The 1992–93 Southampton F.C. season was the club's 92nd season of competitive football, their 23rd in the top flight of English football, and their first in the FA Premier League following its replacement of the First Division as the top flight. After a poor first season with manager Ian Branfoot in which the club finished 16th in the final year of the old First Division, the Saints faired even worse in the inaugural Premier League campaign, finishing 18th and avoiding relegation by a single point. Outside the league, the club were knocked out of both the FA Cup and the League Cup in only the third round.
| 1992–93 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Guy Askham | |||
| Manager | Ian Branfoot | |||
| Stadium | The Dell | |||
| FA Premier League | 18th | |||
| FA Cup | Third round | |||
| League Cup | Third round | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: Matt Le Tissier (15) All: Matt Le Tissier (18) | |||
| Highest home attendance | 19,654 v Tottenham Hotspur (15 August 1992) | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 6,764 v Gillingham (7 October 1992) | |||
| Average home league attendance | 15,148 | |||
| Biggest win | 3–0 v Gillingham (7 October 1992) 3–0 v Norwich City (10 February 1993) | |||
| Biggest defeat | 2–5 v Sheffield Wednesday (12 April 1993) | |||
|
| ||||
After a final season in which he finished as the club's top scorer, striker Alan Shearer joined Blackburn Rovers, who had been newly promoted to the top flight, for a British record fee of £3.6 million. Neil Ruddock, Jon Gittens and Barry Horne also left in the summer, with Branfoot signing David Speedie, Kerry Dixon, Ken Monkou and Perry Groves to replace them. Southampton's inaugural FA Premier League campaign started in much the same form as their final First Division season had gone, with the club sitting in or just above the relegation zone for much of the first half of the year. A stronger run of form after Christmas saw the Saints climb as high as ninth in the table, which ultimately saved them from the drop ahead of six defeats from their last eight games.
In the FA Cup, Southampton were eliminated in the third round by Nottingham Forest, another club who were struggling against the risk of relegation from the FA Premier League (they would ultimately drop to the First Division, after finishing bottom of the league table). In the League Cup, the Saints beat fourth-flight side Gillingham in the second round (winning the second leg 3–0 after a goalless draw), before facing elimination at the hands of Crystal Palace who, like Nottingham Forest, would later be relegated from the FA Premier League. Along with the club's worst top-flight league finish since their relegation in 1973–74, this marked Southampton's worst FA Cup performance since 1988–89 and their worst League Cup performance since 1987–88.
Southampton used 25 players during the 1992–93 season and had 12 different goalscorers. Following Shearer's departure, Matt Le Tissier returned to his spot as the club's top scorer, with 18 goals across all competitions. Iain Dowie was second on 12 goals. Tim Flowers made the most appearances during the season, as the only player to feature in all 46 matches; Le Tissier followed on 44 appearances. The goalkeeper was also named Southampton F.C. Player of the Season, following Peter Shilton to become only the second player to win the award on two occasions. The average league attendance at The Dell during 1992–93 was 15,148. The highest attendance was 19,654 against Tottenham Hotspur in August and the lowest was 6,764 against Gillingham in October.
