Southport’s First Association Football Match: A Historic Step

On 12th November 1881, Southport witnessed a pivotal moment in its sporting history. The town’s first association football club took to the field for the very first time, playing against Bootle’s second team on the Scarisbrick New Road ground. This match marked Southport’s official switch from rugby to association football—a game that was only just beginning to gain popularity over rugby in England.

In the early 1880s, Southport was a thriving Victorian seaside town. Known for its elegant charm and leisure appeal, it attracted visitors from surrounding industrial cities. During the summer, cricket and rowing were favourite pastimes of the town’s upper-middle-class residents, but the colder months called for winter sports. Rugby was the dominant winter sport in Southport by this time, however, changes were afoot. Across the country, football was evolving into a faster, less brutal game than rugby, and its appeal was spreading.

Thomas Blundell Burnett, a notable figure in the town’s sporting circles, played a crucial role in championing this shift. Recognising the growing appeal of association football, Burnett organised a team of rugby players willing to adapt to this “new” form of the game. Burnett’s influence was instrumental, especially as other clubs in the North West had already embraced association football. This enthusiasm led to the formation of Southport’s first association football club.

The match itself was played on a wet field, which made for challenging conditions, particularly as the Southport players were new to football’s rules and pace. Despite these initial difficulties, they adapted admirably. Bootle took an early lead within the first three minutes with a goal, taking advantage of Southport’s inexperience. But as the game wore on, Southport found its footing. After the half-time switch, with the wind now in their favour, they equalised through a goal by Jackson, set up by some quick work from Melross. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, a respectable outcome for Southport’s first venture into the association football world. Reflecting on the match, the Southport Visiter humorously noted that the players would improve “when they get over the difficulty of hands off and forget the rugby rules.”

Although the club’s early enthusiasm for association football was promising, it faced challenges. Financial issues, combined with organisational difficulties, eventually led to the club’s demise. But the significance of that first game cannot be understated. It introduced Southport to a game that would ultimately shape the town’s sporting future. Even though this initial association club dissolved, it laid the groundwork for the growth of football in Southport.

The second edition of The Town’s Game, now available on Amazon, offers a rich, detailed narrative of this foundational period in Southport’s sporting history. With new chapters that explore the legacy of players like Edwin Ramsbottom and the town’s first Heritage numbers, this expanded edition delves deeply into the forces that shaped both rugby and football in Southport. The book is a tribute to the pioneering spirit of those early players who paved the way for football to become the cherished game it is in Southport today.