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1995–96 Southampton F.C. season

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Southampton F.C.
1995–96 season
ChairmanGuy Askham
ManagerAlan Ball
(until 2 July 1995)
Dave Merrington
(from 14 July 1995)
StadiumThe Dell
FA Premier League17th
FA CupSixth round
League CupFourth round
Top goalscorerLeague:
Matt Le Tissier (7)
Neil Shipperley (7)
All: Neil Shipperley (12)
Highest home attendance15,262 v Manchester
United (13 April 1996)
Lowest home attendance11,059 v West Ham
United (25 October 1995)
Average home league attendance14,822
Biggest win3–0 v Cardiff City
(19 September 1995)
3–0 v Portsmouth
(7 January 1996)
Biggest defeat0–3 v Chelsea
(16 September 1995)
1–4 v Manchester
United (18 November 1995)
0–3 v Queens Park
Rangers (30 March 1996)
0–3 v Aston Villa
(8 April 1996)

The 1995–96 Southampton F.C. season was the club's 95th season of competitive football, their 26th in the top flight of English football, and their fourth in the FA Premier League. It was the sole season to feature Dave Merrington as the club's manager, who took over from Alan Ball in the summer of 1995. After finishing 10th in 1994–95, their highest league position in five years, the Saints had a disappointing season as they finished 17th in the FA Premier League, avoiding relegation on goal difference only (with Ball's Manchester City side going down in their place). Outside the league, the club reached the sixth round of the FA Cup and the fourth round of the League Cup – the first time they had reached either stage since the 1991–92 season.

Southampton had a quiet transfer period ahead of the 1995–96 campaign, with Newcastle United full-back Alan Neilson their only first-team signing of the summer. Later in the season, Merrington signed right-back Barry Venison, goalkeeper Neil Moss and winger Mark Walters, as well as selling midfielder Paul Allen, centre-back Peter Whiston, winger Paul McDonald and striker Craig Maskell for small fees. The side played poorly throughout the season, picking up just nine wins in the league – their lowest tally in over 25 years – and scoring just 34 goals, the lowest in their 101-year league history. Southampton ultimately avoided relegation only on the basis of goal difference, with Manchester City's final day loss against Liverpool determining their relegation.

Outside the league, Southampton reached the sixth round of the FA Cup by defeating three sides in lower divisions: they beat local rivals Portsmouth of the First Division, made it past Second Division side Crewe Alexandra after a replay, and eliminated Swindon Town of the same division in the same manner. In their final game of the tournament, the Saints were eliminated by Manchester United, who went on to win the FA Premier League and FA Cup double. In the League Cup, Southampton beat Second Division strugglers Cardiff City and league rivals West Ham United, before facing elimination at the hands of First Division club Reading. This marked Southampton's best performance in both cups since 1991–92, when they reached the same stages.

Southampton used 25 players during the 1995–96 season and had 14 different goalscorers. In a low-scoring season, striker Neil Shipperley finished as the club's top goalscorer with just 12 goals in all competitions, including a joint-high (with Matt Le Tissier) seven in the league. Shipperley also made the most appearances for the club during the campaign, featuring in all but one league game across all competitions. Goalkeeper Dave Beasant won the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award for 1995–96. The average league attendance at The Dell in 1995–96 was 14,822 – a slight increase on the previous season. The highest attendance was 15,262 against Manchester United in April; the lowest was 11,059 against West Ham United in October.

Background and transfers

[edit]
Outgoing manager Alan Ball signed full-back Alan Neilson from Newcastle United in the summer of 1995 for £500,000.
Outgoing manager Alan Ball signed full-back Alan Neilson from Newcastle United in the summer of 1995 for £500,000.
Barry Venison was Dave Merrington's first signing for Southampton, bought from Galatasaray for £850,000 in October 1995.

Prior to leaving the club, manager Alan Ball made one signing for Southampton during the summer 1995 transfer window, bringing in full-back Alan Neilson from Newcastle United for £500,000.[1] Ball's replacement Dave Merrington did not sign anyone else until October, when he paid £850,000 for right-back Barry Venison from Turkish club Galatasaray.[2] The same month, midfielder Paul Allen was released on a free transfer to Second Division side Swindon Town and centre-back Peter Whiston – signed by Ball just over a year earlier – was sold to Shrewsbury Town (also of the third flight) for £50,000.[3][4] The last transfer of the calendar year saw 20-year-old goalkeeper Neil Moss arrive from local Second Division club Bournemouth just before Christmas – the Saints paid £200,000 for the player, which rose to £250,000 based on appearances.[5][6]

In the new year, Southampton signed winger Mark Walters from Liverpool on a free transfer.[7] In February, Scottish winger Paul McDonald – who had spent most of the season on loan at Burnley – was sold to another Second Division side, Brighton & Hove Albion (who were then managed by former Saints midfielder Jimmy Case), for a fee of £40,000 rising to £75,000 based on appearances.[5][8] Craig Maskell also moved to Case's Seagulls for £40,000 a few weeks later, following a two-month loan spell at Bristol City.[9] Later in March a third player, Scottish defender Derek Allan, moved to Brighton on loan for the rest of the season – he would join permanently at the beginning of the next season.[10]

