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Sandy the Lion |
| Southport FC mascot, Sandy the Lion, gives the site his views on the club and the game. Regular updates throughout the season. |
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Welcome to Sandy's page
for please email Sandy at |
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Return to www.southportsports.com |
| 11th November 2001 | Warning from the Chairman |
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Chairman Charlie Clapham gave a strict warning to Southport fans in last weeks programme, as a response to the abuse that he and other members of Southport Football Club suffered during the FA Cup tie at Rossett Park, against Crosby side Marine. Clapham stated in his programme notes that any foul or abusive language thrown at staff would not be tolerated, and would lead to eviction from the ground. The message was also repeated over the PA system at the replay the Tuesday after. However, many fans seem to have misinterpreted the Chairman’s message. Some fans have commented on how they believe that that is no way to run a football club. People go to watch football - singing, chanting and booing is all part of the occasion. Some may even start to think that… Why are we allowed to throw abuse at the referee and the opposition, but not our own staff? Why make others feel unwelcome just because they are not our players? Isn’t that favouritism?” However, that is taking Charlie’s comments to the extreme. Let me explain… At the next football ground you visit, read the Safety Notices dotted around each ground. We have many of them, with at least 10 bright yellow posters outside the ground – plus more inside. On every notice, you will find one point stating something like… “The use of foul or abusive language without good cause or reason will lead to instant eviction from the ground” So this isn’t just Charlie’s idea of running his football club, this is the norm in British football. Let me ask you all, how many of you shouted some form of abuse at somebody at the Yeovil game on Friday? I’m sure somebody did, and I am certain nobody was evicted on Friday. The points Charlie made in his programme notes have always existed, he is merely highlighted the fact that those rules DO exist, and rules are there to be respected and followed, certainly not broken. As Charlie says, this is
a family club. Why would anybody want to take their children to a building
where they learn nothing but bad language? If the club has a sparkling
reputation of being a good means of entertainment within a pleasant
environment, then our attendances will rise. |
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| 6th August 2001 | In and Outs |
| Hello, and welcome
to Sandy's Corner, exclusive to Southport.gb.com. As you may well know, I
am Sandy the Lion - Southport's Official Club Mascot and I will be with
you every Monday (hopefully) of next season with news and my views on
Southport Football Club, and exactly what is going on. However, during
pre-season the updates to Sandy's Corner will be irregular to say the
least. This is the first Sandy's Corner since the departure of manager Mark Wright to Oxford. Since then, the highly rated defensive duo of Phil Bolland and Scott Guyett has joined Wright, along with managerial partner Ted McMinn. Rumours of Mr Wright being Mr Wrong (sorry) in the eyes of Chairman Charlie Clapham was the apparent cause of the departure. Unfortunately, some fans took Wright's side and their message was heard from the Jack Carr Stand - known to most fans as the famous Scarisbrick New Road End, home of the Haig Avenue atmosphere, created by the Brick End Boys. Leaving the club this spring has been Dave Linighan, Mike Marsh, Dino Maamria, Ian Arnold, Lee Furlong, Mark Stuart and Andy Gouck, along with the four that joined Oxford United. Mike Marsh, after retirement from football, has signed for Boston United for a fee reportedly around £15,000 that should help recoup some of the mass amounts of money the club lost in the past two years. The club could only afford to pay the extremely high wage bill for another year before serious money problems would hit the Conference club. However, the wages have now been cut after the mass clearout. Dino Maamria has since joined Leigh RMI, scoring recently in a friendly win against Wigan Athletic. Dino bagged his goal from 12 yards, something he never had the chance to do at Haig Avenue. He also had a goal disallowed in a surprising 3-2 victory. Dino slammed the club in the Non League Paper recently when he claimed that he left the club because Charlie Clapham lacked ambition. However, the Chairman set things straight the next week in the Visiter, telling us we had no wish to negotiate with Dino, and he was released by the club and had not left by his own will. Dave Linighan went on trial at Morecambe during early pre-season. Making a more permanent move to Christie Park was striker Ian Arnold and club captain Andy Gouck. They have both shined brightly during Morecambe's impressive pre-season of five victories in six games, against crisis-club Carlisle Utd and Premiership Blackburn Rovers to name but a few. Lee Furlong has joined our friendly neighbours Burscough. He played in our Nat-west Liverpool Senior Cup against us - apparently spitting at one of our fans. We lost the game 1-0. Furlong scored the winner in the Unibond's side 1-0 victory against Third Division Shrewsbury Town, a game arranged as part of a deal that took ex-Southport Reserve striker Ryan Lowe from Burscough to Shrewsbury. Lowe hit scoring form towards the end of last season after leaving Burscough with over 30 goals to his name. The most hated man in Southport has replaced Phil Wilson in charge of newcomers Stalybridge Celtic. Paul F*tch*r has since signed ex-Southport Reserve Gerard Courtney, and Mark Stuart. However, F*tch*r's ability to keep players happy again showed it's complacency as the dead-ball specialist left just two weeks after signing to join Yorkshire side Guiseley. The Unibond Division One team has helped us considerably, selling Lee Elam, Simon Parke and Steve Dickinson to us. My hero Neil Grayston also put on a Guiseley shirt in the season 1998/99 before joining Bradford Park Avenue. F*tch*r's assistant at Haig Avenue, Paul "Sideways" Lodge has followed his fellow Paul into Stalybridge. Lodge recently answered, when asked where Southport would finish "I bet anybody £5 we finish above them" I'm up for that one Paul! Many players have graced the turf of Haig Avenue in a yellow shirt this pre-season. Many of which were wearing green and white last year. These are Tony Sullivan - a young winger, Gary Bauress (player/coach), Steve Jones and Ian Cooke. However, Cooke unfortunately suffered a recurring injury, and terminated his own contract in a generous gesture to his new club. He is expected to sign a new contract during the end of this year. Other signings are John Robertson off Northwich Victoria, and Barry Jones from York City. At York he received Player of the Year two seasons running in his last three years at York. Jonah made hundreds of appearances during a long career in the Football League. Joining them at Haig Avenue is Kevin Leadbetter, the hottest young striker in the North West. The sharp and snappy Kevin Phillips look-a-like has the calibre to be a replica of the international striker too. Just like the Sunderland and England striker, Kevin is starting low and making his way up. His future is bright, and from what we have seen in pre-season, the next season doesn't look at all dull. Thanks for reading,  |
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