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1991–92 Southampton F.C. season

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Southampton F.C.
1991–92 season
ChairmanGuy Askham
ManagerIan Branfoot
StadiumThe Dell
First Division16th
FA CupSixth round
League CupFourth round
Full Members' CupRunners-up
Top goalscorerLeague: Alan Shearer (13)
All: Alan Shearer (19)
Highest home attendance19,264 v Manchester
United (14 September 1991)
Lowest home attendance4,036 v Scarborough
(9 October 1991)
Average home league attendance14,070
Biggest win2–0 (two matches)
3–1 (three matches)
Biggest defeat0–4 v Leeds United
(28 August 1991)
0–4 v Arsenal
(28 September 1991)
1–5 v Arsenal
(2 May 1992)

The 1991–92 Southampton F.C. season was the club's 91st season of competitive football and their 22nd in the First Division of the Football League. The season was Southampton's first with manager Ian Branfoot, who replaced Chris Nicholl in the summer after six years. It was a disappointing year for the club, who finished 16th in the league after spending much of the year in the relegation zone. Outside the league, the club reached the sixth round of the FA Cup for the first time since 1986, were knocked out of the League Cup in the fourth round, and finished as runners-up of the final Full Members' Cup.

With Nicholl's departure came a busy transfer period, as players including brothers Ray and Rod Wallace, Jimmy Case, Steve Davis and Paul Rideout all left the club. New signings included Paul Moody, Iain Dowie, Terry Hurlock and Stuart Gray. The Saints started their first season with Branfoot on dreadful form, dropping into the relegation zone almost immediately and falling to the very bottom of the table by the end of 1991. However, a run of six consecutive wins starting in March (their joint-longest run of consecutive league wins since 1964) saw the team make progress towards mid-table, as they reached a season-high of 13th before settling three positions lower. This was the club's lowest First Division finish since their last relegation from the top flight in 1974.

In the FA Cup, Southampton reached the sixth round for the first time since the 1985–86 season, eliminating First Division rivals Queens Park Rangers and Manchester United, then Third Division side Bolton Wanderers, in the process. They were knocked out after a replay by another top-flight side, Norwich City. In the League Cup, the club made it past Scarborough of the Fourth Division and First Division high-flyers Sheffield Wednesday, before facing elimination at the hands of Nottingham Forest in the fourth round. In the Full Members' Cup – the last before the tournament was discontinued – the Saints beat Second Division sides Bristol City and Plymouth Argyle, then league rivals Chelsea, before losing in their first and only final appearance to Nottingham Forest.

Southampton used 29 players during the 1991–92 season and had 12 different goalscorers. In his final season with the club, Alan Shearer finished as the top scorer for the Saints, with 19 goals in all competitions. Matt Le Tissier was second with 15 goals, followed by Iain Dowie on nine. Shearer and goalkeeper Tim Flowers made the most appearances during the campaign, playing in 59 of Southampton's 61 games across all competitions. Flowers received the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award for the first time. The average league attendance at The Dell during 1991–92 was 14,070. The highest attendance was 19,264 against Manchester United in September and the lowest was 4,036 against Scarborough in the League Cup in October.

Background and transfers

[edit]

At the end of the 1990–91 season, manager Chris Nicholl was sacked by Southampton's board after six seasons in charge. In his first two seasons as manager, the Saints had reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the League Cup, respectively; however, during his tenure, Nicholl had only managed to lead the club to one top-half finishing position in the First Division.[1] He was also credited for giving debuts to several successful players at a young age, including Matt Le Tissier, Alan Shearer, Francis Benali, and brothers Ray and Rod Wallace.[2] Nicholl was replaced in the summer of 1991 by Ian Branfoot, who had previously worked as a coach at Southampton between 1977 and 1983, before having a successful five-year spell as manager of Reading in the Second and Third Divisions.[3]

New manager Ian Branfoot controversially released Jimmy Case on a free transfer shortly after arriving at the club.

Ahead of Branfoot's arrival, brothers Ray and Rod Wallace both left Southampton, after having unsuccessfully requested transfers several times during the previous season. They were sold for a combined £1.6 million – the highest fee set by a tribunal to date – to First Division title challengers Leeds United.[4][5] The new manager's first transfer activity saw him release 37-year-old midfielder Jimmy Case on a free transfer to Bournemouth in the Third Division.[6] In dismissing a player described by club historians as "a favourite of the fans",[3] this decision has been identified by commentators as one of the primary early reasons for the supporters' disapproval of Branfoot as manager.[7][8] Just two new players joined ahead of the start of the league campaign – striker Paul Moody was signed from Southern League side Waterlooville and left-back Matthew Robinson was signed as a trainee.[9][10] Centre-back Steve Davis, who had struggled to break into Southampton's first team, also left in August to join Fourth Division side and former loan club Burnley.[11]

