After several abortive attempts, the club was floated in the summer of 1912 as a Limited Company called ‘The Southport Central Football Club 1912 Limited -with a share capital of 2000 Ordinary ten shilling shares. The original directors were George R Cranshaw, George H. Collinge, James Hamer, Harry Rimmer, John Walmsley and Joseph Winterbottom.
Although it was stipulated that any shareholder with more than fifty shares would be entitled to free season tickets the organisation did not create much interest among the general public; indeed, only twenty-three subscribers (beyond the eleven guarantors) took out shares. With the team also struggling, the directors offered each player a free transfer or a cut in wages. Former Welsh international Moses Russell joined Merthyr, Fred Pagnam later to become a prolific goal-scorer with Liverpool, Arsenal and Watford – went to Blackpool and Charles Pinch was signed by Preston North End. And all that after the season had begun well with five consecutive victories.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Manchester United
|
38
|
22
|
11
|
5
|
79
|
30
|
55
|
| 2 |
Bradford City
|
38
|
22
|
6
|
10
|
96
|
50
|
50
|
| 3 |
Burnley
|
38
|
22
|
4
|
12
|
87
|
47
|
48
|
| 4 |
Burslam Port Vale
|
38
|
19
|
7
|
12
|
55
|
38
|
45
|
| 5 |
Stalybridge
|
38
|
16
|
13
|
9
|
65
|
48
|
45
|
| 6 |
Oldham Athletic
|
38
|
18
|
9
|
11
|
58
|
50
|
45
|
| 7 |
Rochdale
|
38
|
17
|
10
|
11
|
67
|
71
|
44
|
| 8 |
Barnsley
|
38
|
19
|
6
|
13
|
57
|
49
|
44
|
| 9 |
Liverpool
|
38
|
18
|
7
|
13
|
55
|
47
|
43
|
| 10 |
Everton
|
38
|
18
|
5
|
15
|
79
|
68
|
41
|
| 11 |
Blackburn Rovers
|
38
|
15
|
10
|
14
|
70
|
61
|
40
|
| 12 |
Manchester City
|
38
|
12
|
12
|
13
|
46
|
54
|
36
|
| 13 |
Crewe Alexandra
|
38
|
13
|
5
|
20
|
65
|
68
|
31
|
| 14 |
Bolton Wanderers
|
38
|
9
|
13
|
16
|
43
|
50
|
31
|
| 15 |
Southport Central
|
38
|
12
|
6
|
20
|
44
|
76
|
30
|
| 16 |
Blackpool
|
38
|
8
|
12
|
17
|
40
|
63
|
30
|
| 17 |
Stockport County
|
38
|
11
|
7
|
20
|
22
|
76
|
29
|
| 18 |
Preston North End
|
38
|
9
|
8
|
21
|
47
|
77
|
26
|
| 19 |
Bury
|
38
|
8
|
8
|
22
|
46
|
94
|
24
|
| 20 |
Glossop
|
38
|
7
|
9
|
22
|
40
|
88
|
23
|
Any idea when Moses Russell left Southport Central? He played for Merthyr v Reading FC on 22/03/1913, then 11/10/1913 and 14/02/1914.
We understand that it was in February 1913 that he left for Merthyr having taken the offer of a free transfer rather than a cut in wages.