On This Day: April 25th

Archie Waterston’s solitary goal on this day in 1931 may have given the Sandgrounders all the points when they faced Hull City at Haig Avenue, but there was much more significance than that. It wasn’t that the goal was enough to keep Southport above their opponents in the League table, or that it brought to a halt a run of five successive victories for the visitors, it was that the goal was Waterston’s 31st League goal of the season. It became a record that was to stand for over 70 years, before eventually being overtaken by Terry Tearns’ 33 in 2005.

SOUTHPORT 1 – 0 HULL CITY

Stadium: Haig Avenue
Competition: League
Date: 25/04/1931
Attendance: 2846

Southport Line-Up: Billy Baker, Jack Little, Paddy McConnell, Jimmy Cowen, Tommy Holmes, Jack Seagrave, Ernie Vincent, Archie Waterston, Joe Roberts, Ralph Hills, Ted Robinson,
Goals: Archie Waterston

Had it not been for the fine goalkeeping of Hull’s Gibson, Waterston would undoubtedly have added to his total and perhaps the record would still be standing today. The Lancashire Evening Post commented on his performance, “Waterston’s leadership was constructive and full of vitality. What a personality he has become in Southport football. He continues his goalscoring ways with machine-like consistency”