The 1991–92 Southampton F.C. season was the club's 91st season of competitive football and their 22nd in the First Division of the Football League. The season was Southampton's first with manager Ian Branfoot, who replaced Chris Nicholl in the summer after six years. It was a disappointing year for the club, who finished 16th in the league after spending much of the year in the relegation zone. Outside the league, the club reached the sixth round of the FA Cup for the first time since 1986, were knocked out of the League Cup in the fourth round, and finished as runners-up of the final Full Members' Cup.
With Nicholl's departure came a busy transfer period, as players including brothers Ray and Rod Wallace, Jimmy Case, Steve Davis and Paul Rideout all left the club. New signings included Paul Moody, Iain Dowie, Terry Hurlock and Stuart Gray. The Saints started their first season with Branfoot on dreadful form, dropping into the relegation zone almost immediately and falling to the very bottom of the table by the end of 1991. However, a run of six consecutive wins starting in March (their joint-longest run of consecutive league wins since 1964) saw the team make progress towards mid-table, as they reached a season-high of 13th before settling three positions lower. This was the club's lowest First Division finish since their last relegation from the top flight in 1974.
Southampton used 29 players during the 1991–92 season and had 12 different goalscorers. In his final season with the club, Alan Shearer finished as the top scorer for the Saints, with 19 goals in all competitions. Matt Le Tissier was second with 15 goals, followed by Iain Dowie on nine. Shearer and goalkeeper Tim Flowers made the most appearances during the campaign, playing in 59 of Southampton's 61 games across all competitions. Flowers received the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award for the first time. The average league attendance at The Dell during 1991–92 was 14,070. The highest attendance was 19,264 against Manchester United in September and the lowest was 4,036 against Scarborough in the League Cup in October.
Background and transfers
At the end of the 1990–91 season, manager Chris Nicholl was sacked by Southampton's board after six seasons in charge. In his first two seasons as manager, the Saints had reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the League Cup, respectively; however, during his tenure, Nicholl had only managed to lead the club to one top-half finishing position in the First Division.[1] He was also credited for giving debuts to several successful players at a young age, including Matt Le Tissier, Alan Shearer, Francis Benali, and brothers Ray and Rod Wallace.[2] Nicholl was replaced in the summer of 1991 by Ian Branfoot, who had previously worked as a coach at Southampton between 1977 and 1983, before having a successful five-year spell as manager of Reading in the Second and Third Divisions.[3]
New manager Ian Branfoot controversially released Jimmy Case on a free transfer shortly after arriving at the club.
Ahead of Branfoot's arrival, brothers Ray and Rod Wallace both left Southampton, after having unsuccessfully requested transfers several times during the previous season. They were sold for a combined £1.6 million – the highest fee set by a tribunal to date – to First Division title challengers Leeds United.[4][5] The new manager's first transfer activity saw him release 37-year-old midfielder Jimmy Case on a free transfer to Bournemouth in the Third Division.[6] In dismissing a player described by club historians as "a favourite of the fans",[3] this decision has been identified by commentators as one of the primary early reasons for the supporters' disapproval of Branfoot as manager.[7][8] Just two new players joined ahead of the start of the league campaign – striker Paul Moody was signed from Southern League side Waterlooville and left-back Matthew Robinson was signed as a trainee.[9][10] Centre-back Steve Davis, who had struggled to break into Southampton's first team, also left in August to join Fourth Division side and former loan club Burnley.[11]
After the opening three league games of the season, Branfoot signed winger David Lee from Third Division side Bury for £350,000.[12] He was followed just over a week later by Northern Irish striker and former Southampton schoolboy Iain Dowie, who joined from West Ham United on 3 September for a fee of £500,000.[13] Another week later, Branfoot signed former Reading acquisition Terry Hurlock from Scottish champions Rangers as a replacement for Case, paying £400,000 for his services.[14] Later in September, the club sold striker Paul Rideout to Notts County for £250,000,[15] left-back Andy Cook to Exeter City for £60,000,[16] and midfielder Sergey Gotsmanov (who had only arrived a year before) to German club Hallescher for free.[17] Defensive midfielder Stuart Gray signed for £200,000 from Aston Villa,[18] who then briefly signed Alan McLoughlin on loan.[19]
