We’ve met before – Gloucester City

On the opening day of the 2021-22 season Southport entertain much fancied Gloucester City at Haig Avenue. the Sandgrounders and the Tigers have met 6 times before and Southport have the edge with 3 wins and 2 draws to just 1 defeat.

Although scheduled to meet last season the cessation and subsequent cancellation of the League campaign meant that they never did, and in fact the last time the two sides were to meet was in January 2020 at Evesham United’s Jubilee Stadium, Gloucester’s temporary home since flooding in 2007 had all but destroyed their home of Meadow Park. The Sandgrounders came away with a 1-0 victory on the day, a repeat of the reverse fixture at Haig Avenue at the start of December 2019.

Not many players are known to have played for both clubs, only Robbie Cundy and Alex Whittle are known to us.

The first meeting of the two sides came in the FA Trophy in 2003, and whilst the results have favoured Southport over the years it is perhaps the only defeat which is most memorable. 835 people witness the Sandgrounders crash out of the competition 1-3 with the Port’s only goal coming from Peter Thomson.

Southport Line-Up: Steve Dickinson, Andy Scott, Martin Clark, Neil Moore, Ian Nolan, Dean Howell, Liam McGuire, Neil Gibson, Steve Jones, Peter Thomson, Paul Wheatcroft,  
Subs: Kevin Welsby (GK), Tom Spearitt, Steve Whitehall (Neil Gibson), Robert Pell (Paul Wheatcroft), Steve Soley (Martin Clark),
Goals: Peter Thomson