1994–95 Southampton F.C. season

The 1994–95 Southampton F.C. season was the club's 94th season of competitive football, their 25th in the top flight of English football, and their third in the FA Premier League. After two seasons finishing just two positions and one point above the relegation zone, Southampton's first and only full season with Alan Ball as manager saw them achieve 10th place in the league – their highest position since the 1989–90 season. The club also improved their form in both the FA Cup and the League Cup, reaching the fifth round in the former (for the first time since 1991–92) and the third round in the latter.

Southampton F.C.
1994–95 season
ChairmanGuy Askham
ManagerAlan Ball
StadiumThe Dell
FA Premier League10th
FA CupFifth round
League CupThird round
Top goalscorerLeague: Matt Le Tissier (19)
All: Matt Le Tissier (29)
Highest home attendance15,210 v Queens Park
Rangers
(15 April 1995)
Lowest home attendance12,032 v Huddersfield
Town
(5 October 1994)
Average home league attendance14,685
Biggest win6–0 v Luton Town
(8 February 1995)
Biggest defeat1–5 v Newcastle United
(27 August 1994)
2–6 v Tottenham
Hotspur
(1 March 1995)

Having brought in several new players in the wake of his arrival halfway through the previous season, Ball made only two signings ahead of the 1994–95 season, adding defender Peter Whiston and goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar. Several players were released, including Kevin Moore, Ian Andrews, Steve Wood and Colin Cramb. During the campaign, the club bolstered its attacking force by spending just over £2.5 million on strikers Neil Shipperley and Gordon Watson, while players such as Nicky Banger, Iain Dowie and Jeff Kenna were also sold. The result was a marked improvement on the previous season, as the Saints enjoyed spells of good form both early and later on in the campaign, remaining clear of the relegation zone for the majority of the time.

In the FA Cup, Southampton faced First Division opposition in the third and fourth rounds, beating Southend United 2–0 before facing Luton Town. After a 1–1 draw away, the Saints hosted the replay and thrashed Luton 6–0, their biggest win of the season. In their first fifth round tie in three years, the club hosted FA Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur. After holding them to a 2–2 draw for 90 minutes, they conceded four goals from Spurs in extra time to lose 2–6, marking their heaviest defeat in the tournament since 1910. In the League Cup, Southampton beat Huddersfield Town of the Second Division 5–0 in the second round on aggregate, before facing elimination at the hands of fellow top-flight side Sheffield Wednesday, to whom they lost 0–1.

Southampton used 27 players during the 1994–95 season and had 14 different goalscorers. Matt Le Tissier finished as the season's top scorer for the third year in a row with 29 goals, including 19 in the FA Premier League and five in each cup. Jim Magilton made the most appearances for the club during the campaign, playing in every game across all three competitions. At the end of the year, Le Tissier became the first (and to date only) player to win the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award a third time, as well as the third to win it in consecutive seasons. The average league attendance at The Dell in 1994–95 was 14,685. The highest attendance was 15,210 against Queens Park Rangers in April; the lowest was 12,032 against Huddersfield in October.

Background and transfers

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Southampton signed Bruce Grobbelaar from Liverpool on a free transfer in the summer of 1994. He spent 1994–95 as the club's first-choice goalkeeper.
 
Another summer signing was trainee striker Steve Basham, who would later make the step up to the first team and play 20 times for the Saints.

Having signed a number of players the previous season after taking over as manager in January 1994, Alan Ball made only two first-team signings in the summer ahead of the 1994–95 season: centre-back Peter Whiston arrived from Ball's previous club Exeter City for £30,000,[1] while Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar arrived on a free transfer.[2] Leaving on free transfers in the summer were centre-backs Kevin Moore, who reunited with former Saints manager Ian Branfoot at recently relegated Third Division side Fulham,[3] and Steve Wood, who moved to Oxford United, who had recently been relegated to the Second Division.[4] During the early stages of the campaign, Colin Cramb – who had made just one substitute appearance since being signed ahead of the previous season – was sold to Falkirk,[5] while out-of-favour goalkeeper Ian Andrews moved to Bournemouth for £20,000.[6] September also saw the arrival of Danish winger Ronnie Ekelund, who joined from Spanish champions Barcelona on loan, with the option for a permanent move for a fee of £500,000.[7]

