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1993–94 Southampton F.C. season

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Southampton F.C.
1993–94 season
ChairmanGuy Askham
ManagerIan Branfoot
(until 10 January 1994)
Lew Chatterley and
Dave Merrington[a]
(10–20 January 1994)
Alan Ball
(from 20 January 1994)
StadiumThe Dell
FA Premier League18th
FA CupThird round
League CupSecond round
Top goalscorerLeague: Matt Le Tissier (25)
All: Matt Le Tissier (25)
Highest home attendance19,105 v Blackburn
Rovers (16 April 1994)
Lowest home attendance5,038 v Shrewsbury
Town (22 September 1993)
Average home league attendance14,751
Biggest win5–1 v Swindon Town
(25 August 1993)
Biggest defeat0–4 v Arsenal
(19 March 1994)

The 1993–94 Southampton F.C. season was the club's 93rd season of competitive football, their 24th in the top flight of English football, and their second in the FA Premier League. The season was another difficult one for the Saints, who finished 18th in the league – the same position as they had managed the year before – and were knocked out of both the FA Cup and the League Cup at the first hurdle – the first time this had happened to them in over ten years. It was the last season to feature manager Ian Branfoot, who was sacked halfway through the season with the club in the relegation zone. Dave Merrington briefly took over as caretaker manager, before Alan Ball was appointed as Branfoot's official replacement and saw out the rest of the campaign.

After buying them in the wake of Alan Shearer's sale just a year before, Branfoot released both David Speedie and Kerry Dixon at the beginning of the 1993–94 season. Other high-profile departures included Tim Flowers, who left in a record deal for a goalkeeper, and long-term midfielder Glenn Cockerill. Signings were made throughout the campaign, with arrivals including left-back Simon Charlton, goalkeeper Dave Beasant, and midfielder Jim Magilton. Southampton's league performance was disastrous, as they lost eight of their opening nine games and spent most of the first half of the season in the relegation zone. Results improved slightly following Ball's arrival as manager, although the club still struggled and ultimately only survived the drop by a single point.

Southampton's form outside the league was equally poor. For the first time since the 1981–82 season, the club were eliminated from both the FA Cup and the League Cup in the first rounds in which they competed. In the former, they were eliminated in the third round by Football League Second Division side Port Vale, who won a home replay 1–0 after holding the Saints to a 1–1 draw at The Dell (Branfoot's last game as manager of the club), despite a difference of two divisions between the clubs. In the latter, the top-flight side were eliminated in the second round by even lower-ranked opponents, facing a 2–1 aggregate defeat to Third Division side Shrewsbury Town after the Shrews overturned the Saints' narrow 1–0 home win with a 2–0 second leg victory.

Southampton used 31 players during the 1993–94 season and had 11 different goalscorers. Matt Le Tissier finished as the season's top scorer for the second consecutive (and fourth overall) season with 25 goals, all in the FA Premier League – making him the joint-third highest scorer in the division. Neil Maddison made the most appearances during the campaign, playing in all but one of the club's 46 matches (he missed just one league game). Le Tissier won the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award for the second time, becoming the third player to do so. The average league attendance at The Dell in 1993–94 was 14,751. The highest attendance was 19,105 against Blackburn Rovers in April; the lowest was 5,038 against Shrewsbury Town in September.

Background and transfers

[edit]
Two-time Southampton F.C. Player of the Season winner Tim Flowers moved to Blackburn Rovers in November for £2.4 million, a new British record transfer fee for a goalkeeper.
Flowers was replaced by Dave Beasant, who was signed from Chelsea for £300,000 on the same day as Flowers' sale.
Flowers was replaced by Dave Beasant, who was signed from Chelsea for £300,000 on the same day as Flowers' sale.
Northern Irish midfielder Jim Magilton signed from Oxford United just after Alan Ball took over as Saints manager in 1994.
After five years at the club, Micky Adams was released on a free transfer by Southampton towards the end of 1993–94.

Ahead of the 1993–94 season, three of Southampton's major signings were released after just a year in the squad – winger Perry Groves, who had signed from Arsenal for £750,000 the previous August, retired from professional football due to an ongoing Achilles injury, joining young Conference side Dagenham & Redbridge in the summer of 1993;[1] striker David Speedie, who had been "reluctantly" brought in from Blackburn Rovers for £400,000 and as part-exchange for Alan Shearer, joined Leicester City in August after several loan spells during 1992–93;[2] and Kerry Dixon, another striker who was signed for £575,000 from Chelsea to help replace Shearer but spent much of his debut season out on loan, joined Luton Town on a free transfer in October after a brief loan spell.[3] Also signed during the summer were Simon Charlton, who made the step up from Second Division club Huddersfield Town to take over as first-choice left-back;[4] and youngsters Colin Cramb and Paul McDonald, who joined for a combined fee of £150,000 from Scottish side Hamilton Academical.[5][6]

