2021 Inductee: Archie Waterston

When Scotsman Archibald Rutherford Waterston placed an advert in the situations wanted column of the Athletic News seeking a club, little did we know that we would be signing one of the clubs greatest goal scorers and that he would break records that very same season.

Born just along the coast from Edinburgh, Archie created a lot of interest with his goalscoring exploits for Musselbrough Bruntonians whom he helped with the Scottish Junior Cup in 1922-23. Leicester City won the race to sign him but although he did well at reserve level he could not make their League side. He resumed in Scotland with Cowdenbeath, where he scored 11 goals in 18 games. He journeyed south a second time, achieving great success with Newport County, scoring 35 times in 43 games and yielding Newport a handsome profit on his transfer to Southampton. Again he failed at the higher grade.

He rediscovered his scoring touch as Tranmere (30 games, 18 goals), yet in October 1930 he found himself without a club and advertised in the “Situations Wanted” column of the Athletic News.

Southport invited him down and the much-travelled Scot established the club League record of 31 goals in only 29 games (including 5 in the famous 8-1 thrashing of Nelson), whilst his 6 FA Cup goals helped them reach the sixth round. Huis

He later assisted Doncaster Rovers (43 games, 27 goals) and Aldershot (20 games, 4 goals) before returning to his native Musselbrough to work at his old trade of die=maker. He spent 30 years at Brunton’s Wire Mills as foreman in the tungsten die department before retiring to Tranent, where he helped his daughter and grandson in their Greengrocery business.

Sadly too ill to attend our first Former Player Reunion in 1981, he sadly passed away a few months later.

Archie will be posthumously inducted into the Southport FC Hall of Fame on 13th November 2021