Background and transfers
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Ahead of the 1992–93 season, Southampton received numerous offers for striker Alan Shearer, who had finished the last year as the club's top scorer and recently made his debut (and scored) for the England national team.[1] Despite interest from Manchester United, he opted to move to Blackburn Rovers (who had been recently promoted to the FA Premier League) in July for a fee of £3.6 million, surpassing Liverpool's purchase of Dean Saunders a year earlier for £2.9 million.[2] Saints manager Ian Branfoot wanted to sign Mike Newell in part-exchange for Shearer, but instead saw the arrival of David Speedie for an additional £400,000; Speedie himself was described as "reluctant" to move, claiming in later years that he felt "forced" into the transfer.[1] Shearer has cited Blackburn's management team – including former England under-21 coach Ray Harford – as his main reason for joining.[3]
Also leaving in the summer were centre-back Neil Ruddock, who was signed by Tottenham Hotspur for a tribunal-determined fee of £750,000;[4] midfielder Barry Horne, who moved to Everton for £675,000;[5] and Jon Gittens, who made his loan move to Middlesbrough permanent in a £350,000 deal.[6] Branfoot's first signing of the 1992–93 transfer window was striker Kerry Dixon, who joined from Chelsea for a fee of £575,000, reuniting with former teammate Speedie when he joined the following week.[7] In August, the manager signed another Chelsea player, Dutch international centre-back Ken Monkou, for whom they paid £750,000.[8] The final addition of the summer came in the form of Arsenal winger Perry Groves, who joined a few days after Monkou for the same fee, despite "nursing an Achilles problem" which would ultimately end his professional playing career within a year.[9]
Despite only joining in the summer, Speedie was put up for transfer by Southampton during the early stages of the season, after reportedly falling out with Branfoot, as well as teammates including Glenn Cockerill and Terry Hurlock. He subsequently spent short periods out on loan at Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion, before finishing the season with West Ham United and helping the Hammers win promotion to the top flight.[10] Dixon was also loaned out towards the end of the season, joining Luton Town in February 1993 and making the deal permanent early the next season.[7] Other loan deals included defender Kevin Moore spending a month at Bristol Rovers in late-1992,[11] midfielder David Lee joining Bolton Wanderers for a month in November, before joining permanently in December,[12] and striker Paul Moody moving to Reading over the Christmas period.[13] Alloa Athletic midfielder Paul Sheerin, Halesowen Town striker Frankie Bennett and Ayr United defender Derek Allan all joined Southampton during the course of the 1992–93 season for small fees.[14][15][16]
Players transferred in
| Name | Nationality | Pos. | Club | Date | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kerry Dixon |  England
|
FW | Chelsea
|
19 July 1992 | £575,000 | [7] |
| David Speedie |  Scotland
|
FW | Blackburn Rovers
|
27 July 1992 | £400,000 | [10] |
| Ken Monkou |  Netherlands
|
DF | Chelsea
|
21 August 1992 | £750,000 | [8] |
| Perry Groves | England
|
MF | Arsenal
|
24 August 1992 | £750,000 | [9] |
| Paul Sheerin | Scotland
|
MF | Alloa Athletic
|
1 October 1992 | £65,000 | [14] |
| Frankie Bennett | England
|
FW | Halesowen Town
|
24 February 1993 | £5,000 | [15] |
| Derek Allan | Scotland
|
DF | Ayr United
|
16 March 1993 | £75,000 | [16] |
Players transferred out
| Name | Nationality | Pos. | Club | Date | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry Horne | England
|
MF | Everton
|
1 July 1992 | £675,000 | [5] |
| Jon Gittens | England
|
MF | Middlesbrough
|
27 July 1992 | £350,000 | [6] |
| Alan Shearer | England
|
FW | Blackburn Rovers
|
27 July 1992 | £3,600,000 | [2] |
| Neil Ruddock | England
|
DF | Tottenham Hotspur
|
29 July 1992 | £750,000 | [4] |
| David Lee | England
|
MF | Bolton Wanderers
|
December 1992 | Unknown | [12] |
Players loaned out
| Name | Nationality | Pos. | Club | Date from | Date to | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Moore | England
|
DF | Bristol Rovers
|
October 1992 | November 1992 | [11] |
| David Lee | England
|
MF | Bolton Wanderers
|
November 1992 | December 1992 | [12] |
| David Speedie | Scotland
|
FW | Birmingham City
|
November 1992 | December 1992 | [10] |
| Paul Moody | England
|
FW | Reading
|
December 1992 | January 1993 | [13] |
| David Speedie | Scotland
|
FW | West Bromwich Albion
|
January 1993 | February 1993 | [10] |
| Kerry Dixon | England
|
FW | Luton Town
|
February 1993 | End of season | [7] |