Ball continued to sell out-of-favour players throughout the course of the season. In October, centre-back Matthew Bound moved to Second Division side Stockport County for £100,000,[8] while striker Nicky Banger was loaned – and subsequently sold, for £250,000 – to FA Premier League strugglers Oldham Athletic.[9] December saw central midfielder Neal Bartlett offloaded to local Southern League club Fareham Town and winger Paul Allen sent out on loan to Luton Town in the First Division.[10][11] In the new year, Ball spent a club record £1.4 million on 20-year-old Chelsea striker Neil Shipperley,[12] which preceded the sale of Iain Dowie to Crystal Palace for £500,000.[13] Also in January, Allen was loaned out for the rest of the season to Stoke City.[11] The final transfers took place in March, when Jeff Kenna was signed by eventual champions Blackburn Rovers for £1.5 million,[14] striker Gordon Watson was signed from Sheffield Wednesday for £1.2 million,[15] and young winger Christer Warren joined from Southern League side Cheltenham Town for £40,000.[16]

Players transferred in

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
Steve Basham   England FW none (free agent) July 1994 Free[a] [17]
Duncan Spedding   England MF none (free agent) July 1994 Free[b] [18]
Peter Whiston   England DF   Exeter City 10 August 1994 £30,000 [1]
Bruce Grobbelaar   Zimbabwe GK   Liverpool 11 August 1994 Free [2]
Neil Shipperley   England FW   Chelsea 6 January 1995 £1,400,000 [12]
Gordon Watson   England FW   Sheffield Wednesday 17 March 1995 £1,200,000 [15]
Christer Warren   England MF   Cheltenham Town 31 March 1995 £40,000 [16]

Players transferred out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
Kevin Moore   England DF   Fulham July 1994 Free [3]
Steve Wood   England DF   Oxford United July 1994 Free [4]
Colin Cramb   Scotland FW   Falkirk 30 August 1994 Unknown [5]
Ian Andrews   England GK   Bournemouth 5 September 1994 £20,000 [6]
Matthew Bound   England DF   Stockport County 27 October 1994 £100,000 [8]
Nicky Banger   England FW   Oldham Athletic 4 November 1994 £250,000 [9]
Rory Hamill   Northern Ireland FW   Fulham 18 November 1994 Free [citation needed]
Neal Bartlett   England MF   Fareham Town 2 December 1994 Free [10]
Iain Dowie   Northern Ireland FW   Crystal Palace 13 January 1995 £500,000 [13]
Jeff Kenna   Republic of Ireland DF   Blackburn Rovers 15 March 1995 £1,500,000 [14]

Players loaned in

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date from Date to Ref.
Ronnie Ekelund   Denmark MF   Barcelona 15 September 1994 End of season [7]

Players loaned out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date from Date to Ref.
Nicky Banger   England FW   Oldham Athletic October 1994 November 1994 [9]
Paul Allen   England MF   Luton Town 9 December 1994 19 January 1995 [11]
Paul Allen   England MF   Stoke City 20 January 1995 End of season [11]

Notes

  1. ^ Steve Basham initially joined as a trainee in July 1994, before turning professional in May 1996.[17]
  2. ^ Duncan Spedding initially joined as a trainee in July 1994, before turning professional in May 1996.[18]

Pre-season friendlies

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Ahead of the 1994–95 campaign, Southampton played ten pre-season friendlies. They started their pre-season preparations with a short tour of Northern Ireland, during which they beat Ards 3–1 and Cliftonville 2–1, before losing 1–2 at reigning Irish League champions Linfield.[19] Back in England in early August, the Saints beat Second Division side Leyton Orient and First Division side Luton Town 2–1.[19] The FA Premier League side concluded the pre-season period with a tour of the Netherlands and Belgium featuring five friendlies against local opponents – after victories over ARC (4–1) and Nuenen (6–1, including four goals for Craig Maskell), the Saints lost 2–3 at Belgian side Royal Antwerp, followed by marginal defeats at Cambuur (1–2) and Telstar (0–1) back in Holland.[19]