After the opening three league games of the season, Branfoot signed winger David Lee from Third Division side Bury for £350,000.[12] He was followed just over a week later by Northern Irish striker and former Southampton schoolboy Iain Dowie, who joined from West Ham United on 3 September for a fee of £500,000.[13] Another week later, Branfoot signed former Reading acquisition Terry Hurlock from Scottish champions Rangers as a replacement for Case, paying £400,000 for his services.[14] Later in September, the club sold striker Paul Rideout to Notts County for £250,000,[15] left-back Andy Cook to Exeter City for £60,000,[16] and midfielder Sergey Gotsmanov (who had only arrived a year before) to German club Hallescher for free.[17] Defensive midfielder Stuart Gray signed for £200,000 from Aston Villa,[18] who then briefly signed Alan McLoughlin on loan.[19]

Transfer activity continued throughout much of the 1991–92 season. At the beginning of October, the club brought in centre-back Steve Wood – another key player in Branfoot's promotion-winning Reading side from 1986 – from second-flight side Millwall for a fee of £400,000.[20] At the same time, fellow centre-back Russell Osman was loaned to Bristol City in the Second Division; he would later make his move permanent in December, for a fee of £60,000.[21] In the second half of the campaign, Kevin Moore, Jon Gittens and Paul Tisdale were all sent out on loans until the end of the season,[22][23][24] while McLoughlin was loaned out (and subsequently sold) to nearby rivals Portsmouth.[19] During the latter stages of the season, Barbadian winger Michael Gilkes was loaned in from Reading, where he had played under Branfoot during his tenure as manager.[25]

Players transferred in

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
Paul Moody  England FW England Waterlooville July 1991 Unknown [9]
Matthew Robinson  England DF none (free agent) July 1991 Free[a] [10]
David Lee  England MF England Bury 26 August 1991 £350,000 [12]
Iain Dowie  Northern Ireland FW England West Ham United 3 September 1991 £500,000 [13]
Terry Hurlock  England MF Scotland Rangers 9 September 1991 £400,000 [14]
Stuart Gray  England MF England Aston Villa September 1991 £200,000 [18]
Steve Wood  England DF England Millwall October 1991 £400,000 [20]
Andy Williams  Wales DF none (free agent) January 1992 Free[b] [26]

Players transferred out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
Ray Wallace  England DF England Leeds United May 1991 £1,600,000 [4]
Rod Wallace  England FW [5]
Jimmy Case  England MF England Bournemouth June 1991 Free [6]
Steve Davis  England DF England Burnley August 1991 £60,000 [11]
Paul Rideout  England FW England Notts County 16 September 1991 £250,000 [15]
Andy Cook  England DF England Exeter City September 1991 £60,000 [16]
Sergey Gotsmanov  Soviet Union MF Germany Hallescher September 1991 Free [17]
Russell Osman  England DF England Bristol City December 1991 £60,000 [21]
Alan McLoughlin  Republic of Ireland MF England Portsmouth March 1992 Unknown [19]

Players loaned in

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date from Date to Ref.
Michael Gilkes  Barbados MF England Reading March 1992 End of season [25]

Players loaned out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date from Date to Ref.
Alan McLoughlin  Republic of Ireland MF England Aston Villa September 1991 October 1991 [19]
Tommy Widdrington  England MF England Wigan Athletic September 1991 October 1991 [27]
Russell Osman  England DF England Bristol City October 1991 December 1991 [21]
Kevin Moore  England DF England Bristol Rovers January 1992 End of season [22]
Jon Gittens  England MF England Middlesbrough February 1992 End of season [23]
Alan McLoughlin  Republic of Ireland MF England Portsmouth February 1992 March 1992 [19]
Paul Tisdale  England MF England Northampton Town March 1992 End of season [24]

Notes

  1. ^ Matthew Robinson initially signed as a trainee in July 1991, before turning professional in July 1993.[10]
  2. ^ Andy Williams initially signed as an associate schoolboy in January 1992, before becoming a trainee in July 1994 and turning professional in May 1996.[26]

Pre-season friendlies

[edit]

Ahead of the 1991–92 league campaign, Southampton played nine pre-season friendlies. The pre-season period started in July with five straight wins, as the Saints beat a Kuwait Olympic XI 5–0, Third Division side Exeter City 3–0, South Western League club Torpoint Athletic 5–3, Plymouth Argyle of the Second Division 2–1, and another South Western League side, Bodmin Town, 5–0 (the final match saw Alan Shearer score a hat-trick).[28] August started with two games against Scottish opposition, as the club drew 0–0 with St Johnstone and picked up a 2-0 victory over First Division champions Falkirk.[28] The final two pre-season friendlies included a 4–1 win over Bournemouth for Brian Tiler's testimonial and their only loss, a 0–1 defeat at home to Spanish side Real Sociedad.[28]