Players transferred in

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
Alan Neilson  Wales DF England Newcastle United 1 June 1995 £500,000 [1]
Phil Warner  England DF none (free agent) July 1995 Free[a] [11]
Barry Venison  England DF Turkey Galatasaray 25 October 1995 £850,000 [2]
Neil Moss  England GK England Bournemouth 20 December 1995 £200,000+[b] [6]
Mark Walters  England MF England Liverpool 18 January 1996 Free [7]

Players transferred out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
Paul Allen  England MF England Swindon Town 11 October 1995 Free [3]
Peter Whiston  England DF England Shrewsbury Town 20 October 1995 £50,000 [4]
Paul McDonald  Scotland DF England Brighton & Hove Albion 16 February 1996 £40,000+[c] [8]
Craig Maskell  England MF England Brighton & Hove Albion 1 March 1996 £40,000 [9]

Players loaned out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date from Date to Ref.
Paul McDonald  Scotland DF England Burnley 15 September 1995 16 February 1996 [8]
Craig Maskell  England FW England Bristol City 28 December 1995 1 March 1996 [9]
Derek Allan  Scotland DF England Brighton & Hove Albion 28 March 1996 End of season [10]

Notes

  1. ^ Phil Warner initially joined as a trainee in July 1995, before turning professional in August 1997.[11]
  2. ^ Southampton initially paid £200,000 for Neil Moss, which rose to £250,000 based on appearances.[5][6]
  3. ^ Paul McDonald was initially sold for £40,000, which rose to £75,000 based on appearances.[5][8]

Pre-season friendlies

[edit]

Ahead of the 1995–96 campaign, Southampton played nine pre-season friendlies. In July, they embarked on a short tour of Ireland which included three games against local opposition – a 1–2 defeat at St Patrick's Athletic (who went on to become champions of the Irish Premier Division), a 4–2 win over Irish First Division side Waterford United, and a 0–1 loss at Cork City.[12] Back in England, they lost 1–2 at Second Division side Wycombe Wanderers and 0–3 at First Division side Millwall, before travelling over to the Netherlands where they drew 1–1 with Sparta Rotterdam and 2–2 with Volendam, both of the Eredivisie.[12] Whilst in the Netherlands, the Saints concluded their pre-season preparations by taking part in the Paling Cup, a friendly tournament consisting of 45-minute games – they drew 0–0 with IJsselmeervogels before beating Spakenburg 3–1.[12]

24 July 1995 Friendly Republic of Ireland St Patrick's Athletic 2–1 Southampton Dublin, Ireland
Widdrington Stadium: Richmond Park
26 July 1995 Friendly Republic of Ireland Waterford United 2–4 Southampton Waterford, Ireland
Le Tissier Maddison
Watson 		Stadium: Waterford RSC
28 July 1995 Friendly Republic of Ireland Cork City 1–0 Southampton Cork, Ireland
Stadium: Turners Cross
1 August 1995 Friendly Wycombe Wanderers 2–1 Southampton High Wycombe
Le Tissier Stadium: Adams Park
4 August 1995 Friendly Millwall 3–0 Southampton London
Stadium: The Den
8 August 1995 Friendly Netherlands Sparta Rotterdam 1–1 Southampton Rotterdam, Netherlands
Stadium: Sparta Stadion
9 August 1995 Friendly Netherlands Volendam 2–2 Southampton Volendam, Netherlands
Le Tissier Stadium: Kras Stadion
11 August 1995 Paling Cup Netherlands IJsselmeervogels 0–0 Southampton Netherlands
11 August 1995 Paling Cup Netherlands Spakenburg 1–3 Southampton Netherlands
Hughes
Le Tissier

FA Premier League

[edit]
Matt Le Tissier finished as Southampton's joint-top scorer in the league alongside Neil Shipperley, on seven goals each.
See also: 1995–96 FA Premier League

Southampton opened their 1995–96 FA Premier League season at home to Nottingham Forest, who had finished third in the league the previous year.[13] The end-to-end game finished 4–3 in favour of the visitors, with all three goals for the hosts scored by Matt Le Tissier – two from penalties given for fouls against him, one in the last ten minutes from a free kick.[14] After a 0–2 loss at Everton the next week, the Saints picked up their first points of the season in two home games against last season's fifth and sixth place finishers, drawing 1–1 with Leeds United and beating Newcastle United 1–0 thanks to a second-half goal from Jim Magilton.[14] They subsequently dropped into the relegation zone for the first time after three poor away results in a row: a goalless draw at recently-promoted Middlesbrough, a 0–3 defeat at Chelsea and a 2–4 loss at Arsenal.[14] They stayed there into October with another goalless draw, this time at home to West Ham United, followed by another two defeats: 1–2 at reigning league champions Blackburn Rovers and 1–3 at home to fellow title challengers Liverpool.[14] During the latter game, Le Tissier received the second of two career red cards when he was dismissed for "ungentlemanly conduct", following fouls on Ian Rush and Phil Babb.[15]

