Wikipedia

1985–86 Southampton F.C. season

The 1985–86 Southampton F.C. season was the club's 85th season of competitive football and their 16th in the First Division of the Football League. Following the departure of Lawrie McMenemy in the summer, 1985–86 was the first season to feature former player Chris Nicholl as manager. The Saints had a disappointing first campaign with Nicholl, finishing 14th in the First Division table – their joint lowest position since their 1979 promotion to the top flight. Outside the league, the club reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the second time in three seasons and the fourth round of the League Cup. The team were due to compete in the UEFA Cup, but English sides were banned following the Heysel Stadium disaster. In its place, Southampton played in the only incarnation of the Super Cup, but failed to make it out of the group stage.

Southampton F.C.
1985–86 season
ChairmanAlan Woodford
ManagerChris Nicholl
StadiumThe Dell
First Division14th
FA CupSemi-final
League CupFourth round
Super CupGroup stage
Top goalscorerLeague: David Armstrong (10)
All: David Armstrong (16)
Highest home attendance19,784 v Liverpool
(15 March 1986)
Lowest home attendance9,085 v Birmingham City
(6 November 1985)
Average home league attendance15,034
Biggest win3–0 v Manchester City
(7 September 1985)
3–0 v Queens Park Rangers
(26 October 1985)
3–0 v Arsenal
(7 December 1985)
3–0 v Wigan Athletic
(25 January 1986)
3–0 v Birmingham City
(6 November 1985)
Biggest defeat0–7 v Luton Town
(19 October 1985)

Southampton's squad at the start of the 1985–86 campaign remained much the same as the previous season, with full-back Mick Mills the only major departure in the summer. Nicholl signed a number of youth players before the season started, including Matt Le Tissier, and brought in Glenn Cockerill, Jon Gittens and Gerry Forrest later in the season. He also signed goalkeeper Tim Flowers on loan towards the end of the campaign, with the deal made permanent the next summer. The team's league performance was poor throughout most of the season, as they picked up just 12 wins and suffered 20 defeats, failing to climb past 13th in the table and ultimately finishing one place lower – their worst performance since 1978–79. The campaign also included one of the club's heaviest league defeats, as they lost 0–7 to Luton Town.

Outside the league, Southampton performed well in the FA Cup, reaching the semi-finals for the second time in three seasons. After easing past Middlesbrough and Wigan Athletic, the Saints beat Millwall and Brighton & Hove Albion 2–0 in the fifth and sixth rounds, respectively. In the semi-finals, they faced First Division title hopefuls (and eventual winners) Liverpool, losing 0–2 thanks to two goals in extra time. Liverpool went on to win the tournament, beating local rivals Everton in the final. In the League Cup, the Saints edged past Millwall and Birmingham City (after penalties and a replay, respectively), before facing elimination at the hands of Arsenal in the fourth round, again after a replay. In the Super Cup, Southampton were eliminated in the group stage after finishing bottom of their group, with no wins, one draw and three defeats.

Southampton used 27 players during the 1985–86 season and had 13 different goalscorers. Their top scorer was David Armstrong, who scored 16 times in all competitions. Danny Wallace was the club's second-highest scorer with 15 goals, followed by Steve Moran on ten in all competitions. Armstrong featured in the most games during the campaign, missing just one fixture in the league. Goalkeeper Peter Shilton played in all but five league games, and at the end of the season became the first player to win the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award for a second (and second consecutive) year. The average attendance at The Dell in 1985–86 was 15,034 – a significant drop from the previous year. The highest attendance was 19,784 against Liverpool; the lowest was 12,500 against Nottingham Forest.

Background and transfers

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Southampton signed Matt Le Tissier on apprentice terms in May 1985. He would go on to make 540 appearances and score 209 goals – the second highest in the club's history.
 
Tim Flowers was signed on loan at the end of the season. His deal was later made permanent and he would go on to play over 250 games.

