South Liverpool F.C.

History

The first South Liverpool FC is believed to have been founded in the late-1890s when a club called African Royal (or Africa Royal) changed its name, under the influence of W.J. Sawyer, and relocated to Dingle. That club moved and became New Brighton A.F.C. in 1921. A second South Liverpool FC was formed in 1935, playing at Holly Park, Garston, with no connection to the earlier club other than the name. This second club joined the Lancashire Combination and won it three consecutive times, in 1937, 1938 and 1939.

During the 1930s, South Liverpool applied regularly for election to the Football League, seeking to become another leading club in the Liverpool area. In 1939, after winning four trophies, the club received only 5 votes at the Football League AGM, far behind the re-elected Accrington Stanley (29) and Hartlepools (38); Wigan Athletic received zero. South Liverpool applied to join the Football League on ten occasions, always without success. The club won the Welsh Cup at its first attempt in 1939, defeating Cardiff City 2–1 in the final.

After World War II began, the club joined the Western Section of the Cheshire County League, playing one season before the war halted play. After the war, the club remained in the Cheshire County League until 1951, when they rejoined the Lancashire Combination, going into the Second Division. In September 1949, Holly Park hosted the first match in the UK to be played under 'permanent' floodlights, a friendly against a Nigerian XI, covered for BBC Overseas Service by Kenneth Wolstenholme; the final score was 2–2, with an official attendance of 13,007.

After a season in the second division, South Liverpool were promoted to the first division at the first attempt, but were relegated back in 1960 after finishing bottom. They gained promotion in 1962 and won the Lancashire Combination first division championship in 1966. The club reached the FA Cup first round eight times and the second round twice, achieving a 'giant-killing' feat by defeating Halifax Town in 1964–65. In 1967, the 40-year-old Hungarian-born football legend Ferenc Puskás guested for the club in a fundraising friendly at Holly Park, attracting a sell-out crowd of 10,000; his side faced one led by Billy Liddell, who had John Charles in his team, while Malcolm Allison, Billy Bingham, and Dave Hickson also featured.

South Liverpool were invited to join the newly formed Northern Premier League in 1968. Notable players during the club's first ten years in the NPL were Jimmy Case and later John Aldridge, who both went on to achieve fame with Liverpool, Joe Hinnigan who became a stalwart at Sunderland, and Peter Houghton who moved on to Wigan Athletic and Preston North End. Before the 1987–88 season, South Liverpool became the first non-league team to offer a Youth Training Scheme to players.

At the end of the 1987–88 season, the reserve team and youth team were scrapped due to financial reasons, and the profitable clubhouse was burnt down. The club remained in the NPL until financial problems forced the limited company, South Liverpool Athletic & Association Football Club Co. Ltd., to fold after the 1990–91 season. A committee formed in the summer of 1991 and took over the name 'South Liverpool A.F.C.' The club committee carried on the club from the defunct limited company in 1991–92 with only a junior team operating in the West Derby Junior league.

For 1992–93, the senior side merged with local side Cheshire Lines, playing as Cheshire Lines South Liverpool in the Second Division of the Liverpool County Combination, gaining promotion in their first season. After a successful first season in the First Division, the clubs split. Back under its own sole name, South Liverpool joined the Second Division of the Liverpool County Combination in 1995 and gained promotion at the first attempt. The club remained in the County Combination until the end of the 2005–06 season, winning the Liverpool Junior Cup in 1997 and the George Mahon league Cup in 2002.

In the summer of 2006, the County Combination merged with the I Zingari League to create the Liverpool County Premier League. In 2006, the site of Holly Park was redeveloped and opened as Liverpool South Parkway railway station. During their time in amateur football, the goalscoring record of Jack Roscoe (1935–39) was beaten by Keith Jones, scoring 236 goals (1992–2006), and keeper Stephen Ward with 143 clean sheets (1995–2016) eclipsed South legend Peter Eales' 74 (1966–1989).

South also had a reserve team in the I Zingari Combination, winning the third division in 2005 and the second division title in 2006. In 2007–08, South's youth team (under 18s) played in the West Cheshire League, finishing 2nd in their first season and 3rd in 2008–09, and winning the West Cheshire Youth Plate. In 2009–10, South's youth team finished first in the West Cheshire League under captain Ellis Jones. South won the George Mahon Cup at Goodison Park in 2009 and in 2011 beat Waterloo Dock to lift the I Zingari Cup.