After spending a few weeks in the bottom three of the table, the Saints picked up two crucial victories when they beat Wimbledon 2–1 (thanks to a Neil Shipperley double) and Queens Park Rangers 2–0, with both games featuring dismissals for the opposition.[14] The improvement in form was short-lived, however, as two more defeats against top-tier opponents followed – first, the South Coast side lost 1–4 at Manchester United, who went 3–0 up within the first nine minutes; and two days later, they lost 0–1 at home to Aston Villa.[14] A 1–0 win over fellow strugglers Bolton Wanderers and two more draws against Liverpool and ten-man Arsenal ensured the team stayed clear of the relegation places.[14]

Southampton did not win again until 20 January 1996, when they overturned a 0–1 deficit to beat Middlesbrough 2–1 at The Dell.[5] After another pair of draws against Manchester City and Everton, though, the Saints faced four consecutive defeats which saw them drop back into the bottom three.[16] The run included a marginal 2–3 defeat at home to Chelsea in which they "dominate[d] large chunks of the game", followed by a 0–1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur, a 1–2 defeat at Manchester City in which they saw a goal disallowed in injury time, and a 0–1 loss hosting Sheffield Wednesday, who scored the only goal of the game within the first minute.[17] They moved up to 17th in the table with a 1–0 win over Coventry City, before losing again at Queens Park Rangers, who were also fighting against the threat of relegation, and mid-table side Leeds United.[17]

The beginning of April saw Southampton pick up an unlikely 1–0 win over defending league champions Blackburn Rovers, thanks to an 80th-minute Le Tissier penalty.[17] Another loss against Aston Villa was followed by another upset as the Saints beat league leaders (and eventual champions) Manchester United 3–1 at home, scoring all three of their goals in the first half (including Le Tissier's first in open play since the beginning of the season).[18] This game became infamous after United changed from their regular grey away strip to their blue-and-white third kit at half time, claiming that the players were struggling to see one another on the field.[19] Two weeks later, Southampton beat Bolton Wanderers 1–0 at Burnden Park to confirm the hosts' relegation, before confirming their own safety a week later with a goalless draw against Wimbledon – Manchester City, managed by previous Saints boss Alan Ball – went down in 18th place on goal difference behind Southampton and Coventry City, after failing to secure a win against final opponents Liverpool.[18]

