The final curtain on League action for the season came down on Saturday with away defeats for the both the First XV and Third XV away from home at Moore and Mossley Hill respectively. Both teams finished in respectable mid-table positions, likewise the Second XV, giving the new Senior Rugby leadership team of Mike Dale (Director), Bill Nicholl (Head Coach), Ady Jones (Chairman of Selectors), and George Baumer (Club Captain) plenty of potential to work on over the summer.

The Wednesday evening before saw a scratch Southport team out-classed by a very good young Tarleton side in the inaugural West Lancashire Floodlit Cup and we wish them well in last night’s final against Mossley Hill at Liverpool St Helens. Tarleton’s performance and those of Ormskirk set out local markers to aspire to for the new Leadership team and the squad for next season and beyond.

The Junior Colts narrowly lost at Waterloo Road against touring team Aston Old Edwardians from Birmingham on Saturday lunch-time, with the u15s on their own jaunt claiming the scalp of Kelso in the Scottish Borders.

Hillside really came alive the following day when the club hosted the 25th anniversary Lancashire Challenge Cup and Bowl Finals for the first time. The club was delighted to welcome Lancashire committee members together with hoardes of players, coaches, and supporters of clubs from all over the county. Congratulations to the Cup winners Manchester (u16s and u14s) and Preston Grasshoppers (u15s and u13s), and to the Bowl winners Tarleton (u15) and Liverpool St Helens (u13).

Waterloo Road will be even busier this Saturday and Sunday with the annual May Day weekend Sports Tours Rugby Festival for minis and juniors. This year over fifty teams from all over the country are taking part in this flagship event attracting hundreds of visitors to the town for the bank holiday week end. Several Southport age groups will be desperate to hold onto their hard won trophies from last year.

Sponsored by Arcadis, Barksdale Bell, BMI Sefton, Kukri, and Vision Express the following clubs /teams are participating: Fleetwood u11; Hinckley u13; Liverpool St Helens u11; Mansfield u14; Morpeth u10(x2); Moseley u7 u8 u9 u10 u11 u12 u13 u14; New Bold u16; Ormskirk u12 u13; Orrell u7 u10 u13 u16; Rochdale u15; Scunthorpe u11; Sleaford u14; Southport u7(x3) u8(x2) u9(x2) u10(x2) u11(x2) u12 u13 u14 u15 u16; Sutton Coldfield u14; Syston u15; Tarleton u9 u10 u11 u12; Trafford Metrovicks u15; Waterloo u8(x2) u10 u11 u12 u14 u15 u16; West Park (St Helens) u13; Wirral u10; Wolverhampton u14.

All help from club members gratefully received (see other news item).

Sunday also sees the grande finale to the senior’s competitive season with the Senior Colts heading over to Fylde RFC to take on Preston Grasshoppers in the final of the Lancashire u19s Cup, come what may a magnificent achievement in its own right. The bus is fully booked and the squad looks to be at full strength for what will be a huge test of character.

Southport Senior Colts squad: 1, Thomas Smith, 2, James Russell 3, Daniel Aindow 4,Daniel Arslanian, 5, James Smallwood, 6, Sam Tarbuck, 7, Sheridan Cresswell, 8, Jordan Caldwell, 9, Izaak Critchley, 10, Nicholas Greenhalgh 11, Christopher Cope, 12, James Bailey, 13, Hugh Ellis, 14, Jacob McMullen 15, Benedict Cresswell 16, Patrick Maguire 17, Daniel Whalen, 18, Daniel Lloyd, 19, Thomas Peacock, 20, Callum MacNeil 21, Paul Green, 22, Sam Cross

Southport are undoubtedly the underdogs but will be out to cause a massive upset just like their predecessors thirty-eight years ago who overcame similar odds to topple Broughton Park in becoming the first-ever winners of the cup, to date the only time the club has won it. To give the lads some encouragement on Sunday this is the match report that appeared in the Visiter on Tuesday 29th April 1975 recording that epic occasion and here’s hoping history can repeat itself. Many of the victorious team are still out and about in the town nowadays and quite rightly are revered in the history of the club (see Club Triumphs in Club Info for full details of the run).

BRILLIANT WIN FOR COLTS IN THE CUP FINAL

Broughton Park 4 Southport 9

Southport Colts won the Lancashire Colts Cup final in brilliant fashion at West Park on Sunday, upsetting some of the forecasts that Broughton Park would not be unduly extended in the final.

Thanks to grim determination and terrier-like tactics that harassed the opposition throughout the match Southport never allowed Broughton Park to settle down and play their normal game.

A Broughton Park supporter suggested it would be all over by half-time. It was, but not in the way he expected because Southport then had a lead of 9-0 that they were determined to hang on to whatever happened in the second half.

Broughton Park were clearly the favourites and by all the laws of rugby they should have won, having a heavy determined pack and plenty of talent in their side. But they seemed to under-estimate the opposition and Southport’s strength lay in their determination and fine leadership of McInerney.

The closing minutes were nail-biting ones for the 300 or so Southport supporters but the opposition was kept at bay and Southport had won a fine victory.

Scorers: Tries.* I Greenhalgh Con. Whittle Pen. Whittle

Southport: Catterall; Garbutt, M Greenhalgh, I Greenhalgh, Whittle; Matthews, McInerney; Bell, Kersey, Moorhouse; McNorton, Rich; Fairclough, Fletcher, Berry.

*four points for a try in those days!