Players riot at Southport FC match



Southport drew 1-1 with Redditch United at Haig Avenue on Saturday but the result was of little importance for this game was marred by the most disgraceful scenes this reporter has ever seen on a football pitch, instigated by Redditch United who, having had four players booked plus two sent off in stoppage time, went on the rampage after the final whistle. 

From the start, the Worcester side relied on brutality and intimidation which went unpunished by a disgracefully inept referee who had totally lost control of the game by the second half. 

The fact that Redditch had seven yellow cards, two reds and the assistant manager sent off, whilst not one person from Southport was booked tells its own story. 

Mark Duffy was taken out of the game by a vicious challenge, which led to him being carried off, and similar treatment was given to Mark Houghton. 

Both were clearly sending off offences but on neither occasion was a red card shown. Liam Blakeman had stitches in a facial wound and, at the end of the game, when Paul Barrett was cruelly scythed down, the referee (John Dowd, remember the name) bottled out and, instead of reducing Redditch to eight men, he spinelessly blew the final whistle. 

As he did so, a mass brawl broke out as the Redditch players and bench went for the Southport players and officials. The stewards raced on to the pitch to try to protect the players and even Charlie Clapham and Sam Shrouder ran down from the stands to bravely confront the marauders.  

The Southport players commendably refrained from retaliating other than to defend themselves and it is to the credit of the Southport fans that not one of them encroached on the field of play. Eventually, the Redditch team were forced down the tunnel and locked in the dressing room until the police arrived. 

If there is any justice in football, assault charges should be brought (the evidence is on DVD) and Redditch United should be thrown out of the league, which will send a lesson to other clubs that such outrageous behaviour will not be tolerated. 

Make no mistake, this was no 'fancy handbags' but a full-scale riot in which somebody could have been seriously hurt. 

How embarrassing for travelling Redditch fans to have to witness their team behaving in such a way. 

Southport's attempts to play passing football team were no match for the physical threat of the visitors who thundered around the pitch like savage Neanderthals. Yet it was Southport who took the lead in the 128th minute when Tony Gray's fine shot from the edge of the box flew into the top corner past a bemused Danny Lewis. Gray might have had a second on half time but Lewis fisted out his shot from the edge of the area. 

Blakeman just failed to connect to a pinpoint Duffy centre on the restart and Neil Robinson had a goal disallowed for offside in the 52nd minute as Southport had most of the possession but Redditch got back into the game with a 68th minute penalty by Liam Daly after Kevin Lee was deemed to have fouled Damian Markman. A borderline decision at best.

The Sandgrounders went all out for the winner but Redditch held on. Seven minutes extra time were played in which Exodus Geohagan and captain Lee Downes were dismissed as was Geggs, the Redditch assistant manager/coach, Then Barrett was hacked down, the whistle blew and the balloon went up. 

Unfortunately, other results went badly for The Sandgrounders with leaders Kettering Town destroying Vauxhall Motors 6-0 and the other 5 teams in the top 6 all winning.  

Southport thus dropped out of the play-offs for the first time this season although they can overtake Stalybridge and Hyde with their games in hand

Next Saturday, The Yellows are back in the Midlands at Tamworth and it is to be hoped Peter Davenport has enough fit players after Saturday's debacle to field a full eleven.

 REPORT BY RON ELLIS



Original article...

Thats got to be the most exciting thing to have happened at SFC for years


But seriously what a disgraceful way for grown men to behave