The summer transfer window ahead of the 1985–86 season was relatively quiet for Southampton. The sole departure was 36-year-old full-back Mick Mills, who left the Saints to take on the role of player-manager at Stoke City.[1] Joining the Saints squad were three youth players. First to join was 16-year-old attacking midfielder Matt Le Tissier, who moved from Vale Recreation in May and signed as an apprentice.[2] He was followed by two 16-year-old left-backs, Allen Tankard and Andy Cook, in June and July, respectively, both of whom joined as part of the Youth Training Scheme.[3][4] In August, striker Stuart McManus was briefly loaned out to Third Division side Newport County.[5]

In October, with the club having struggled in the league thus far, Southampton signed midfielder Glenn Cockerill from Second Division side Sheffield United for £200,000 and defender Jon Gittens from Midland Combination side Paget Rangers for £5,000.[6][7] Towards the end of the season, goalkeeper Tim Flowers was brought in on a short-term loan from Third Division strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers until the end of the season, with the deal made permanent come the summer.[8] Phil Kite was loaned out at the same time to Middlesbrough in the Second Division,[9] while striker Alan Curtis spent a month on loan at Stoke City, under new manager Mills.[10]

Players transferred in

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
Matt Le Tissier   England MF   Vale Recreation May 1985 Free[a] [2]
Allen Tankard   England DF none (free agent) June 1985 Free[b] [3]
Andy Cook   England DF none (free agent) July 1985 Free[c] [4]
Glenn Cockerill   England MF   Sheffield United October 1985 £200,000 [6]
Jon Gittens   England DF   Paget Rangers October 1985 £5,000 [7]
Gerry Forrest   England DF   Rotherham United December 1985 £100,000 [11]
Phil Parkinson   England MF none (free agent) December 1985 Free [12]

Players transferred out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
Mick Mills   England DF   Stoke City May 1985 Free [1]

Players loaned in

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date from Date to Ref.
Tim Flowers   England GK   Wolverhampton Wanderers March 1986 End of season [8]

Players loaned out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date from Date to Ref.
Stuart McManus   Scotland FW   Newport County August 1985 September 1985 [5]
Alan Curtis   Wales FW   Stoke City February 1986 March 1986 [10]
Phil Kite   England GK   Middlesbrough March 1986 End of season [9]

Notes

  1. ^ Matt Le Tissier signed as an apprentice in May 1985, before turning professional in October 1986.[2]
  2. ^ Allen Tankard signed as a youth player in June 1985, before turning professional in May 1987.[3]
  3. ^ Andy Cook signed as a trainee in July 1985, before turning professional in July 1987.[4]

Pre-season friendlies

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Prior to the start of the 1985–86 season, Southampton played seven friendlies. The first three were as part of a short West Indies tour, during which they beat domestic league rivals Manchester United 1–0, the Trinidad and Tobago under-21 team 7–3, and local side Trintoc 4–0.[13] Upon their return to England, the Saints thrashed Alliance Premier League side Weymouth 6–0 in a testimonial match and faced three Third Division sides – beating Bristol Rovers 2–0, losing 0–1 to Brentford, and holding Plymouth Argyle to a goalless draw.[13]

24 May 1985 Friendly Manchester United 0–1 Southampton
Lawrence  
26 May 1985 Friendly   Trinidad and Tobago U21 3–7 Southampton
Armstrong    
Puckett    
Jordan  
28 May 1985 Friendly   Trintoc 0–4 Southampton
Jordan   
Case  
Lawrence  
27 July 1985 Lawrence & Arnold Testimonial Weymouth 0–6 Southampton Weymouth
Puckett   
Wallace   
Case  
own goal  
31 July 1985 Friendly Bristol Rovers 0–2 Southampton Bristol
Armstrong  
Moran  		 Stadium: Eastville Stadium
7 August 1985 Friendly Brentford 1–0 Southampton London
Stadium: Griffin Park
12 August 1985 Friendly Plymouth Argyle 0–0 Southampton Plymouth
Stadium: Home Park

First Division

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See also: 1985–86 Football League
 
Peter Shilton played well in goal throughout the season to help keep Southampton out of the relegation zone and became the first two-time Player of the Season award winner as a result.

