FAN ZONE

Today’s FAN PROFILE is from Brian Sutton

FIRST HOME GAME EVER SEEN: Luton Town 27/12/65 Won 3-2 (Russell, Alty, Spence)att 6638. Taken by my Dad who actually supported PNE but thought this was a good place to start my football “career”. As soon as I saw the crowd packed in behind the Scarisbrick New Rd. end goal I knew I was hooked. Just think I could have been a “North Ender” (I know a few of my pals near me wish I was some weeks!) 

FIRST AWAY GAME EVER SEEN: Scunthorpe Utd 14/3/72 Lost1-0 (DunleavyO.G- 87^th Min.) att 7056.

Tuesday night away game on the official supporters “Blundells” coach, cost £1.50 Don’t ask me why it took me 6 years to get to my first away game? 

BEST GAME EVER SEEN: Liverpool v St.Etienne 16/3/77 No seriously,  Runcorn(H) F.A.Cup 2^nd Rd.6/1/68 Won 4-2 (Harkin, Redrobe,Andrews2) att 13353. A great match with some great goals and a crowd I’d never seen the like of at Haig Avenue (or am I ever likely to again!) with I’ll always remember, a huge following from Runcorn (no I’m not kidding!)  I also couldn’t leave this section without mentioning a brilliant  4-2 F.A Trophy win at Telford in the 1985/86 season when Telford were quite a force in non –league football and  we were very much the “underdogs”, from the Northern Premier League. Four classic goals from George Carr, John Coleman, Tony Quinn and Andy Mutch won it for us in grand style! Two fantastic FA Cup wins in our Conference era over Football League opposition, Mansfield Town 2-1 (A)  2^nd Rd 5/12/98, Who can forget Brian Ross’s twenty yard screamer?, and being squeezed into that side paddock of the ground which resulted in some of the best vocal support I’ve heard at an away game( and there’s been some amazing support away over the years) Notts County 4-2 (H) 1^st Rd 16/11/02 “Syd” Pickford’s brilliant chip for his second goal of the game was outstanding, and in front of the BBC TV camera’s as well ! 

WORST GAME EVER SEEN Too many to mention but Boston Utd (H) FA Cup 1^st Rd 21/11/70 Lost 2-0 springs to mind, beaten as a league side by Northern Premier League opposition- totally humiliated (a younger Jim Smith now Portsmouth FC assistant manager featured I seem to remember for Boston that day) plus Wimbledon (H) 17/4/78 Lost 5-0 in front of 1604 disgusted fans. Football League status was lost 6 weeks later. 

BEST  OCCASION(S) Sunday 5/4/98 (H) Slough Town (what ever happened to them?)FA Trophy Semi final 2^nd leg 1-1 the final whistle, Wembley had been achieved! The FA Trophy final, the day itself- what a proud day for the town of Southport. Southend Utd (H) 6/5/67  W 1-0, George Andrews (79) Running on the pitch with my Dad at the end of the game to celebrate Southport FC winning promotion for the very first time. 

WORST OCCASION- Relegation from the Conference.  

FAVOURITE EVER PLAYER: Andy Provan. An inspired signing, his 21 goals in 43 appearances in the 1972/73 season went along way to clinching the then Division 4 championship and made him my all time favourite. Other players have given far better service but he was superb in an outstanding season. 

FUNNIEST MOMENT WATCHING SFC: Bobby Noble telling Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Roger Jones which way he was going to put his penalty in a League cup Rd 1 replay (5/9/73) at Ewood Park, and duly keeping his word!(still lost 3-1 though)

Alan McDonald (what a clubman) leading the singing from a table top in the Grandstand club with a chorus of “O when the ‘port, O when the ‘port go marching in”celebrating  winning the HFS Loans League Cup at Maine Rd Manchester (16/4/91) The first major silverware at Haig Ave for years. 

BEST GOAL SEEN SCORED BY SOUTHPORT PLAYER Tony Quinn in the FA Trophy 1^st Rd at Telford (1985-86 season) W 4-2, After dummying a couple of defenders he chipped the ‘keeper from inside the penalty area. You really had to be there to believe it- pure class! 

BEST GROUND VISITED WATCHING SFC -Wembley-enough said and St James Park Newcastle, for a League Cup Rd 2 tie (Wed.10/9/75) L 6-0 in front of 23,352 ( I know you like the stats Alan) We were in the game for half an hour-honestly! Good job Malcolm Macdonald was inured that night! 

ANY ANECDOTES-I’ve thoroughly enjoyed doing the FANZONE even though it has taken me over a season to complete it! (Sorry Rob) I hope it’s brought back memories for a lot of supporters, but for all of us I hope in years time we can recall the promotion season of 2004/5 and look back with great memories again.

 Thanks Brian, better late than never!