Southport F.C.

The original amateur club: 1881–1886

Although association football was played in the town's private schools in the late 1870s, the first association club was not formed in the town until November 1881. Bearing the name of Southport Football club, the club originally began as a rugby club, the 'handling code' having been played competitively since 1872. The man responsible for the decision to switch to association football was a former Welsh international, Thomas Blundell Burnett. He was the instigator of the switch, he was the Secretary of the new club, and he was also the Captain. The club played its games on a field on a large plot of land opposite to the entrance of Chambres Road on the corner Scarisbrick New Road and Ash Street backing onto Trap Lane (today's Southbank Road), roughly where Westmoreland Road lies today. There was space enough for multiple pitches, one of which was used by Southport Olympic rugby club. Encouraged by their first year, Southport joined both the Lancashire and English Football Associations and entered the English, Lancashire and Liverpool and District Challenge Cups. The competitive element of the cup-ties aroused most interest. On 7 October, Southport entertained Liverpool Ramblers in their first ever F.A., or English Challenge Cup tie as the competition was called for years. This game was watched by 300 spectators including many women supporters and resulted in a 1–1 draw, Ambler scoring for Southport following a neat pass from…

League

Fourth Division (level 4) Champions: 1972–73 Runners-up: 1966–67 Conference North Champions: 2004–05, 2009–10 Northern Premier League Champions: 1992–93 Cup

Third Division North Cup Winners: 1937–38 FA Trophy Runners-up: 1997–98 Lancashire Senior Cup Winners: 1904–05 Lancashire Junior Cup Winners (12): 1919–20, 1992–93, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2000–01, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2024-25 Liverpool Senior Cup Winners (12): 1930–31, 1931–32, 1943–44, 1962–63, 1974–75, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1998–99, 2011–12, 2018–19 Northern Premier League Challenge Cup Winners: 1990–91