| David Speedie | Scotland
|
FW | West Ham United
|
March 1993 | End of season | [10] |
Pre-season friendlies
editAhead of the 1992–93 league campaign, Southampton played ten pre-season friendlies. The first two, which took place in May just after the end of the previous season, saw Southampton travel to Grand Cayman to compete in the Hampsteads International Cup alongside two national sides: Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. The Saints beat Jamaica 2–0 in the first game and drew 1–1 with the Cayman Islands in the second.[17] After the summer break, in July the club faced Scottish First Division side Ayr United, which they lost 1–0.[17] Later in the month, the Saints completed a tour of Sweden which included six friendlies in nine days: an 8–1 win over Trollhättan, a 2–1 win over Västra Frölunda, a 12–0 win over Värnamo (in which new signing Kerry Dixon scored five goals and Neil Maddison added a hat-trick), a 6–0 win over Gällstads, a 5–2 win over Vinninga, and a 5–1 win over Yngsjö.[17] Back in the UK, Southampton beat Second Division side Swansea City 3–2 at Vetch Field eight days before the start of the league season.[17]
| May 1992 Hampsteads International Cup |  Jamaica | 0–2 | Southampton | Grand Cayman |
Adams  Banger |
| May 1992 Hampsteads International Cup |  Cayman Islands | 1–1 | Southampton | Grand Cayman |
| Moody |
| 21 July 1992 Friendly | Ayr United | 1–0 | Southampton | Ayr, Scotland |
| Stadium: Somerset Park |
| 27 July 1992 Friendly |  Trollhättan | 1–8 | Southampton | Trollhättan, Sweden |
| Adams Cockerill Dixon Hall Le Tissier Moore Speedie Widdrington |
| 28 July 1992 Friendly | Västra Frölunda | 1–2 | Southampton | Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Le Tissier Speedie |
| 30 July 1992 Friendly | Värnamo | 0–12 | Southampton | Värnamo, Sweden |
| Banger Dixon Dowie Lee Le Tissier Maddison |
Stadium: Finnvedsvallen |
| 1 August 1992 Friendly | Gällstads | 0–6 | Southampton | Gällstad, Sweden |
| Adams Cockerill Dowie Le Tissier Speedie |
| 3 August 1992 Friendly | Vinninga | 2–5 | Southampton | Vinninga, Sweden |
| Adams Bound Dixon Le Tissier Speedie |
| 7 August 1992 Friendly |  Swansea City | 2–3 | Southampton | Swansea, Wales |
| Dixon Le Tissier |
Stadium: Vetch Field |
FA Premier League
editThe 1992–93 season saw the introduction of the FA Premier League, which replaced the First Division of the English Football League as the top flight of football in England.[18] The league was created primarily to allow clubs in the top flight to secure broadcasting deals independently of the Football League, in order to maximise revenue for the clubs and attract more talent to the division.[19] The inaugural outing of the new league featured 22 clubs determined by the results of the previous season (19 First Division clubs and three promoted from the Second Division), with Southampton one of the founding members.[20]
The season started poorly for Southampton. A goalless draw with Tottenham Hotspur on the opening day was followed by a 3–1 loss at Queens Park Rangers during which Micky Adams was sent off, although the left-back was involved more positively three days later when he scored the visitors' goal in a 1–1 draw at Aston Villa.[1] After a late 1–0 loss at Manchester United courtesy of a penultimate-minute goal from new signing Dion Dublin, the Saints picked up their first win of the season at home to Middlesbrough, who had been recently promoted to the FA Premier League after finishing as runners-up in the Second Division; all three goals in the 2–1 affair were scored in the last 15 minutes of the game, with a Matt Le Tissier penalty and a Nicky Banger header securing the hosts' first victory of the campaign.[1] 1–1 draws with FA Cup champions Liverpool and league champions Leeds United (featuring debut goals for Kerry Dixon and Perry Groves, respectively) flanked two more defeats, against league leaders Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers.[1]
Following the Leeds game, Southampton sat 20th in the FA Premier League table, in the first of three relegation spots.[21] The team's second win of the season came against Crystal Palace the next week, with Iain Dowie scoring both of the visitors' goals either side of half-time.[14] The next week's 2–0 loss at Sheffield United marked the final appearance of summer signing David Speedie, who had fallen out with Branfoot and other players, and was subsequently loaned out to various clubs during the rest of the season.[10] Following a 2–2 draw at home to Wimbledon and a 1–0 loss at Manchester City, the Saints started a six-game unbeaten run with a 1–0 win over strugglers Oldham Athletic, marking their best run of results of the whole season.[14] The spell included a 2–1 win over bottom-placed Nottingham Forest and a 2–0 defeat of title hopefuls Arsenal.[14]
