on the run, and with two matches left were only two points off safety. However these matches were against play off hopefuls York City and Exeter City. After losing to a Clayton Donaldson penalty against York, the Sandgrounders were relegated the following Tuesday, not even playing a game, after relegation rivals Grays and Halifax both won their games. The club stayed full-time, looking to bounce straight back up from the Conference North to the top of non-league football. Southport signed Neil Prince and Karl Noon from Stalybridge Celtic and Marine respectively. Peter Davenport also brought in goalkeeper Richard Whiteside, midfielder Dave Prout and right back Chris Lever after trials from Oldham. The biggest news in the transfer period for Southport fans however, was the departure of star right winger Carl Baker to Morecambe, for a fee believed to be £50,000. Southport Football Club announced on Monday 7 April 2008 that manager Peter Davenport and assistant Huw Griffiths left the club with immediate effect. The club placed on record their appreciation for everything they both contributed to Southport Football Club. Former player Gary Brabin was initially given the job until the end of the season and guided the team into the play-offs only to go out on penalties away at Stalybridge Celtic, however only three days later the club announced their ambitions early by appointing him full-time and thus keeping their full-time playing status for another season at least. However, this appointment turned out to be only an agreement to sign a future contract, and after an approach from Cambridge United, Brabin left Southport to sign as Cambridge manager on 23 June 2008.
Lockyer on Southport: Tom Lockyer says Bristol Rovers must end their away-day hoodoo against the so-called lesser Vanarama Conference clubs when they go to Southport on Saturday. Rovers suffered defeats on the road at Altrincham and Braintree Town during a difficult start to the season, but have since embarked on a four-game winning run. They will be aiming to make it five on the bounce when they go to struggling Southport's Haig Avenue, and Lockyer said: "We know we have to win those sorts of scruffy games away from home if we are to have any sort of success this season. We have stumbled a couple of times in games like that this season, but we're really focused on going about things right and getting the job done properly at Southport. The performance at Braintree wasn't good enough and we had to go away and sort that mess out between ourselves. The inquest we had after the Braintree game seems a long time ago now. We've won four games on the bounce since then and you can see that everyone is playing with a lot more confidence at the moment. We knew that we were better than we had shown in the first few games of the season and we knew that if we worked hard it would only be a matter of time before we clicked. We know we still have a lot of work ahead of us, but we do have a good squad and we're hoping we can really kick on from here." Lockyer could be set for a return to the right-back role he has filled for the majority of the season, after stepping in to replace the injured Neal Trotman at the heart of defence for the 2-0 win over Woking last weekend. Lockyer said: "I like playing in the centre of defence, but I don't mind where I play as long as I am out on the pitch and I am part of a winning team. We have a very competitive squad and nobody can feel certain of their place in the starting line-up from one week to the next. The gaffer has shown he is not worried about leaving any player out of the team at any time, so you have to stay on your toes and work hard to prove you're worthy. I don't think the gaffer or anyone else has got time to be worrying about people who throw their toys out of the pram." Manager Darrell Clarke, though, could opt to play three at the back, in a move that would more than likely see Lockyer remain in a central position. Lockyer said: "We have worked on several systems and formations in training, and with time it will become second nature to us if we have to change things around in any given situation. We have had to adapt to changes from the side during the game, and I think that has been good because if something is not working you have to change it." Rovers will be playing for the sixth time this month, and Lockyer added: "We have had a lot of games in a short space of time, but when you are winning them you just want them to keep coming. I'm a bit disappointed we didn't have a game on Tuesday, but I suppose it was good for the lads to have a bit of a breather before we go again."
