1925/26 Season Summary

After making a determined bid for promotion the previous season 1925-26 was a disaster, and the club only just avoided having to apply for re-election. The sudden deterioration is difficult to understand since essentially the same players were available. Injuries and the loss of form of key players were contributory factors while the team undoubtedly missed the influence of Frank Jefferis, who had returned to Preston as trainer. His generalship and experience had counted for much in holding the side together.

Of the newcomers only Elias MacDonald, a dashing outside-left, and George Sapsford, from Manchester United—at £250 a record signing-made much impression.
Mention should also be made of Johnny Ball, a Banks lad, who played a few games at centre-forward scoring a hat-trick against Wigan Borough, and later made good
with Sheffield Wednesday.

Billy Little, for so long tenacious and powerful in the tackle, fell away. Even “Salty” Halsall suffered a complete loss of form which resulted in him losing his place in the
side. The goalkeeping spat had been Hallsall’s virtually without a break since the early weeks of the 1921-22 season. The defence, for so long the side’s strength, crumbled and within the space of one week in April the ‘Port lost 5-0 at Hartlepools, 6-1 at Bradford PA. and 7-1 at home to Rochdale. This latter is still the club’s biggest home defeat. In addition they lost 9-0 against Manchester United in the Lancashire Senior Cup.

The support dwindled-gate receipts fell from almost £7,000 in 1925 to £5,683—and a staggering £2,159 8s. 8d. was lost on the year.

In April, Edwin Clayton resigned as secretary, a position he had held continuously since 1908, and he was appointed a Director. The services of trainer Jimmy Fraser and groundsman Thompson were dispensed with for economic reasons. Fraser had been appointed Groundsman-Trainer by Harry Rimmer, chairman of the Central Club, in 1911, and had become Head Trainer in 1921.

In the F.A. Cup the club reached the third round for the first time since 1922 before losing 5-2 at Southend. On the run of play the score was a travesty of justice and the game was marred by some bad refereeing decisions. Southport were represented as follows: Halsall; Tyler, Mulligan; Sinclair, Little, Bimson; Aitkin, Sambrook. Oxley, Sapsford and MacDonald.

At the end of the season the staff was severely pruned and, of the more notable departures Billy Little was signed by Lancaster Town, Jack Barber by Halifax Town, and Fergus Aitkin by Bradford Park Avenue. Most surprisingly of all, Elias MacDonald, although an ever-present, was not retained, and joined Barrow.

Edgar Raynor, a well-known fishmonger and poultry dealer and prominent Methodist layman in the district, was co-opted to the board. He ‘had previously been chairman of the Southport and  District Football League Executive, and was to serve as a Director for 32 years-26 of them as Chairman.

Season Summary reproduced with Permission from:
The Sandgrounder (Southport FC Matchday Programme) Article Series. Southport through the seasons. The League History of Southport FC, Compiled by Michael p. Braham and Geoffrey S. Wilde

Third Division North
				Home					Away
Ptn		Third Division North	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	W	D	L	F	A	G Ave	Pts	FA Cup
1	11	Grimsby Town	42	20	1	0	61	8	6	8	7	30	32	2.28	61	Rd 3
2	3	Bradford	42	18	2	1	65	10	8	6	7	36	33	2.35	60	Rd 2
3	3	Rochdale	42	16	1	4	55	25	11	4	6	49	33	1.79	59	Rd 2
4	3	Chesterfield	42	18	2	1	70	19	7	3	11	30	35	1.85	55	Rd 3
5	4	Halifax Town	42	12	5	4	34	19	5	6	10	19	31	1.06	45	Rd 1
6	14	Hartlepools United	42	15	5	1	59	23	3	3	15	23	50	1.12	44	Rd 1
7	14	Tranmere Rovers	42	15	2	4	45	27	4	4	13	28	56	0.88	44	Rd 1
8	-6	Nelson	42	12	8	1	67	29	4	3	14	22	42	1.25	43	Rd 1
9	1	Ashington	42	11	6	4	44	23	5	5	11	26	39	1.13	43	Rd 1
10	8	Doncaster Rovers	42	11	7	3	52	25	5	4	12	28	47	1.11	43	Rd 2
11	4	Crewe Alexandra	42	14	3	4	43	23	3	6	12	20	38	1.03	43	Rd 2
12	-9	New Brighton	42	13	4	4	51	29	4	4	13	18	38	1.03	42	Rd 4
13	0	Durham City	42	14	5	2	45	19	4	1	16	18	51	0.90	42	Rd 2
14	1	Rotherham United	42	13	3	5	44	28	4	4	13	25	64	0.75	41	Rd 3
15	-7	Lincoln City	42	14	2	5	42	28	3	3	15	24	54	0.80	39	Rd 1
16	D 2	Coventry City	42	13	6	2	47	19	3	0	18	26	63	0.89	38	Rd 1
17	-6	Wigan Borough	42	12	5	4	53	22	1	6	14	15	52	0.92	37	Rd 3
18	-1	Accrington Stanley	42	14	0	7	49	34	3	3	15	32	71	0.77	37	Rd 3
19	-3	Wrexham	42	9	6	6	39	31	2	4	15	24	61	0.68	32	Rd 1
20	-16	Southport	42	9	6	6	37	34	2	4	15	25	58	0.67	32	Rd 3
21	-2	Walsall	42	9	4	8	40	34	1	2	18	18	73	0.54	26	Rd 1
22	-8	Barrow	42	4	2	15	28	49	3	2	16	22	49	0.51	18	Rd 1
Notes
Walsall and Barrow re-elected to league.
Coventry City transferred to Third Division South for following season.
Failed election to the Third Division North
Blyth Spartans, Carlisle United and Mansfield Town.

1925-1926 Lancashire Combination
  1. NELSON RESERVES                 38  27   5   6 123  51  59
  2. MORECAMBE                       38  21  10   7 103  58  52
  3. ROSSENDALE UNITED               38  23   4  11 119  89  50
  4. FLEETWOOD                       38  19   7  12  87  69  45
  5. BACUP BOROUGH                   38  20   3  15  71  82  43
  6. DICK KERR’S                     38  18   6  14 100  70  42
  7. HORWICH RMI                     38  19   3  16  87  84  41
  8. LANCASTER TOWN                  38  17   6  15 107  81  40
  9. DARWEN                          38  18   4  16  93  75  40
 10. ATHERTON                        38  17   5  16  85  79  39
 11. CHORLEY                         38  16   7  15 103 101  39
 12. SOUTPORT RESERVES               38  16   5  17  82  75  37
 13. HINDLEY GREEN ATHLETIC          38  16   5  17  92 101  37
 14. BARNOLDSWICK TOWN               38  15   5  18  90 112  35
 15. ACCRINGTON STANLEY RESERVES     38  14   5  19  83 106  33
 16. COLNE TOWN                      38  14   4  20  77 101  32
 17. PRESTON NORTH END ‘A’           38  12   6  20  73  94  30
 18. WIGAN BOROUGH RESERVES          38  11   7  20  74 102  29
 19. CLITHEROE                       38   9   7  22  76 103  25
 20. GREAT HARWOOD                   38   5   2  31  50 142  12