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Sandy
the Lion
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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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| 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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