Haig Avenue

Haig Avenue stands in Blowick, a quiet part of Southport beside the A570 road to Ormskirk. The stadium sits next to school playing fields and a row of houses on its north and west sides. It began life in 1905 as Ash Lane before being renamed Haig Avenue in 1921 after Earl Haig. The ground links Scarisbrick New Road with Meols Cop Road, making it easy to reach from the motorway. A small car park serves match officials and teams, while nearby streets usually have plenty of room for fans. The ground has seen Southport’s highest crowds, with 20,010 watching FA Cup ties against Newcastle United in 1932 and Everton in 1968. A fire in 1966 destroyed the main stand, dressing rooms and club offices, leaving only the safe and match takings intact. After appeals for donations, a new stand opened in 1968, the same year Red Rum was presented to the crowd at half time. The Sam Shrouder Main Stand faces the uncovered Poplar Terrace, while the Jack Carr Stand covers the west end where home fans gather. The east end remains open for away supporters. Visitors find four distinct areas: the covered main stand, the open Poplar Terrace, the covered Jack Carr Stand behind one goal, and the open Blowick End behind the other. The ground backs onto houses on two sides and school pitches on the others. Floodlights were replaced in 2014 after decades of use, and corner floodlight masts now stand along the pitch edges. The pitch itself has hosted Liverpool and Everton reserves, women’s FA Cup matches and even a rugby league game in 1909.