25 July 1994 Friendly   Ards 1–3 Southampton Newtownards, Northern Ireland
Heaney  
Maddison  
Monkou  
Stadium: Castlereagh Park
27 July 1994 Friendly   Cliftonville 1–2 Southampton Belfast, Northern Ireland
Dowie    Stadium: Solitude
30 July 1994 Friendly   Linfield 2–1 Southampton Belfast, Northern Ireland
Capocchiano   Stadium: Windsor Park
2 August 1994 Friendly Leyton Orient 1–2 Southampton London
own goal  
Maskell  
Stadium: Brisbane Road
5 August 1994 Friendly Luton Town 1–2 Southampton Luton
Dowie  
Le Tissier  
Stadium: Kenilworth Road
8 August 1994 Friendly   ARC 1–4 Southampton Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands
Banger  
Dodd  
Heaney  
Le Tissier  
Stadium: Zegersloot
9 August 1994 Friendly   Nuenen 1–6 Southampton Nuenen, Netherlands
Banger  
Ekelund  
Maskell     
Stadium: Oude Landen
10 August 1994 Friendly   Royal Antwerp 3–2 Southampton Antwerp, Belgium
Le Tissier  
Magilton  
Stadium: Bosuilstadion
13 August 1994 Friendly   Cambuur 2–1 Southampton Leeuwarden, Netherlands
Heaney  
14 August 1994 Friendly   Telstar 1–0 Southampton Velsen, Netherlands
Stadium: Sportpark Schoonenberg

FA Premier League

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In his first and only full season in charge, Alan Ball led Southampton to a 10th-place finish in the FA Premier League – their best in the top flight since 1990, and the best they would achieve until 2000–01.

Southampton started the 1994–95 season with four fixtures against top opposition: opening week 1–1 draws with the previous season's league runners-up Blackburn Rovers and League Cup winners Aston Villa were followed by a 1–5 loss at third-place finishers Newcastle United (their heaviest league defeat of the whole campaign) and a 0–2 home defeat to Liverpool.[20] The Saints picked up their first victory a couple of weeks later with a late 2–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, which was followed after another 1–1 draw (with Nottingham Forest) by three consecutive wins over teams slated for potential relegation: 3–1 against Coventry City, 3–1 over Ipswich Town, and 2–0 against Everton.[20][21] Danish centre-back Ronnie Ekelund, who arrived on loan from Barcelona before the Nottingham game, made his full debut against Coventry and scored in each of the three wins.[20][21]

After three straight wins which put them 7th in the league table,[22] the Saints suffered three consecutive defeats as they lost 3–4 at Leicester City (who had been recently promoted from the First Division), 0–2 at West Ham United, and 1–3 at home to title challengers Leeds United (in which two goals were scored by former Saint Rod Wallace).[21] The team rescued a point in their next game against Norwich City when a penultimate-minute penalty by Matt Le Tissier secured a 1–1 draw, with a visit to Manchester City the next week ending in a 3–3 draw in which Ekelund scored his last two goals during his loan spell.[21] Southampton faced Arsenal at home in their next game, which was their first match since allegations emerged that goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar had been involved in match fixing; Grobbelaar played the match and kept a clean sheet, as the Saints won 1–0.[21]

It would take another month for Southampton to win again after Arsenal, when a last-minute Le Tissier free kick gave the South Coast side all three points against Aston Villa the week before Christmas.[23] After a 2–3 loss at home to Wimbledon on Boxing Day, the Saints dropped slowly down the table with a run of seven straight draws, ending up 15th by the middle of February.[24] Results in this spell included a 2–2 draw with reigning league champions Manchester United, a goalless draw with Leeds United featuring the debut of new striker Neil Shipperley, and a 2–2 draw at Norwich City which set the new club record for consecutive draws.[23][25] After a loss at Ipswich Town and two more draws (against Coventry City and West Ham United), the Saints dropped into the relegation zone for the first time all season with a 0–3 loss at title challengers Nottingham Forest.[23]

After three months without a win, the Saints finally picked up their seventh victory of the season when they beat Newcastle United 3–1 at The Dell, scoring all three goals in the last seven minutes of the game (two of which were in injury time) to reverse an early deficit.[25] The team followed this with their first back-to-back win since the previous October, when they edged out 7th-placed Tottenham Hotspur 4–3 to climb out of the drop zone again.[25] After a 1–3 defeat at Liverpool, the Saints won another three games in a row, beating mid-table side Chelsea 2–0 at Stamford Bridge, Queens Park Rangers 2–1 at The Dell, and Wimbledon 2–0 at Selhurst Park.[26] The club extended their unbeaten run to five games with a goalless draw against Sheffield Wednesday, a 3–1 win over Crystal Palace and a goalless draw at Everton, which resulted in them climbing to 10th place in the FA Premier League table.[27] This position was confirmed after a 1–2 defeat at Old Trafford by Manchester United, who were chasing a third consecutive league title, and a 2–2 final day draw with Leicester City, who had already been relegated back to the First Division.[26]

