1993–94 Southampton F.C. season

Southampton F.C.
1993–94 season
Chairman Guy Askham
Manager Ian Branfoot
(until January 1994)
Alan Ball
(from January 1994)
Stadium The Dell
FA Premier League 18th
FA Cup Third Round
League Cup Second Round
Top goalscorer League:
Matthew Le Tissier (25)
All:
Matthew Le Tissier (25)
Highest home attendance 19,105 vs Blackburn Rovers (16 April 1994)
Lowest home attendance League:
9,028 vs Ipswich Town
(8 December 1993)
Overall:
5,038 vs Shrewsbury Town
(22 September 1993)
Average home league attendance League: 14,751
Overall: 14,169
Home colours
← 1992–93 1994–95 →

The 1993–94 Southampton F.C. season was the club's second in the Premier League, and their 24th season in the top division of English football. Having narrowly avoided relegation from the newly formed league the previous season, the club were looking to improve their performances in order to remain in the top flight for another year. For the second year in a row, Southampton finished 18th in the league, again just one point above the relegation zone. They also reached the third round of the FA Cup, and the second round of the League Cup.

The club brought in a number of players throughout the season to try and bolster the squad – defenders Simon Charlton and Paul McDonald were transferred during the 1993 summer transfer window, followed by midfielders Paul Allen and Peter Reid, and goalkeeper Dave Beasant, later in the year. After Christmas Southampton also enlisted the services of striker Craig Maskell, midfielder Jim Magilton, and winger Neil Heaney. Tim Flowers was sold to Blackburn Rovers in November 1993 for £2 million, while Glenn Cockerill, Paul Moody and Micky Adams all departed too.

Halfway through the season, on 10 January 1994, Southampton manager Ian Branfoot was dismissed from his position at the club. At the time, the club were placed second from bottom in the Premier League table, with just five wins from a total of 24 matches. Former Saints midfielder Alan Ball was appointed as Branfoot's replacement, and made an instant impact by leading the team to three wins out of the next four matches, and eventually to safety in the Premier League. He would remain with Southampton for the following season, and left in 1995.

At the end of the season Southampton finished 18th in the Premier League table with 12 wins, 7 draws and 23 losses, just two positions and one point above the relegation zone. Matthew Le Tissier was the club's top scorer with 25 goals in the league, making him the third best goalscorer in the league that season. Le Tissier also won the Southampton Player of the Season award, joining Peter Shilton and Tim Flowers as a second winner of the accolade. At the end of the season, striker Lee Powell was released from the club.

FA Premier League

Southampton's start to the second Premier League season was one of the worst in the league, with the club losing eight out of their first nine games. In the other match the Saints picked up their best win of the season, overcoming Swindon Town 5–1, with Matthew Le Tissier scoring two goals. The team improved throughout October and November, picking up 11 points from a total of 21 in a seven-match period, including tight home wins over Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, and a 2–0 win at Aston Villa. During this period, Le Tissier continued to increase his scoring record by netting six more times for Southampton.

Following this positive run of results, Southampton had dropped back into the relegation zone by Christmas when they lost five games in a row, scoring just one goal overall. In the three matches immediately after Christmas, the club beat Chelsea 3–1, drew 1–1 with Manchester City, and lost 0–1 to Norwich City, after which chairman Guy Askham dismissed manager Ian Branfoot and replaced him with former Saints midfielder Alan Ball.

With Ball in charge fortunes appeared to change, as Southampton won four of their next five games, the only loss coming against Oldham Athletic. During this period, Matthew Le Tissier scored at least once in every match, including a hat-trick against Liverpool. Thanks to those wins, by the end of February the Saints were up to 17th in the table, their highest position that season. The run didn't last long however, as the side went seven matches without a win between 5 March and 9 April 1994, including a 0–4 loss against Arsenal at The Dell.

Southampton saved their Premier League place in the final month of the season, winning three and drawing one to pull themselves up to 18th in the table, the same position as the season before. The first win was a dramatic 5–4 victory over Norwich City, in which Le Tissier scored his second hat-trick of the season. The second win came against Blackburn Rovers, to whom the Saints had in recent times sold both star striker Alan Shearer and mainstay goalkeeper Tim Flowers, and the third win was the second of the season over Aston Villa, which Southampton won 4–1. The final match of the season saw the Hampshire side sharing the spoils with West Ham United in a dramatic 3–3 draw at the Boleyn Ground, which meant they dropped down from 17th to 18th in the final Premier League standings.


Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142
GroundHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Result L L L W L L L L L D D W L W L W L L L L L W D L W W L W W D D L L L L L W W L W L D
Position 17 20 22 18 19 19 20 21 21 21 21 20 21 20 20 19 20 21 21 21 21 20 20 21 20 18 19 17 17 18 18 18 18 20 21 21 20 19 19 17 17 18

Source: statto.com
Ground: A = Away; H = Home. Result: D = Draw; L = Loss; W = Win; P = Postponed.

Pos Club Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
16Manchester City 42918153849–1145
17Everton 42128224263–2144
18Southampton 42127234966–1743
19Ipswich Town 42916173558–2343
20Sheffield United 42818164260–1842

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

FA Cup

As a Premier League club, Southampton entered the 1993–94 FA Cup in the Third Round. They were drawn against Second Division side Port Vale, who defeated the Saints 1–0 in the replay following a 1–1 draw in which Iain Dowie scored.

League Cup

As a Premier League club, Southampton entered the 1993–94 Football League Cup in the Second Round. They were drawn against Third Division side Shrewsbury Town, who defeated the Saints 2–0 in the second leg after Southampton's 1–0 first leg victory.