24 July 1991 Friendly Southampton 5–0 Kuwait Kuwait Olympic XI Southampton
Hall
Le Tissier
Rideout
Shearer 		Stadium: Road-Sea Park
26 July 1991 Friendly Exeter City 0–3 Southampton Exeter
McLoughlin
Moore
Rideout 		Stadium: St James Park
27 July 1991 Friendly Torpoint Athletic 3–5 Southampton Torpoint
Maddison
Hall
Moody
Rideout 		Stadium: The Mill
29 July 1991 Friendly Plymouth Argyle 1–2 Southampton Plymouth
Cockerill
Shearer 		Stadium: Home Park
30 July 1991 Friendly Bodmin Town 0–5 Southampton Bodmin
Shearer
Cockerill
Ruddock 		Stadium: Priory Park
2 August 1991 Friendly Scotland St Johnstone 0–0 Southampton Perth, Scotland
Stadium: McDiarmid Park
4 August 1991 Friendly Scotland Falkirk 0–2 Southampton Falkirk, Scotland
Shearer Stadium: Brockville Park
6 August 1991 Brian Tiler Memorial Bournemouth 1–4 Southampton Bournemouth
Cockerill
Osman
Shearer 		Stadium: Dean Court
9 August 1991 Friendly Southampton 0–1 Spain Real Sociedad Southampton
Stadium: The Dell

First Division

[edit]
Alan Shearer took over as Southampton's main goalscorer in the 1991–92 season, which would be his final year before moving to Blackburn Rovers.
See also: 1991–92 Football League First Division

Ian Branfoot's debut season with Southampton started poorly, as they faced two marginal defeats in their opening fixtures, losing 2–3 at home to Tottenham Hotspur and 0–1 at Notts County, who had recently been promoted from the Second Division.[3] Their first win came in a 2–0 away victory over Sheffield United, however this was followed by a 0–4 defeat (the joint-heaviest of the season) at home to Leeds United and another three games spawning just two points.[29] A 1–0 win over Wimbledon was a brief high point followed by another two losses, the second of which saw Arsenal emulating Leeds United's 4–0 thrashing of the Saints, with Ian Wright netting a hat-trick.[29] By the end of September, Southampton had already dropped to 21st out of 22 in the First Division league table.[30] An undefeated October saw the South Coast side draw 1–1 with Oldham Athletic and 0–0 with Norwich City, before picking up an unexpected 3–1 away win at Nottingham Forest, with Matt Le Tissier scoring his first double of the season.[29]

Southampton remained in the relegation zone throughout most of the rest of the calendar year, only briefly pulling themselves out with a 1–0 win over Chelsea in late-November.[29] Despite their poor run of results, the Saints did manage to hold their own against several high-profile opponents during this period, including holding Liverpool to a 1–1 draw and sharing the points with title hopefuls Leeds United in a 3–3 stalemate either side of Christmas.[29] After an 11th defeat from their opening 22 games, however, the club ended December at the bottom of the league table with just 19 points.[31] 1992 started in much the same manner, as the Saints lost two home games in a row – the first to Everton and the second to Sheffield United, who were also fighting against the risk of relegation.[32] An away win over Tottenham Hotspur saw Southampton briefly leapfrog Luton Town at the bottom of the table,[33] however they quickly returned their after another loss at Norwich City followed by three draws in a row against Chelsea, Coventry City and Liverpool.[32]

Despite being at the bottom of the league table, Southampton embarked on a winning streak in March which saw them pick up six victories in a row – the first time they had done so since the early stages of the 1964–65 season. The games were all closely fought, with the Saints beating fellow strugglers West Ham United, mid-table side Crystal Palace and title contenders Manchester City 1–0 in the first three fixtures, which were followed by a late 2–1 defeat of relegation-threatened Luton Town, a 1–0 win over Everton at Goodison Park, and finally a 2–1 home win over Queens Park Rangers.[32] By the end of the spell, Southampton had climbed from 22nd to 17th in the table, with eight points between them and the first relegation place.[34] The penultimate six games included three wins and three losses, which was followed on the final day by another heavy defeat to Arsenal, this time 1–5 at Highbury, matching the season record heaviest defeats from earlier in the campaign – like the 0–4 loss at The Dell in September, this game also included an Ian Wright hat-trick.[32]

Southampton finished the season 16th in the table with 14 wins, ten draws and 18 defeats. Having only scored 39 goals in the 42-game campaign, this marked the first season since 1924–25 that the club had scored less than one goal per game on average; it was also the first time in the club's history that a league season had ended with both a goal-per-game average under 1.0 and a negative goal difference.[32]