List of match results

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20 August 1994 1 Southampton 1–1 Blackburn Rovers Southampton
Banger   15' Shearer   60' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,209
Referee: Keith Cooper
24 August 1994 2 Aston Villa 1–1 Southampton Birmingham
Saunders   32' Le Tissier   89' Stadium: Villa Park
Attendance: 24,179
Referee: Philip Don
27 August 1994 3 Newcastle United 5–1 Southampton Newcastle upon Tyne
Watson   30', 37'
Cole   40', 73'
Lee   85'
Banger   53' Stadium: St James' Park
Attendance: 34,183
Referee: David Elleray
31 August 1994 4 Southampton 0–2 Liverpool Southampton
Fowler   21'
Barnes   77'
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,190
Referee: Martin Bodenham
12 September 1994 5 Tottenham Hotspur 1–2 Southampton London
Klinsmann   6' Le Tissier   75' (pen.), 89' Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 22,387
Referee: Alan Wilkie
17 September 1994 6 Southampton 1–1 Nottingham Forest Southampton
Le Tissier   54' (pen.) Collymore   43' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,185
Referee: Mike Reed
24 September 1994 7 Coventry City 1–3 Southampton Coventry
Dublin   2' Dowie   34', 55'
Ekelund   81'
Stadium: Highfield Road
Attendance: 11,798
Referee: Kelvin Morton
1 October 1994 8 Southampton 3–1 Ipswich Town Southampton
Maddison   53'
Ekelund   65'
Dowie   90'
Marshall   77' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,266
Referee: Gerald Ashby
8 October 1994 9 Southampton 2–0 Everton Southampton
Ekelund   19'
Le Tissier   72'
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,163
Referee: Brian Hill
15 October 1994 10 Leicester City 4–3 Southampton Leicester
Blake   3', 53'
Roberts   21'
Carr   82'
Dowie   78', 90'
Le Tissier   89'
Stadium: Filbert Street
Attendance: 20,020
Referee: Robbie Hart
22 October 1994 11 West Ham United 2–0 Southampton London
Allen   49'
Rush   62'
Stadium: Boleyn Ground
Attendance: 18,853
Referee: Joe Worrall
29 October 1994 12 Southampton 1–3 Leeds United Southampton
Maddison   44' Maddison   54' (o.g.)
Wallace   83', 89'
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,202
Referee: Rodger Gifford
2 November 1994 13 Southampton 1–1 Norwich City Southampton
Le Tissier   89' (pen.) Robins   49' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 12,876
Referee: Paul Durkin
5 November 1994 14 Manchester City 3–3 Southampton Manchester
Walsh   50', 61'
Beagrie   79'
Hall   26'
Ekelund   62', 66'
Stadium: Maine Road
Attendance: 21,589
Referee: Mike Reed
19 November 1994 15 Southampton 1–0 Arsenal Southampton
Magilton   60' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,201
Referee: Roger Dilkes
26 November 1994 16 Crystal Palace 0–0 Southampton London
Stadium: Selhurst Park
Attendance: 14,186
Referee: Paul Danson
3 December 1994 17 Southampton 0–1 Chelsea Southampton
Furlong   89' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,404
Referee: Rodger Gifford
10 December 1994 18 Blackburn Rovers 3–2 Southampton Blackburn
Atkins   6'
Shearer   13', 74'
Le Tissier   65', 78' Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 23,372
Referee: Alan Wilkie
19 December 1994 19 Southampton 2–1 Aston Villa Southampton
Hall   8'
Le Tissier   90'
Houghton   79' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,874
Referee: Stephen Lodge
26 December 1994 20 Southampton 2–3 Wimbledon Southampton
Dodd   11'
Le Tissier   43'
Holdsworth   20', 72' (pen.)
Harford   38'
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,603
Referee: Graham Poll
28 December 1994 21 Queens Park Rangers 2–2 Southampton London
Barker   7'
Gallen   49'
Dodd   14'
Hughes   71'
Stadium: Loftus Road
Attendance: 16,078
Referee: Keith Cooper
31 December 1994 22 Southampton 2–2 Manchester United Southampton
Magilton   44'
Hughes   74'
Butt   51'
Pallister   78'
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,204
Referee: Martin Bodenham
2 January 1995 23 Sheffield Wednesday 1–1 Southampton Sheffield
Hyde   19' Le Tissier   70' (pen.) Stadium: Hillsborough Stadium
Attendance: 28,424