After climbing as high as 13th in the table following the win over Arsenal,[22] a run of three defeats and two draws over Christmas and new year saw them drop back down to 19th, just above the relegation zone.[14][23] In January, the club picked up key wins over Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, the latter of whom were second in the table before the game.[14] February brought a pair of wins over Norwich City, who were still challenging for the title, and Liverpool, which was followed by a narrow defeat at league leaders Manchester United.[24] A run of four games unbeaten from late-February to mid-March saw the club climb into the top half of the table for the first time during the season, peaking at ninth following a hard-fought 4–3 win over Ipswich Town in which Le Tissier scored the winner in the last minute of the game, after a goal for each side within the closing ten minutes.[24][25]
The victory over Ipswich was Southampton's penultimate win of the season, as they lost six of their last eight games and started to drop back towards the bottom of the league table again. The spell started with a closely-fought 4–3 defeat at Arsenal, who were occupying a mid-table spot at the time, which was followed by a 2–1 home loss to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest in which Le Tissier missed a penalty for the first time on his 21st attempt.[24][26] Another loss to mid-table side Coventry City was followed by the club's last win of the season, a 1–0 edging of Chelsea after which they remained 14th in the table.[27] Sheffield Wednesday dealt Southampton their heaviest defeat of the season two days after the Chelsea game, thrashing the visiting Saints 5–2, before the Saints finished their debut FA Premier League campaign with a goalless draw at home to Everton, a 1–0 defeat at home to Manchester City, and a 4–3 loss at Oldham Athletic.[26] The final game of the season gave the Latics a win which secured their FA Premier League status, as they equalled Crystal Palace's points tally and had a superior goal difference, while also featuring Le Tissier's second away hat-trick and first from open play.[26]
Southampton's 18th-place finish in the inaugural FA Premier League was the club's lowest finishing position in the top flight since they were last relegated from the First Division in the 1973–74 season.
List of match results
edit| 15 August 1992 1 | Southampton | 0–0 | Tottenham Hotspur | Southampton |
| Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 19,654 Referee: Vic Callow |
| 19 August 1992 2 | Queens Park Rangers | 3–1 | Southampton | London |
| Ferdinand 58', 86' Bardsley 70' |
Le Tissier 31' |
Stadium: Loftus Road Attendance: 10,925 Referee: Ray Bigger |
| 22 August 1992 3 | Aston Villa | 1–1 | Southampton | Birmingham |
| Atkinson 64' |
Adams 79' |
Stadium: Villa Park Attendance: 17,894 Referee: Kelvin Morton |
| 24 August 1992 4 | Southampton | 0–1 | Manchester United | Southampton |
| Dublin 89' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 15,623 Referee: Ray Lewis |
| 29 August 1992 5 | Southampton | 2–1 | Middlesbrough | Southampton |
| Le Tissier 80' (pen.) Banger 83' |
Wilkinson 75' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 13,003 Referee: Rodger Gifford |
| 1 September 1992 6 | Liverpool | 1–1 | Southampton | Liverpool |
| Wright 60' |
Dixon 51' |
Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 30,024 Referee: Robbie Hart |
| 5 September 1992 7 | Norwich City | 1–0 | Southampton | Norwich |
| Robins 87' |
Stadium: Carrow Road Attendance: 12,452 Referee: Keith Hackett |
| 12 September 1992 8 | Southampton | 1–2 | Queens Park Rangers | Southampton |
| Le Tissier 11' |
Sinton 53' Channing 56' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 14,125 Referee: Alan Gunn |
| 19 September 1992 9 | Southampton | 1–1 | Leeds United | Southampton |
| Groves 43' |
Speed 83' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 16,229 Referee: Alf Buksh |
| 26 September 1992 10 | Crystal Palace | 1–2 | Southampton | London |
| Young 54' |
Dowie 44', 88' |
Stadium: Selhurst Park Attendance: 13,829 Referee: Jim Borrett |
| 3 October 1992 11 | Sheffield United | 2–0 | Southampton | Sheffield |
| Whitehouse 4' Littlejohn 26' |
Stadium: Bramall Lane Attendance: 15,842 Referee: Ken Redfern |
| 17 October 1992 12 | Southampton | 2–2 | Wimbledon | Southampton |
| Dowie 57' Groves 83' |
Cotterill 50', 67' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 11,221 Referee: Keren Barratt |
| 24 October 1992 13 | Manchester City | 1–0 | Southampton | Manchester |
| Sheron 74' |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 20,089 Referee: Philip Don |
| 31 October 1992 14 | Southampton | 1–0 | Oldham Athletic | Southampton |
