Wembley dreams fall flat but hopes rise for Southport FC
Can the club finally build a brighter future after years of disappointment
Hello and welcome to The Southport Lead.
Back in August, this newsletter focused on Southport FC as the club hosted its first league fixture under new management and new ownership. It came just months after the previous owners - the Peter Mitchell-led Big Help Project - had left the club on the precipice of disater. Unable to pay the bills, the club faced a winding up petition and genuine threat of closure.
Six months later, Haig Ave yesterday hosted its biggest crowd in half a century as the Sandgrounder found themselves in an FA Trophy semi-final and potentially just 90 minutes away from a trip to Wembley.
A 3-1 defeat ended an unlikely cup run which has been filled with upsets and and the task for the club is how to use this renewed interest and hope to build a more positive future as part of the community.
Southport briefing
⛱️ The main phase of long-running works at Formby’s National Trust is now complete. The Victoria Road car park to the beach and pinewoods has been closed for around a year to allow for a major project which has involved removing dangerous rubble and restoring rare sand dune habitats. Laura Michelangeli, Community, Participation & Volunteering Manager at the National Trust, said: “With around 80,000 tonnes of rubble removed, we’ll soon see the dunes starting to move naturally again, creating a healthier habitat for wildlife, a more resilient sea defence and a safer, more natural space for people to enjoy. Most of the rubble has been reused to create a more sustainable car park further inland, safely positioned away from the area where the dunes will continue to naturally roll back over time.” Bosses hope the changes will also ease congestion issues at peak times but concede capacity problems will continue. Other changes include the installation of new digital entrance parking capacity signs which will be regularly updated with a full or spaces message, marked parking bays on an improved car park surface, and a better layout with a proper turning circle to help traffic flow more efficiently on and off site.
❌ A scrap metal dealer from Southport has been named and shamed in the government’s latest list of deliberate tax defaulters. Dean James Reece, formerly of Leyland Road, was hit with a penalty of almost £57,000 after failing to pay a £97,000 tax bill. The 49-year-old was among around 140 companies and individuals publicly named by HMRC for deliberate not paying taxes. Kevin Hubbard, HMRC’s Director of Individuals and Small Business Compliance, said: “We are actively tackling tax non-compliance among high street businesses across the UK, and today’s namings show we will act wherever we find it. Everyone on this list had the opportunity to come forward to make a full disclosure – and didn’t. HMRC will always pursue those who deliberately refuse to pay what they owe.”
🏠 Dozens of homes could soon be built on Ainsdale farmland. North Liverpool-based developer Oakwook Homes has applied for planning permission to build a new development of 72 homes on land off New Cut Lane, near its junction with Guildford Road. The site is located just beyond the border of Sefton and West Lancashire and it is the latter’s council which will determine the application. Oakwood’s plans include eight properties which will classes as ‘affordable’ including five one-bedroom homes, while almost half of the proposed homes will be four-bedroom houses.
Wembley dreams fall flat but hopes rise for Southport FC
By Jamie Lopez
A non-league record crowd saw Southport FC fall short of a dream Wembley final but hopes now turn to finally seeing a brighter future for the club.
At half-time, the Sandgrounders were 1-0 up and theoretically just 45 minutes away from a dream day out which would have seen a return to the national team stadium for the first time since 1998.
Two goals in quick succession early in the second saw full-time visitors Southend United take the lead against their part-time host and quality and fitness showed as Southport were unable to force a way back into the tie.
A third goal, finished with class by Charley Kendall, dampened hopes of a comeback and aside from one snatched Danny Lloyd chance, Southport were unable to create any more big opportunities against a side who play one division above and are chasing promotion to the Football League. Southport goalkeeper Chris Renshaw would be sent off in the dying moments for a professional foul committed after he was left in danger by a weak Jordan Slew backpass.
The Yellows went into the match as underdogs and while the drama of a late equaliser and penalty shootout win in the quarter finals had raised belief, there had always been a belief that reaching this stage had been an achievement in itself. More than that, though, the achievement and the target has been reconnecting the club with a disillusioned fanbase and disconnected town.
To give some perspective of the club’s underperformance, narrowly avoiding relegation in recent years still involved its lowest ever positions in the football pyramid. Meanwhile, Southport have failed to finish in the top half of any league since 2012 while a succession of owners have been unable to achieve any tangible success.
Matter hit a nadir last summer when a club with more than 125 years of history sat on the precipice of closure, unable to pay its bills and with owners desperate to end their responsibilities in the face of personal bankruptcy and investigations into their non-footballing responsibilities.
As reported by The Southport Lead after the first home game of the season, David Cunningham and Kieran Malone were effectively handed control of the club and with it huge debts, little infrastructure, and the added complication of the previous owners being investigated by The Charity Commission.
In the weeks and months that followed, a manager was appointed - but only confirmed once that investigation allowed - and a squad of young players and little experience assembled. Despite the green shoots seen in that first home win, more struggles followed.