Referee: Roger Dilkes
14 January 1995 24 Leeds United 0–0 Southampton Leeds
Stadium: Elland Road
Attendance: 28,869
Referee: Steve Dunn
24 January 1995 25 Arsenal 1–1 Southampton London
Hartson   21' Magilton   74' Stadium: Arsenal Stadium
Attendance: 27,213
Referee: Dermot Gallagher
4 February 1995 26 Southampton 2–2 Manchester City Southampton
Coton   24' (o.g.)
Le Tissier   60'
Kernaghan   29'
Flitcroft   88'
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,902
Referee: Paul Durkin
11 February 1995 27 Norwich City 2–2 Southampton Norwich
Newsome   37'
Ward   90'
Hall   33'
Magilton   36'
Stadium: Carrow Road
Attendance: 18,361
Referee: Robbie Hart
25 February 1995 28 Ipswich Town 2–1 Southampton Ipswich
Mathie   70'
Chapman   77'
Maddison   38' Stadium: Portman Road
Attendance: 15,788
Referee: Peter Jones
4 March 1995 29 Southampton 0–0 Coventry City Southampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,505
Referee: Kelvin Morton
15 March 1995 30 Southampton 1–1 West Ham United Southampton
Shipperley   48' Hutchison   38' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,178
Referee: Keith Burge
18 March 1995 31 Nottingham Forest 3–0 Southampton Nottingham
Roy   38', 81'
Collymore   64'
Stadium: City Ground
Attendance: 24,146
Referee: Keith Cooper
22 March 1995 32 Southampton 3–1 Newcastle United Southampton
Heaney   86'
Watson   90'
Shipperley   90'
Kitson   18' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,666
Referee: Joe Worrall
2 April 1995 33 Southampton 4–3 Tottenham Hotspur Southampton
Heaney   13'
Le Tissier   44', 58'
Magilton   62'
Sheringham   17', 59'
Klinsmann   59'
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,105
Referee: Gary Willard
5 April 1995 34 Liverpool 3–1 Southampton Liverpool
Rush   28', 50'
Fowler   71' (pen.)
Hall   13' Stadium: Anfield
Attendance: 29,881
Referee: Stephen Lodge
12 April 1995 35 Chelsea 0–2 Southampton London
Shipperley   10'
Le Tissier   32'
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 16,739
Referee: Alan Wilkie
15 April 1995 36 Southampton 2–1 Queens Park Rangers Southampton
Shipperley   50'
Watson   67'
Ferdinand   63' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,210
Referee: Peter Jones
17 April 1995 37 Wimbledon 0–2 Southampton London
Le Tissier   9'
Magilton   30'
Stadium: Selhurst Park
Attendance: 10,521
Referee: Gerald Ashby
29 April 1995 38 Southampton 0–0 Sheffield Wednesday Southampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,189
Referee: Joe Worrall
3 May 1995 39 Southampton 3–1 Crystal Palace Southampton
Wilmot   1' (o.g.)
Watson   9'
Le Tissier   86'
Southgate   26' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,151
Referee: Graham Poll
6 May 1995 40 Everton 0–0 Southampton Liverpool
Stadium: Goodison Park
Attendance: 36,851
Referee: Terry Holbrook
10 May 1995 41 Manchester United 2–1 Southampton Manchester
Cole   21'
Irwin   80' (pen.)
Charlton   5' Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 43,479
Referee: Paul Danson
14 May 1995 42 Southampton 2–2 Leicester City Southampton
Monkou   21'
Le Tissier   56'
Parker   58'
Robins   89'
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,101
Referee: Keith Burge

Final league table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
8 Queens Park Rangers 42 17 9 16 61 59 +2 60
9 Wimbledon 42 15 11 16 48 65 −17 56
10 Southampton 42 12 18 12 61 63 −2 54
11 Chelsea 42 13 15 14 50 55 −5 54
12 Arsenal 42 13 12 17 52 49 +3 51
Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Results by matchday

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Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142
GroundHAAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHHAHAAAHAAHHAHHAAHAHHAAH
ResultDDLLWDWWWLLLDDWDLLWLDDDDDDDLDDLWWLWWWDWDLD
Position91317171514138710101213129111313121414151514141515171820201917171413111110101010
Source: 11v11.com
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

FA Cup

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Matt Le Tissier scored in all but one of Southampton's FA Cup games in 1994–95.