| Hall 58' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 10,827 Referee: Paul Durkin |
| 7 November 1992 15 | Ipswich Town | 0–0 | Southampton | Ipswich |
| Stadium: Portman Road Attendance: 15,722 Referee: Roger Dilkes |
| 22 November 1992 16 | Southampton | 1–1 | Blackburn Rovers | Southampton |
| Le Tissier 22' |
Moran 38' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 16,626 Referee: Martin Bodenham |
| 28 November 1992 17 | Nottingham Forest | 1–2 | Southampton | Nottingham |
| Clough 43' |
Le Tissier 21' Adams 63' |
Stadium: City Ground Attendance: 19,942 Referee: David Elleray |
| 5 December 1992 18 | Southampton | 2–0 | Arsenal | Southampton |
| Maddison 16' Dowie 53' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 17,286 Referee: John Key |
| 12 December 1992 19 | Southampton | 2–2 | Coventry City | Southampton |
| Maddison 9' Dowie 61' |
Quinn 6', 25' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 12,306 Referee: Bob Nixon |
| 19 December 1992 20 | Everton | 2–1 | Southampton | Liverpool |
| Beardsley 11' (pen.) Rideout 36' |
Le Tissier 5' |
Stadium: Goodison Park Attendance: 14,051 Referee: Mike Peck |
| 26 December 1992 21 | Chelsea | 1–1 | Southampton | London |
| Newton 89' |
Dowie 2' |
Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 18,344 Referee: Alan Gunn |
| 28 December 1992 22 | Southampton | 1–2 | Sheffield Wednesday | Southampton |
| Monkou 80' |
Sheridan 12' (pen.) Hirst 63' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 17,426 Referee: Roger Milford |
| 9 January 1993 23 | Leeds United | 2–1 | Southampton | Leeds |
| Fairclough 50' Speed 72' |
Dixon 19' |
Stadium: Elland Road Attendance: 26,071 Referee: Ron Groves |
| 16 January 1993 24 | Southampton | 1–0 | Crystal Palace | Southampton |
| Maddison 50' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 13,397 Referee: Philip Don |
| 26 January 1993 25 | Middlesbrough | 2–1 | Southampton | Middlesbrough |
| Mohan 24' Wilkinson 71' |
Le Tissier 58' |
Stadium: Ayresome Park Attendance: 13,918 Referee: Peter Foakes |
| 30 January 1993 26 | Southampton | 2–0 | Aston Villa | Southampton |
| Banger 39' Dowie 63' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 19,087 Referee: Philip Wright |
| 7 February 1993 27 | Tottenham Hotspur | 4–2 | Southampton | London |
| Sheringham 54', 59' Barmby 56'Anderton 57' |
Dowie 21' Hall 66' |
Stadium: White Hart Lane Attendance: 20,098 Referee: Ken Redfern |
| 10 February 1993 28 | Southampton | 3–0 | Norwich City | Southampton |
| Hall 9' Adams 25'Banger 79' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 12,969 Referee: Joe Worrall |
| 13 February 1993 29 | Southampton | 2–1 | Liverpool | Southampton |
| Maddison 23' Banger 73' |
Hutchison 60' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 17,216 Referee: Alf Buksh |
| 20 February 1993 30 | Manchester United | 2–1 | Southampton | Manchester |
| Giggs 82', 83' |
Banger 77' |
Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 36,257 Referee: Ray Lewis |
| 27 February 1993 31 | Southampton | 3–2 | Sheffield United | Southampton |
| Moore 2' Kenna 5'Dowie 39' |
Gayle 37' Bryson 83' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 13,814 Referee: Jim Borrett |
| 6 March 1993 32 | Wimbledon | 1–2 | Southampton | London |
| Holdsworth 22' |
Le Tissier 33' Moore 73' |
Stadium: Selhurst Park Attendance: 4,534 Referee: Alan Gunn |
| 9 March 1993 33 | Blackburn Rovers | 0–0 | Southampton | Blackburn |
| Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 13,556 Referee: Stephen Lodge |
| 13 March 1993 34 | Southampton | 4–3 | Ipswich Town | Southampton |
| Hall 17' Le Tissier 65' (pen.), 90'Kenna 84' |
Linighan 13' Goddard 35'Kiwomya 87' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 15,428 Referee: David Elleray |
| 20 March 1993 35 | Arsenal | 4–3 | Southampton | London |
| Linighan 15' Merson 16'Carter 20', 79' |
Dowie 4' Adams 30'Le Tissier 50' |
Stadium: Arsenal Stadium Attendance: 24,149 Referee: Keren Barratt |
| 24 March 1993 36 | Southampton | 1–2 | Nottingham Forest | Southampton |
| Le Tissier 72' |
Clough 5' Keane 45' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 18,005 Referee: Mike Reed |
| 3 April 1993 37 | Coventry City | 2–0 | Southampton | Coventry |
| Quinn 7' (pen.) Williams 80' |
Stadium: Highfield Road Attendance: 10,463 Referee: Keith Cooper |
| 10 April 1993 38 | Southampton | 1–0 | Chelsea | Southampton |
| Banger 49' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 15,135 Referee: Keith Burge |
| 12 April 1993 39 | Sheffield Wednesday | 5–2 | Southampton | Sheffield |
| Bright 37' Bart-Williams 43', 71', 80'King 50' |
Dodd 68' Dowie 86' |
Stadium: Hillsborough Stadium Attendance: 26,183 Referee: Kelvin Morton |