Transfer activity continued throughout much of the 1991–92 season. At the beginning of October, the club brought in centre-back Steve Wood – another key player in Branfoot's promotion-winning Reading side from 1986 – from second-flight side Millwall for a fee of £400,000.[20] At the same time, fellow centre-back Russell Osman was loaned to Bristol City in the Second Division; he would later make his move permanent in December, for a fee of £60,000.[21] In the second half of the campaign, Kevin Moore, Jon Gittens and Paul Tisdale were all sent out on loans until the end of the season,[22][23][24] while McLoughlin was loaned out (and subsequently sold) to nearby rivals Portsmouth.[19] During the latter stages of the season, Barbadian winger Michael Gilkes was loaned in from Reading, where he had played under Branfoot during his tenure as manager.[25]
^Matthew Robinson initially signed as a trainee in July 1991, before turning professional in July 1993.[10]
^Andy Williams initially signed as an associate schoolboy in January 1992, before becoming a trainee in July 1994 and turning professional in May 1996.[26]
Ian Branfoot's debut season with Southampton started poorly, as they faced two marginal defeats in their opening fixtures, losing 2–3 at home to Tottenham Hotspur and 0–1 at Notts County, who had recently been promoted from the Second Division.[3] Their first win came in a 2–0 away victory over Sheffield United, however this was followed by a 0–4 defeat (the joint-heaviest of the season) at home to Leeds United and another three games spawning just two points.[29] A 1–0 win over Wimbledon was a brief high point followed by another two losses, the second of which saw Arsenal emulating Leeds United's 4–0 thrashing of the Saints, with Ian Wright netting a hat-trick.[29] By the end of September, Southampton had already dropped to 21st out of 22 in the First Division league table.[30] An undefeated October saw the South Coast side draw 1–1 with Oldham Athletic and 0–0 with Norwich City, before picking up an unexpected 3–1 away win at Nottingham Forest, with Matt Le Tissier scoring his first double of the season.[29]
Southampton remained in the relegation zone throughout most of the rest of the calendar year, only briefly pulling themselves out with a 1–0 win over Chelsea in late-November.[29] Despite their poor run of results, the Saints did manage to hold their own against several high-profile opponents during this period, including holding Liverpool to a 1–1 draw and sharing the points with title hopefuls Leeds United in a 3–3 stalemate either side of Christmas.[29] After an 11th defeat from their opening 22 games, however, the club ended December at the bottom of the league table with just 19 points.[31] 1992 started in much the same manner, as the Saints lost two home games in a row – the first to Everton and the second to Sheffield United, who were also fighting against the risk of relegation.[32] An away win over Tottenham Hotspur saw Southampton briefly leapfrog Luton Town at the bottom of the table,[33] however they quickly returned their after another loss at Norwich City followed by three draws in a row against Chelsea, Coventry City and Liverpool.[32]
Despite being at the bottom of the league table, Southampton embarked on a winning streak in March which saw them pick up six victories in a row – the first time they had done so since the early stages of the 1964–65 season. The games were all closely fought, with the Saints beating fellow strugglers West Ham United, mid-table side Crystal Palace and title contenders Manchester City 1–0 in the first three fixtures, which were followed by a late 2–1 defeat of relegation-threatened Luton Town, a 1–0 win over Everton at Goodison Park, and finally a 2–1 home win over Queens Park Rangers.[32] By the end of the spell, Southampton had climbed from 22nd to 17th in the table, with eight points between them and the first relegation place.[34] The penultimate six games included three wins and three losses, which was followed on the final day by another heavy defeat to Arsenal, this time 1–5 at Highbury, matching the season record heaviest defeats from earlier in the campaign – like the 0–4 loss at The Dell in September, this game also included an Ian Wright hat-trick.[32]
Southampton finished the season 16th in the table with 14 wins, ten draws and 18 defeats. Having only scored 39 goals in the 42-game campaign, this marked the first season since 1924–25 that the club had scored less than one goal per game on average; it was also the first time in the club's history that a league season had ended with both a goal-per-game average under 1.0 and a negative goal difference.[32]
Southampton entered the 1991–92 FA Cup in the third round against Queens Park Rangers, a First Division side who were sitting 13th in the league table before the game – nine positions ahead of the Saints.[35] Southampton scored two goals in quick succession in the first half, with Steve Wood heading in a cross from Matt Le Tissier, before Le Tissier scored one himself with a long-range effort just before the break.[35] QPR came close to scoring on numerous occasions in the second half, including a late penalty for a foul by Jason Dodd, but goalkeeper Tim Flowers kept the attacks at bay to keep the 2–0 win safe.[35]
Southampton won their fourth round tie against Manchester United when goalkeeper Tim Flowers saved their fourth penalty in a shootout.