Southampton started their 1994–95 FA Cup run in the third round against First Division mid-table side Southend United. The Saints went ahead in the first minute of the game, when Neil Heaney headed in his first goal for the club.[28] Matt Le Tissier put the FA Premier League side two up just before half time, with Southend unable to respond in the second half and the top-flight side progressing.[28] In the fourth round, the Saints faced another First Division club, Luton Town, who had reached the semi-finals of the tournament the season before.[29] Despite dominating the first half, the second-flight hosts conceded first on 53 minutes when Neil Shipperley scored his first goal for the club he had joined just a few weeks earlier, converting a cross from Heaney.[29] Southampton came close to doubling their lead and saw an equaliser prevented by goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar, who saved a "dubious" penalty with around 20 minutes left to play.[29] Luton did eventually equalise, nine minutes before the end, through Wayne Biggins.[29] Despite a tough initial tie, Southampton eased past Luton in the replay at The Dell – they went into half-time 4–0 up against the First Division visitors, as Le Tissier opened the scoring in the sixth minute and scored a penalty in the 36th, while Jim Magilton and Heaney also got goals before the break.[29] Second-half strikes from Ken Monkou and David Hughes secured Southampton's biggest win of the season.[30]

In the fifth round, Southampton travelled to face Tottenham Hotspur, who were sixth in the FA Premier League table.[30] The lower-ranked Saints "took control right from the start" and almost went ahead when Le Tissier hit the crossbar in the 10th minute, but it was Spurs who opened the scoring ten minutes later through German striker Jürgen Klinsmann.[30] Within a minute, however, the visitors were level when Le Tissier scored a penalty awarded for a foul of Jeff Kenna.[30] The club's leading scorer came close to picking up a winner later in the first period, before the Saints defended in the second half and settled for a draw.[30] In the home replay, Southampton went 2–0 up in the first half through a 5th-minute Shipperley strike and another Le Tissier penalty – his third of the season against Spurs goalkeeper Ian Walker.[30] Despite the hosts' domination of the first half, Ronny Rosenthal scored two goals in quick succession soon after the break to bring Tottenham even.[31] The tie subsequently went to extra time, when the visitors asserted their dominance and quickly racked up four extra goals within the space of just 18 minutes – after Rosenthal completed his hat-trick, Teddy Sheringham, Nick Barmby and Darren Anderton all took advantage of Southampton's attempts to counter-attack, becoming the first team to score six past the Saints in the FA Cup since Manchester City beat them 5–0 in 1910.[31]

7 January 1995 Round 3 Southampton 2–0 Southend United Southampton
Heaney   1'
Le Tissier   42'
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,003
28 January 1995 Round 4 Luton Town 1–1 Southampton Luton
Biggins   81' Shipperley   53' Stadium: Kenilworth Road
Attendance: 9,938
8 February 1995 Round 4 Replay Southampton 6–0 Luton Town Southampton
Le Tissier   6', 36' (pen.)
Magilton   32'
Heaney   41'
Monkou   51'
Hughes   67'
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,075
18 February 1995 Round 5 Tottenham Hotspur 1–1 Southampton London
Klinsmann   20' Le Tissier   21' (pen.) Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 28,091
1 March 1995 Round 5 Replay Southampton 2–6 (a.e.t.) Tottenham Hotspur Southampton
Shipperley   5'
Le Tissier   40' (pen.)
Rosenthal   57', 59', 102'
Sheringham   113'
Barmby   115'
Anderton   120'
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,172

League Cup

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Southampton entered the 1994–95 League Cup in the second round, drawn against Second Division side Huddersfield Town. After a first leg won by a single Matt Le Tissier header in the last minute of the game, the Saints won the home leg 4–0 to advance to the third round, with Le Tissier scoring all four goals (one a penalty, four from open play) to take his tally to five in just two games.[32] They played FA Premier League rivals Sheffield Wednesday in the third round, losing to a single goal from Chris Bart-Williams early into a second half described by club historians as "one sided".[32]