Southampton started their first season under Chris Nicholl poorly, picking up just four points from their first six games and immediately dropping down the table close to the relegation zone. Points were gained in a 1–1 draw on the opening day with Newcastle United, a goalless draw at home to Aston Villa, and consecutive 1–1 draws against Ipswich Town and West Ham United,[14] both of whom had finished within two points of the relegation zone the previous year.[15] David Armstrong quickly established himself as the club's lead goalscorer during the fixtures, scoring four of their first six goals in the league.[14] The team's first win came in September, when they beat the recently promoted Manchester City 3–0 at The Dell, after which Nicholl praised the performance of his defenders.[16] By mid-October, the South Coast side had only picked up one more victory: a 3–1 win over Watford in which Steve Moran scored his fourth league hat-trick for the club (only Ron Davies had scored more in the top flight, with five First Division hat-tricks).[16] A subsequent 0–1 loss at title challengers Liverpool had left the club 17th in the table,[17] after which Nicholl brought in midfielder Glenn Cockerill and defender Jon Gittens to bolster the struggling squad.[16]

After Cockerill and Gittens' arrivals, Southampton faced their heaviest defeat of the season, losing 0–7 to Luton Town at Kenilworth Road.[16] Despite the heavy defeat, the club bounced back with three wins and a draw from their next four games, including a 3–0 victory over Queens Park Rangers, a 1–0 win over last season's third-placed side Tottenham Hotspur, and a 1–0 edging of strugglers Birmingham City.[16] The end of November saw Southampton mark the club's centenary at home to defending league champions Everton, which ended in a close-fought 2–3 loss in which the visitors overturned a 1–2 disadvantage over the last 15 minutes to secure the win.[18] At the beginning of December, Gerry Forrest was signed and the Saints beat Arsenal 3–0 at home, with goals coming from Kevin Bond, Armstrong and Moran.[18] After the last few games of 1985 – two away defeats and a 3–1 win over Nottingham Forest – Southampton had reached a season-high position of 13th in the First Division table.[19]

1986 started with two wins and a draw from four fixtures, including a New Year's Day 3–1 victory over bottom-placed West Bromwich Albion and a 1–0 win over fellow strugglers Ipswich Town.[20] However, it took until mid-March for the Saints to pick up their first win on the road in the league, defeating Queens Park Rangers 2–0 at Loftus Road thanks to goals from debutant Stuart McManus and Cockerill; this would be one of only two away league wins during 1985–86, the other coming five weeks later at Birmingham City who by that point had almost confirmed their relegation to the Second Division.[20] Several marginal 0–1 defeats in the final stages of the season – including against Chelsea, West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United – saw Southampton unable to make it above 14th in the league again, with their position confirmed by defeats against title chasers Everton (1–6) and mid-table side Tottenham Hotspur (3–5) in the final two games of the campaign (during which Keith Granger and Mark Blake made their first team debuts).[20]