In this chat with Sinclair he talks about Southport.... [video=youtube;6hMQZUNTMj0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hMQZUNTMj0[/video]
A Look At Southport F.C. - Part 2 - History Part 3 Return to part time : from 2008 On 30 June 2008 the club's official website confirmed that Liam Watson had rejoined Southport as first team manager following his resignation from Burscough. This change saw the arrival of numerous part-time players, following Watson from Burscough including Conference North top scorer Ciaran Kilheeney, Watson's co-Players of the Year â Adam Flynn and Anthony McMillan, as well former Southport players, Matty McGinn, Earl Davis, Robbie Booth and Steve Daly. Retained players, Michael Powell and Neil Robinson, chose to return to part-time football, whilst Matt Hocking, Neil Prince and club captain, Chris Holland left the club. Kevin Lee and Tony Gray signed new part-time contracts at the start of the season, and thus Southport practically returned fully to a part-time club. During that season Tony Gray and John Doolan departed the club, as well as Craig Noone, who moved to Championship side Plymouth Argyle. The 2008â09 season saw Southport reach the Conference North play-offs, having finished in fifth place. However, a home defeat, followed by an away draw against Gateshead left Southport to battle for a further season in the Conference North. Only four defeats during 2009â2010 saw Southport finally secure the League title following a 3â0 away victory at Eastwood Town on the final Saturday of the season, spurred on by over 700 travelling Sandgrounders. They finished just one point ahead of near neighbours Fleetwood Town. The success of the first team, who also lifted the Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy following victory against Clitheroe at the Reebok Stadium, was mirrored by the club's youth team who won both the Lancashire League and Conference North Youth League. In 2010â11, they finished in the relegation zone of the Conference National, but were reprieved after Rushden & Diamonds were expelled from the league. The 2011â12 season saw a change of fortune for the club, with the implementation of a new, extended training schedule seeing an upturn in performances and results. On 26 November 2011, a club record of consecutive away victories was broken with the Sandgrounder's 1â0 win at Stockport County, their 8th in succession. Although narrowly missing out on a play off spot, having occupied one of the top five positions for long periods of the season, the 2011/12 season saw the 'Port finish in a very impressive 7th place, the clubs highest league finish in 10 years. During the 2012â13 season Southport failed to repeat its successful performance in the prior season and finished 5th from bottom, just one place above the relegation zone. On 17 April 2013 it was announced that Watson would be leaving Southport once again, but on more amiable terms resigning, ostensibly, in order to 'take a break from the game'.[6] Soon after, he was appointed manager of AFC Telford who he led to promotion in his first season. On 15 May 2013, Alan Wright was appointed Southport manager, along with John Hills as his assistant manager. Southport kicked off the 2013/14 season with a 1â0 home win over Luton Town, just the beginning of a good start to the season, Wright managed the team to four straight home wins. However the good form didn't last long, a run of 8 straight defeats away from home saw Wright's side drop to the lower half of the table. A 2â2 draw to Macclesfield ended the losing away run, followed by a 6â2 victory over Marske United in the FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round and a 1â0 win against previously unbeaten table toppers Cambridge United. This looked like a catalyst for a turnaround in fortunes, however Southport lost their next six games, eliminated from both the FA Cup and FA Trophy, and sat in 18th place in the table, Alan Wright left the club on Friday 7 December 2013. His replacement was named just a day later on Saturday 8 Decembmer 2013, as John Coleman, former Accrington Stanley manager, who had previously played for Southport over 25 years earlier. Under Coleman the club escaped relegation, finishing the season in fine form. To the consternation of the fans, Coleman was not retained as manager; instead the Board appointed Martin Foyle formerly the manager of Hereford United. A number of first team players left the club at the end of the season (including several who had been on loan) leaving Foyle with a major rebuilding task for the 2014/15 season.
sorry about your lack of water mate. typing this while in my nice long deep bath, blissfully relaxing! while my wife is having a shower next to me and the kids are in the garden having a water fight with the hose and water guns that they keep topping up every couple of minutes!!
A Look At Southport F.C. - Part 3 - Haig Avenue please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
Just run around trashton pitch naked before KO this Saturday you'll get a 2 minute shower from the sprinklers
All you need to know ahead of tomorrow's game Rovers will be going into tomorrow’s game looking to make it back to back away wins for the first time since early January 2013. Opposition: The Sandgrounders currently sit in 20th position just outside the relegation places in the Vanarama Conference table. Having lost their last three games Southport will be glad to return home where they have managed to pick up their only two wins this season against Altrincham and Kidderminster. Danger Man - Richard Brodie: Southport have struggled to find the back of the net this season only scoring 8 goals, however, Richard Brodie has netted 3 of those and will be looking to get back to scoring ways when the Gas come to town. The former Gateshead, Hereford and Morecambe man was instantly reinstated into the Port's side away to Macclesfield following his red card against Kidderminster. Darrell’s View: “It’s always difficult when you go to Southport, they are a team that can be effective on the day. “They may have lost three on the bounce, but they have had a week on the training ground and it will certainly be a difficult game." Opposition View: Speaking after their third defeat in a row manager Martin Foyle said "We have to score goals, today we created some really good chances but couldn't finish them. As for the other end it is definitely something that we need to shore up. "The boys will be back out on the training pitch just to get the confidence and that organisation back that this team needs. Team News: Darrell should have a fully fit squad to choose from. Last Meeting: Rovers last visit to Southport was in April 1974, with the home side winning 1-0. Listen Live: Unable to make the trip to the Merseyrail Community Stadium tomorrow? Then you can follow all the action from 3pm as Bristol Rovers take on Southport LIVE on Gas Player or on BBC Radio Bristol on 94.9FM or DAB.
