Monday, 26 November 2018

SOUTH LIVERPOOL AND NEW BRIGHTON FC

I am researching South Liverpool Football Club which in the 1890s was known as African Royal (possibly Africa Royal), until 1910, then the club morphed into New Brighton AFC in 1921. 
NBAFC joined the Football League in 1923 and stayed there until 1951 in the Division 3 North, when they came last and were not re-elected.
In 1935 a "second" South Liverpool FC was formed in Garston. The two clubs have played each other since, until NBAFC folded in 2012.
below is a short film of New Brighton playing the Corinthians 14th Jan 1928, FA Cup 3rd Round.
https://www.britishpathe.com/video/well-played-new-brighton/query/New+Brighton
HollyParkSouthLiverpool.jpg
In that period the club applied for election to the Football League ten times and failed each time. The reason why I am getting so excited and I know you are too, is that in September 1949 at their ground, Holly Park, the club hosted the first match to be played under permanent floodlights when in a friendly against a Nigerian XI (the first African team to tour the UK). Over 13,000 turned up to watch and Kenneth Wolstenholme reported the match on behalf of the BBC Overseas Service, now the World Service. KW of course went on to be famous for his commentary on the 1966 World Cup.

In 1967 Ferenc Puskas aged 40 at the time, guested for South Liverpool in another friendly match witnessed by over 10,000. The match was played against an XI featuring Billy Liddell, John Charles, Malcolm Allison, Billy Bingham MBE and Dave Hitchins of Everton, Liverpool. Huddersfield and Tranmere Rovers. You may need to look up some of them.
Billy Liddell was a winger who played nearly 500 games for Liverpool. he was a youth worker, an accountant, a lay preacher and a Justice of the Peace, all before he retired from football. You know the others, don't you?

In 1968 South Liverpool joined the Northern Premier league (notable players include Jimmy Case and John Aldridge) and has since been through various other higher and lower leagues, at present are in the West Cheshire League having won promotions from Division 3 in 2010-11.
In 1987-8 the club became the first non-full professional club to offer Youth Training Schemes to young players.
The club plays at Jericho Lane, Otterspool on Merseyside.


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