List of match results

[edit]
19 August 1995 1 Southampton 3–4 Nottingham Forest Southampton
16:00 BST Le Tissier 10' (pen.), 69' (pen.), 81', Yellow card 86'
Heaney Yellow card 16'		 Report Cooper 8'
Campbell Yellow card 15'
Woan 36', Yellow card 86'
Roy 42', 79'
Bohinen Yellow card 80'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,164
Referee: Gary Willard
26 August 1995 2 Everton 2–0 Southampton Liverpool
15:00 BST Limpar 35'
Amokachi 43'		 Report Hall Yellow card 72'
Le Tissier Yellow card 76'		 Stadium: Goodison Park
Attendance: 33,668
Referee: Jeff Winter
30 August 1995 3 Southampton 1–1 Leeds United Southampton
19:30 BST Widdrington 82' Report Dorigo Yellow card 43', 71'
Pemberton Yellow card 82'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,212
Referee: Keith Cooper
9 September 1995 4 Southampton 1–0 Newcastle United Southampton
15:00 BST Neilson Yellow card 30'
Hall Yellow card 32'
Magilton 64'
Benali Yellow card 76'		 Report Gillespie Yellow card 62' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,237
Referee: Gerald Ashby
12 September 1995 5 Middlesbrough 0–0 Southampton Middlesbrough
19:45 BST Pearson Yellow card 42'
Mustoe Yellow card 76'		 Report Benali Yellow card 51' Stadium: Riverside Stadium
Attendance: 29,181
Referee: Peter Jones
16 September 1995 6 Chelsea 3–0 Southampton London
15:00 BST Sinclair 74'
Gullit 89'
Hughes 90'		 Report Neilson Yellow card 64'
Dodd Yellow card
Le Tissier Yellow card
Maddison Yellow card
Magilton Yellow card		 Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 26,237
Referee: Paul Alcock
23 September 1995 7 Arsenal 4–2 Southampton London
15:00 BST Bergkamp 17', 68'
Adams 23'
Wright 73', Yellow card		 Report Heaney Yellow card 11'
Watson 24'
Monkou 45'
Shipperley Yellow card 77'
Hall Yellow card
Le Tissier Yellow card		 Stadium: Arsenal Stadium
Attendance: 38,136
Referee: Robbie Hart
2 October 1995 8 Southampton 0–0 West Ham United Southampton
20:00 BST Widdrington Yellow card 23'
Benali Yellow card 71'		 Report Hutchison Yellow card 44'
Moncur Yellow card 85'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,568
Referee: Graham Poll
14 October 1995 9 Blackburn Rovers 2–1 Southampton Blackburn
15:00 BST Bohinen 19'
Shearer 69'		 Report Maddison 90'
Monkou Yellow card		 Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 26,780
Referee: Mike Reed
22 October 1995 10 Southampton 1–3 Liverpool Southampton
16:00 BST Watson 2'
Le Tissier Yellow card 12' Yellow-red card 68'		 Report McManaman 21', 55'
Babb Yellow card 66'
Redknapp 73'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,245
Referee: Dermot Gallagher
28 October 1995 11 Wimbledon 1–2 Southampton London
15:00 GMT Fitzgerald Yellow card 55' Yellow-red card 84'
Euell 63'		 Report Shipperley 8', 74' Stadium: Selhurst Park
Attendance: 7,982
Referee: Jeff Winter
4 November 1995 12 Southampton 2–0 Queens Park Rangers Southampton
15:00 GMT Dodd 2'
Le Tissier 76'
Benali Yellow card
Heaney Yellow card		 Report Bardsley Red card 76'
Dichio Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,137
Referee: Roger Dilkes
18 November 1995 13 Manchester United 4–1 Southampton Manchester
15:00 GMT Giggs 1', 4'
Scholes 9'
Cole 69'
Butt Yellow card 70'		 Report Widdrington Yellow card 2'
Shipperley 86'		 Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 39,301
Referee: Paul Danson
20 November 1995 14 Southampton 0–1 Aston Villa Southampton
20:00 GMT Report Johnson Yellow card 8', 29'
Milošević Yellow card 14'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,582
Referee: David Elleray
25 November 1995 15 Southampton 1–0 Bolton Wanderers Southampton
15:00 GMT Monkou Yellow card 39'
Hughes 73'		 Report Thompson Yellow card 12'
Taggart Yellow card 83'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,404
Referee: Peter Jones
2 December 1995 16 Liverpool 1–1 Southampton Liverpool
15:00 GMT Collymore 66'
Clough Yellow card 67'		 Report Monkou Yellow card 29'
Dodd Yellow card 35'
Shipperley 60'
Charlton Yellow card 87'		 Stadium: Anfield
Attendance: 38,007
Referee: Robbie Hart
9 December 1995 17 Southampton 0–0 Arsenal Southampton
15:00 GMT Le Tissier Yellow card 41' Report Winterburn Yellow card 2'
Merson Yellow card 34'
Keown Yellow card 41'
Bould Yellow card 46'
Adams Red card 54'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,238
Referee: Paul Danson
16 December 1995 18 West Ham United 2–1 Southampton London
15:00 GMT Moncur Yellow card 44'
Dowie Yellow card 54', 83'
Breacker Yellow card 79'
Cottee 80'		 Report Bishop 23' (o.g.)
Venison Yellow card 29'
Hall Yellow card 86'		 Stadium: Boleyn Ground
Attendance: 18,501
Referee: Alan Wilkie
23 December 1995 19 Sheffield Wednesday 2–2 Southampton Sheffield
15:00 GMT Hirst 13' (pen.), 50' (pen.)
Nolan Yellow card 55'		 Report Heaney 6'
Hall Yellow card 50'
Magilton 79' (pen.)
Neilson Yellow card 88'		 Stadium: Hillsborough Stadium
