1992–93 Southampton F.C. season

Southampton F.C.
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:
Matthew Le Tissier (15)

All:
Matthew Le Tissier (18)
Highest home attendance 19,654 vs Tottenham Hotspur (15 August 1992)
Lowest home attendance League:
10,827 vs Oldham Athletic
(31 October 1992)
Overall:
6,764 vs Gillingham
(7 October 1992)
Average home league attendance League: 15,148
Overall: 14,519
Home colours

The 1992–93 Southampton F.C. season was the club's first season in the Premier League, and their 23rd season in the top division of English football. As co-founders of the Premier League, the club looked to retain their status as one of the top clubs in the country by ensuring a 16th consecutive season in the top flight. Southampton finished 18th in the league, just one point above the relegation zone – their worst top division finish since their relegation in 1974. They also reached the third round of the FA Cup and the League Cup.

Southampton were relatively inactive in the 1992 summer transfer window, making only three purchases before the start of the season – striker Kerry Dixon for £575,000 and defender Ken Monkou for £750,000, from Chelsea and winger Perry Groves from Arsenal. A number of players were sold by the club, most notably striker Alan Shearer who moved to Blackburn Rovers in July for a British transfer fee record of £3.6 million, with David Speedie moving the other way as part of the deal. Later in the year, Frankie Bennett and Derek Allan were brought into the club, both for nominal fees, while David Lee was sold to Bolton Wanderers and new arrival Dixon left on a free transfer for Luton Town.

At the end of the season Southampton finished 18th in the Premier League table with 13 wins, 11 draws and 18 losses, just two positions and one point above the relegation zone. Matthew Le Tissier was the club's top scorer, with 15 goals in the league and 18 in all competitions. Goalkeeper Tim Flowers was named Southampton Player of the Season, becoming only the second player (after Peter Shilton) to win the award twice (and twice in a row). At the end of the season, strikers Perry Groves and David Speedie were released from the club. It was also the last full season for Flowers, who left the club in November 1993, as well as Glenn Cockerill who departed the club in December 1993.

FA Premier League

Southampton's first season in the newly formed Premier League did not get off to a positive start, as the club won only two of their first ten games, overcoming Middlesbrough and Coventry late to win 2–1 on both occasions. Between 31 October and 12 December 1992 the team progressed up the table as they went unbeaten for six games, including wins against Oldham Athletic, Nottingham Forest, and Arsenal. Over the Christmas period Southampton were less fortunate, losing three out of four of their matches in late December and early January and dropping back down to the relegation zone as a result.

Throughout the rest of January, February and March though, Southampton were one of the more consistent sides in the league, winning a total of seven matches out of 11. Wins included a comfortable 3–0 against Norwich City (their best result of the season), a 2–1 edging of Liverpool at home, and a dramatic 4–3 triumph over Ipswich Town in which Matthew Le Tissier scored a last-minute goal to claim the three points for the home side. One of their losses, 2–4 against Tottenham Hotspur, saw the Saints sacrifice a 1–0 lead to concede four goals from the hosts in a single five-minute period, with a consolation goal scored by Richard Hall later on. During this period, the Hampshire side made it to a peak of ninth in the table.

After three losses in a row though, Southampton were again struggling to regain a respectable position in the league table, although did pick up a 1–0 win over Chelsea late in the campaign. The final run of games started with a disappointing 2–5 loss to Sheffield Wednesday, followed by a goalless draw with Everton and frustrating losses against Manchester City and Oldham Athletic. Despite the team losing 3–4 in the final match of the season, Le Tissier established himself as a key part of the Saints side when he scored a hat-trick at Oldham to bring his league tally up to 15.

Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142
GroundHAAHHAAHHAAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAHAHHA
Result D L D L W D L L D W L D L W D D W W D L D L L W L W L W W L W W D W L L L W L D L L
Position 13 17 17 20 17 17 18 19 20 15 18 18 19 19 19 17 16 13 15 16 15 17 19 17 17 15 17 14 12 14 12 11 11 9 10 13 14 14 14 14 15 18

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

Pos Club Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
16Ipswich Town 421216145055–552
17Leeds United 421215155762–551
18Southampton 421311185461–750
19Oldham Athletic 421310196374–1149
20Crystal Palace 421116154861–1349

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

FA Cup

As a Premier League club, Southampton entered the 1992–93 FA Cup in the Third Round. They were drawn against Nottingham Forest, who defeated the Saints at the City Ground 2–1 with goals from Roy Keane and Neil Webb (Matthew Le Tissier scoring for Southampton).

League Cup

As a Premier League club, Southampton entered the 1992–93 Football League Cup in the Second Round. They were drawn against Gillingham, with whom they shared a goalless draw in the first leg, before winning comfortably 3–0 in the second. In the Third Round they faced Crystal Palace at home, but were beaten 0–2 thanks to goals from Eddie McGoldrick and John Salako.