List of match results

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17 August 1985 1 Southampton 1–1 Newcastle United Southampton
Pucket   42' Beardsley   49' (pen.) Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 16,401
20 August 1985 2 Arsenal 3–2 Southampton London
Caton   5'
Robson   47'
Woodcock   67'		 Armstrong   65', 82' Stadium: Arsenal Stadium
Attendance: 21,623
24 August 1985 3 Nottingham Forest 2–1 Southampton Nottingham
Metgod   20'
Birtles   44'		 Armstrong   63' Stadium: City Ground
Attendance: 12,643
27 August 1985 4 Southampton 0–0 Aston Villa Southampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,220
31 August 1985 5 Ipswich Town 1–1 Southampton Ipswich
Cranson   18' Armstrong   85' (pen.) Stadium: Portman Road
Attendance: 11,588
3 September 1985 6 Southampton 1–1 West Ham United Southampton
Curtis   51' McAvennie   81' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,477
7 September 1985 7 Southampton 3–0 Manchester City Southampton
Case   10'
McCarthy   64' (o.g.)
Lawrence   83'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,308
14 September 1985 8 Chelsea 2–0 Southampton London
Dixon   34'
Canoville   79'		 Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 16,711
21 September 1985 9 Southampton 1–1 Coventry City Southampton
Armstrong   71' Gibson   60' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 12,674
28 September 1985 10 Manchester United 1–0 Southampton Manchester
Hughes   77' Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 52,449
5 October 1985 11 Southampton 3–1 Watford Southampton
Moran   17', 23', 70' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,172
12 October 1985 12 Liverpool 1–0 Southampton Liverpool
McMahon   59' Stadium: Anfield
Attendance: 32,113
19 October 1985 13 Luton Town 7–0 Southampton Luton
Nwajiobi   5'
Stein   31', 55', 89' (pen.)
Hill   33'
Preece   59'
Daniel   88'		 Stadium: Kenilworth Road
Attendance: 8,896
26 October 1985 14 Southampton 3–0 Queens Park Rangers Southampton
Wallace   3', 84'
Cockerill   71'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,615
2 November 1985 15 Southampton 1–0 Tottenham Hotspur Southampton
Pucket   67' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 17,740
9 November 1985 16 Leicester City 2–2 Southampton Leicester
Smith   3'
Lynex   65' (pen.)		 Armstrong   30'
Puckett   56'		 Stadium: Filbert Street
Attendance: 8,080
16 November 1985 17 Southampton 1–0 Birmingham City Southampton
Wallace   67' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,167
23 November 1985 18 Sheffield Wednesday 2–1 Southampton Sheffield
Chapman   20'
Marwood   70'		 Wright   81' Stadium: Hillsborough Stadium
Attendance: 18,955
30 November 1985 19 Southampton 2–3 Everton Southampton
Cockerill   1'
Moran   70'		 Lineker   29'
Heath   75'
Steven   82'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 16,917
7 December 1985 20 Southampton 3–0 Arsenal Southampton
Bond   29'
Armstrong   65' (pen.)
Moran   67'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,052
14 December 1985 21 Newcastle United 2–1 Southampton Newcastle upon Tyne
Roeder   29'
Beardsley   79'		 Moran   69' Stadium: St James' Park
Attendance: 19,229
20 December 1985 22 Southampton 3–1 Nottingham Forest Southampton
Moran   35', 37'
Armstrong   74'		 Carr   44' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 12,500
26 December 1985 23 Oxford United 3–0 Southampton Oxford
Leworthy   23', 29'
Aldridge   61'		 Stadium: Manor Ground
Attendance: 11,266
1 January 1986 24 Southampton 3–1 West Bromwich Albion Southampton
Cockerill   47'
Wallace   58'
Armstrong   83'		 Varadi   68' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,154
11 January 1986 25 Manchester City 1–0 Southampton Manchester
Phillips   85' Stadium: Maine Road
Attendance: 21,674
18 January 1986 26 Southampton 1–0 Ipswich Town Southampton
Wallace   50' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,164
1 February 1986 27 Aston Villa 0–0 Southampton Birmingham
Stadium: Villa Park
Attendance: 8,456
8 February 1986 28 Southampton 1–2 Luton Town Southampton
Armstrong   65' Newell   29'
Stein   88'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,740
22 February 1986 29 Coventry City 3–2 Southampton Coventry
Brazil   55'
Pickering   58'
Bennett   79'		 Wright   17'
Cockerill   38' (pen.)		 Stadium: Highfield Road
Attendance: 10,881
1 March 1986 30 Southampton 1–0 Manchester United Southampton
Cockerill   81' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 19,012
11 March 1986 31 Queens Park Rangers 0–2 Southampton London
McManus   23'
Cockerill   42'		 Stadium: Loftus Road
Attendance: 14,521
15 March 1986 32 Southampton 1–2 Liverpool Southampton
Lawrence   49' Wark   53'
Rush   59'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 19,784
22 March 1986 33 Southampton 0–1 Chelsea Southampton
Pates   62' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,509
29 March 1986 34 West Bromwich Albion 1–0 Southampton West Bromwich
Thompson   70' Stadium: The Hawthorns
Attendance: 7,324
1 April 1986 35 Southampton 1–1 Oxford United Southampton
Aldridge   35' Wright   43' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,350
8 April 1986 36 West Ham United 1–0 Southampton London
Martin   26' Stadium: Boleyn Ground
Attendance: 22,531
12 April 1986 37 Southampton 0–0 Leicester City Southampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,403
19 April 1986 38 Birmingham City 0–2 Southampton Birmingham
Wallace   42'
Cockerill   70'		 Stadium: St Andrew's
Attendance: 5,833
26 April 1986 39 Southampton 2–3 Sheffield Wednesday Southampton
Case   54'
Wallace   76'		 Shutt   6'
Shelton   64'
Hart   89'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,365
29 April 1986 40 Watford 1–1 Southampton Watford
West   43' Townsend   12' Stadium: Vicarage Road
Attendance: 11,868
3 May 1986 41 Everton 6–1 Southampton Liverpool
Mountfield   9'
Steven   29'
Lineker   30', 35', 64'
Sharp   51'		 Puckett   59' Stadium: Goodison Park
Attendance: 33,057
5 May 1986 42 Tottenham Hotspur 5–3 Southampton London
Waddle   9'
Galvin   29', 35', 50'
Allen   74'		 Wallace   22'
Mabbutt   41' (o.g.)
Maskell   64'		 Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 13,036