| 17 April 1993 40 | Southampton | 0–0 | Everton | Southampton |
| Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 16,911 Referee: Martin Bodenham |
| 1 May 1993 41 | Southampton | 0–1 | Manchester City | Southampton |
| White 41' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 11,830 Referee: T. Lloyd |
| 8 May 1993 42 | Oldham Athletic | 4–3 | Southampton | Oldham |
| Pointon 29' Olney 44'Ritchie 54'Halle 63' |
Le Tissier 34', 66', 84' |
Stadium: Boundary Park Attendance: 14,597 Referee: Howard King |
Final league table
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 50 | 55 | −5 | 52 | |
| 17 | Leeds United | 42 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 57 | 62 | −5 | 51 | |
| 18 | Southampton | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 54 | 61 | −7 | 50 | |
| 19 | Oldham Athletic | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 63 | 74 | −11 | 49 | |
| 20 | Crystal Palace (R) | 42 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 48 | 61 | −13 | 49 | Relegation to Football League First Division |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated
Results by matchday
editFA Cup
editSouthampton entered the 1992–93 FA Cup in the third round against Nottingham Forest, another side fighting the risk of relegation from the FA Premier League. The visiting Saints opened the scoring in the 14th minute, when Matt Le Tissier headed in a corner from Micky Adams flicked on by Glenn Cockerill.[28] Forest responded with a run of chances on goal, denied by Southampton goalkeeper Tim Flowers, before they eventually equalised a minute before half-time when Roy Keane headed in from a corner.[28] During stoppage time before the break, the hosts went ahead through Neil Webb.[28] In the second half, Le Tissier came close to equalising on multiple occasions, including hitting the crossbar just a minute after the break, while Kerry Dixon saw his "powerful header" saved by Forest goalkeeper Mark Crossley.[28]
| 3 January 1993 Round 3 | Nottingham Forest | 2–1 | Southampton | Nottingham |
| Keane 44' Webb 45+2' |
Le Tissier 14' |
Stadium: City Ground Attendance: 13,592 |
League Cup
editSouthampton entered the 1992–93 League Cup against Third Division side Gillingham. After a goalless first leg at Priestfield Stadium, the Saints overcame the fourth-flight side at home with a 3–0 win – Iain Dowie opened the scoring in the 29th minute with a header, before Matt Le Tissier added a penalty ten minutes after half-time, followed by a chip six minutes later.[29] In the third round, the South Coast club hosted fellow FA Premier League side Crystal Palace, who won the tie 2–0 after a "dreadful" performance by the home side "lacking in passion and purpose".[29]
| 23 September 1992 Round 2 Leg 1 | Gillingham | 0–0 | Southampton | Gillingham |
| Stadium: Priestfield Stadium Attendance: 7,488 |
| 7 October 1992 Round 2 Leg 2 | Southampton | 3–0 (3–0 agg.) | Gillingham | Southampton |
| Dowie 29' Le Tissier 55' (pen.), 61' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 6,764 |
| 28 October 1992 Round 3 | Southampton | 0–2 | Crystal Palace | Southampton |
| McGoldrick 10' Salako 17' |
Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 9,060 |
Other matches
editOutside the league, FA Cup and League Cup, the Southampton first team played five additional matches during the 1992–93 season. The first was a friendly against a team representing Jersey in September 1992, which the Saints won 4–1 (goals included a pair from Nicky Banger).[17] A similar friendly against a team representing Guernsey was played in March 1993, which was also won by Southampton 3–1 (Matt Le Tissier scored twice).[17] The next month, before the last two games of the season, the club played friendlies against Fordingbridge Turks and Grimsby Town. The former was hosted to mark the Turks' 125th anniversary and saw the Saints thrash the non-league side 13–1; Le Tissier scored a hat-trick and later played in goal, with Tim Flowers scoring a "spectacular diving header" during an outfield spell.[30] Seven other players were on the scoresheet.[17] The latter, just over a week later, was a testimonial for retiring player John Cockerill, brother of Saints player Glenn, which saw the FA Premier League side beat the First Division hosts 3–1.[17] The last friendly, which took place in between the penultimate and final games in the league, saw Southampton beat local Second Division side Bournemouth 2–0 at Dean Court for Paul Morrell's testimonial.[17]
| 15 September 1992 Friendly |  Jersey Select XI | 1–4 | Southampton | St Helier, Jersey |
| Banger Hurlock Le Tissier |
Stadium: Springfield Stadium |
| 15 March 1993 Friendly |  Guernsey FA XI | 1–3 | Southampton | Saint Sampson, Guernsey |
| Le Tissier Maddison |
Stadium: Corbet Field |