Attendance: 25,115
Referee: Jeff Winter
26 December 1995 20 Southampton 0–0 Tottenham Hotspur Southampton
12:00 GMT Charlton Yellow card 17'
Venison Yellow card 47'		 Report Edinburgh Yellow card 55' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,238
Referee: Paul Durkin
1 January 1996 21 Coventry City 1–1 Southampton Coventry
15:00 GMT Richardson Yellow card 22'
Busst Yellow card 51'
Whelan 83'		 Report Heaney 64' Stadium: Highfield Road
Attendance: 16,818
Referee: Keith Cooper
13 January 1996 22 Nottingham Forest 1–0 Southampton Nottingham
15:00 GMT Cooper 44'
Pearce Yellow card 48'		 Report Dodd Yellow card 25'
Monkou Yellow card 50'		 Stadium: City Ground
Attendance: 23,321
Referee: Stephen Lodge
20 January 1996 23 Southampton 2–1 Middlesbrough Southampton
15:00 GMT Shipperley 64'
Walters Yellow card 70'
Hall 72'		 Report Barmby 44'
O'Halloran Yellow card 55'
Whelan Yellow card 67' Yellow-red card 71'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,151
Referee: Keith Burge
31 January 1996 24 Southampton 1–1 Manchester City Southampton
19:30 GMT Le Tissier Yellow card 30'
Walters Yellow card 47'
Shipperley 66'		 Report Curle Yellow card 51'
Frontzeck Yellow card 75'
Rösler 84'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,172
Referee: Steve Dunn
3 February 1996 25 Southampton 2–2 Everton Southampton
15:00 GMT Watson 1'
Magilton 77'		 Report Short Yellow card 36'
Stuart 52'
Horne 56'
Limpar Yellow card 62'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,136
Referee: David Elleray
24 February 1996 26 Southampton 2–3 Chelsea Southampton
15:00 GMT Widdrington 6'
Watson Yellow card 33'
Clarke 38' (o.g.)
Magilton Yellow card 48'
Venison Yellow card 80'		 Report Wise 20', 26' (pen.), Yellow card 22'
Hughes Yellow card 52'
Gullit 53'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,226
Referee: Gerald Ashby
2 March 1996 27 Tottenham Hotspur 1–0 Southampton London
15:00 GMT Dozzell 63' Report Benali Yellow card 43'
Widdrington Yellow card 58'		 Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 26,320
Referee: Keith Burge
16 March 1996 28 Manchester City 2–1 Southampton Manchester
15:00 GMT Kinkladze 32', 38'
Rösler Yellow card 33'
Summerbee Yellow card 77'
Clough Yellow card 79'
Flitcroft Yellow card 82'		 Report Hall Yellow card 33'
Tisdale 65'
Hughes Yellow card 66'
Charlton Yellow card 75'
Le Tissier Yellow card 80'
Watson Red card 89'		 Stadium: Maine Road
Attendance: 29,550
Referee: Jeff Winter
20 March 1996 29 Southampton 0–1 Sheffield Wednesday Southampton
19:30 GMT Report Degryse 1'
Sheridan Yellow card 63'
Whittingham Yellow card 74'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,216
Referee: Martin Bodenham
25 March 1996 30 Southampton 1–0 Coventry City Southampton
20:00 GMT Dodd 2'
Venison Yellow card 25'
Le Tissier Yellow card 70'
Monkou Yellow card 75'		 Report Williams Yellow card 18' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,461
Referee: Stephen Lodge
30 March 1996 31 Queens Park Rangers 3–0 Southampton London
15:00 GMT Brevett 24', Yellow card
Dichio 59'
Gallen 77'
Bardsley Yellow card
Holloway Yellow card
Yates Yellow card		 Report Charlton Yellow card
Dodd Yellow card
Monkou Yellow card		 Stadium: Loftus Road
Attendance: 17,615
Referee: Peter Jones
3 April 1996 32 Leeds United 1–0 Southampton Leeds
19:45 BST Deane 72'
Radebe Yellow card 87'		 Report Venison Yellow card 86' Stadium: Elland Road
Attendance: 26,077
Referee: Martin Bodenham
6 April 1996 33 Southampton 1–0 Blackburn Rovers Southampton
15:00 BST Le Tissier 80' (pen.) Report Gallacher Yellow card 14' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,793
Referee: David Elleray
8 April 1996 34 Aston Villa 3–0 Southampton Birmingham
15:00 BST Taylor 64'
Charles 78'
Yorke 81'
Milošević Yellow card		 Report Dodd Yellow card Stadium: Villa Park
Attendance: 34,059
Referee: Paul Danson
13 April 1996 35 Southampton 3–1 Manchester United Southampton
15:00 BST Monkou 11'
Shipperley 23'
Le Tissier 43'
Venison Yellow card 64'		 Report Beckham Yellow card 50'
Giggs 88'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,262
Referee: Graham Poll
17 April 1996 36 Newcastle United 1–0 Southampton Newcastle upon Tyne
19:45 BST Lee 9'
Beardsley Yellow card 69'		 Report Heaney Yellow card 61'
Neilson Yellow card 67'
Le Tissier Yellow card 78'		 Stadium: St James' Park
Attendance: 36,554
Referee: Dermot Gallagher
27 April 1996 37 Bolton Wanderers 0–1 Southampton Bolton
15:00 BST Sellars Yellow card 57'
Coleman Yellow card 59'
Bergsson Yellow card 73'		 Report Le Tissier 25', Yellow card 64'
Benali Yellow card 65'		 Stadium: Burnden Park
Attendance: 18,795
Referee: Gerald Ashby
5 May 1996 38 Southampton 0–0 Wimbledon Southampton
16:00 BST Heaney Yellow card 81' Report Perry Yellow card 68' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,172
Referee: Mike Reed