List of match results

[edit]
16 August 1991 1 Southampton 2–3 Tottenham Hotspur Southampton
Shearer 2'
Hall 74'		 Lineker 40'
Durie 70'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 18,581
20 August 1991 2 Notts County 1–0 Southampton Nottingham
Yates 39' Stadium: Meadow Lane
24 August 1991 3 Sheffield United 0–2 Southampton Sheffield
Shearer 45'
Le Tissier 78'		 Stadium: Bramall Lane
Attendance: 18,029
28 August 1991 4 Southampton 0–4 Leeds United Southampton
Speed 22', 89'
Strachan 56' (pen.), 70' (pen.)		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,862
31 August 1991 5 Southampton 1–1 Aston Villa Southampton
Shearer 33' Richardson 2' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 16,161
4 September 1991 6 Luton Town 2–1 Southampton Luton
Gray 32'
Harvey 40'		 Le Tissier 30' (pen.) Stadium: Kenilworth Road
Attendance: 8,055
7 September 1991 7 Queens Park Rangers 2–2 Southampton London
Barker 68'
Thompson 84'		 Shearer 1'
Dowie 81'		 Stadium: Loftus Road
Attendance: 9,237
14 September 1991 8 Southampton 0–1 Manchester United Southampton
Hughes 48' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 19,264
18 September 1991 9 Southampton 1–0 Wimbledon Southampton
Cockerill 40' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 11,280
21 September 1991 10 Sheffield Wednesday 2–0 Southampton Sheffield
Harkes 3'
Worthington 65'		 Stadium: Hillsborough Stadium
Attendance: 27,291
28 September 1991 11 Southampton 0–4 Arsenal Southampton
Rocastle 38'
Wright 40', 46', 74'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 18,050
5 October 1991 12 Oldham Athletic 1–1 Southampton Manchester
Henry 66' Shearer 28' Stadium: Boundary Park
Attendance: 13,133
19 October 1991 13 Southampton 0–0 Norwich City Southampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 12,516
26 October 1991 14 Nottingham Forest 1–3 Southampton Nottingham
Black 84' Le Tissier 31', 71' (pen.)
Shearer 72'		 Stadium: City Ground
Attendance: 20,026
2 November 1991 15 Southampton 0–3 Manchester City Southampton
Quinn 12'
Sheron 47'
Gittens 59' (o.g.)		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,933
16 November 1991 16 Crystal Palace 1–0 Southampton London
Thomas 67' Stadium: Selhurst Park
Attendance: 15,861
23 November 1991 17 Southampton 1–0 Chelsea Southampton
Shearer 42' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,933
30 November 1991 18 Coventry City 2–0 Southampton Coventry
Gallacher 23'
Pearce 71'		 Stadium: Highfield Road
Attendance: 8,585
7 December 1991 19 Southampton 1–1 Liverpool Southampton
Shearer 55' Redknapp 75' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 10,053
20 December 1991 20 Southampton 1–1 Notts County Southampton
Dowie 32' Slawson 81' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 11,054
26 December 1991 21 Leeds United 3–3 Southampton Leeds
Hodge 27', 29'
Speed 73'		 Dowie 50', 90'
Shearer 79'		 Stadium: Elland Road
Attendance: 22,805
28 December 1991 22 Aston Villa 2–1 Southampton Birmingham
Regis 15'
Yorke 60'		 Shearer 73' Stadium: Villa Park
Attendance: 23,094
1 January 1992 23 Southampton 1–2 Everton Southampton
Adams 90' Ward 4'
Beardsley 69'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 16,546
11 January 1992 24 Southampton 2–4 Sheffield United Southampton
Le Tissier 3'
Hall 59'		 Ward 13'
Lake 58', 82'
Marwood 68'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 12,502
18 January 1992 25 Tottenham Hotspur 1–2 Southampton London
Mabbutt 81' Adams 24'
Dowie 80'		 Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 23,191
1 February 1992 26 Norwich City 2–1 Southampton Norwich
Ullathorne 49'
Fleck 74'		 Cockerill 71' Stadium: Carrow Road
Attendance: 10,660
12 February 1992 27 Chelsea 1–1 Southampton London
Townsend 74' Horne 56' Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 7,148
22 February 1992 28 Southampton 0–0 Coventry City Southampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,719
29 February 1992 29 Liverpool 0–0 Southampton Liverpool
Stadium: Anfield
Attendance: 34,449
3 March 1992 30 Southampton 1–0 West Ham United Southampton
Dowie 65' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,548
11 March 1992 31 Southampton 1–0 Crystal Palace Southampton
Le Tissier 40' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 12,926
15 March 1992 32 Manchester City 0–1 Southampton Manchester
Dowie 35' Stadium: Maine Road
Attendance: 24,265
21 March 1992 33 Southampton 2–1 Luton Town Southampton
Shearer 67'
Dowie 80'		 Pembridge 45' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,192
1 April 1992 34 Everton 0–1 Southampton Liverpool
Cockerill 24' Stadium: Goodison Park
Attendance: 15,201
4 April 1992 35 Southampton 2–1 Queens Park Rangers Southampton
Dowie 13'
Shearer 64' (pen.)		 Ferdinand 62' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,849
8 April 1992 36 Southampton 0–1 Nottingham Forest Southampton
Tiler 14' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,905
14 April 1992 37 West Ham United 0–1 Southampton London
Adams 88' Stadium: Boleyn Ground
Attendance: 18,298
16 April 1992 38 Manchester United 1–0 Southampton Manchester
Kanchelskis 64' Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 43,972
18 April 1992 39 Southampton 0–1 Sheffield Wednesday Southampton
Hirst 69' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 17,715
20 April 1992 40 Wimbledon 0–1 Southampton London
Hall 24' Stadium: Selhurst Park
Attendance: 4,025
25 April 1992 41 Southampton 1–0 Oldham Athletic Southampton
Shearer 84' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,875
2 May 1992 42 Arsenal 5–1 Southampton London
Campbell 66'
Wright 70', 90', 90'
Smith 84'		 Cockerill 68' Stadium: Arsenal Stadium
Attendance: 37,702