Manager Ian Branfoot continued to strengthen Southampton's squad throughout the first half of the season. After failing to re-sign Danny Wallace from Manchester United, as well as add right-back Tim Breacker and midfielder Ian Bishop from West Ham United,[7] he eventually signed Paul Allen from Tottenham Hotspur in September for £500,000.[8] Early the next month, the Saints brought in 37-year-old midfielder Peter Reid, who had just been sacked as player-manager at Manchester City.[9] In November, after approaches from multiple clubs, the team sold Tim Flowers to Blackburn Rovers for £2.4 million – a new world record transfer fee for a goalkeeper.[10] He was replaced the same day in the Southampton squad by Dave Beasant, who signed from Chelsea for £300,000.[11] Two weeks before Christmas, veteran midfielder Glenn Cockerill left on a free transfer to Leyton Orient.[12]

Just after the new year, Branfoot was sacked as Southampton manager and replaced by former player Alan Ball.[13] Reid, who had only been with the club for four months, left on a free transfer for Notts County just after Branfoot's departure.[9] Shortly after his arrival, Ball spent £850,000 on re-signing former Saints apprentice Craig Maskell from Swindon Town and adding Northern Irish midfielder Jim Magilton from Oxford United.[14][15] He also offloaded several players from Branfoot's era, with Paul Moody sold to Oxford United for £60,000[16] and Terry Hurlock (to Millwall),[17] Micky Adams (to Stoke City),[18] Martin Thomas (to Leyton Orient),[19] and Lee Powell (to Hamilton Academical)[20] all released on free transfers. The last signing of the season was winger Neil Heaney, who joined from FA Premier League title challengers Arsenal in a £300,000 deal at the end of March.[21]

Players transferred in

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
Simon Charlton  England DF England Huddersfield Town 8 June 1993 £250,000 [4]
Colin Cramb  Scotland FW Scotland Hamilton Academical 8 June 1993 £150,000 [5]
Paul McDonald  Scotland MF [6]
Matt Oakley  England MF none (free agent) July 1993 Free[b] [22]
Paul Allen  England MF England Tottenham Hotspur 16 September 1993 £500,000 [8]
Peter Reid  England MF England Manchester City 1 October 1993 Free [9]
Dave Beasant  England GK England Chelsea 4 November 1993 £300,000 [11]
Shayne Bradley  England FW none (free agent) December 1993 Free[c] [23]
Craig Maskell  England FW England Swindon Town 7 February 1994 £250,000 [14]
Jim Magilton  Northern Ireland MF England Oxford United 11 February 1994 £600,000 [15]
Neil Heaney  England MF England Arsenal 22 March 1994 £300,000 [21]

Players transferred out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
Kerry Dixon  England FW England Luton Town October 1993 Free [3]
Tim Flowers  England GK England Blackburn Rovers 4 November 1993 £2,400,000 [10]
Glenn Cockerill  England MF England Leyton Orient 10 December 1993 Free [12]
Peter Reid  England MF England Notts County 2 February 1994 Free [9]
Paul Moody  England MF England Oxford United 19 February 1994 £60,000 [16]
Terry Hurlock  England MF England Millwall 25 February 1994 Free [17]
Micky Adams  England DF England Stoke City 24 March 1994 Free [18]
Martin Thomas  England MF England Leyton Orient 24 March 1994 Free [19]
Lee Powell  Wales MF Scotland Hamilton Academical March 1994 Free [20]

Players loaned out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date from Date to Ref.
Matthew Bound  Wales DF England Hull City 27 August 1993 27 September 1993 [24]
Kerry Dixon  England FW England Luton Town August 1993 October 1993 [3]

Players released

Name Nationality Pos. Date Subsequent club Ref.
Perry Groves  England MF Start of season England Dagenham & Redbridge [1]
David Speedie  Scotland FW Start of season England Leicester City [2]

Players retired

Name Nationality Pos. Date Details Ref.
Stuart Gray  England MF November 1993 Retired due to an ongoing injury, moved into coaching [25]

Pre-season friendlies

[edit]

Ahead of the 1993–94 campaign, Southampton played seven pre-season friendlies. Like the previous season, the club started their pre-season preparations with a short tour of Sweden, playing five games against local opposition over the course of eight days. After a 2–3 loss at Kalmar, the Saints picked up wins over Vessigebro (5–0, including a goal for new signing Paul McDonald), Örby (9–1, including five goals for Nicky Banger and three for Paul Moody), Växjö (2–1), and Bankeryd (4–3).[26] The last two fixtures during the pre-season period were as part of the Memorial Pier Cesare Baretti, an Italian friendly tournament which served as a tribute to sports journalist Pier Cesare Baretti.[27] Southampton lost both matches against Serie A opponents Juventus and Torino.[28]

