On This Day – 7th October

On 7th October, Southport entertained Liverpool Ramblers in their first ever F.A. Cup tie, or English Challenge Cup, as the competition was referred to for many years. Ramblers were taken to change at the Shakespeare Hotel before making the short walk to the Sports Ground at Sussex Road, home of the Athletic Society, where the tie took place.

SOUTHPORT 1 – 1 LIVERPOOL RAMBLERS

Competition: FA Cup / 1
Date: 07/10/1882
Attendance: 300-500

Southport Line-Up: Benjamin Pidduck, Ralph Rylance, Edwin Ramsbottom, JL Briggs, T Colman, ES Calvert, Arthur Dalby, Alfred Dalby, C Ambler, Thomas Burnett, William Platt
Goals: C Ambler

This game was watched by a good few hundred spectators including many women supporters and resulted in a 1-1 draw, Ambler scoring for Southport following a neat pass from Arthur Dalby.

It’s easy for us with the benefit of hindsight to spot the mistakes in the published line-up. There is no such player as K. Rieland, that is a mis transcription of Ralph Rylance, P. Pedcock is Benjamin Pidduck, and Barnett is Thomas Blundell Burnett. Hambler, was Ambler and Daulby is Dalby. Other than that, spot on!

As for who Sydney and Rathbone are…..your guess is as good as mine!

In their first competitive fixture Southport could perhaps have considered themselves unfortunate. Ramblers had made a tactical switch by moving Percy Bateson into the forward line at half time and Louis Hornby, who replaced him between the posts, gave an outstanding display to keep his side in the tie.

When it came, the equaliser for Ramblers must have caught the eye of the Southport committee. Harold Baxter, picking up the ball deep in his own half, went on brilliant solo run. He ran the full length of the field before, with a well-directed shot he levelled proceedings.

Within a month he was pulling on a Southport jersey.

Players Born On This Day

Players Who Died On This Day

Transfers on this Day