{{Football club infobox |
  clubnaam   = Southport FC  |
  image      = 150px|Southport emblem |
  Volledigenaam   = Southport Football Club|
  Bijnaam    = ''The Sandgrounders'' |
  Opgericht  = 1881 |
  Stadion    = Haig Avenue |
  Capaciteit = 6,008 |
  Voorzitter = Charles Clapham |
  Trainer    = Liam Watson|
  Competitie = Conference North|
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  pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=|
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  geldig=2005/06
}}
'''Southport FC''' is een voormalig betaaldvoetbalclub uit conference. In 1998 beleefde de club één van haar hoogtepunten uit de recente geschiedenis. Voor het eerst in het bestaan van de club werd er op Wembley gespeeld. In de finale van de FA Trophy zagen ruim 10.000 supporters van Southport hun team met 1-0 verliezen van Cheltenham Town.

In 2005 was Southport de eerste club die kampioen werd in de nieuwe voetbalafdeling Conference North. Na twee seizoenen in de Conference National degradeerde de club terug.

{{Football club infobox
| clubname  = Southport
| image     = 
| fullname  = Southport Football Club
| nickname  = The Sandgrounders<br />The Seasiders<br />Yellows
| founded   = 1881 (as Southport Central)
| ground    = Haig Avenue<br />Southport
| capacity  = 6,008
| chairman  =  Charlie Clapham
| manager   = Liam Watson
| assistant = 
| league    = Conference North
| season    = 2007–08
| position  = Conference North, 4th
| pattern_la1 = | pattern_b1 = | pattern_ra1 = 
| leftarm1  = FFD700 | body1 = FFD700 | rightarm1 = FFD700 | shorts1 = FFD700 | socks1 = FFD700
| pattern_la2 = | pattern_b2 = | pattern_ra2 = 
| leftarm2 = FFFFFF | body2 = FFFFFF | rightarm2 = FFFFFF | shorts2 = FFFFF | socks2 = FFFFFF}}
'''Southport Football Club''' are an English football club, based in Southport, Lancashire.<ref>http://www.napit.co.uk/viewus/infobank/football/conference/southport.php</ref> They  are currently in the Conference North, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6008 (1,884 seated, 4,124 standing). They are known by their nickname "The Sandgrounders".

==History==
===Foundation: 1881-1921===
The club was founded in 1881, and played at the Sussex Road Sportsground & Scarisbrick New Road. At the start of the 1905/6 season, the club moved to its present home, Haig Avenue which was then known as Ash Lane. In 1911, the club became founder members of the Central League. In 1918, the club was renamed as Southport Vulcan - having been bought by the Vulcan Motor Company - becoming the first club to take a sponsor's name.

===League history: 1921-1978===
In 1921 the club joined Third Division North.  In 1931, Southport became the first club from the Third Division North to reach the sixth round (quarter-finals) of the Everton. A year later the club recorded its record attendance, when 20,010 watched them play Newcastle United in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Having finished in the bottom half of the table at the end of the 1957/8 season, the club dropped into the Fourth Division following the reorganisation of the Third Division North and Third Division South into Third and Fourth Divisions. The club's first promotion came at the end of the 1966/7 season, when they finished as runners-up in the Fourth Division behind Stockport County under the guidance of Billy Bingham, who later went on to manage the Northern Irish national team. They were relegated back to the Fourth Division in 1970, but won promotion again in 1973 when they finished as Fourth Division Champions. Relegation back to the Fourth Division followed the very next season. This heralded a period of decline as crowds dropped - on some occasions into just three figures - and the ground fell into disrepair.

Disaster struck in 1978, when the club were voted out of the Football League following three consecutive 23rd (out of 24) placed finishes, and were replaced by Wigan Athletic. The voting couldn't have been tighter, as the clubs drew on the first ballot (when many had expected Rochdale to be voted out), but Wigan's superior canvassing ensured that they won the second ballot.

===Non-league football: from 1978===
The club dropped into the Wembley, when they lost 1-0 to Cheltenham Town in the final of the FA Trophy. 10,000 Southport fans made the trip to London to see the match.

thumb|right|Southport (in yellow) vs [[Kidderminster Harriers F.C.|Kidderminster Harriers at Haig Avenue, November 22, 2005.]]
The club were relegated back to the Northern Premier League at the end of the 2002/3 season. They became founder members of the new Grays Athletic on 25th April. The manager at the time, Liam Watson, stated that this feat was more impressive than their title winning accomplishments the season before.

===Full Time: 2006-2008===
In 2006 the club changed to full time, with Liam Watson deciding in January he was moving to Burscough at the end of the season a new manager in Paul Cook was appointed. This led to a massive overhaul of the squad, with many players unwilling or unable to go full time.  This proved to be a disastrous turn of events.  Cook had to assemble a complete squad with just six of the original squad remaining. After a run of poor results, his contract was terminated on the 3 January 2007.

The first match after Cook's departure saw Dino Maamria and Steve Whitehall take over as caretaker manager team and they succeeded in leading the team to a 3-1 home win over free-falling Grays, a match which also saw Carl Baker make his 100th appearance in a Southport shirt.

The only other match which saw the Maamria-Whitehall manager team was a 2-1 defeat in the FA Trophy at the hands of Salisbury before Peter Davenport, who had previously had an unbeaten spell as caretaker-manager of the club in 2001, was named as Cook's successor two weeks later.

Davenport's new team, aided with decent signings in the transfer window, started to churn out decent results. This did not last long however, and, due to Southport's ability to concede late goals in most games, the club looked certain to drop down a league, however again doubts were cast as the club won 4 matches on the run, and with 2 matches left were only two points off safety. However these matches were against play off hopefuls York City and Exeter City. After losing to a Clayton Donaldson penalty against York, the Sandgrounders were relegated the following Tuesday, not even playing a game, after relegation rivals Grays and Halifax both won their games.

The club stayed full time, looking to bounce straight back up from the Blue Square North to the top of non-league football. 

Southport signed Neil Prince and Karl Noon from Stalybridge Celtic and Marine respectively. Peter Davenport also brought in goalkeeper Richard Whiteside, midfielder Dave Prout and right back Chris Lever after trials from Oldham. The biggest news in the transfer period for Southport fans however, was the departure of star right winger Carl Baker to Morecambe FC, for a fee believed to be £50,000.

Southport Football Club announced on Monday April 7 2008 that manager Peter Davenport and assistant Huw Griffiths left the club with immediate effect. The club placed on record their appreciation for everything they both contributed to Southport Football Club. 

Former player Gary Brabin was initially given the job until the end of the season and guided the team into the play-offs only to go out on penalties away at Stalybridge Celtic, however only 3 days later the club announced their ambitions early by appointing him full time and thus keeping their full-time playing status for another season at least. However, this appointment turned out to be only an agreement to sign a future contract, and after an approach from Cambridge United Brabin left Southport to sign as Cambridge manager on 23 June 2008.<ref></ref>

===Return of Watson - Revert to Full Time/Part Time Mix: From 2008===
On 30th of June 2008 on Southport's official website it was confirmed that Liam Watson had rejoined Southport as first team manager following his resignation from Burscough.