21 July 1993 Friendly Sweden Kalmar 3–2 Southampton Kalmar, Sweden
Adams
Dowie 		Stadium: Fredriksskans
24 July 1993 Friendly Sweden Vessigebro 0–5 Southampton Vessigebro, Sweden
Banger
Dowie
Le Tissier
McDonald
26 July 1993 Friendly Sweden Örby 1–9 Southampton Örby, Sweden
Banger
Le Tissier
Moody
27 July 1993 Friendly Sweden Växjö 1–2 Southampton Växjö, Sweden
Cockerill
Maddison
29 July 1993 Friendly Sweden Bankeryd 3–4 Southampton Bankeryd, Sweden
Adams
Banger
Maddison
5 August 1993 Trofeo Baretti Italy Juventus 3–1 Southampton
Di Canio 63'
Baggio 83'
Möller 85'		 Maddison 35'
7 August 1993 Trofeo Baretti Italy Torino 1–0 Southampton
Poggi 86'

FA Premier League

[edit]
Matt Le Tissier finished as Southampton's top scorer for a fourth season and picked up his second Player of the Season award in the process.
See also: 1993–94 FA Premier League

Southampton had a worse start to the second FA Premier League season than any other team in the division, losing their first three games and dropping to the bottom of the table.[29] After an opening day 0–2 loss at home to Everton described by the Southern Daily Echo as "humiliating and desperately worrying", the Saints also lost away to Ipswich Town (0–1) and Queens Park Rangers (1–2).[7] Despite this poor start, the side then picked up their first win (and biggest of the season) when they beat top-flight newcomers Swindon Town 5–1 at The Dell, with a first-half Matt Le Tissier goal followed by four more in the second half courtesy of Le Tissier again, Jeff Kenna, Iain Dowie and Neil Maddison.[7]

The club's time out of the drop zone was short-lived, however, as they soon returned to the relegation spots with a run of five consecutive defeats (for the first time since 1989). The dry spell included three away and two home defeats, during which time the Saints scored just one goal and conceded nine.[7][30] The Saints' one goal during this period came in the first defeat at home to defending league champions Manchester United, when Neil Maddison scored a consolation after two of United's three goals.[7] This was followed by a 0–1 defeat at Wimbledon, a 0–2 loss hosting Leeds United, another 0–2 loss at Sheffield Wednesday, and a 0–1 defeat at title challengers Arsenal.[30] Amongst these fixtures, Southampton fans arranged protests against Ian Branfoot remaining as manager of the club, in response to which chairman Guy Askham assured that he would see out the season.[30]

Following the run of six defeats, Southampton picked up their first point in over a month in a 3–3 draw with fellow strugglers Sheffield United. After leading 1–0 at half-time through Ken Monkou, the Saints received another advantage just after the break when the visitors went down to ten men; despite this, however, the hosts sacrificed a 3–1 lead in the last ten minutes of the game, when Jostein Flo scored twice to secure his side a share of the points.[30] A 1–1 draw with Coventry City was followed by the South Coast club's second win of the campaign, 2–1 against high-flyers Newcastle United, in which Matt Le Tissier scored both goals through "two moments of sheer magic" according to club historians.[30] The club's leading goalscorer picked up another brace a week later, when the Saints lost 2–4 to Liverpool at Anfield, in a game which marked the final appearance of Tim Flowers.[31]

Two more wins in their next three games saw Southampton climb out of the relegation zone for the first time since September. After the Liverpool defeat, the Saints picked up a narrow 1–0 win over a struggling Tottenham Hotspur side, with Maddison scoring the only goal of the game on the hour mark, heading in a chipped assist by Le Tissier.[31] After a 0–2 loss at Blackburn Rovers in which former Saint Alan Shearer scored both goals, the team beat Aston Villa by the same scoreline thanks to another pair of goals from Le Tissier.[31] The win over Villa saw Southampton move up to 19th in the table for the first time in almost three months.[32] The club's safety was short-lived, however, as they lost their next five games and dropped back to second-from-bottom in the league table, suffering defeats at the hands of Everton (0–1), Ipswich Town (0–1), Queens Park Rangers (0–1), and bottom-placed Swindon Town (1–2) in the run-up to Christmas.[31] In the days after Christmas, Southampton picked up four points from a possible six, beating Chelsea 3–1 at home and drawing 1–1 with Manchester City at Maine Road, with Iain Dowie scoring in both games (his first goals in any competition since August).[31]

Former Saints player Alan Ball took over from Ian Branfoot as the club's manager in January 1994, seeing out the season and helping them avoid relegation.