Final league table

[edit]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
14 Chelsea 42 13 14 15 50 60 −10 53
15 Tottenham Hotspur 42 15 7 20 58 63 −5 52
16 Southampton 42 14 10 18 39 55 −16 52
17 Oldham Athletic 42 14 9 19 63 67 −4 51
18 Norwich City 42 11 12 19 47 63 −16 45
Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored


Results by matchday

[edit]
Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142
GroundHAAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAAAHAHHAHAHHAAHAHA
ResultLLWLDLDLWLLDDWLLWLDDDLLLWLDDDWWWWWWLWLLWWL
Position142113191920192119192120202020201921202121222222212122222221191918191718171717171316
Source: 11v11.com
W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

FA Cup

[edit]
See also: 1991–92 FA Cup

Southampton entered the 1991–92 FA Cup in the third round against Queens Park Rangers, a First Division side who were sitting 13th in the league table before the game – nine positions ahead of the Saints.[35] Southampton scored two goals in quick succession in the first half, with Steve Wood heading in a cross from Matt Le Tissier, before Le Tissier scored one himself with a long-range effort just before the break.[35] QPR came close to scoring on numerous occasions in the second half, including a late penalty for a foul by Jason Dodd, but goalkeeper Tim Flowers kept the attacks at bay to keep the 2–0 win safe.[35]

Southampton won their fourth round tie against Manchester United when goalkeeper Tim Flowers saved their fourth penalty in a shootout.

In the fourth round, Southampton hosted Manchester United, who were second in the league and considered "cup favourites" according to club historians.[35] Despite chances for Alan Shearer and Mark Hughes at either end, the game ended in a goalless draw, necessitating a replay at Old Trafford.[35] Stuart Gray put the visiting Saints ahead within ten minutes with his only goal for the club, before Shearer doubled their lead with a header from a Le Tissier free kick; Andrei Kanchelskis pulled one back for the hosts just before the break.[35] After half-time, United increased the pressure on Southampton's goal and finally scored an equaliser in stoppage time at the end of the game, when Brian McClair converted "the flukiest of chances".[35] After a goalless half an hour of extra time, Southampton won the tie through a penalty shootout – Neil Ruddock, Shearer, Barry Horne and Micky Adams all scored for the Saints, while Neil Webb saw his effort go "high and wide" and Ryan Giggs had his penalty saved by Flowers for the win (their first over United in the FA Cup).[36]

Southampton travelled to Manchester again for the fifth round, in which they played Third Division side Bolton Wanderers. The first half saw the Saints go 2–0 up, as centre-back Richard Hall scored two headers in two minutes from successive Le Tissier corners; in the 38th minute, he almost completed a first-half hat-trick with a third goal of the same ilk.[37] The second half saw Southampton continue to dominate, but chances for Le Tissier, Shearer and David Lee were all saved by Bolton goalkeeper David Felgate.[37] In the last 15 minutes of the game, the hosts scored two goals to force a replay, first through Andy Walker and later Scott Green, both as a result of crosses from the wings.[37] The replay at The Dell also ended in a 2–2 draw. In the first 45 minutes, Southampton went 1–0 up through Shearer, before Walker responded 12 minutes before the break.[35] After a relatively quiet second half, Bolton looked set to progress when Julian Darby volleyed past Flowers in the final minute of normal time; from the subsequent kick-off, however, the Saints put pressure on the visitors and eventually equalised through a long-range effort from Horne, which forced extra time.[35] Horne scored again to secure Southampton's passage to the sixth round.[35]

In their first FA Cup sixth round appearance since the 1985–86 season, Southampton faced fellow top-flight strugglers Norwich City. Despite chances for both sides to score during each half, it remained goalless as both teams played defensively to avoid letting in a goal – club historians report that the game was described by commentators as "drab".[36] In a third consecutive replay, Southampton travelled to Carrow Road, where they had lost 1–2 in the league less than two months earlier.[36] However, it was the visitors who opened the scoring just before the half-time break, when Ruddock headed in a corner from Le Tissier.[36] In the second half, however, the Canaries dominated possession and enjoyed numerous chances on goal. A few minutes after the break, Le Tissier was sent off and Rob Newman scored an equaliser a few minutes later.[37] When the game remained 1–1, extra time was played, during which Horne was also dismissed; before the end of extra time, Chris Sutton scored a winner to send Norwich through.[37]