| 19 April 1993 Friendly | Fordingbridge Turks | 1–13 | Southampton | Fordingbridge |
| Banger Benali Cockerill Dowie Flowers Le Tissier Maddison Tisdale Widdrington |
Stadium: Recreation Ground |
| 27 April 1993 John Cockerill Testimonial | Grimsby Town | 1–3 | Southampton | Cleethorpes |
| Le Tissier Maddison |
Stadium: Blundell Park |
| 4 May 1993 Paul Morrell Testimonial | Bournemouth | 0–2 | Southampton | Bournemouth |
| Maddison |
Stadium: Dean Court |
Player details
editSouthampton used 25 players during the 1992–93 season, 12 of whom scored during the campaign.[31] Six players made their debut appearances for the club, including five of their seven new signings (Derek Allan,[16] Kerry Dixon,[7] Perry Groves,[9] Ken Monkou,[8] and David Speedie[10]) and one player making the step up from youth to the first team (Neal Bartlett[32]). Four of these new signings (Allan,[16] Dixon,[7] Groves,[9] and Speedie[10]) also made their last appearances for the Saints during the campaign, as did striker David Lee, who left the following summer.[12] Goalkeeper Tim Flowers was the only Southampton player to appear in all 46 of the team's matches across all competitions.[31] Matt Le Tissier finished as the club's top scorer in 1992–93 with 15 goals in the league, one in the FA Cup and two in the League Cup; Iain Dowie was the second-highest scorer with 12 goals in all competitions.[31] Flowers won the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award for a second time (the second player, after fellow goalkeeper Peter Shilton, to do so).[26]
Squad statistics
edit| Name | Pos. | Nat. | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | Discipline | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps. | Goals | Apps. | Goals | Apps. | Goals | Apps. | Goals | 
|
| |||
| Micky Adams | DF |
|
38 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 42 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| Derek Allan | DF |
|
0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ian Andrews | GK |
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nicky Banger | FW |
|
10(17) | 6 | 0(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11(18) | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Neal Bartlett | MF |
|
0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Francis Benali | DF |
|
31(2) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1(2) | 0 | 33(4) | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Frankie Bennett | FW |
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matthew Bound | DF |
|
1(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Glenn Cockerill | MF |
|
21(2) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24(2) | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Jason Dodd | DF |
|
27(3) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 31(3) | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Iain Dowie | FW | 
|
34(2) | 11 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 36(2) | 12 | 9 | 0 |
| Tim Flowers | GK |
|
42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Perry Groves | FW |
|
13(2) | 2 | 0(1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 15(3) | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Richard Hall | DF |
|
28 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| David Hughes | MF |
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terry Hurlock | MF |
|
30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Jeff Kenna | DF | 
|
27(2) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28(2) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt Le Tissier | MF |
|
40 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 44 | 18 | 5 | 0 |
| Neil Maddison | MF |
|
33(4) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35(4) | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Ken Monkou | DF |
|
33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 37 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Paul Moody | FW |
|
2(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kevin Moore | DF |
|
18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Lee Powell | MF |
|
0(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Paul Sheerin | MF |
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Thomas | MF |
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tommy Widdrington | MF |
|
11(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 11(2) | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Steve Wood | DF |
|
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Squad members who ended the season out on loan | ||||||||||||
| Kerry Dixon | FW |
|
8(1) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11(1) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| David Speedie | FW |
|