After a 0–1 New Year's Day loss at home to top-six side Norwich City and a poor performance in their opening FA Cup match against Second Division side Port Vale, Southampton parted ways with manager Ian Branfoot on 10 January 1994.[33] Whilst the club looked for a replacement, they were temporarily managed by coaches Lew Chatterley and Dave Merrington, who oversaw a 1–0 home win over Coventry City decided by a Le Tissier penalty on the stroke of half-time.[34] Rumoured successors for Branfoot's position included former England manager Graham Taylor and former Saints players Alan Ball and Peter Shilton, who were managing South West sides Exeter City and Plymouth Argyle, respectively, at the time.[33] On 20 January, it was Ball who officially took over the role, while former manager Lawrie McMenemy also became the club's "general manager".[13]

Ball's first game in charge of Southampton took place two days after his arrival, as the club (sitting 21st in the table) travelled to face third-placed Newcastle United. After opening the scoring just five minutes in through Maddison, but going into half-time level after an Andy Cole equaliser shortly before the break, the Saints secured a "memorable win" when Le Tissier scored a "stunning free kick" in the 83rd minute.[34] A marginal 1–2 loss against fellow relegation risks Oldham Athletic followed, before Southampton faced top side Liverpool in their first home game under Ball. The hosts opened the scoring after just 28 seconds through Le Tissier and were 2–0 up within eight minutes when the returning Craig Maskell scored on his first game since re-signing the previous week.[34] Le Tissier made it 3–0 with a penalty for a foul just before half-time, before repeating the feat again shortly after the break following a handball to complete his hat-trick and extend Southampton's lead to 4–0 – Liverpool would pick up two late consolation goals through Julian Dicks and Ian Rush.[34]

Beating Wimbledon 1–0 two weeks after the Liverpool win saw Southampton rise to 17th in the FA Premier League table – the highest position they would reach all season.[35] After the positive start to Ball's tenure, however, the Saints would not pick up another win in their next seven games. Two "scrappy" draws against Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday preceded the side's heaviest defeat of the season, 0–4 at home to Arsenal, in which Ian Wright scored a hat-trick.[36] They subsequently dropped points against four teams in a row that were also facing the threat of relegation, drawing 0–0 at Sheffield United before losing 1–3 at home to Oldham Athletic, 0–2 at Chelsea and 0–1 at home to Manchester City – a run of results which had saw them drop back to 21st in the table, with only six games left (only two of which were at The Dell).[36]

On 9 April, Southampton faced Norwich City at Carrow Road, coming from behind four times throughout the match to win 5–4; Le Tissier scored a third away hat-trick in the second half, as well as setting up Monkou's last-minute winner with a corner.[34] This was followed by a 3–1 home win over Blackburn Rovers, who were just three points behind Manchester United at the top of the table, which saw the Saints move back up to 19th out of the relegation zone.[37] After a 0–3 loss at fellow strugglers Tottenham Hotspur, the club moved back up to 17th with a 4–1 home win over Aston Villa in which Le Tissier (who scored twice) was joined on the scoresheet by Monkou and Maddison, both of whom were assisted by the newly-named Player of the Season.[38] The final two games of the season saw Southampton lose 0–2 to Manchester United and draw 3–3 with West Ham United – the latter enough to secure FA Premier League safety due to results elsewhere.[38] Like the season before, Southampton survived relegation by a single point.[38]