Final league table

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Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
12 Watford 42 16 11 15 69 62 +7 59
13 Queens Park Rangers 42 15 7 20 53 64 −11 52
14 Southampton 42 12 10 20 51 62 −11 46
15 Manchester City 42 11 12 19 43 57 −14 45
16 Aston Villa 42 10 14 18 51 67 −16 44
Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored

Results by matchday

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Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142
GroundHAAHAHHAHAHAAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAA
ResultDLLDDDWLDLWLLWWDWLLWLWLWLWDLLWWLLLDLDWLDLL
Position151820192019141517201617181816151414151514131313141414141514131415151515151414141414
Source: 11v11.com[21]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

FA Cup

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See also: 1985–86 FA Cup

Southampton entered the 1985–86 FA Cup in the third round against Middlesbrough, who were struggling in (and later relegated from) the Second Division. The top-flight side dominated possession and chances early in the game, with Danny Wallace opening the scoring after 11 minutes.[22] Don O'Riordan equalised for the hosts, before Wallace doubled his tally and put the Saints back ahead on 40 minutes from a Glenn Cockerill assist.[22] The visitors continued to apply most of the pressure after the break, with Wallace finally completing a hat-trick and securing his team's first away win in 10 months after 89 minutes.[22]

In the fourth round, Southampton hosted Wigan Athletic, who were vying for promotion from the Third Division. After a first half which saw chances for both sides to break the deadlock, it was the Saints who struck first in the 68th minute through Cockerill, who headed in a cross from David Armstrong to put the top-flight side 1–0 up.[22] It was the season's leading goalscorer Armstrong himself who converted next, first scoring a rebound from a penalty less than five minutes from full-time, then adding a third for his side in the last minute when he headed in a corner from Mark Dennis.[23]

