Eric Davies moved to Southport at the age of 11 and initially played as an outside-right in the schoolboys’ team. A product of Southport Trinity, he became a stalwart of the Lancashire Combination, mainly as a defensive half-back. After just one League appearance almost three years earlier, Davies was unexpectedly chosen as centre-forward for Southport’s third-round F.A. Cup tie against Leeds in January 1965.With injuries to Stan Hepton and Sammy Taylor, Southport was forced to field Davies in a position unfamiliar to him. Despite being out of his element, he closely marked Jack Charlton to prevent him from scoring from set pieces. Unfortunately, Davies suffered an injury while playing for Southport Reserves in March 1965 and could not regain a regular place afterward.He played for several District League teams and was also an accomplished cricketer with Standish and Fleetwood Hesketh. Employed as an area manager for a national plastic products company, Davies was tragically killed in a car accident on the A66.

Profile reproduced with Permission from:
The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F. C., by Michael Braham and Geoff Wilde (Palatine Books, 1995). ISBN 978-1-874181-14-9