List of match results

[edit]
14 August 1993 1 Southampton 0–2 Everton Southampton
Beagrie 10'
Ebbrell 45'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,051
Referee: Keith Cooper
17 August 1993 2 Ipswich Town 1–0 Southampton Ipswich
Marshall 58' Stadium: Portman Road
Attendance: 14,958
Referee: Alan Wilkie
21 August 1993 3 Queens Park Rangers 2–1 Southampton London
Penrice 13'
Wilson 46' (pen.)		 Dowie 88' Stadium: Loftus Road
Attendance: 10,613
Referee: Roger Dilkes
25 August 1993 4 Southampton 5–1 Swindon Town Southampton
Le Tissier 12', 50'
Kenna 56'
Dowie 62'
Maddison 79'		 Maskell 83' (pen.) Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 12,505
Referee: Paul Durkin
28 August 1993 5 Southampton 1–3 Manchester United Southampton
Maddison 12' Sharpe 5'
Cantona 15'
Irwin 49'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 16,189
Referee: Alan Gunn
31 August 1993 6 Wimbledon 1–0 Southampton London
Barton 34' Stadium: Selhurst Park
Attendance: 6,036
Referee: Keith Hackett
11 September 1993 7 Southampton 0–2 Leeds United Southampton
Deane 50'
Speed 90'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,511
Referee: Keith Burge
18 September 1993 8 Sheffield Wednesday 2–0 Southampton Sheffield
Sheridan 58' (pen.)
Hirst 80'		 Stadium: Hillsborough Stadium
Attendance: 22,503
Referee: Rodger Gifford
25 September 1993 9 Arsenal 1–0 Southampton London
Merson 45' Stadium: Arsenal Stadium
Attendance: 26,902
Referee: Kelvin Morton
2 October 1993 10 Southampton 3–3 Sheffield United Southampton
Monkou 29'
Maddison 53'
Kenna 77'		 Falconer 72'
Flo 80', 90'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 11,619
Referee: Graham Poll
16 October 1993 11 Coventry City 1–1 Southampton Coventry
Babb 87' Charlton 56' Stadium: Highfield Road
Attendance: 9,837
Referee: Joe Worrall
24 October 1993 12 Southampton 2–1 Newcastle United Southampton
Le Tissier 62', 87' Cole 72' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,804
Referee: Philip Don
30 October 1993 13 Liverpool 4–2 Southampton Liverpool
Fowler 14', 29', 85'
Rush 63'		 Le Tissier 40', 79' Stadium: Anfield
Attendance: 32,818
Referee: Dermot Gallagher
6 November 1993 14 Southampton 1–0 Tottenham Hotspur Southampton
Maddison 60' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 16,017
Referee: David Allison
20 November 1993 15 Blackburn Rovers 2–0 Southampton Blackburn
Shearer 24' (pen.), 77' Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 17,434
Referee: Keith Cooper
24 November 1993 16 Aston Villa 0–2 Southampton Birmingham
Le Tissier 50', 62' Stadium: Villa Park
Attendance: 16,180
Referee: Kelvin Morton
29 November 1993 17 Southampton 0–2 West Ham United Southampton
Morley 30'
Chapman 38'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,258
Referee: Martin Bodenham
4 December 1993 18 Everton 1–0 Southampton Liverpool
Cottee 35' Stadium: Goodison Park
Attendance: 13,265
Referee: Keith Burge
8 December 1993 19 Southampton 0–1 Ipswich Town Southampton
Kiwomya 54' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 9,028
Referee: Gerald Ashby
11 December 1993 20 Southampton 0–1 Queens Park Rangers Southampton
Ferdinand 2' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 11,946
Referee: Keren Barratt
18 December 1993 21 Swindon Town 2–1 Southampton Swindon
Bodin 11'
Scott 65'		 Le Tissier 38' Stadium: County Ground
Attendance: 13,565
Referee: David Elleray
27 December 1993 22 Southampton 3–1 Chelsea Southampton
Widdrington 28'
Dowie 65'
Bennett 89'		 Stein 42' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,221
Referee: Paul Durkin
28 December 1993 23 Manchester City 1–1 Southampton Manchester
Phelan 29' Dowie 26' Stadium: Maine Road
Attendance: 24,712
Referee: Alan Wilkie
1 January 1994 24 Southampton 0–1 Norwich City Southampton
Sutton 45' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 16,556
Referee: Graham Poll
15 January 1994 25 Southampton 1–0 Coventry City Southampton
Le Tissier 44' (pen.) Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 12,397
Referee: Philip Don
22 January 1994 26 Newcastle United 1–2 Southampton Newcastle upon Tyne
Cole 38' Maddison 5'
Le Tissier 83'		 Stadium: St James' Park
Attendance: 32,067
Referee: Alan Gunn
5 February 1994 27 Oldham Athletic 2–1 Southampton Oldham
McCarthy 33'
Bernard 38'		 Le Tissier 26' Stadium: Boundary Park
Attendance: 9,982
Referee: Kelvin Morton
14 February 1994 28 Southampton 4–2 Liverpool Southampton
Le Tissier 1', 42' (pen.), 50' (pen.)
Maskell 6'		 Dicks 69' (pen.)
Rush 86'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 18,306
Referee: Peter Foakes
26 February 1994 29 Southampton 1–0 Wimbledon Southampton
Le Tissier 74' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,790
Referee: Dermot Gallagher
5 March 1994 30 Leeds United 0–0 Southampton Leeds
Stadium: Elland Road
Attendance: 30,829
Referee: Robbie Hart
12 March 1994 31 Southampton 1–1 Sheffield Wednesday Southampton
Monkou 78' Bart-Williams 67' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 16,391
Referee: David Crick
19 March 1994 32 Southampton 0–4 Arsenal Southampton
Wright 12', 30', 69' (pen.)
Campbell 85'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 16,790
Referee: David Frampton
26 March 1994 33 Sheffield United 0–0 Southampton Sheffield
Stadium: Bramall Lane
Attendance: 19,522
Referee: David Elleray
30 March 1994 34 Southampton 1–3 Oldham Athletic Southampton
Le Tissier 58' Sharp 13'
Benali 42' (o.g.)
Holden 88'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,101
Referee: Vic Callow
2 April 1994 35 Chelsea 2–0 Southampton London
Spencer 45'
Johnsen 80'		 Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 19,801
Referee: Mike Reed
4 April 1994 36 Southampton 0–1 Manchester City Southampton
Karl 88' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 16,377
Referee: Brian Hill
9 April 1994 37 Norwich City 4–5 Southampton Norwich
Robins 37'
Goss 48'
Sutton 55', 63'		 Ullathorne 44' (o.g.)
Le Tissier 57', 63' (pen.), 72'
Monkou 90'		 Stadium: Carrow Road
Attendance: 17,150
Referee: Keith Cooper
16 April 1994 38 Southampton 3–1 Blackburn Rovers Southampton
Dowie 28'
Allen 38'
Le Tissier 69' (pen.)		 Ripley 48' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 19,105
Referee: Joe Worrall
23 April 1994 39 Tottenham Hotspur 3–0 Southampton London
Sedgley 4'
Samways 66'
Anderton 88'		 Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 25,959
Referee: Paul Durkin
30 April 1994 40 Southampton 4–1 Aston Villa Southampton
Le Tissier 19', 76'
Monkou 31'
Maddison 85'		 Saunders 57' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 18,803
Referee: Steve Lodge
4 May 1994 41 Manchester United 2–0 Southampton Manchester
Kanchelskis 60'
Hughes 89'		 Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 44,705
Referee: Terry Holbrook
7 May 1994 42 West Ham United 3–3 Southampton London
Williamson 11'
Allen 62'
Chapman 89'		 Le Tissier 45', 65' (pen.)
Maddison 52'		 Stadium: Boleyn Ground
Attendance: 26,952
Referee: Gerald Ashby