3 January 1992 Round 3 Southampton 2–0 Queens Park Rangers Southampton
Wood 26'
Le Tissier 38'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,710
26 January 1992 Round 4 Southampton 0–0 Manchester United Southampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 19,506
4 February 1992 Round 4 Replay Manchester United 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(2–4 p)		 Southampton Manchester
Kanchelskis 42'
McClair 90'		 Gray 8'
Shearer 22'		 Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 33,414
15 February 1992 Round 5 Bolton Wanderers 2–2 Southampton Manchester
Walker 78'
Green 86'		 Hall 26', 28' Stadium: Burnden Park
Attendance: 20,136
25 February 1992 Round 5 Replay Southampton 3–2 (a.e.t.) Bolton Wanderers Southampton
Shearer 28'
Horne 90'		 Walker 33'
Darby 90'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 18,009
7 March 1992 Round 6 Southampton 0–0 Norwich City Southampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 20,088
18 March 1992 Round 6 Replay Norwich City 2–1 (a.e.t.) Southampton Norwich
Newman 55'
Sutton 116'		 Ruddock 45' Stadium: Carrow Road
Attendance: 21,107

League Cup

[edit]
See also: 1991–92 Football League Cup

Southampton entered the 1991–92 League Cup in the second round against Fourth Division club Scarborough. The visiting Saints won the first leg 3–1 thanks to goals from Alan Shearer (two) and Glenn Cockerill, before a 2–2 draw at The Dell (in which Matt Le Tissier and Cockerill put the hosts 2–0 up within the first three minutes) secured a 5–3 aggregate victory for the top-flight side.[38] The club faced Sheffield Wednesday in the third round, drawing 1–1 at Hillsborough Stadium before beating the newly-promoted First Division side 1–0 in the replay thanks to a Barry Horne header.[38] A replay was also required in the fourth round, after a goalless draw between Southampton and Nottingham Forest; despite hosting the replay, however, the Saints were eliminated by Forest in a 0–1 defeat.[38]

24 September 1991 Round 2 Leg 1 Scarborough 1–3 Southampton Scarborough
Mooney 3' Shearer 17', 27'
Cockerill 77'		 Stadium: McCain Stadium
Attendance: 2,303
9 October 1991 Round 2 Leg 2 Southampton 2–2
(5–3 agg.)		 Scarborough Southampton, Hampshire
Le Tissier 2'
Cockerill 3'		 Himsworth 48'
Mocker 74' (pen.)		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 4,036
30 October 1991 Round 3 Sheffield Wednesday 1–1 Southampton Sheffield
Hirst 38' Shearer 81' Stadium: Hillsborough Stadium
Attendance: 17,627
20 November 1991 Round 3 Replay Southampton 1–0 Sheffield Wednesday Southampton
Horne 69' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 10,801
4 December 1991 Round 4 Nottingham Forest 0–0 Southampton Nottingham
Stadium: City Ground
Attendance: 17,939
17 December 1991 Round 4 Replay Southampton 0–1 Nottingham Forest Southampton
Gemmill 17' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 10,861

Full Members' Cup

[edit]
See also: 1991–92 Full Members' Cup

In the final Full Members' Cup before the tournament was discontinued, Southampton entered the second round against Bristol City of the Second Division, winning 2–1 thanks to second-half goals from Alan Shearer and Matt Le Tissier.[39] Another second-flight side, Plymouth Argyle, awaited the Saints in the next round, with a single Le Tissier header securing their passage.[39] In the area semi-finals, Southampton beat fellow First Division relegation risks West Ham United 2–1 at home, with a Shearer header followed in the last five minutes by a winning Le Tissier penalty.[39] In the two-legged area final, Southampton played Chelsea – they won the first leg 2–0 thanks to goals from Shearer and Terry Hurlock, then won the second leg 3–1 thanks to a Le Tissier hat-trick.[39]

In their first cup final since the 1979 League Cup final, the Saints played league rivals Nottingham Forest at Wembley Stadium. The Saints were 0–2 down at half-time, with Forest going ahead through Scot Gemmill and Kingsley Black.[39] Halfway through the second half, Le Tissier pulled one back for his side, heading in a Neil Ruddock cross, before defender Kevin Moore equalised with his own header from a Le Tissier cross six minutes later.[39] The tie was forced to extra time, during which Gemmill scored his second and Forest's third to secure the win.[39]

