Ancestral Clubs

The Results Archive covers every game played by the Sandgrounders since their formation as Southport Central in 1888, including match-by-match line-ups and goalscorers.

Prior to 1888 Southport had a number of amateur clubs, both association and rugby. Rugby had been played in Southport by a team known as Southport Football Club since 1872 (see 1872 – 1881 – The Rugby Years).

Re-formed in 1881, Southport Football Club initially arranged rugby fixtures for the 1881/82 season . After only three games however, the club switched to association football. The original association club was one of a number of amateur outfits that sprang up within the town in the first half of the 1880s as the popularity of the association game overtook rugby.

The full story of these early ancestors to today’s football club can be found in ‘The Town’s Game: The Origins of Rugby and Association Football in Southport (1872-1889)’

---

Southport Crescent

Southport Crescent merged with Southport Wanderers at the start of the 1885/86 season. For a number of years they had operated as an independent club.

Formed 1882
Club Records

1882/83
1883/84
1884/85
1885/86

Christ Church / Southport Recreation

Club Records

In 1887 Southport Recreation amalgamated with Southport Football Club. For a number of years they had operated as an independent club. Originally founded as Christ Church, in the summer of 1886 they changed their name to Southport Recreation. They often competed against Southport Football Club, Southport Wanderers, and Southport Old Boys.

1883/84
1884/85
1885/86
1886/87

---

The full story of these early ancestors to today’s football club can be found in ‘The Town’s Game: The Origins of Rugby and Association Football in Southport (1872-1889)’

Towards the end of the decade concerted efforts were made to form a new professional football club to better represent the town. Read more about the formation of Southport Central: Southport Central 1888-1918