Final league table

[edit]
Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
16 Manchester City 42 9 18 15 38 49 −11 45
17 Everton 42 12 8 22 42 63 −21 44
18 Southampton 42 12 7 23 49 66 −17 43
19 Ipswich Town 42 9 16 17 35 58 −23 43
20 Sheffield United (R) 42 8 18 16 42 60 −18 42 Relegation to Football League First Division
Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated

Results by matchday

[edit]
Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142
GroundHAAHHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHHAAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAA
ResultLLLWLLLLLDDWLWLWLLLLLWDLWWLWWDDLDLLLWWLWLD
Position172022181919202121212120212020192021212121202021201819171718181818202121201919171718
Source: 11v11.com
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

FA Cup

[edit]
See also: 1993–94 FA Cup

Southampton entered the 1993–94 FA Cup, drawn against Second Division side Port Vale. The last game in charge for Ian Branfoot, the tie took place at The Dell but saw the visitors "outplaying" the hosts from early on; in the 14th minute, Andy Porter scored a free kick to put his third-flight side ahead, after goalkeeper Dave Beasant made a mistake.[39] Despite failing to increase the pressure in any noticeable fashion, the Saints equalised just before half-time through Iain Dowie, who converted a chance created by Tommy Widdrington.[39] The second half brought no goals for either side, forcing a replay ten days later.[40] With caretaker managers Lew Chatterley and Dave Merrington leading for their second and final game, Southampton were eliminated by a single goal scored in the 18th minute by Bernie Slaven.[40]

8 January 1994 Round 3 Southampton 1–1 Port Vale Southampton
Dowie 43' Porter 14' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 11,086
18 January 1994 Round 3 replay Port Vale 1–0 Southampton Stoke-on-Trent
Slaven 18' Stadium: Vale Park
Attendance: 12,042

League Cup

[edit]
See also: 1993–94 Football League Cup

Southampton entered the second round of the 1993–94 League Cup against Shrewsbury Town, who were playing in the fourth flight of English football, the Third Division. After winning the first leg 1–0 thanks to a first-half goal from Kevin Moore, the top-flight Saints were eliminated after a 0–2 loss at Gay Meadow in the return leg, marking the first time since 1987–88 they had been knocked out at the first hurdle.[41]

22 September 1993 Round 2 Leg 1 Southampton 1–0 Shrewsbury Town Southampton
Moore 24' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 5,038
6 October 1993 Round 2 Leg 2 Shrewsbury Town 2–0 Southampton Shrewsbury
Summerfield 36'
Brown 71'		 Stadium: Gay Meadow
Attendance: 5,247

Other matches

[edit]

Outside the league, FA Cup and League Cup, the Southampton first team played four additional matches during the 1993–94 season. The first was a 4–0 friendly win over Welsh Conference side Merthyr Tydfil in December, which was followed by a 3–0 home win over Swedish side Göteborg in January and a 2–1 win over Southend United of the First Division in February.[28] The final game of the season came three days after the league's conclusion and saw the Saints face nearby rivals Portsmouth for the first time since 1988, in a testimonial for goalkeeper Alan Knight.[42] The FA Premier League side won the friendly match 5–1, with first-half goals from Iain Dowie and Neil Maddison followed by second-half additions from Craig Maskell, Jeff Kenna and David Hughes.[42] Knight himself scored Pompey's consolation goal just before being substituted off, converting a penalty given for a foul by Francis Benali on striker Guy Whittingham.[42] Late in the game, Southampton manager Alan Ball played a few minutes himself.[42]