20 September 1994 Round 2 Leg 1 Huddersfield Town 0–1 Southampton Huddersfield
Le Tissier   90' Stadium: Kirklees Stadium
Attendance: 13,814
5 October 1994 Round 2 Leg 2 Southampton 4–0
(5–0 agg.)
Huddersfield Town Southampton
Le Tissier   41' (pen.), 66', 69', 84' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 12,032
26 October 1994 Round 3 Sheffield Wednesday 1–0 Southampton Sheffield
Bart-Williams   50' Stadium: Hillsborough Stadium
Attendance: 16,715

Other matches

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Outside the league, FA Cup and League Cup, the Southampton first team played four additional matches during the latter stages of the 1994–95 season. In April, the club played a friendly against local side New Milton Town which they won 8–0, with Matt Le Tissier scoring five and Jim Magilton adding two.[19] This was followed by a game on the Isle of Wight which the Saints won 3–0.[19] In May, two days after the final day of the league season, Southampton beat Guernsey 3–2, and three days later they concluded their season with a 5–3 win over Yeovil Town in a testimonial for players Mickey Spencer and Paul Wilson.[19]

19 April 1995 Friendly New Milton Town 0–8 Southampton New Milton
Dodd  
Le Tissier      
Magilton   
Stadium: Fawcetts Field
24 April 1995 Friendly Isle of Wight 0–3 Southampton Isle of Wight
Jansen   
Le Tissier  
16 May 1995 Friendly   Guernsey 2–3 Southampton Saint Peter Port, Guernsey
Le Tissier  
Watson   
Stadium: Footes Lane
19 May 1995 Spencer & Wilson Testimonial Yeovil Town 3–5 Southampton Yeovil
Le Tissier    
Maddison  
Watson  
Stadium: Huish Park

Player details

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Southampton used 27 players during the 1994–95 season, 14 of whom scored during the campaign.[33] Eight players made their debut appearances for the club, including five of their six first team signings (loanee Ronnie Ekelund,[7] Bruce Grobbelaar,[2] Neil Shipperley,[12] Gordon Watson,[15] and Peter Whiston[1]) and three players making the step up from youth to the first team (Matt Oakley,[34] Matthew Robinson,[35] and Paul Tisdale[36]). Two of these – Ekelund[7] and Whiston[1] – also made their last appearances for the Saints during the campaign, as did mid-season departees Nicky Banger,[9] Iain Dowie,[13] and Jeff Kenna,[14] plus one player sold the next season (Paul Allen[11]). Midfielder Jim Magilton, in his first full season at the club, made the most appearances for Southampton during the season, as their only player to feature in all 50 games in all competitions.[33] He was followed on 49 appearances by Matt Le Tissier, who finished as the club's top goalscorer with 29 goals in all competitions.[33] Le Tissier also won the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award for 1994–95, in the process becoming the third player (and first outfield player) to win the award in consecutive seasons, as well as the first (and to date only) player to win the award on a third occasion.[26]

