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Southport v Barnet

Nationwide Conference
Saturday 16th March 3.00pm

Updated 15/03/02

It looks like a formidable task for the Bees up at Southport on Saturday. It's eight games without defeat at home for the Sandgrounders, having won the last two, 3-1 over Stalybridge Celtic and before that 2-0 against Woking. Leigh RMI were despatched 5-0, their highset win at the beginning of January. The other three games of thie last six were 1-1 draws, Morcambe being one of those.

Last Saturday Southport went down 3-1 at Northwich Victoria.

With 31 goals at home, they are the highest scorers on their own turf, and a tidy 18 conceeded is pretty good as well.

Earlier in the season a rather drab 0-0 draw was played at Underhill in front of 1,450 fans.

Hopefully with the Bees riding high on the back of two consecutive wins and with the new leadership team having another week with the team the Bees should come away with at least a point.

Updated 15/03/02

Peter Shreeves welcomes back striker Austin Berkley into his squad for the trip to Southport. The Bees boss is also hoping midfielder Danny Brown can shake off a minor injury he picked up in training to figure in the game.

Scholarship boy Toby Oshitola, who scored the match winning goal against Morecambe five minutes from time after coming on as a substitute, keeps his place in the first team squad for Saturday's visit to Southport. Peter Shreeves was again impessed with the 19-year-old in a reserve game against Southend and announced that Oshitola would travel.

Shreeves was hopeful that leading scorer Ben Strevens would have a run-out in the reserves after his lay-off, but he did not feel 100 per cent and is doubtful for Southport.

Southport must look to bounce back from last week’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of local rivals Northwich without the suspended Steve Whitehall. Boss Phil Wilson is without his striker as he starts the first of a three-match suspension, while defender Carl MacAuley is also sidelined with a calf problem.

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Below is Barnet and Southport's league details based on their Home and Away performances.

Courtesy of portfans.co.uk

Southport Football Club originated from a failed rugby club which, after several heavy defeats, changed codes in 1881 and by 1888 had merged with Southport Wanderers to become Southport Central. Playing at a ground on Scarisbrick New Road they joined the Lancashire League and in 1894-95 reached the First Round proper of the F.A. Cup for the first time, losing 0-3 to Everton before a then record gate of 5,000.

The club moved to their present ground in Ash Lane, later renamed Haig Avenue, in 1905. Having become founder members of the Central League in 1911, Southport Central was taken over in 1918 by the Vulcan Motor Company and played for one year only as Southport Vulcan. Following reformation they became Southport F.C. and, as such, were heavily involved in the establishment of Football League Division III (North) in 1921.

For much of their Football League career (from 1921 to 1978) Southport laboured in the nether regions of Division III (North) or Division IV. Hampered by the proximity of several big clubs, Southport always suffered from poor attendance's. Acute financial problems almost brought about closure in 1936 but two opportune transfers ensured Southport's survival; a similar situation arose in 1981 when only a complete reconstruction saved the club.

On a more positive note the 1938-39 and 1955-56 seasons saw the club challenging for promotion to Division II but a lack of determination as much off the field as on let them down towards the finish each time. Many would say the "Golden Age" of Southport F.C. began with the arrival of Billy Bingham as trainer-coach back in 1965.

Appointed Manager, he took the club to a Fifth Round F.A.Cup tie at Hull City in 1966 and then secured promotion to Football League Division III in 1966-67. Relegation in 1970 was only temporary; under the Managership of ex-England International Jimmy Meadows, whose own League career had begun at Southport in 1949, the Sandgrounders won the 1972-73 Fourth Division Championship with 62 points.

That Hull tie was not, however, the pinnacle of the club's achievements in the F.A.Cup; their great Cup tradition peaked in 1931 when Southport became the first Division III (North) club to reach Round Six of the competition, losing to Everton. The following season Newcastle United drew 20,010 (still the ground record) to Haig Avenue in Round 4 and only after two replays with Southport did the Geordies go on to win the Cup at Wembley.

Many thought that the loss of Football League status - ironically by a single vote in 1978 - would herald the end of the club altogether. Yet here they are, over twenty years later, not just surviving but with finances healthier than in many League seasons. The Haig Avenue ground has itself undergone a complete transformation during this time to bring it up to Conference standard, particularly following the demolition of the original covered terracing under new safety regulations in 1987.

Chairman Charles Clapham masterminded the rebuilding project and thus helped secure the promotion the club so dearly sought. In 1981 Southport F.C. celebrated its Centenary with a reunion of 125 former Football League players, an event successfully repeated in 1991 when invitations were also extended to players from the N.P.L. era. It is hoped to stage a similar celebration for the 120th anniversary in 2001.

The club’s greatest day arrived in May 1998 when, under the managership of Paul Futcher, the Sandgrounders walked down that famous Wembley tunnel and into the bright sunshine of Wembley Stadium for the Umbro F.A. Trophy Final. Despite outplaying Cheltenham Town for almost the whole ninety minutes – a late slip allowed a killer goal and over ten thousand gold and black clad fans who had made the trip were left disappointed but proud.

The arrival of new manager Mark Wright in December 1999 brought a new optimism at Haig Avenue after two and a half seasons of poor League form. With a side lacking confidence wallowing next to bottom in the table, Mark took on the challenge despite it being his first management position, and by the end of the season the Sandgrounders had risen meteorically to ninth in the final Conference table.

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