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LIVERPOOL’S FIRST FLOODLIT FOOTBALL MATCH

June 3, 2013 By Steven Horton

Nowadays it is Liverpool South Parkway station, a major bus and rail interchange for the south of the city and connection to the airport but up until 1990 the site was Holly Park, home of South Liverpool FC and venue for the first match to be played under floodlights in Liverpool, back in 1949.

The first South Liverpool club were formed in the 1890s and played at Dingle before relHollyParkSouthLiverpool by jamesieocating to New Brighton and changing their name in 1921. A new incarnation was formed in 1935 and played at Holly Park, making an immediate impact by winning the Lancashire Combination three years running from 1937 to 1939. In the year they won the third title, they also won the Welsh Cup and Lancashire Trophy but failed to win election to the Football League, gaining just five votes.

After World War II South switched to the Cheshire County League but didnt have quite the same level of success. However they were still the first club in the Merseyside area to install floodlights, eight years  before Liverpool and Everton.

The floodlight switch on occurred on 28th September 1949, when a ground record crowd of 13,007 turned out to see South take on a touring Nigerian XI. The lights were turned on by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Alderman J. J. Cleary and the following day’s Daily Post described that ‘except for patches of darkness in the centre of the field the lighting proved a success.’

The Nigerian XI, who had beaten fellow Merseyside non league side Marine 5-2 at the start of their tour a month earlier, took the lead within 30 seconds and led 2-0 at half time. However South fought back after the break and two goals from Jesse McLarty earned them a 2-2 draw.

Another sell out crowd of 10,000 was at Holly Park in 1967 when a charity match saw a guest appearance by Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskas. The following year South were founded members of the Northern Premier League and in the 1970s future Liverpool FC stars Jimmy Case and John Aldridge began their careers with the club.

By the 1980s though South were struggling financially and although they won three trophies in 1983-84, including the Liverpool Senior Cup in which they beat Liverpool in the final, gates averaged only around 150. Their stand and clubhouse,Liverpool South Parkwaya  valuable source of revenue, was also repeatedly vandalised. In 1990 they left Holly Park and played at Bootle for one year, before folding in 1991.

Committee members were determined to keep the club name going and after a year   playing in a junior league merged with Cheshire Lines for 1992-93 to be able to play in the Liverpool County Combination. They now play in the West Cheshire League, their home games taking place at Jericho Lane in Otterspool.

The old Holly Park ground remained derelict for a number of years, before work began in 2004 to convert it to a major bus and rail interchange, merging the adjacent Allerton station with that of nearby Garston. All that remains of Holly Park is a small piece of the boundary wall, and there is a display about the history of the club.

 _____________________________________

Hyder Jawad’s book Rest In Pieces tells the story of South Liverpool FC

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Filed Under: Sport Tagged With: Football, South Liverpool FC, Station

About Steven Horton

I am a local history author and tour guide based the Liverpool region, specialising in bespoke tours tailor made to suit the individual or group. Whether it be football, Victorian murders or Liverpool sites connected to the US Civil War, I can arrange something that will suit the customers needs, not go where I want to take people.
I have published seventeen books, all of which are available via the shop page. As well as writing for the Liverpool Echo and Times, I have made guest appearances on local radio and TV. Local history is a real passion of mine, if you enjoy my site please feel free to share through facebook, twitter etc and maybe leave a comment.

Comments

  1. Nicola Jane Roberts says

    December 28, 2017 at 5:33 pm

    Many a Saturday afternoon spent watching the South in the 60’s as a young child with my dad.
    Jonny Hackett , Eric Gebhardt, Gerry Keagan, Jimmy Saunders and Dave Watson ?
    Gerry Keagan ended up in the back of my dads car with a gash on his leg going down to Garston Hospital A&E brilliant memories.
    Travelled Both home and away and getting to travel on the team bus brings back many memories .
    Dropping the dirty kit off to the lady who washed the kit on the way back from places like Nelson , Prescott Cables , the First round FA cup draw away at Halifax town, and not my most pleasant memory as a small child was being sick on the steps of the players coach as we got dropped off outside my house. Couldn’t see that happening nowadays.
    Nice to see someone else remembers South Liverpool FC .

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Steven Horton has been a freelance writer for 20+ years. He is the author of 7 books has written for the Times, Liverpool Echo, numerous fanzines and websites, and also appeared on Radio Merseyside/City Talk, ITV News and Sky Sports News. ..read more

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