Another home tie followed in the fifth round, this time against Second Division opponents Millwall, past whom the Saints had edged on penalties after two goalless legs in the League Cup just a few months earlier. Like its predecessors, the game ended 0–0 despite being "fiercely contested", with neither side able to convert a chance on goal.[23] In a replay played just over two weeks later at The Den, Southampton finally scored a single goal to beat Millwall and advance to the sixth round – Wallace scored the only goal of the game in the 16th minute, following a "stunning move" involving numerous players.[23]

In their fourth FA Cup quarter-final in ten years, Southampton travelled to face another Second Division side, Brighton & Hove Albion, just five days after the victory over Millwall. Despite the hosts dominating the opening of the game, the Saints scored against the run of play through Steve Moran, who scored for the first time since December after just 14 minutes.[24] The visitors took control of the game after their opening goal, with Cockerill doubling their lead five minutes before half-time.[24] Despite chances aplenty for either side in the second 45 minutes, the score remained 2–0 and Southampton progressed.[24]

Southampton were drawn in their second FA Cup semi-final in three years against defending First Division champions Liverpool, in a tie played at Tottenham Hotspur's stadium White Hart Lane. The Merseyside team enjoyed the majority of early chances, with goalkeeper Peter Shilton and full-back Nick Holmes preventing strong chances on goal.[24] Shortly before half-time, centre-back Mark Wright broke his leg, which prevented him from finishing the season or playing in the upcoming 1986 World Cup.[24] A goalless second half saw the sides progress to extra time, during which talisman Ian Rush scored twice for the Reds to knock Southampton out and send Liverpool through to their seventh FA Cup final (which they would later win, a week after winning the league, securing the double as a result).[24]

13 January 1986 Round 3 Middlesbrough 1–3 Southampton Middlesbrough
O'Riordan   Wallace   11', 40', 89' Stadium: Ayresome Park
Attendance: 12,012
25 January 1986 Round 4 Southampton 3–0 Wigan Athletic Southampton
Cockerill   68'
Armstrong   87', 90'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,462
15 February 1986 Round 5 Southampton 0–0 Millwall Southampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 16,356
3 March 1986 Round 5 Replay Millwall 0–1 Southampton London
Wallace   16' Stadium: The Den
Attendance: 10,625
8 March 1986 Round 6 Brighton & Hove Albion 0–2 Southampton Hove
Moran   14'
Cockerill   40'		 Stadium: Goldstone Ground
Attendance: 25,069
5 April 1986 Semi-Final Southampton 0–2 (a.e.t.) Liverpool London
Rush   100', 105' Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 44,605

League Cup

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See also: 1985–86 Football League Cup

Entering the 1985–86 League Cup in the second round, Southampton faced Millwall of the Second Division. The first leg, at The Den, ended in a 0–0 draw thanks to a "stunning" performance by Saints goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who saved a second-half penalty to keep his clean sheet.[25] The second leg also ended goalless, even after extra time, with the tie decided by a penalty shootout which was won 5–4 by the First Division side.[25] In the third round, Southampton played Birmingham City at St Andrew's, holding the hosts to a 1–1 draw to force a replay at home.[25] They won the replay 3–0, thanks to two goals from David Armstrong (one a free kick, the other a penalty) and one from Wallace; late on, Armstrong missed a second penalty for a chance to finish a hat-trick.[25] Southampton's fourth round tie against Arsenal also ended in a draw necessitating a replay at home, which the visiting Gunners won 3–1 thanks to goals from Martin Hayes, Charlie Nicholas and Stewart Robson.[25]

