Southport Central were formed in 1881 and played their first association football match on 12 November of that year against Bootle.[2][3] Originally a rugby union side the club switched codes after suffering a succession of heavy defeats.[3] The club became founder members of The Central League in 1911.[4] In 1918, the club was renamed as Southport Vulcan [4][5] – having been bought by the Vulcan Motor Company – becoming the first club to take a sponsor's name.[6][7] In 1919, the sponsorship from Vulcan ended thus meaning a final name change, this time to Southport. In 1921, all first teams playing in the Central League became founder members of the newly formed Football League Third Division North including Southport,[4] with the Central League becoming a league for Football League reserve teams.[8]
Seasons in Football League Lancashire Section, Northern Group Principal Competition: 1
Seasons in Football League Lancashire Section, Northern Group Principal Competition Group A: 3
Key
Division shown in bold when it changes due to promotion, relegation or league reorganisation. Top scorer shown in bold when he set or equalled a club record.
F. ^ : Following a disagreement with the Lancashire Combination, Southport joined forces with other disgruntled teams and formed The Central League.
G. ^ : Central League suspended due to outbreak of the First World War. Southport competed in the Football League Lancashire Section, Northern Group Principal Competition.
H. ^ : Leagues reorganised again. Southport competed in the Football League Lancashire Section, Northern Group Principal Competition Group A.
K. ^ : Southport became the first Third Division North club to reach the quarter-finals in 1931, losing away at Everton 9–1.
L. ^ : A new Fourth Division was created in 1958 along with a new Third Division by merging the regionalised Third Division North and Third Division South.
M. ^ : Southport were subjected to a re-election vote by other league clubs after having finished in the bottom four and were duly voted out of the football league and into the Northern Premier League.
N. ^ : With the formation of the Alliance Premier League (officially called Football Conference from 1986), the Northern Premier League dropped down one level in the English football league system and became a feeder league to the Alliance.
P. ^ : Southport's first appearance in the final of a major knockout cup competition, which was a 1–0 defeat to Cheltenham Town. It is also the first time Southport have played at Wembley.
Q. ^ : The 2001–02 edition of the Football League Trophy saw 8 Football Conference sides (Top four Northern teams and four Southern) playing in the competition. As a result of Southport being the highest placed northern team by finishing 4th in the 2000–2001 season they qualified for the competition for the 2001–02 season.
R. ^ : The 2002–03 edition of the Football League Trophy saw 12 Football Conference teams playing in the competition. Despite Southport finishing the 2001–2002 season in 15th place they qualified due to most of the teams who finished above being geographically southern.
T. ^ : Southport lost in the play-off semi-final to Stalybridge Celtic on penalties after finishing 2–2 on aggregate.
U. ^ : Farsley Celtic were removed out of the division with their results being expunged.
V. ^ : Rushden & Diamonds were expelled from the Conference National on 11 June 2011. This decision was made due to their unstable financial position, meaning they could not guarantee being able to complete all their fixtures in the 2011–12 season,[61] Southport, as the highest placed relegated team were thus reprieved.
^"History of Southport Football Club". Southport Football Club. Archived from the original on 20 June 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2013. it was on Thursday 12th November 1881 that Southport took to the field against Bootle "second" in their first match under Association Rules..
^ abBraham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. p. 16.
^"History of Southport Football Club". Southport Football Club. Archived from the original on 20 June 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013. taken over by the Vulcan Motor Company – playing as Southport Vulcan for one season, the first club to use a sponsorship label as part of their name.
^Michael Braham; Geoff Wilde (1995). The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. Palatine Books. pp. 210–11. ISBN978-1-874181-14-9.
^Michael Braham; Wilde (1995). The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F. C. Palatine Books. ISBN978-1-874181-14-9.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 212–213.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 214–215.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 216–217.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 218–219.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 220–221.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 222–223.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 224–225.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 226–227.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 228–229.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 230–231.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 232–233.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 234–235.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 236–237.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 238–239.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 240–241.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 241–242.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 244–245.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 248–249.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 250–251.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 252–253.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 253–254.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 256–257.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 258–259.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 260–261.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 262–263.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 264–265.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 266–267.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 268–269.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 270–271.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 272–273.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 274–275.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 276–274.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 278–279.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 280–281.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 282–283.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 284–285.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 286–287.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 288–289.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 290–291.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 292–293.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 294–295.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 296–297.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 298–299.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 300–301.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 302–303.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 304–305.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 306–307.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 308–309.
^Braham; Wilde. The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F.C. pp. 310–311.