RIP Stewart Schofield

We have recently received news of the death of Stewart Schofield who passed away on 7th June 2023, just short of his 90th birthday. Stewart made 36 League appearances for Southport scoring nine goals in fifteen months with the club.

Alan Stewart Schofield was born in Blackburn on 24th July 1933 . After playing in the local Boys Brigade side, he left school at fifteen and joined Langho in the Accrington Combination. Whilst with the Lango club he had a trial with Accrington Stanley. After serving his National Service in the Grenadier Guards he turned out for East Lancashire Coachbuilders. They won the local Orphanage Cup, and he attracted the attention of Blackburn Rovers whom he joined as an amateur. He appeared largely in their ‘A’ team as well as making six Central League appearances.

Stewart was recommended to Southport by a Lion Brewery drayman who supplied the Bold Hotel, which was owned by Southport FC Director, Jack Clough. When Southport allowed Alan Ross to join Blackburn Rovers, they made a deal whereby Stewart came to Southport. Making his Lancashire Combination debut against Marine on 30th November 1957 he made an instant impression making his first team debut in a Lancashire Senior Cup tie against Liverpool eleven days later. The following Saturday he made his Football League debut and was invited to sign as a part-time professional after just three weeks with the club.

Stewart went on to make 26 consecutive Third Divion North appearances scoring in his third game – the third of four goals in the opening twelve minutes at Bradford on Christmas Day. What a great Xmas present that was for this eight-year-old when the football results were announced on BBC TV revealing that we had won 5-3! Stewart hit a purple patch in March 1958 with five goals in six games including a brace against Mansfield and looked set to shine in the newly formed Fourth Division at inside-forward.

Things are rarely straightforward at Haig Avenue. Southport had hoped to sign Gordon Duggins the Barnsley reserve centre-forward during the Summer. Despite coming over for an interview with Manager Trevor Hitchen, Duggins decided to join Buxton which was not far from his home. This meant that Southport started the season without an experienced centre-forward and Stewart was pitchforked into the middle for the opening game at Watford. Not surprisingly the experiment failed and when he reverted to his accustomed position, he proved unable to recover his touch. I was present at his tenth and final Fourth Division game against Watford in December 1958 when he appeared at outside-right.

Stewart also made 21 appearances for Southport Reserves in 1958-59 scoring four goals and in March 1959 was allowed to depart for Netherfield. There followed spells with Chorley and Bacup Borough. After an absence of two seasons, he re-appeared with Huncoat Colliery in the Accrington Combination.

Stewart had a newsagent/tobacconist business in Accrington town centre for many years whilst living in Wilpshire just outside Blackburn. He took up golf and became popular member of Wilpshire Golf Club. Captain in 2000, he served as a director of the club between 1999 and 2003. He was survived by his widow Pat and his three children Steven, Martin, and Joanne.

MPB