22 October 1991 Round 2 Bristol City 1–2 Southampton Bristol
Taylor 9' Shearer 69'
Le Tissier 84'		 Stadium: Ashton Gate Stadium
Attendance: 5,672
26 November 1991 Round 3 Plymouth Argyle 0–1 Southampton Plymouth
Le Tissier 70' Stadium: Home Park
Attendance: 5,578
7 January 1992 Area Semi-Final Southampton 2–1 West Ham United Southampton
Shearer 67'
Le Tissier 85'		 Bishop 34' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 6,861
21 January 1992 Area Final Leg 1 Southampton 2–0 Chelsea Southampton
Shearer 15'
Hurlock 79'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 8,726
29 January 1992 Area Final Leg 2 Chelsea 1–3
(1–5 agg.)		 Southampton London
Wise 37' (pen.) Le Tissier 6' (pen.), 20', 51' Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 9,781
29 March 1992 Final Nottingham Forest 3–2 (a.e.t.) Southampton London
Gemmill 15', 112'
Black 45'		 Le Tissier 64'
Moore 70'		 Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 67,688

Other matches

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Outside the league and cup competitions, Southampton played two additional matches during 1991–92. The first was a friendly with the Saudi Arabia national team less than a month after the start of the league, which the visiting Saints lost 2–5 with their goals coming from Matt Le Tissier and Neil Maddison.[28] The second extra game came five days after the end of the league campaign in May 1992, as Aldershot hosted Southampton for a testimonial to mark the end of manager Ian McDonald's tenure, as the club was wound up that summer; the First Division side won 2–1, thanks to goals from Glenn Cockerill and Matthew Bound.[28]

11 September 1991 Friendly Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia 5–2 Southampton Saudi Arabia
Le Tissier
Maddison
7 May 1992 Ian McDonald Testimonial Aldershot 1–2 Southampton Aldershot
Cockerill
Bound 		Stadium: Recreation Ground

Player details

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Southampton used 29 players during the 1991–92 season, 12 of whom scored during the campaign.[40] Nine players made their debut appearances for the club, including six of their seven new signings (Iain Dowie,[13] Stuart Gray,[18] Terry Hurlock,[14] David Lee,[12] Paul Moody,[9] and Steve Wood[20]), one loanee (Michael Gilkes[25]) and two players making the step up from youth to the first team (David Hughes[41] and Tommy Widdrington[42]). Eight players made their final appearances for the Saints during the campaign: three left during the season (Alan McLoughlin,[19] Russell Osman,[21] and Paul Rideout[15]), four left before the next season (Jon Gittens,[43] Barry Horne,[44] Neil Ruddock,[45] and Alan Shearer[46]), and one was a short-term loanee (Gilkes[25]). Goalkeeper Tim Flowers and striker Shearer both made the most appearances for Southampton during the season, missing just two matches each and playing in all 59 other games across all competitions.[40] Shearer finished as the season's top goalscorer with 19 goals in all competitions, followed by Matt Le Tissier on 15 goals (Dowie was the club's second-highest scorer in the league, with nine goals to Le Tissier's six).[40] Flowers won the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award.[32]

Squad statistics

[edit]
Name Pos. Nat. League FA Cup League Cup FM Cup Total
Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals
Micky Adams DF England 34 3 4 0 5 0 5 0 48 3
Ian Andrews GK England 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Nicky Banger FW England 0(4) 0 0 0 0(1) 0 1 0 1(5) 0
Francis Benali DF England 19(3) 0 6 0 0 0 3 0 28(3) 0
Matthew Bound DF England 0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0
Oleksiy Cherednyk DF Soviet Union 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Glenn Cockerill MF England 36(1) 4 5(1) 0 5 1 3 0 49(2) 5
Jason Dodd DF England 26(2) 0 4 0 5 0 3 0 38(2) 0
Iain Dowie FW Northern Ireland 25(5) 9 4 0 0(3) 0 4 0 33(8) 9
Tim Flowers GK England 41 0 7 0 5 0 6 0 59 0
Michael Gilkes MF Barbados 4(2) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4(2) 0
Stuart Gray MF England 10(2) 0 4 1 4 0 1 0 19(2) 1
Richard Hall DF England 21(5) 3 5 2 3(1) 0 3 0 32(6) 5
Barry Horne MF Wales 34 1 7 2 4(1) 1 5 0 50(1) 4
David Hughes MF England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Terry Hurlock MF England 27(2) 0 5 0 4 0 6 1 42(2) 1
Jeff Kenna DF Republic of Ireland 14 0 3(1) 0 0 0 3 0 20(1) 0
Matt Le Tissier MF England 31(1) 6 7 1 5 1 6 7 49(1) 15
David Lee MF England 11(8) 0 0(1) 0 0 0 1(1) 0 12(10) 0
Neil Maddison MF England 4(2) 0 0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 4(3) 0
Paul Moody FW England 2(2) 0 0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 2(3) 0
Lee Powell FW Wales 1(3) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1(3) 0
S. Roast DF England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Neil Ruddock DF England 30 0 6 1 4 0 4 0 44 1
Alan Shearer FW England 41 13 7 2 5 1 6 3 59 19
Tommy Widdrington MF England 2(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2(1) 0
Steve Wood DF England 15 0 1 1 0 0 4 0 20 1
Squad members who ended the season out on loan
Jon Gittens DF England 9(2) 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 14(2) 0
Kevin Moore DF England 15(1) 0 2 0 2 0 1 1 20(1) 1
Paul Tisdale MF England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Players with appearances who left before the end of the season
Alan McLoughlin MF Republic of Ireland 0(2) 0 0 0 0(1) 0 0 0 0(3) 0
Russell Osman DF England 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
Paul Rideout FW England 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0

