After a promising start the club struggled through the later part of the season and came close to folding over the summer.
After the success and growth of the club the previous season, 1963 after commencing promisingly, was to prove somewhat of a low point in Southport’s proud history. There were still only two senior teams on the Gold Coast with Currumbin AFC gaining some stability. In an ambitious move a 4-team league was formed with two clubs from Ipswich (Ipswich and Wacol) and was accordingly named the Ipswich and Gold Coast Inter-league competition.
With early wins over Currumbin and Wacol the Magpies began in brilliant form. New recruits Col Dalgleish and Bob Penney demonstrated they were more than useful acquisitions. Peter Dalgrin kicked a total of 12 goals in the first two games and the season looked promising. After four rounds the Magpies were on top of the ladder after an away loss to Ipswich and a comprehensive victory over Currumbin in which Harold Peacock kicked an incredible 4.10. The journey to Ipswich every third week was an exciting new challenge at the start of the season. Travel to away matches was usually undertaken in a team bus (Click here for photo of Paul Hood with the team bus).
The Gold Coast representative team was to play two curtain raiser matches at the Gabba in the undoubted highlight of the season for local football. On May 5 a match was played before the Queensland v New South Wales clash at the Gabba where 11 Southport players pulled on the Coast’s blue and gold (Peacock, McDonald, Penney, Dalgrin, Brown, Gray, Russell, Manuel, G. Radcliffe, Dalgleish, Sherring). In atrocious weather conditions Ipswich handled the ball better to reverse the previous year’s result. Southport players dominated the Gold Coast’s best players list. Ipswich 8.11.59 defeated Gold Coast 4.9.33 (Manuel 2, Dalgrin, Dalgleish.) (Best: G. Radcliffe, Peacock, Brown, Gray, Howard, Derrick, Manuel)
A Harold Peacock led Gold Coast team returned to the Gabba for a rematch on June 9. This match was a curtain raiser to the Queensland v Canberra interstate clash and played in front of a reported 10,000 fans. Southport representatives were: Peacock, Brown, Dalgrin, Russell, Penney, Dalgleish, G. Radcliffe, Manuel, Sherring, Davey, Minster, Thompson and L. Napper. Gold Coast squandered a 39 point three quarter time lead to go down by 2 points in a thrilling finish in front of the large Gabba crowd. Ipswich12.12.84 defeated Gold Coast 11.16.82 (Best: McDonald, Dalgrin, Penney, Manuel, Thompson, Derrick, Dalgleish) (Dalgrin 4, Penney 3, Manuel 2, Nunn, Thompson). (Click here for match report).
Two other Gold Coast representative matches against University and the visiting Canberra club Eastlakes severely interrupted the later part of the home and away series.
When Southport defeated Wacol in early August the Magpies sat on top of the ladder. In that game, some atrocious inaccuracy in front of goal saw an unusual winning score line of 15.32.122 to Southport.
Peter Dalgrin had a sensational season averaging 4 goals per match. Bob Manuel was consistently named in the best players and he performed well for the Gold Coast representative team in their four games.
The departure of Harold Peacock on an overseas holiday was the beginning of the end for the 1963 season however, as the season fell away. In a disappointing end the club finished the home away season in second position behind Wacol. Travel had taken its toll though, with the club forfeiting both the Second Semi and the Preliminary Finals that were both scheduled in Ipswich. This disappointing end was the beginning of several lean months where the future of the club was quite tenuous.
Gold Coast junior football continued to expand into three grades with the Magpies fielding teams in the under 18 and under 15 competitions. 2000 spectators attended the junior Grand Final day. Unfortunately Southport under 18s were to miss the Grand Final after being more than competitive throughout the home and away series. School football continued to develop with most schools on the Coast participating.
Other articles/photos:
1963 Match Results
| Date | Venue | Home | Away | Southport Goalkickers and Best Players | |||
| Round 1 | Sunday 21 April | Salk Oval (home game) | Southport | 14.12.96 | Currumbin | 8.15.63 | (Dalgrin 7, G.Radcliffe 2, Brown 2, Dalgleish, D.Napper, Reardon) (Best: Dalgrin, Penney, Nolan, Boadle, Burns, Dalgleish, Reardon) |
| Round 2 | Sunday 28 April | Wacol | Wacol | 10.14.74 | Southport | 11.16.82 | (Dalgrin 5, Brown, Penney, Manuel, Sherring, Peacock) (Best: Penney, Burns, Reardon, I.Radcliffe, Dalgleish, Dalgrin) |
| Round 3 | Sunday 12 May | Ipswich | Ipswich | 10.13.73 | Southport | 6.10.46 | (Sherring 2, Peacock 2, Brown, Manuel) (Best: L.Napper, Russell, Manuel, Penney, G. Radcliffe, Dalgleish) |
| Round 4 | Sunday 26 May | Labrador Sports Ground | Southport | 18.23.131 | Currumbin | 9.13.67 | (Peacock 4, Dalgrin 4, Penney 2, Sherring 2, Foye 2, McDonald, Dalgleish, Manuel, Russell (Best: Peacock, Turner, Sherring) |
| Round 5 | Sunday 16 June | Labrador Sports Ground | Southport | 17.20.122 | Ipswich | 2.6.18 | (Dalgrin 8, Penney 4, Sherring 3, Manuel 2, Davey) (Best: Manuel, Dalgleish, Foye, Minster, Russell, Ahrens) |
| Round 6 | Sunday 30 June | Salk Oval | Currumbin | 2.6.18 | Southport | 11.16.82 | (Peacock 7, Dalgrin 2, Penney, Manuel) (Best: Peacock, Manuel, McDonald, Minster, G. Radcliffe, Jones) |
| Round 7 | Sunday 7 July | Wacol | Wacol | 14.13.97 | Southport | 12.15.87 | (Peacock 4, Brittain 3, Foye 2, Dalgrin 2, Sherring) (Best: Manuel, Ahrens, Dalgrin, G. Radcliffe, Peacock) |
| Round 8 | Sunday 4 August | Labrador Sports Ground | Southport | 15.32.122 | Wacol | 6.4.40 | (Penney 5, Dalgrin 4, Manuel 2, Foye 2, Brown, Russell) (Best: Manuel, Penney, Minster, Ahrens, Brown) |
| Round 9 | Sunday 11 August | Labrador Sports | Southport | n/a | Ipswich | n/a |