Squad statistics

Pos. Nat. Name League FA Cup League Cup Total Discipline
Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals
DF England Micky Adams 384 10 30 424 61
DF Scotland Derek Allan 0(1)0 00 00 0(1)0 00
GK England Ian Andrews 00 00 00 00 00
FW England Nicky Banger 10(17)6 0(1)0 10 11(18)6 00
MF England Neal Bartlett 0(1)0 00 00 0(1)0 00
DF England Francis Benali 31(2)0 10 1(2)0 33(4)0 51
FW England Frankie Bennett 00 00 00 00 00
DF Wales Matthew Bound 1(2)0 00 00 1(2)0 00
MF England Glenn Cockerill 21(2)0 10 20 24(2)0 20
DF England Jason Dodd 27(3)1 10 30 31(3)1 10
FW Northern Ireland Iain Dowie 34(2)11 00 21 36(2)12 90
GK England Tim Flowers 420 10 30 460 10
FW England Perry Groves 13(2)2 0(1)0 20 15(3)2 20
DF England Richard Hall 284 10 10 304 50
MF England David Hughes 00 00 00 00 00
MF England Terry Hurlock 300 00 30 330 61
DF Republic of Ireland Jeff Kenna 27(2)2 10 00 28(2)2 00
MF England Matthew Le Tissier 4015 11 32 4418 50
MF England Neil Maddison 33(4)4 10 10 35(4)4 00
FW England Craig Maskell 00 00 00 00 00
DF Netherlands Ken Monkou 331 10 30 371 40
FW England Paul Moody 2(1)0 00 00 2(1)0 10
DF England Kevin Moore 182 00 10 192 30
MF Wales Lee Powell 0(2)0 00 00 0(2)0 00
FW Scotland David Speedie 110 00 10 120 10
MF England Martin Thomas 00 00 00 00 00
MF England Tommy Widdrington 11(1)0 00 0(1)0 11(2)0 30
DF England Steve Wood 40 00 10 50 00
Players with appearances who left before the end of the season
FW England Kerry Dixon 8(1)2 10 20 11(1)2 00
FW England David Lee 0(1)0 00 00 0(1)0 00

Most appearances

Pos. Nat. Name League FA Cup League Cup Total
Strt. Sub. Strt. Sub. Strt. Sub. Strt. Sub. Total
1 GK England Tim Flowers 420 10 30 46046
2 MF England Matthew Le Tissier 400 10 30 44044
3 DF England Micky Adams 380 10 30 42042
4 MF England Neil Maddison 334 10 10 35439
5 FW Northern Ireland Iain Dowie 342 00 20 36238
6 DF Netherlands Ken Monkou 330 10 30 37037
DF England Francis Benali 312 10 12 33437
8 DF England Jason Dodd 273 10 30 31334
9 MF England Terry Hurlock 300 00 30 33033
10 DF England Richard Hall 280 10 10 30030
DF Republic of Ireland Jeff Kenna 272 10 00 28230

Top goalscorers

Pos. Nat. Name League FA Cup League Cup Total
Gls. Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls. Apps. GPG
1 FW England Matthew Le Tissier 1540 11 23 18440.40
2 FW Northern Ireland Iain Dowie 1136 00 12 12380.31
3 FW England Nicky Banger 627 01 01 6290.20
4 DF England Richard Hall 428 01 01 4300.13
MF England Neil Maddison 437 01 01 4390.10
DF England Micky Adams 438 01 03 4420.09
7 FW England Kerry Dixon 29 01 02 2120.16
FW England Perry Groves 215 01 02 2180.11
DF England Kevin Moore 218 00 01 2190.10
DF Republic of Ireland Jeff Kenna 229 01 00 2300.06

Transfers

Players transferred in
Date Pos. Name Club Fee
19 July 1992 FW England Kerry Dixon England Chelsea £575,000[1]
24 July 1992 FW Scotland David Speedie England Blackburn Rovers £400,000[1]
21 August 1992 DF Netherlands Ken Monkou England Chelsea £750,000[1]
24 August 1992 FW England Perry Groves England Arsenal £750,000[1]
1 October 1992 MF Scotland Paul Sheerin Scotland Alloa Athletic £65,000[1]
24 February 1993 FW England Frankie Bennett England Halesowen Town £5,000[1]
16 March 1993 DF Scotland Derek Allan Scotland Ayr United £75,000[1]
Players transferred out
Date Pos. Name Club Fee
1 July 1992 MF Wales Barry Horne England Everton £675,000[1]
24 July 1992 FW England Alan Shearer England Blackburn Rovers £3,600,000[1]
27 July 1992 DF England Jon Gittens England Middlesbrough £350,000[1]
29 July 1992 DF England Neil Ruddock England Tottenham Hotspur £750,000[1]
30 December 1992 MF England David Lee England Bolton Wanderers £275,000[1]
Players loaned out
Date Pos. Name Club End date
19 February 1993 FW England Kerry Dixon England Luton Town End of season[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (2003). In That Number – A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC. Hagiology Publishing. pp. 224–227. ISBN 0-9534474-3-X.
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