Squad statistics

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No. Name Pos. Nat. League FA Cup League Cup Total Discipline
Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals    
1 Bruce Grobbelaar GK   30 0 5 0 3 0 38 0 1 0
2 Matthew Robinson DF   0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0 0 0
3 Francis Benali DF   32(3) 0 4 0 3 0 39(3) 0 11 0
4 Jim Magilton MF   42 6 5 1 3 0 50 7 3 0
5 Richard Hall DF   36(1) 3 4 0 2 0 42(1) 3 6 0
6 Ken Monkou DF   31 1 4 1 2 0 37 2 12 0
7 Matt Le Tissier MF   41 19 5 5 3 5 49 29 6 0
8 Craig Maskell FW   2(4) 0 1 0 0 0 3(4) 0 0 0
9 Neil Shipperley FW   19 4 4 2 0 0 23 6 3 0
10 Neil Maddison MF   35 3 4 0 2 0 41 3 2 0
11 Paul Allen MF   11 0 0 0 2 0 13 0 2 0
12 Neil Heaney MF   21(13) 2 5 2 2(1) 0 28(14) 4 3 0
13 Dave Beasant GK   12(1) 0 2 0 0 0 12(1) 0 0 0
14 Simon Charlton DF   25 1 1 0 2(1) 0 28(1) 1 1 0
15 Jason Dodd DF   24(2) 2 3 0 1 0 28(2) 2 5 0
16 Gordon Watson FW   12 3 0 0 0 0 12 3 1 0
17 Derek Allan DF   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
18 David Hughes MF   2(10) 2 0(4) 1 0 0 2(14) 3 1 0
19 Paul McDonald DF   0(2) 0 0 0 0 0 0(2) 0 0 0
21 Tommy Widdrington MF   23(5) 0 5 0 1 0 29(5) 0 4 0
23 Neil Hopper GK   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
24 Frankie Bennett FW   0 0 0 0 0(1) 0 0(1) 0 0 0
27 Peter Whiston DF   0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0 0 0
28 Paul Tisdale MF   0(7) 0 0(1) 0 0(1) 0 0(9) 0 0 0
33 Matt Oakley MF   0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0 0 0
Squad members who left before the end of the season
2 Jeff Kenna DF   28 0 5 0 2 0 35 0 1 0
9 Iain Dowie FW   17 5 0 0 3 0 20 5 2 0
16 Nicky Banger FW   4 2 0 0 0 0 4 2 0 0
24 Ronnie Ekelund MF   15(2) 5 0 0 2(1) 0 17(3) 5 1 0

Most appearances

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Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup League Cup Total
Starts Subs Starts Subs Starts Subs Starts Subs Total
1 Jim Magilton MF 42 0 5 0 3 0 50 0 50
2 Matt Le Tissier MF 41 0 5 0 3 0 49 0 49
3 Richard Hall DF 36 1 4 0 2 0 42 1 43
4 Francis Benali DF 32 3 4 0 3 0 39 3 42
Neil Heaney MF 21 13 5 0 2 1 28 14 42
6 Neil Maddison MF 35 0 4 0 2 0 41 0 41
7 Bruce Grobbelaar GK 30 0 5 0 3 0 38 0 38
8 Ken Monkou DF 31 0 4 0 2 0 37 0 37
9 Jeff Kenna DF 28 0 5 0 2 0 35 0 35
10 Tommy Widdrington MF 23 5 5 0 1 0 29 5 34

Top goalscorers

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Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup League Cup Total
Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps GPG
1 Matt Le Tissier MF 19 41 5 5 5 3 29 49 0.59
2 Jim Magilton MF 6 42 1 5 0 3 7 50 0.14
3 Neil Shipperley FW 4 19 2 4 0 0 6 23 0.26
4 Iain Dowie FW 5 17 0 0 0 3 5 20 0.25
Ronnie Ekelund MF 5 17 0 0 0 3 5 20 0.25
6 Neil Heaney MF 2 34 2 5 0 3 4 42 0.10
7 Gordon Watson FW 3 12 0 0 0 0 3 12 0.25
David Hughes MF 2 12 1 4 0 0 3 16 0.19
Neil Maddison MF 3 35 0 4 0 2 3 41 0.07
Richard Hall DF 3 37 0 4 0 2 3 43 0.07

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Peter Whiston". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Bruce Grobbelaar". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Kevin Moore". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Steve Wood". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Colin Cramb". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Ian Andrews". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d "Ronnie Ekelund". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Matthew Bound". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d "Nicky Banger". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Neal Bartlett". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Paul Allen". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  12. ^ a b c "Neil Shipperley". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  13. ^ a b c "Iain Dowie". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  14. ^ a b c "Neal Bartlett". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  15. ^ a b c "Gordon Watson". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Christer Warren". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  17. ^ a b "Steve Basham". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Duncan Spedding". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  19. ^ a b c d e f Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 231
  20. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 236
  21. ^ a b c d e Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 237
  22. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 08 October 1994". 11v11.com. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  23. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 238
  24. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 11 February 1995". 11v11.com. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  25. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 239
  26. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 240
  27. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 06 May 1995". 11v11.com. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  28. ^ a b Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 399
  29. ^ a b c d e Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 400
  30. ^ a b c d e f Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 401
  31. ^ a b Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 402
  32. ^ a b Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 294
  33. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, pp. 241, 294, 399–402
  34. ^ "Matt Oakley". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  35. ^ "Matthew Robinson". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  36. ^ "Paul Tisdale". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2024.

Bibliography

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  • 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
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