Squad statistics

No. Pos. Nat. Name League FA Cup League Cup Total Discipline
Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals
1 GK England Dave Beasant 250 20 00 270 10
2 DF Republic of Ireland Jeff Kenna 40(1)2 10 10 42(1)2 40
4 MF Northern Ireland Jim Magilton 150 00 00 150 00
5 DF England Richard Hall 40 00 10 50 00
6 DF Netherlands Ken Monkou 354 20 10 384 50
7 FW England Matthew Le Tissier 3825 20 00 4025 50
8 FW England Craig Maskell 6(4)1 00 00 6(4)1 00
9 FW Northern Ireland Iain Dowie 395 21 20 436 80
10 MF England Neil Maddison 417 20 20 457 20
11 DF England Francis Benali 34(3)0 10 20 37(3)0 31
12 MF England Neil Heaney 20 00 00 20 00
13 GK England Ian Andrews 50 00 00 50 00
14 DF England Simon Charlton 29(4)1 10 10 31(4)1 10
15 DF England Jason Dodd 5(5)0 20 00 7(5)0 10
16 FW England Nicky Banger 4(10)0 0(1)0 0(1)0 4(12)0 10
17 DF England Kevin Moore 140 10 21 171 00
18 DF England Steve Wood 270 10 1(1)0 29(1)0 20
19 DF Scotland Paul McDonald 00 00 00 00 00
21 MF England Tommy Widdrington 111 20 00 131 20
22 DF England Matthew Bound 10 00 00 10 00
23 GK England Neil Hopper 00 00 00 00 00
24 FW England Frankie Bennett 0(8)1 0(1)0 10 1(9)1 00
25 MF England Neal Bartlett 4(3)0 00 0(1)0 4(4)0 00
26 FW Wales Lee Powell 10 00 00 10 00
27 MF England Paul Allen 29(3)1 20 20 33(3)1 50
29 MF England David Hughes 0(2)0 00 00 0(2)0 00
30 FW Scotland Colin Cramb 0(1)0 00 00 0(1)0 00
Players with appearances who left before the end of the season
1 GK England Tim Flowers 120 00 20 140 00
3 DF England Micky Adams 17(2)0 10 10 19(2)0 20
4 MF England Terry Hurlock 20 00 00 20 10
8 MF England Glenn Cockerill 12(2)0 1(1)0 00 13(3)0 00
20 FW England Paul Moody 3(2)0 00 10 4(2)0 00
28 MF England Peter Reid 70 00 10 00 80

Most appearances

Pos. Nat. Name League FA Cup League Cup Total
Starts Subs Starts Subs Starts Subs Starts Subs Total
1 MF England Neil Maddison 410 20 20 45045
2 FW Northern Ireland Iain Dowie 390 20 20 43043
DF Republic of Ireland Jeff Kenna 401 10 10 42143
4 FW England Matthew Le Tissier 380 20 00 40040
DF England Francis Benali 343 10 20 37340
6 DF Netherlands Ken Monkou 350 20 10 38038
7 MF England Paul Allen 293 20 20 33336
8 DF England Simon Charlton 294 10 10 31435
9 DF England Steve Wood 270 10 11 29130
10 GK England Dave Beasant 250 20 00 27027

Top goalscorers

Pos. Nat. Name League FA Cup League Cup Total
1 FW England Matthew Le Tissier 25 0 0 25
2 MF England Neil Maddison 7 0 0 7
3 FW Northern Ireland Iain Dowie 5 1 0 6
4 DF Netherlands Ken Monkou 4 0 0 4
5 DF Republic of Ireland Jeff Kenna 2 0 0 2
6 FW England Craig Maskell 1 0 0 1
DF England Simon Charlton 1 0 0 1
MF England Tommy Widdrington 1 0 0 1
FW England Frankie Bennett 1 0 0 1
MF England Paul Allen 1 0 0 1
DF England Kevin Moore 0 0 1 1

Transfers

Players transferred in
Date Pos. Name Club Fee
8 June 1993 DF England Simon Charlton England Huddersfield Town £250,000
8 June 1993 DF Scotland Paul McDonald Scotland Hamilton Academical £75,000
8 June 1993 FW Scotland Colin Cramb Scotland Hamilton Academical £60,000
16 September 1993 MF England Paul Allen England Tottenham Hotspur £500,000
1 October 1993 MF England Peter Reid England Manchester City Free
4 November 1993 GK England Dave Beasant England Chelsea £300,000
7 February 1994 FW England Craig Maskell England Swindon Town £250,000
11 February 1994 MF Northern Ireland Jim Magilton England Oxford United £600,000
22 March 1994 MF England Neil Heaney England Arsenal £300,000
Players transferred out
Date Pos. Name Club Fee
4 November 1993 GK England Tim Flowers England Blackburn Rovers £2,400,000
10 December 1993 MF England Glenn Cockerill England Leyton Orient Free
2 February 1994 MF England Peter Reid England Notts County Free
19 February 1994 FW England Paul Moody England Oxford United £60,000
24 March 1994 MF England Martin Thomas England Leyton Orient Free
24 March 1994 DF England Micky Adams England Stoke City Free
Players released
Date Pos. Name Subsequent club Join date
31 May 1993 MF England Perry Groves None (retirement)
31 May 1993 FW Scotland David Speedie England Leicester City 1 August 1993
1 March 1994 MF England Terry Hurlock England Millwall 2 March 1994

References

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