11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Players with appearances who left before the end of the season | ||||||||||||
| David Lee | FW |
|
0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 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 | Tim Flowers | GK | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 46 |
| 2 | Matt Le Tissier | MF | 40 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 44 |
| 3 | Micky Adams | DF | 38 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 42 |
| 4 | Neil Maddison | MF | 33 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 4 | 39 |
| 5 | Iain Dowie | FW | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 2 | 38 |
| 6 | Ken Monkou | DF | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 37 |
| Francis Benali | DF | 31 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 33 | 4 | 37 | |
| 8 | Jason Dodd | DF | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 3 | 34 |
| 9 | Terry Hurlock | MF | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 33 |
| 10 | Richard Hall | DF | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 30 |
| Jeff Kenna | DF | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 30 | |
Top goalscorers
edit| Rank | Name | Pos. | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | GPG | |||
| 1 | Matt Le Tissier | FW | 15 | 40 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 44 | 0.40 |
| 2 | Iain Dowie | FW | 11 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 38 | 0.31 |
| 3 | Nicky Banger | FW | 6 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 29 | 0.20 |
| 4 | Richard Hall | DF | 4 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 30 | 0.13 |
| Neil Maddison | MF | 4 | 37 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 39 | 0.10 | |
| Micky Adams | DF | 4 | 38 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 42 | 0.09 | |
| 7 | Kerry Dixon | FW | 2 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 0.16 |
| Perry Groves | FW | 2 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 0.11 | |
| Kevin Moore | DF | 2 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 0.10 | |
| Jeff Kenna | DF | 2 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 30 | 0.06 | |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 224
- ^ a b Winter, Henry (27 July 1992). "Football: Shearer set to sign for Blackburn". The Independent. Archived from the original on 5 February 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ Crist, Matthew (27 July 2022). "Shear Class: When Alan Shearer Signed For Blackburn Rovers On This Day In 1992". The Sportsman. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Neil Ruddock". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Barry Horne". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Jon Gittens". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Kerry Dixon". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ a b c "Ken Monkou". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Perry Groves". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "David Speedie". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Kevin Moore". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d "David Lee". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Paul Moody". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 225
- ^ a b "Frankie Bennett". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Derek Allan". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 430
- ^ "1992/93 Season Review". Premier League. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ Murray, Will (6 October 2024). "Why the Premier League Was Formed in 1992". GiveMeSport. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ "Premier League Origins, Information & History". Premier League. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 19 September 1992". 11v11.com. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 5 December 1992". 11v11.com. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 9 January 1993". 11v11.com. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 226
- ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 13 March 1993". 11v11.com. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 227
- ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 10 April 1993". 11v11.com. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 398
- ^ a b Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 293
- ^ "Fordingbridge football club set to star in television documentary watched by millions of Turkish viewers". Southern Daily Echo. 23 April 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, pp. 228, 293, 398
- ^ "Neal Bartlett". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 9 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