Most appearances

[edit]
Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup League Cup FM Cup Total
Starts Subs Starts Subs Starts Subs Starts Subs Starts Subs Total
1 Tim Flowers GK 41 0 7 0 5 0 6 0 59 0 59
Alan Shearer FW 41 0 7 0 5 0 6 0 59 0 59
3 Barry Horne MF 34 0 7 0 4 1 5 0 50 1 51
Glenn Cockerill MF 36 1 5 1 5 0 3 0 49 2 51
5 Matt Le Tissier MF 31 1 7 0 5 0 6 0 49 1 50
6 Micky Adams DF 34 0 4 0 5 0 5 0 48 0 48
7 Neil Ruddock DF 30 0 6 0 4 0 4 0 44 0 44
Terry Hurlock MF 27 2 5 0 4 0 6 0 42 2 44
9 Iain Dowie FW 25 5 4 0 0 3 4 0 33 8 41
10 Jason Dodd DF 26 2 4 0 5 0 3 0 38 2 40

Top goalscorers

[edit]
Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup League Cup FM Cup Total
Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps GPG
1 Alan Shearer FW 13 41 2 7 1 5 3 6 19 59 0.32
2 Matt Le Tissier MF 6 32 1 7 1 5 7 6 15 50 0.30
3 Iain Dowie FW 9 30 0 4 0 3 0 4 9 41 0.22
4 Richard Hall DF 3 26 2 5 0 4 0 3 5 38 0.13
Glenn Cockerill MF 4 37 0 6 1 5 0 3 5 51 0.10
6 Barry Horne MF 1 34 2 7 1 5 0 5 4 51 0.08
7 Micky Adams DF 3 34 0 4 0 5 0 5 3 48 0.06
8 Steve Wood DF 0 15 1 1 0 0 0 4 1 20 0.05
Stuart Gray MF 0 12 1 4 0 4 0 1 1 21 0.05
Kevin Moore DF 0 16 0 2 0 2 1 1 1 21 0.05
Terry Hurlock MF 0 29 0 5 0 4 1 6 1 44 0.02
Neil Ruddock DF 0 30 1 6 0 4 0 4 1 44 0.02

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 218
  2. ^ "Chris Nicholl: 1946-2024". Southampton F.C. 25 February 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 220
  4. ^ a b "Ray Wallace". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Rod Wallace". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Jimmy Case". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  7. ^ Haylett, Trevor (12 January 1994). "Football: Taylor enters frame as Branfoot bows to fans' pressure: Ex-England manager may be Saint". The Independent. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  8. ^ "Case history". Southern Daily Echo. 22 April 2000. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  9. ^ a b c "Paul Moody". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  10. ^ a b c "Matthew Robinson". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Steve Davis". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  12. ^ a b c "David Lee". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  13. ^ a b c "Iain Dowie". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  14. ^ a b c "Terry Hurlock". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  15. ^ a b c "Paul Rideout". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Andy Cook". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  17. ^ a b "Sergey Gotsmanov". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  18. ^ a b c "Stuart Gray". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  19. ^ a b c d e f "Alan McLoughlin". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  20. ^ a b c "Steve Wood". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  21. ^ a b c d "Russell Osman". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  22. ^ a b "Kevin Moore". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  23. ^ a b "Jon Gittens". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  24. ^ a b "Paul Tisdale". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  25. ^ a b c d "Michael Gilkes". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  26. ^ a b "Andy Williams". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  27. ^ "Tommy Widdrington". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  28. ^ a b c d e Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 430
  29. ^ a b c d e Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 221
  30. ^ "League Division One table after close of play on 28 September 1991". 11v11.com. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  31. ^ "League Division One table after close of play on 28 December 1991". 11v11.com. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  32. ^ a b c d e f Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 222
  33. ^ "League Division One table after close of play on 18 January 1992". 11v11.com. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  34. ^ "League Division One table after close of play on 4 April 1992". 11v11.com. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  35. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 394
  36. ^ a b c d Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 395
  37. ^ a b c d e Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 396
  38. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 293
  39. ^ a b c d e f g Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 301
  40. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, pp. 223, 293, 301, 394–397
  41. ^ "David Hughes". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  42. ^ "Tommy Widdrington". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  43. ^ "Jon Gittens". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  44. ^ "Barry Horne". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  45. ^ "Neil Ruddock". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  46. ^ "Alan Shearer". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 3 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
[edit]
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