The 1993–94 Southampton F.C. season was the club's 93rd season of competitive football, their 24th in the top flight of English football, and their second in the FA Premier League. The season was another difficult one for the Saints, who finished 18th in the league – the same position as they had managed the year before – and were knocked out of both the FA Cup and the League Cup at the first hurdle – the first time this had happened to them in over ten years. It was the last season to feature manager Ian Branfoot, who was sacked halfway through the season with the club in the relegation zone. Dave Merrington briefly took over as caretaker manager, before Alan Ball was appointed as Branfoot's official replacement and saw out the rest of the campaign.
After buying them in the wake of Alan Shearer's sale just a year before, Branfoot released both David Speedie and Kerry Dixon at the beginning of the 1993–94 season. Other high-profile departures included Tim Flowers, who left in a record deal for a goalkeeper, and long-term midfielder Glenn Cockerill. Signings were made throughout the campaign, with arrivals including left-back Simon Charlton, goalkeeper Dave Beasant, and midfielder Jim Magilton. Southampton's league performance was disastrous, as they lost eight of their opening nine games and spent most of the first half of the season in the relegation zone. Results improved slightly following Ball's arrival as manager, although the club still struggled and ultimately only survived the drop by a single point.
Southampton's form outside the league was equally poor. For the first time since the 1981–82 season, the club were eliminated from both the FA Cup and the League Cup in the first rounds in which they competed. In the former, they were eliminated in the third round by Football League Second Division side Port Vale, who won a home replay 1–0 after holding the Saints to a 1–1 draw at The Dell (Branfoot's last game as manager of the club), despite a difference of two divisions between the clubs. In the latter, the top-flight side were eliminated in the second round by even lower-ranked opponents, facing a 2–1 aggregate defeat to Third Division side Shrewsbury Town after the Shrews overturned the Saints' narrow 1–0 home win with a 2–0 second leg victory.
Southampton used 31 players during the 1993–94 season and had 11 different goalscorers. Matt Le Tissier finished as the season's top scorer for the second consecutive (and fourth overall) season with 25 goals, all in the FA Premier League – making him the joint-third highest scorer in the division. Neil Maddison made the most appearances during the campaign, playing in all but one of the club's 46 matches (he missed just one league game). Le Tissier won the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award for the second time, becoming the third player to do so. The average league attendance at The Dell in 1993–94 was 14,751. The highest attendance was 19,105 against Blackburn Rovers in April; the lowest was 5,038 against Shrewsbury Town in September.
Flowers was replaced by Dave Beasant, who was signed from Chelsea for £300,000 on the same day as Flowers' sale.
Northern Irish midfielder Jim Magilton signed from Oxford United just after Alan Ball took over as Saints manager in 1994.After five years at the club, Micky Adams was released on a free transfer by Southampton towards the end of 1993–94.
Ahead of the 1993–94 season, three of Southampton's major signings were released after just a year in the squad – winger Perry Groves, who had signed from Arsenal for £750,000 the previous August, retired from professional football due to an ongoing Achilles injury, joining young Conference side Dagenham & Redbridge in the summer of 1993;[1] striker David Speedie, who had been "reluctantly" brought in from Blackburn Rovers for £400,000 and as part-exchange for Alan Shearer, joined Leicester City in August after several loan spells during 1992–93;[2] and Kerry Dixon, another striker who was signed for £575,000 from Chelsea to help replace Shearer but spent much of his debut season out on loan, joined Luton Town on a free transfer in October after a brief loan spell.[3] Also signed during the summer were Simon Charlton, who made the step up from Second Division club Huddersfield Town to take over as first-choice left-back;[4] and youngsters Colin Cramb and Paul McDonald, who joined for a combined fee of £150,000 from Scottish side Hamilton Academical.[5][6]
Just after the new year, Branfoot was sacked as Southampton manager and replaced by former player Alan Ball.[13] Reid, who had only been with the club for four months, left on a free transfer for Notts County just after Branfoot's departure.[9] Shortly after his arrival, Ball spent £850,000 on re-signing former Saints apprentice Craig Maskell from Swindon Town and adding Northern Irish midfielder Jim Magilton from Oxford United.[14][15] He also offloaded several players from Branfoot's era, with Paul Moody sold to Oxford United for £60,000[16] and Terry Hurlock (to Millwall),[17]Micky Adams (to Stoke City),[18]Martin Thomas (to Leyton Orient),[19] and Lee Powell (to Hamilton Academical)[20] all released on free transfers. The last signing of the season was winger Neil Heaney, who joined from FA Premier League title challengers Arsenal in a £300,000 deal at the end of March.[21]
Ahead of the 1993–94 campaign, Southampton played seven pre-season friendlies. Like the previous season, the club started their pre-season preparations with a short tour of Sweden, playing five games against local opposition over the course of eight days. After a 2–3 loss at Kalmar, the Saints picked up wins over Vessigebro (5–0, including a goal for new signing Paul McDonald), Örby (9–1, including five goals for Nicky Banger and three for Paul Moody), Växjö (2–1), and Bankeryd (4–3).[26] The last two fixtures during the pre-season period were as part of the Memorial Pier Cesare Baretti, an Italian friendly tournament which served as a tribute to sports journalist Pier Cesare Baretti.[27] Southampton lost both matches against Serie A opponents Juventus and Torino.[28]