Final league table

[edit]
Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
15 Sheffield Wednesday 38 10 10 18 48 61 −13 40
16 Coventry City 38 8 14 16 42 60 −18 38
17 Southampton 38 9 11 18 34 52 −18 38
18 Manchester City (R) 38 9 11 18 33 58 −25 38 Relegation to Football League First Division
19 Queens Park Rangers (R) 38 9 6 23 38 57 −19 33
Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated


Results by matchday

[edit]
Round1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738
GroundHAHHAAAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAAHHHHAAHHAAHAHAAH
ResultLLDWDLLDLLWWLLWDDLDDDLWDDLLLLWLLWLWLWD
Position1220191514161817181817141515141415151515161616151515181818171717161616161717
Source: 11v11.com
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

FA Cup

[edit]
See also: 1995–96 FA Cup

Southampton entered the 1995–96 FA Cup in the third round against local rivals Portsmouth – the first FA Cup meeting between the two sides since 1984, and the first at The Dell since 1906.[20] The top-flight hosts dominated the early exchanges against their First Division opponents and opened the scoring in the 12th minute, when Jim Magilton "bundled the ball in" after Pompey goalkeeper Alan Knight had saved a header by Neil Heaney from a Gordon Watson cross.[20][21] The Saints came close to making it 2–0 later in the first half, eventually doubling their lead within 50 seconds of the restart when Matt Le Tissier "ran half the length of the pitch" but saw his shot saved by Knight, before Magilton replicated his first goal with another close-range finish.[22][21] Magilton almost completed a hat-trick a few minutes later, but it took until the last ten minutes for Southampton to score a third, when Neil Shipperley converted a "straightforward chance" created by Le Tissier, completing a 3–0 win described by club historians as "one-sided".[22]

In the fourth round, Southampton hosted Second Division side Crewe Alexandra, who were second in the third-flight league table at the time.[22] Despite the difference in divisions, it was the lower-ranked visitors who opened the scoring after only five minutes, when a cross from Gareth Whalley "drifted" into the corner of Dave Beasant's goal.[22] In response, the Premier League hosts created a number of opportunities to equalise, with Magilton, Shipperley, Richard Hall and Mark Walters all coming close to scoring in the run-up to half time.[22] The Saints eventually drew level just after the hour mark, when Le Tissier "curl[ed] a delightful shot into the top corner" from a setup by Neil Maddison.[22] They came close to winning the tie on multiple occasions towards the end of the game, with saves by Mark Gayle and a clearance off the line by Neil Lennon keeping Crewe in the tie and forcing a replay.[22] Southampton triumphed in the first half of the replay at Gresty Road, with goals from Shipperley, Hall and Jason Dodd putting the visitors 3–0 up within half an hour.[23] Despite their domination of the first half, Southampton came close to losing their lead after the break, as Crewe pulled two back through Rob Edwards and Ashley Westwood.[23]

Matt Oakley scored on his FA Cup debut to help Southampton reach the sixth round.
Matt Oakley scored on his FA Cup debut to help Southampton reach the sixth round.

Another Second Division club, Swindon Town, hosted Southampton in the fifth round. Against the run of play, the Robins opened the scoring in the 32nd minute through Kevin Horlock.[23] Dominating the second half just as they had the first, the Saints eventually equalised with just over ten minutes left to play, when Watson headed in a corner from Le Tissier to make it 1–1 and force another replay.[23] In the rematch at The Dell, Southampton came close to breaking the deadlock on multiple occasions in the first half, but were unable to make it through Swindon's aggressive defensive line.[23] They eventually opened the scoring just after the hour mark, when FA Cup debutant Matt Oakley side-footed in a ricocheted ball from the edge of the penalty area for 1–0.[24] The visitors responded well and almost equalised not long after, but it was the Saints who struck again before the 90 minutes were up through Shipperley, who scored from inside the box from a setup by Magilton not dealt with by Swindon goalkeeper Fraser Digby.[24]

In their first FA Cup sixth round appearance since 1992, Southampton travelled to Old Trafford to face Manchester United, who had finished the previous season as runners-up in both the league and the FA Cup. The hosts began strong, dominating possession and creating chances on goal, with Eric Cantona and Andy Cole coming close to breaking the deadlock up front.[24] The Saints retaliated in kind and thought they had scored just before the break through a Shipperley header, but the goal was disallowed as Lee Sharpe had been pushed in the build-up.[24] Shortly after the half-time break, United opened the scoring through Cantona, who "slotted home with the minimum of fuss" from a Ryan Giggs cross.[24] Despite conceding, it was Southampton who dominated much of the second half, winning numerous corners but seeing chances denied by the home defence; and it was the hosts who finally scored a second goal, when Sharpe finished a move started by Cantona in injury time to make it 2–0 and send the Saints out of the competition.[24]

7 January 1996 Round 3 Southampton 3–0 Portsmouth Southampton
12:00 GMT Magilton 12', 46'
Shipperley 81'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,236
Referee: Martin Bodenham
7 February 1996 Round 4 Southampton 1–1 Crewe Alexandra Southampton
Whalley 5' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,736
13 February 1996 Round 4 Replay Crewe Alexandra 2–3 Southampton Crewe
Edwards 52'
Westwood 75'		 Shipperley 8'
Hall 19'
Dodd 26'		 Stadium: Gresty Road
Attendance: 5,579
Referee: Paul Alcock
17 February 1996 Round 5 Swindon Town 1–1 Southampton Swindon
Horlock 32' Watson Stadium: County Ground
Attendance: 15,035
28 February 1996 Round 5 Replay Southampton 2–0 Swindon Town Southampton
Oakley 62'
Shipperley 76'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,962
11 March 1996 Round 6 Manchester United 2–0 Southampton Manchester
Cantona 49'
Sharpe 90+2'		 Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 45,446
Referee: Steve Dunn

