Southport Football Club have announced that former Vice Chair, majority shareholder and Honorary Life President Sam Shrouder has died aged 78, following a battle with illness.
Born and raised in Aughton, Sam’s illustrious career in the entertainment industry began with humble beginnings as a bingo caller, DJ, entertainer, and nightclub promoter. His entrepreneurial spirit shone brightly in 1970 when, at just 24, he became the promoter of The Vine in Newport.
His first disco attracted just 37 people, but the club went on to see success through savvy bookings of up-and-coming artists such as Judas Priest and Thin Lizzy, among many others.
The group called time on the Vine in 1974, by which Shrouder had met his wife Linda. After marrying, the pair divorced only to remarry years later.
In 1981, Sam’s career took a significant turn as he joined Apollo, overseeing major venues like the Apollo Victoria, the Labatts Apollo, the Dominion, and the Lyceum.
A lifelong fan of theatre and the performing arts, Shrouder accepted various theatre trustee positions throughout his life alongside charitable endeavours. He was a pastoral prison visitor at Oxford Prison until it closed in 1996. In 1994 he visited Rwanda for World Vision, with whom he sponsored a child, and Guatemala on behalf of ToyBox. He was also the co-founder of Wychwood Festival.
Locally, it was his contribution to Southport Football Club that attracts the main focus of the numerous flowing tributes.
Shrouder attended his first Southport game at 10 years old, visiting Haig Avenue for the first time to watch the Sandgrounders play Scunthorpe for the final league game of the season. In the 1990’s he had written to Charlie Clapham bemoaning the team’s fortunes – which led the pair to an agreement that saw Apollo Leisure sponsor the club before Shrouder also became a director.
During Shrouder’s tenure as a director of the football club, the side won three league titles, numerous County Cups, and made an FA Trophy final appearance at Wembley Stadium.
Regularly remembered as a kind, warm, welcoming and jovial man – Shrouder remained a regular at Haig Avenue after stepping down in 2017, despite settling down South and having business concerns nationwide. It was not uncommon for Sam and Linda to make long, unforgiving return trips from Cheltenham to Southport for Tuesday evening fixtures. Such trips never caused Sam’s customary smile to disappear.
In April, the club renamed the main stand in his honour: ‘The Sam Shrouder Main Stand’.
Club Director Steve Porter said “I have lost a great friend I’ve known for over thirty years. Sam was the most wonderful person anybody could wish to meet.” The club said it extends its “deepest condolences”.
Sam Shrouder is survived by his wife Linda and his son Ben.
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