13 December 1993 Friendly Wales Merthyr Tydfil 0–4 Southampton Merthyr Tydfil, Wales
Dowie
Hughes
Robinson 		Stadium: Penydarren Park
31 January 1994 Friendly Southampton 3–0 Sweden Göteborg Southampton
Le Tissier
Dowie 		Stadium: The Dell
18 February 1994 Friendly Southend United 1–2 Southampton Southend-on-Sea
Dowie
Le Tissier 		Stadium: Roots Hall
10 May 1994 Alan Knight Testimonial Portsmouth 1–5 Southampton Portsmouth
Knight (pen.) Dowie 16'
Kenna 65'
Maddison
Maskell
Hughes 80'		 Stadium: Fratton Park
Attendance: 16,831
Referee: Mick Pierce

Player details

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Southampton used 31 players during the 1993–94 season, 11 of whom scored during the campaign.[43] Ten players made their debut appearances for the club, including eight of their nine first team signings (Paul Allen,[8] Dave Beasant,[11] Simon Charlton,[4] Colin Cramb,[5] Neil Heaney,[21] Craig Maskell,[14] Jim Magilton,[15] and Peter Reid[9]), one signing from the previous season (Frankie Bennett[44]), and one player making the step up from youth to the first team (David Hughes[45]). Two of these – Cramb[5] and Reid[9] – also made their last appearances for the Saints during the campaign, as did mid-season departees Micky Adams,[18] Glenn Cockerill,[12] Tim Flowers,[10] Terry Hurlock,[17] Paul Moody,[16] and Lee Powell,[20] plus five more players sold the following season: Ian Andrews,[46] Neal Bartlett,[47] Matthew Bound,[24] Kevin Moore,[48] and Steve Wood.[49] Midfielder Neil Maddison made the most appearances for Southampton during 1993–94, playing in all but one league game during the campaign.[43] Matt Le Tissier was the club's top goalscorer again, with 25 goals in the league.[43] Le Tissier also won the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award, becoming the third player (and the first outfield player) to receive the accolade for a second time.[38]

Squad statistics

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No. Name Pos. Nat. League FA Cup League Cup Total Discipline
Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals
1 Dave Beasant GK England 25 0 2 0 0 0 27 0 1 0
2 Jeff Kenna DF Republic of Ireland 40(1) 2 1 0 1 0 42(1) 2 4 0
4 Jim Magilton MF Northern Ireland 15 0 0 0 0 0 15 0 0 0
5 Richard Hall DF England 4 0 0 0 1 0 5 0 0 0
6 Ken Monkou DF Netherlands 35 4 2 0 1 0 38 4 5 0
7 Matt Le Tissier MF England 38 25 2 0 0 0 40 25 5 0
8 Craig Maskell FW England 6(4) 1 0 0 0 0 6(4) 1 0 0
9 Iain Dowie FW Northern Ireland 39 5 2 1 2 0 43 6 8 0
10 Neil Maddison MF England 41 7 2 0 2 0 45 7 2 0
11 Francis Benali DF England 34(3) 0 1 0 2 0 37(3) 0 3 1
12 Neil Heaney MF England 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
13 Ian Andrews GK England 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0
14 Simon Charlton DF England 29(4) 1 1 0 1 0 31(4) 1 1 0
15 Jason Dodd DF England 5(5) 0 2 0 0 0 7(5) 0 1 0
16 Nicky Banger FW England 4(10) 0 0(1) 0 0(1) 0 4(12) 0 1 0
17 Kevin Moore DF England 14 0 1 0 2 1 17 1 0 0
18 Steve Wood DF England 27 0 1 0 1(1) 0 29(1) 0 2 0
19 Paul McDonald DF Scotland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
21 Tommy Widdrington MF England 11 1 2 0 0 0 13 1 2 0
22 Matthew Bound DF England 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
23 Neil Hopper GK England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
24 Frankie Bennett FW England 0(8) 1 0(1) 0 1 0 1(9) 1 0 0
25 Neal Bartlett MF England 4(3) 0 0 0 0(1) 0 4(4) 0 0 0
27 Paul Allen MF England 29(3) 1 2 0 2 0 33(3) 1 5 0
29 David Hughes MF England 0(2) 0 0 0 0 0 0(2) 0 0 0
30 Colin Cramb FW Scotland 0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0 0 0
Squad members who left before the end of the season
1 Tim Flowers GK England 12 0 0 0 2 0 14 0 0 0
3 Micky Adams DF England 17(2) 0 1 0 1 0 19(2) 0 2 0
4 Terry Hurlock MF England 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0
8 Glenn Cockerill MF England 12(2) 0 1(1) 0 0 0 13(3) 0 0 0
20 Paul Moody FW England 3(2) 0 0 0 1 0 4(2) 0 0 0
26 Lee Powell FW Wales 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
28 Peter Reid MF England 7 0 0 0 1 0 8 0 0 0
— Martin Thomas MF England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Most appearances