League Cup

[edit]
See also: 1995–96 Football League Cup

Southampton entered the League Cup in the second round against Second Division side Cardiff City. In the first leg at Ninian Park, the Saints eased past the Welsh hosts 3–0, with Matt Le Tissier's first-half opener followed by his second and a Neil Shipperley third within the first five minutes of the second half.[25] In the second leg at home, the FA Premier League side took their aggregate win to 5–1, with Gordon Watson and Richard Hall converting in the second half after Cardiff's early opener to save their side from potential embarrassment.[25] In the third round, the Saints hosted fellow top-flight side West Ham United. After Watson diverted a long-range shot from Shipperley in for 1–0 in the fourth minute, the Hammers responded just after the half-hour mark with an equaliser courtesy of Tony Cottee.[25] It took until the 79th minute for the deadlock to be broken, when Shipperley headed in a cross from Jason Dodd to send Southampton through.[25] The fourth round saw the Saints travel to First Division side Reading. On the back foot from the start, the top-flight visitors were forced to equalise just before the break through Ken Monkou following an early Reading opener.[25] In the second half, Trevor Morley regained the lead for the second-flight hosts and eliminated Southampton from the competition.[25]

19 September 1995 Round 2 Leg 1 Wales Cardiff City 0–3 Southampton Cardiff, Wales
Le Tissier 27', 47'
Shipperley 50'		 Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 9,041
4 October 1995 Round 2 Leg 2 Southampton 2–1
(5–1 agg.)		 Wales Cardiff City Southampton
Watson 53'
Hall 82'		 Dale 21' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 12,709
25 October 1995 Round 3 Southampton 2–1 West Ham United Southampton
Watson 4'
Shipperley 79'		 Cottee 33' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 11,059
19 September 1995 Round 2 Leg 1 Reading 2–1 Southampton Reading
Nogan 28'
Morley 65'		 Monkou 44' Stadium: Elm Park
Attendance: 13,742

Other matches

[edit]

Outside the league and cup competitions, Southampton played one additional match during the 1995–96 season. In April 1996, ahead of the final two games of the FA Premier League campaign, the Saints travelled to face a team put together by the Bahrain national side. They won the tie 1–0 thanks to a 20-yard free kick from Matt Le Tissier.[17]

23 April 1996 Friendly Bahrain Bahrain National XI 0–1 Southampton Riffa, Bahrain
Le Tissier Stadium: Bahrain National Stadium

Player details

[edit]

Southampton used 25 players during the 1995–96 season, 14 of whom scored during the campaign.[26] Four players made their debut appearances for the club, including three of their four first team signings (Alan Neilson,[1] Barry Venison,[2] and Mark Walters[7]) and one signing from the previous season (Christer Warren[27]). Walters also made his last appearance for the Saints during the campaign,[7] as did departees Craig Maskell[9] and Paul McDonald,[8] plus four players sold the next season (Frankie Bennett,[28] Bruce Grobbelaar,[29] Richard Hall,[30] Tommy Widdrington[31]) and one sold the season after (Paul Tisdale[32]). Striker Neil Shipperley, in his first full season at the club, made the most appearances for Southampton during the season, playing in 47 of their 48 games.[26] Shipperley also finished as the club's top goalscorer with 12 goals in all competitions, including seven in the league – joint top with Matt Le Tissier.[26] Goalkeeper Dave Beasant won the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award for the 1995–96 campaign.[17]