25 September 1985 Round 2 Leg 1 Millwall 0–0 Southampton London
Stadium: The Den
Attendance: 7,958
7 October 1985 Round 2 Leg 2 Southampton 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(5–4 p)		 Millwall Southampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 9,480
29 October 1985 Round 3 Birmingham City 1–1 Southampton Birmingham
Kennedy   25' Puckett   13' Stadium: St Andrew's
Attendance: 4,832
6 November 1985 Round 3 Replay Southampton 3–0 Birmingham City Southampton
Armstrong   34', 39' (pen.)
Wallace   60'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 9,085
19 November 1985 Round 4 Arsenal 0–0 Southampton London
Stadium: Arsenal Stadium
Attendance: 18,244
26 November 1985 Round 4 Replay Southampton 1–3 Arsenal Southampton
Armstrong   59' (pen.) Hayes   56'
Nicholas   71'
Robson   75'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,010

Super Cup

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See also: Football League Super Cup

With English sides banned from UEFA competitions following the Heysel Stadium disaster, teams that had qualified for either the 1985–86 European Cup, 1985–86 UEFA Cup or 1985–86 European Cup Winners' Cup were included in the inaugural (and only) Football League Super Cup. Due to their league position the previous season, Southampton had qualified for the UEFA Cup, and were consequently drawn in a Super Cup group with league runners-up Liverpool and third-placed team Tottenham Hotspur. The Saints lost both their opening away games 1–2, with Danny Wallace and Steve Moran, respectively, scoring consolations against Liverpool and Spurs.[26] Southampton picked up a point in the home fixture against Liverpool, thanks to a 79th-minute David Armstrong penalty, before they lost again to Spurs 1–3 in December.[26]

17 September 1985 Group Stage Liverpool 2–1 Southampton Liverpool
Mølby   5'
Dalglish   29'		 Wallace   23' Stadium: Anfield
Attendance: 16,408
2 November 1985 Group Stage Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 Southampton London
Falco   14', 38' Moran   47' Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 11,549
22 October 1985 Group Stage Southampton 1–1 Liverpool Southampton
Armstrong   79' (pen.) Walsh   81' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 10,503
17 December 1985 Group Stage Southampton 1–3 Tottenham Hotspur Southampton
Wallace   54' Falco   9'
Allen   20'
Leworthy   84'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 4,680

Player details

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Southampton used 27 different players during the 1985–86 season, 13 of whom scored during the campaign. Attacking midfielder David Armstrong featured in the most fixtures of any player, as well as finishing as the season's top goalscorer – he scored 16 goals in 57 appearances across all three competitions, missing only one game in the league.[27] Peter Shilton finished with the second-most appearances of the season, playing in 52 of the 58 games, while Danny Wallace finished as the season's second-highest goalscorer, with 15 goals in all competitions.[27]

Squad statistics

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Name Pos. Nat. League FA Cup League Cup Super Cup Total
Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls.
David Armstrong MF   41 10 6 2 6 3 4 1 57 16
Steve Baker DF   13 0 5 0 6 0 2 0 26 0
Mark Blake DF   1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Kevin Bond DF   34 1 6 0 4 0 3 0 47 1
Kevan Brown DF   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Jimmy Case MF   36 2 6 0 6 0 3 0 51 2
Glenn Cockerill MF   30 7 6 2 0 0 2 0 38 9
Eamonn Collins MF   0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
Alan Curtis FW   10(1) 1 0 0 5 0 2 0 17(1) 1
Mark Dennis DF   24 0 4 0 3 0 2 0 33 0
Gerry Forrest DF   22 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 23 0
Jon Gittens DF   4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Ivan Golac DF   9 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 10 0
Keith Granger GK   2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Ian Hamilton MF   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Nick Holmes MF   26 0 6 0 3 0 2 0 37 0
Joe Jordan FW   12 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 14 0
George Lawrence MF   12(9) 2 3(1) 0 1 0 1(1) 0 17(11) 2
Craig Maskell FW   0(2) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0(2) 1
Stuart McManus FW   2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1
Steve Moran FW   24(4) 8 4 1 3(1) 0 3 1 34(5) 10
Phil Parkinson MF   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
David Puckett FW   13(2) 4 2 0 4(1) 1 1(1) 0 20(4) 5
Peter Shilton GK   37 0 6 0 6 0 3 0 52 0
Allen Tankard DF   3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Andy Townsend MF   25(2) 1 0(3) 0 3 0 2(2) 0 30(7) 1
Danny Wallace FW   34(1) 8 6 4 5 1 3 2 48(1) 15
Mark Whitlock DF   12(2) 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 16(2) 0
Mark Wright DF   33 3 6 0 6 0 4 0 49 3
Players with appearances who ended the season out on loan
Phil Kite GK   3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 0

