Home
   Search for Players, Managers or Opponents

Home

FeedBack

 
Featured player
Joe Bainbridge

He served Blackpool well for to seasons - spending much of his early career as a centre-forward - and made 114 League appearances for the Seasiders. I  more...


Featured Manager
Edwin Clayton

A native of Ormskirk, he came to live in Southport in 1893 and immediately showed great interest in a number of sporting activities. He was assistant  more...
05.04.1998 Haig Avenue Attendance : 4895
SOUTHPORT
1 - 1
SLOUGH TOWN
Referee : FA Trophy / SF2L-match

Goalscorers
Kevin Formby
 None
Opening squads
Billy Stewart
Tim Ryan
Paul Futcher
Andy Farley
Phil Horner
Dave Thompson
Brian Butler
David Gamble
Kevin Formby
Stephen Morris
Brian Ross
Substitutes
Paul Jones
Phil Bolland
Paul Mitten
Substitutions
Paul Jones -> Brian Butler
Paul Mitten -> Kevin Formby
Phil Bolland -> Tim Ryan
 None
Yellow cards
None None
Red cards
None None
Match report
HAIG AVENUE ERUPTS AS SANDGROUNDERS REACH WEMBLEY FOR THE FIRST TIME

Now it’s full steam ahead to the theatre of football.

A second half goal by Kevin Formby put Southport into the final at Wembley on May 17.
The emotional scenes of elation at the end of the match will live in the memories of all who attended this great occasion. The attendance of 4895 was higher than any in the Football League Third Division the previous day. There was a carnival atmosphere and kick off was delayed for 15 minutes to get everyone safely in the ground.
Southport were subdued and it was no surprise when Dennis Bailey netted for Slough after 30 minutes. The tension was unbearable. Southport’s goal came in the 66th minute and was controversial. The whole of the Slough team claimed Formby was offside resulting in bookings for Wilkerson, Brazil and manager McDermott was dismissed from the bench. Video evidence is inconclusive even after watching it many times so how the linesman was expected to see it on the day is impossible to say.
The crowd really got behind the team in the second half. Paul Futcher “ The reception from the crowd was incredible. They really got behind us and gave the players a tremendous lift.”
It was Futcher himself who unhinged the Slough defence with a 40 yard through ball that saw Morris scurrying down the wing and wriggle past two defenders and with the ball inches from the line Kevin Formby tucked it home. The Haig Avenue crowd erupted. Southport created more chances but in true Sandgrounder style made everyone suffer an agonising final 24 minutes. The four minutes of added time seemed to last forever but the final whistle signalled a night of wild celebrations at Haig Avenue and in the town as the club’s dream of Wembley became a reality.

The Independent
Football: Southport celebrate Wembley final

Rupert Metcalf

Monday, 6 April 1998

Southport 1 Slough Town 1
Southport win 2-1 on aggregate

TWENTY years after being thrown out of the Football League, Southport have something to celebrate. For the first time in their 117-year history, the seaside club are on their way to Wembley, where they will meet Cheltenham in the FA Umbro Trophy final.

A courageous and committed second-half performance saw off the challenge of Slough Town at a packed Haig Avenue yesterday, after Southport had gained a 1-0 advantage in the first leg the previous weekend.

Slough, who were fortunate not to have Matthew Stowell sent off for a dreadful head-high tackle on Andy Farley, took the lead on the half hour when the home defence failed to clear a corner. Danny Bailey, having collected the ball 25 yards from goal, took a couple of paces forward and dispatched a firm low drive into the net.

After the interval, Brian Butler and his colleagues took a grip in midfield and pressed forward to support Southport's strikers with the result that after 66 minutes they forced the equaliser which took them to the twin towers.

It was a goal that Slough will be arguing about all the way home to Berkshire. Steve Morris, who had scored the only goal of the first leg, cut in from the right flank and let fly. His shot was deflected to Kevin Formby, who scrambled the ball into the net past a team-mate, Brian Ross, standing almost on the goal-line. Slough appealed in vain for an offside verdict and their goalkeeper, Paul Wilkerson, was booked while their manager, the former Arsenal player Brian McDermott, was dismissed from the dug- out.

The goal may have been contentious, but it was deserved, and Southport's player-manager, the 41-year-old Paul Futcher, can now look forward to a grand Wembley day out on 17 May.

Goals: Bailey (30) 0-1; Formby (66) 1-1.

Southport (3-5-2): Stewart; Horner, Futcher, Ryan; Thompson, Farley, Butler, Gamble, Formby; Ross, Morris. Substitutes not used: Bolland, Kielty, Bagnall (gk).

Slough Town (4-4-2): Wilkerson; Hercules, McGinnis (West, 73), Angus, Stowell; Smart, Bailey, Brazil, Bolt; Browne, Abbott (Owusu, 78). Substitutes not used: Smith.

Referee: B Coddington (Sheffield).

Bookings: Slough: Stowell, Wilkerson, Browne.

Man of the match: Butler. Attendance: 4,895.
Match videos
No Videos
Podcast
No podcasts
Photos

A packed Scarisbrick New Road End
Pictures from the match
2013/2014 TOP scorers


2013/2014 TOP appearances



Contact
A number of Profiles on this site are referenced and 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
  • The Complete Non-League History of Southport Football Club 1978 - 2008, by Trust in Yellow (Legends Publishing, 2008). ISBN 978-1-906796-01-3

Particular thanks to Geoff Wilde, Michael Braham and Rob Urwin.
If you can provide any further information or spot anything incorrect please contact me



In all statistics the club are referred to as Southport or Southport Football Club, however were known as Southport Central between June 1888 & July 1918 and Southport Vulcan between July 1918 & July 1919.

Maps and Directions

Contact Us


Legals and Disclaimer

Admin Login

News Login