Squad statistics

[edit]
No. Name Pos. Nat. League FA Cup League Cup Total Discipline
Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals
1 Bruce Grobbelaar GK Zimbabwe 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
2 Jason Dodd DF England 37 2 5 1 4 0 46 3 5 0
3 Francis Benali DF England 28(1) 0 1 0 4 0 33(1) 0 6 0
4 Jim Magilton MF Northern Ireland 31 3 6 2 3 0 40 5 2 0
5 Richard Hall DF England 30 1 5 1 4 1 39 3 6 0
6 Ken Monkou DF Netherlands 31(1) 2 6 0 4 1 41(1) 3 6 0
7 Matt Le Tissier MF England 34 7 5 1 4 2 43 10 10 1
8 Gordon Watson FW England 18(7) 2 5 1 2(1) 2 25(8) 5 1 1
9 Neil Shipperley FW England 37 7 6 3 4 2 47 12 1 0
10 Neil Maddison MF England 13(2) 1 0(2) 0 2(1) 0 15(5) 1 1 0
11 Neil Heaney MF England 15(2) 2 1 0 2(1) 0 18(3) 2 5 0
12 Tommy Widdrington MF England 20(1) 2 4 0 2 0 26(1) 2 3 0
13 Dave Beasant GK England 36 0 6 0 4 0 46 0 0 0
14 Simon Charlton DF England 24(2) 0 6 0 0(1) 0 30(3) 0 4 0
15 Alan Neilson MF Wales 15(3) 0 1 0 0 0 16(3) 0 4 0
16 David Hughes MF England 6(5) 1 0(1) 0 2 0 8(6) 1 1 0
17 Paul Tisdale MF England 5(4) 1 0 0 0 0 5(4) 1 0 0
19 Mark Walters MF England 4(1) 1 4 0 0 0 8(1) 1 2 0
21 Frankie Bennett FW England 5(6) 0 0 0 0(1) 0 5(7) 0 0 0
22 Barry Venison DF England 21(1) 0 3 0 2 0 26(1) 0 6 0
23 Darryl Flahavan GK England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
24 Christer Warren MF England 1(6) 0 0 0 1 0 2(6) 0 0 0
25 Paul Sheerin MF Scotland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
26 Matthew Robinson DF England 0(5) 0 0(2) 0 0 0 0(7) 0 0 0
27 Matt Oakley MF England 5(5) 0 2(1) 1 0 0 7(6) 1 0 0
Squad members who left before the end of the season
18 Craig Maskell FW England 0(1) 0 0(1) 0 0 0 0(2) 0 0 0
19 Paul Allen MF England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
20 Paul McDonald DF Scotland 0(1) 0 0(1) 0 0 0 0(2) 0 0 0
22 Peter Whiston DF England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
— Derek Allan DF Scotland 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 Shipperley FW 37 0 6 0 4 0 47 0 47
2 Dave Beasant GK 36 0 6 0 4 0 46 0 46
Jason Dodd DF 37 0 5 0 4 0 46 0 46
4 Matt Le Tissier MF 34 0 5 0 4 0 43 0 43
5 Ken Monkou DF 31 1 6 0 4 0 41 1 42
6 Jim Magilton MF 31 0 6 0 3 0 40 0 40
7 Richard Hall DF 30 0 5 0 4 0 39 0 39
8 Francis Benali DF 28 1 1 0 4 0 33 1 34
9 Simon Charlton DF 24 2 6 0 0 1 30 3 33
Gordon Watson FW 18 7 5 0 2 1 25 8 33

Top goalscorers

[edit]
Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup League Cup Total
Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps GPG
1 Neil Shipperley FW 7 37 3 6 2 4 12 47 0.26
2 Matt Le Tissier MF 7 34 1 5 2 4 10 43 0.23
3 Gordon Watson FW 2 25 1 5 2 3 5 33 0.15
Jim Magilton MF 3 31 2 6 0 3 5 40 0.13
5 Richard Hall DF 1 30 1 5 1 4 3 39 0.08
Ken Monkou DF 2 32 0 6 1 4 3 42 0.07
Jason Dodd DF 2 37 1 5 0 4 3 46 0.07
8 Neil Heaney MF 2 17 0 1 0 3 2 21 0.10
Tommy Widdrington MF 2 21 0 4 0 2 2 27 0.07
10 Paul Tisdale MF 1 9 0 0 0 0 1 9 0.11
Mark Walters MF 1 5 0 4 0 0 1 9 0.11
Matt Oakley MF 0 10 1 3 0 0 1 13 0.08
David Hughes MF 1 11 0 1 0 2 1 14 0.07
Neil Maddison MF 1 15 0 2 1 3 1 20 0.05

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Alan Neilson". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Barry Venison". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Paul Allen". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Peter Whiston". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 243
  6. ^ a b c "Neil Moss". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d "Mark Walters". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Paul McDonald". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d "Craig Maskell". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Derek Allan". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Phil Warner". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  12. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 231
  13. ^ Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 241
  14. ^ a b c d e f g Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 242
  15. ^ "Le Tiss off as McManaman stuns Dell". LFC History. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  16. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 20 March 1996". 11v11.com. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d e Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 244
  18. ^ a b Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 245
  19. ^ "Manchester United's grey kit: Gary Neville reflects on 1996 defeat at Southampton". Sky Sports. 14 April 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  20. ^ a b Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 402
  21. ^ a b Juson et al. 2004, pp. 204–206
  22. ^ a b c d e f g Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 403
  23. ^ a b c d e Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 404
  24. ^ a b c d e f Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 405
  25. ^ a b c d e f Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 294
  26. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, pp. 246, 294, 402–405
  27. ^ "Christer Warren". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  28. ^ "Frankie Bennett". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  29. ^ "Bruce Grobbelaar". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  30. ^ "Richard Hall". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  31. ^ "Tommy Widdrington". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  32. ^ "Paul Tisdale". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 17 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
[edit]
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