Most appearances

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Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup League Cup Super Cup Total
Starts Subs Starts Subs Starts Subs Starts Subs Starts Subs Total
1 David Armstrong MF 41 0 6 0 6 0 4 0 57 0 57
2 Peter Shilton GK 37 0 6 0 6 0 3 0 52 0 52
3 Jimmy Case MF 36 0 6 0 6 0 3 0 51 0 51
4 Mark Wright DF 33 0 6 0 6 0 4 0 49 0 49
Danny Wallace FW 34 1 6 0 5 0 3 0 48 1 49
6 Kevin Bond DF 34 0 6 0 4 0 3 0 47 0 47
7 Steve Moran FW 24 4 4 0 3 1 3 0 34 5 39
8 Glenn Cockerill MF 30 0 6 0 0 0 2 0 38 0 38
9 Nick Holmes MF 26 0 6 0 3 0 2 0 37 0 37
Andy Townsend MF 25 2 0 3 3 0 2 2 30 7 37

Top goalscorers

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Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup League Cup Super Cup Total
Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps GPG
1 David Armstrong MF 10 41 2 6 3 6 1 4 16 57 0.28
2 Danny Wallace FW 8 35 4 6 1 5 2 3 15 49 0.31
3 Steve Moran FW 8 28 1 4 0 4 1 3 10 39 0.26
4 Glenn Cockerill MF 7 30 2 6 0 0 0 2 9 38 0.24
5 David Puckett FW 4 15 0 2 1 5 0 2 5 24 0.21
6 Mark Wright DF 3 33 0 6 0 6 0 4 3 49 0.06
7 George Lawrence MF 2 21 0 4 0 1 0 2 2 28 0.07
Jimmy Case MF 2 36 0 6 0 6 0 3 2 51 0.04
9 Craig Maskell MF 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0.50
Stuart McManus FW 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0.50
Alan Curtis FW 1 11 0 0 0 5 0 2 1 18 0.06
Andy Townsend MF 1 27 0 3 0 3 0 4 1 37 0.03
Kevin Bond DF 1 34 0 6 0 4 0 3 1 47 0.02

References

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  1. ^ a b "Mick Mills". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Matt Le Tissier". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Allen Tankard". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Andy Cook". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Stuart McManus". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Glenn Cockerill". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Jon Gittens". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Tim Flowers". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Phil Kite". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Alan Curtis". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  11. ^ "Gerry Forrest". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  12. ^ Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 614
  13. ^ a b Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 429
  14. ^ a b Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 186
  15. ^ "Season 1984–85". RSSSF. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  16. ^ a b c d e Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 187
  17. ^ "League Division One table after close of play on 12 October 1985". 11v11.com. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  18. ^ a b Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 188
  19. ^ "League Division One table after close of play on 26 December 1985". 11v11.com. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  20. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 189
  21. ^ "11v11 league table generator". 11v11.com. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  22. ^ a b c d Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 383
  23. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 384
  24. ^ a b c d e f Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 385
  25. ^ a b c d e Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 290
  26. ^ a b Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 301
  27. ^ a b Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 190

Bibliography

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  • Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan (10 August 1987), A Complete Record of Southampton Football Club: 1885–1987, Derby, England: Breedon Books, ISBN 978-0907969228
  • Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan; Bull, David (28 November 2013), All the Saints: A Complete Who's Who of Southampton FC, Bristol, England: Hagiology Publishing, ISBN 978-0992686406
  • 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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