[edit]
Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup League Cup Total
Starts Subs Starts Subs Starts Subs Starts Subs Total
1 Neil Maddison MF 41 0 2 0 2 0 45 0 45
2 Iain Dowie FW 39 0 2 0 2 0 43 0 43
Jeff Kenna DF 40 1 1 0 1 0 42 1 43
4 Matt Le Tissier MF 38 0 2 0 0 0 40 0 40
Francis Benali DF 34 3 1 0 2 0 37 3 40
6 Ken Monkou DF 35 0 2 0 1 0 38 0 38
7 Paul Allen MF 29 3 2 0 2 0 33 3 36
8 Simon Charlton DF 29 4 1 0 1 0 31 4 35
9 Steve Wood DF 27 0 1 0 1 1 29 1 30
10 Dave Beasant GK 25 0 2 0 0 0 27 0 27

Top goalscorers

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Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup League Cup Total
Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps GPG
1 Matt Le Tissier FW 25 38 0 2 0 0 25 40 0.63
2 Neil Maddison MF 7 41 0 2 0 2 7 45 0.16
3 Iain Dowie FW 5 39 1 2 0 2 6 43 0.14
4 Ken Monkou DF 4 35 0 2 0 1 4 38 0.11
5 Jeff Kenna DF 2 40 0 1 0 1 2 42 0.05
6 Frankie Bennett FW 1 8 0 1 0 1 1 10 0.10
Craig Maskell FW 1 10 0 0 0 0 1 10 0.10
Tommy Widdrington MF 1 11 0 2 0 0 1 13 0.08
Kevin Moore DF 0 14 0 1 1 2 1 17 0.06
Simon Charlton DF 1 33 0 1 0 1 1 35 0.03
Paul Allen MF 1 32 0 2 0 2 1 36 0.03

Footnotes

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  1. ^ Lew Chatterley and Dave Merrington served as temporary joint caretaker managers in between Ian Branfoot's sacking and Alan Ball's signing.
  2. ^ Matt Oakley joined as a trainee in July 1993, before turning professional in July 1995.[22]
  3. ^ Shayne Bradley joined as an associate schoolboy in December, before becoming an apprentice in December 1995 and turning professional in August 1998.[23]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Perry Groves". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b "David Speedie". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Kerry Dixon". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Simon Charlton". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d "Colin Cramb". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Paul McDonald". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 229
  8. ^ a b c "Paul Allen". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Peter Reid". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  10. ^ a b c "Tim Flowers". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b c "Dave Beasant". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  12. ^ a b c "Glenn Cockerill". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  13. ^ a b Haylett, Trevor (21 January 1994). "Football: Ball teams up with McMenemy: Southampton turn to two old favourites at The Dell in their search for survival in the Premiership". The Independent. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  14. ^ a b c "Craig Maskell". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  15. ^ a b c "Glenn Cockerill". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  16. ^ a b c "Paul Moody". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  17. ^ a b c "Terry Hurlock". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  18. ^ a b c "Micky Adams". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Martin Thomas". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  20. ^ a b c "Lee Powell". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  21. ^ a b c "Neil Heaney". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  22. ^ a b "Matt Oakley". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  23. ^ a b "Shayne Bradley". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  24. ^ a b "Matthew Bound". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  25. ^ "Stuart Gray". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  26. ^ Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 430
  27. ^ "Memorial Pier Cesare Baretti". RSSSF. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  28. ^ a b Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 431
  29. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 21 August 1993". 11v11.com. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  30. ^ a b c d e Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 230
  31. ^ a b c d e Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 231
  32. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 24 November 1993". 11v11.com. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  33. ^ a b Haylett, Trevor (12 January 1994). "Football: Taylor enters frame as Branfoot bows to fans' pressure: Ex-England manager may be Saint". The Independent. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  34. ^ a b c d e Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 232
  35. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 26 February 1994". 11v11.com. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  36. ^ a b Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 233
  37. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 16 April 1994". 11v11.com. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  38. ^ a b c d Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 234
  39. ^ a b Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 398
  40. ^ a b Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 399
  41. ^ Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 293
  42. ^ a b c d Juson et al. 2004, p. 203
  43. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, pp. 235, 293, 398–399
  44. ^ "Frankie Bennett". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  45. ^ "David Hughes". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  46. ^ "Ian Andrews". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  47. ^ "Neal Bartlett". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  48. ^ "Kevin Moore". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  49. ^ "Steve Wood". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2024.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (2003), Bull, David (ed.), In That Number: A Post-War Chronicle of Southampton FC, Bristol, England: Hagiology Publishing, ISBN 0-9534474-3-X
  • Juson, Dave; Aldworth, Clay; Bendel, Barry; Bull, David; Chalk, Gary (10 November 2004), Saints v Pompey: A History of Unrelenting Rivalry, Bristol, England: Hagiology Publishing, ISBN 978-0953447459
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