In the fourth round, Southampton hosted Manchester United, who were second in the league and considered "cup favourites" according to club historians.[35] Despite chances for Alan Shearer and Mark Hughes at either end, the game ended in a goalless draw, necessitating a replay at Old Trafford.[35]Stuart Gray put the visiting Saints ahead within ten minutes with his only goal for the club, before Shearer doubled their lead with a header from a Le Tissier free kick; Andrei Kanchelskis pulled one back for the hosts just before the break.[35] After half-time, United increased the pressure on Southampton's goal and finally scored an equaliser in stoppage time at the end of the game, when Brian McClair converted "the flukiest of chances".[35] After a goalless half an hour of extra time, Southampton won the tie through a penalty shootout – Neil Ruddock, Shearer, Barry Horne and Micky Adams all scored for the Saints, while Neil Webb saw his effort go "high and wide" and Ryan Giggs had his penalty saved by Flowers for the win (their first over United in the FA Cup).[36]
Southampton travelled to Manchester again for the fifth round, in which they played Third Division side Bolton Wanderers. The first half saw the Saints go 2–0 up, as centre-back Richard Hall scored two headers in two minutes from successive Le Tissier corners; in the 38th minute, he almost completed a first-half hat-trick with a third goal of the same ilk.[37] The second half saw Southampton continue to dominate, but chances for Le Tissier, Shearer and David Lee were all saved by Bolton goalkeeper David Felgate.[37] In the last 15 minutes of the game, the hosts scored two goals to force a replay, first through Andy Walker and later Scott Green, both as a result of crosses from the wings.[37] The replay at The Dell also ended in a 2–2 draw. In the first 45 minutes, Southampton went 1–0 up through Shearer, before Walker responded 12 minutes before the break.[35] After a relatively quiet second half, Bolton looked set to progress when Julian Darby volleyed past Flowers in the final minute of normal time; from the subsequent kick-off, however, the Saints put pressure on the visitors and eventually equalised through a long-range effort from Horne, which forced extra time.[35] Horne scored again to secure Southampton's passage to the sixth round.[35]
In their first FA Cup sixth round appearance since the 1985–86 season, Southampton faced fellow top-flight strugglers Norwich City. Despite chances for both sides to score during each half, it remained goalless as both teams played defensively to avoid letting in a goal – club historians report that the game was described by commentators as "drab".[36] In a third consecutive replay, Southampton travelled to Carrow Road, where they had lost 1–2 in the league less than two months earlier.[36] However, it was the visitors who opened the scoring just before the half-time break, when Ruddock headed in a corner from Le Tissier.[36] In the second half, however, the Canaries dominated possession and enjoyed numerous chances on goal. A few minutes after the break, Le Tissier was sent off and Rob Newman scored an equaliser a few minutes later.[37] When the game remained 1–1, extra time was played, during which Horne was also dismissed; before the end of extra time, Chris Sutton scored a winner to send Norwich through.[37]
Southampton entered the 1991–92 League Cup in the second round against Fourth Division club Scarborough. The visiting Saints won the first leg 3–1 thanks to goals from Alan Shearer (two) and Glenn Cockerill, before a 2–2 draw at The Dell (in which Matt Le Tissier and Cockerill put the hosts 2–0 up within the first three minutes) secured a 5–3 aggregate victory for the top-flight side.[38] The club faced Sheffield Wednesday in the third round, drawing 1–1 at Hillsborough Stadium before beating the newly-promoted First Division side 1–0 in the replay thanks to a Barry Horne header.[38] A replay was also required in the fourth round, after a goalless draw between Southampton and Nottingham Forest; despite hosting the replay, however, the Saints were eliminated by Forest in a 0–1 defeat.[38]
In the final Full Members' Cup before the tournament was discontinued, Southampton entered the second round against Bristol City of the Second Division, winning 2–1 thanks to second-half goals from Alan Shearer and Matt Le Tissier.[39] Another second-flight side, Plymouth Argyle, awaited the Saints in the next round, with a single Le Tissier header securing their passage.[39] In the area semi-finals, Southampton beat fellow First Division relegation risks West Ham United 2–1 at home, with a Shearer header followed in the last five minutes by a winning Le Tissier penalty.[39] In the two-legged area final, Southampton played Chelsea – they won the first leg 2–0 thanks to goals from Shearer and Terry Hurlock, then won the second leg 3–1 thanks to a Le Tissier hat-trick.[39]
In their first cup final since the 1979 League Cup final, the Saints played league rivals Nottingham Forest at Wembley Stadium. The Saints were 0–2 down at half-time, with Forest going ahead through Scot Gemmill and Kingsley Black.[39] Halfway through the second half, Le Tissier pulled one back for his side, heading in a Neil Ruddock cross, before defender Kevin Moore equalised with his own header from a Le Tissier cross six minutes later.[39] The tie was forced to extra time, during which Gemmill scored his second and Forest's third to secure the win.[39]
Outside the league and cup competitions, Southampton played two additional matches during 1991–92. The first was a friendly with the Saudi Arabia national team less than a month after the start of the league, which the visiting Saints lost 2–5 with their goals coming from Matt Le Tissier and Neil Maddison.[28] The second extra game came five days after the end of the league campaign in May 1992, as Aldershot hosted Southampton for a testimonial to mark the end of manager Ian McDonald's tenure, as the club was wound up that summer; the First Division side won 2–1, thanks to goals from Glenn Cockerill and Matthew Bound.[28]
^"Jon Gittens". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
^"Barry Horne". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
^"Neil Ruddock". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
^"Alan Shearer". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
Bibliography
Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (2003), Bull, David (ed.), In That Number: A Post-War Chronicle of Southampton FC, Bristol, England: Hagiology Publishing, ISBN0-9534474-3-X