Southampton had a worse start to the second FA Premier League season than any other team in the division, losing their first three games and dropping to the bottom of the table.[29] After an opening day 0–2 loss at home to Everton described by the Southern Daily Echo as "humiliating and desperately worrying", the Saints also lost away to Ipswich Town (0–1) and Queens Park Rangers (1–2).[7] Despite this poor start, the side then picked up their first win (and biggest of the season) when they beat top-flight newcomers Swindon Town 5–1 at The Dell, with a first-half Matt Le Tissier goal followed by four more in the second half courtesy of Le Tissier again, Jeff Kenna, Iain Dowie and Neil Maddison.[7]
The club's time out of the drop zone was short-lived, however, as they soon returned to the relegation spots with a run of five consecutive defeats (for the first time since 1989). The dry spell included three away and two home defeats, during which time the Saints scored just one goal and conceded nine.[7][30] The Saints' one goal during this period came in the first defeat at home to defending league champions Manchester United, when Neil Maddison scored a consolation after two of United's three goals.[7] This was followed by a 0–1 defeat at Wimbledon, a 0–2 loss hosting Leeds United, another 0–2 loss at Sheffield Wednesday, and a 0–1 defeat at title challengers Arsenal.[30] Amongst these fixtures, Southampton fans arranged protests against Ian Branfoot remaining as manager of the club, in response to which chairman Guy Askham assured that he would see out the season.[30]
Following the run of six defeats, Southampton picked up their first point in over a month in a 3–3 draw with fellow strugglers Sheffield United. After leading 1–0 at half-time through Ken Monkou, the Saints received another advantage just after the break when the visitors went down to ten men; despite this, however, the hosts sacrificed a 3–1 lead in the last ten minutes of the game, when Jostein Flo scored twice to secure his side a share of the points.[30] A 1–1 draw with Coventry City was followed by the South Coast club's second win of the campaign, 2–1 against high-flyers Newcastle United, in which Matt Le Tissier scored both goals through "two moments of sheer magic" according to club historians.[30] The club's leading goalscorer picked up another brace a week later, when the Saints lost 2–4 to Liverpool at Anfield, in a game which marked the final appearance of Tim Flowers.[31]
Two more wins in their next three games saw Southampton climb out of the relegation zone for the first time since September. After the Liverpool defeat, the Saints picked up a narrow 1–0 win over a struggling Tottenham Hotspur side, with Maddison scoring the only goal of the game on the hour mark, heading in a chipped assist by Le Tissier.[31] After a 0–2 loss at Blackburn Rovers in which former Saint Alan Shearer scored both goals, the team beat Aston Villa by the same scoreline thanks to another pair of goals from Le Tissier.[31] The win over Villa saw Southampton move up to 19th in the table for the first time in almost three months.[32] The club's safety was short-lived, however, as they lost their next five games and dropped back to second-from-bottom in the league table, suffering defeats at the hands of Everton (0–1), Ipswich Town (0–1), Queens Park Rangers (0–1), and bottom-placed Swindon Town (1–2) in the run-up to Christmas.[31] In the days after Christmas, Southampton picked up four points from a possible six, beating Chelsea 3–1 at home and drawing 1–1 with Manchester City at Maine Road, with Iain Dowie scoring in both games (his first goals in any competition since August).[31]
Former Saints player Alan Ball took over from Ian Branfoot as the club's manager in January 1994, seeing out the season and helping them avoid relegation.
After a 0–1 New Year's Day loss at home to top-six side Norwich City and a poor performance in their opening FA Cup match against Second Division side Port Vale, Southampton parted ways with manager Ian Branfoot on 10 January 1994.[33] Whilst the club looked for a replacement, they were temporarily managed by coaches Lew Chatterley and Dave Merrington, who oversaw a 1–0 home win over Coventry City decided by a Le Tissier penalty on the stroke of half-time.[34] Rumoured successors for Branfoot's position included former England manager Graham Taylor and former Saints players Alan Ball and Peter Shilton, who were managing South West sides Exeter City and Plymouth Argyle, respectively, at the time.[33] On 20 January, it was Ball who officially took over the role, while former manager Lawrie McMenemy also became the club's "general manager".[13]
Ball's first game in charge of Southampton took place two days after his arrival, as the club (sitting 21st in the table) travelled to face third-placed Newcastle United. After opening the scoring just five minutes in through Maddison, but going into half-time level after an Andy Cole equaliser shortly before the break, the Saints secured a "memorable win" when Le Tissier scored a "stunning free kick" in the 83rd minute.[34] A marginal 1–2 loss against fellow relegation risks Oldham Athletic followed, before Southampton faced top side Liverpool in their first home game under Ball. The hosts opened the scoring after just 28 seconds through Le Tissier and were 2–0 up within eight minutes when the returning Craig Maskell scored on his first game since re-signing the previous week.[34] Le Tissier made it 3–0 with a penalty for a foul just before half-time, before repeating the feat again shortly after the break following a handball to complete his hat-trick and extend Southampton's lead to 4–0 – Liverpool would pick up two late consolation goals through Julian Dicks and Ian Rush.[34]
Beating Wimbledon 1–0 two weeks after the Liverpool win saw Southampton rise to 17th in the FA Premier League table – the highest position they would reach all season.[35] After the positive start to Ball's tenure, however, the Saints would not pick up another win in their next seven games. Two "scrappy" draws against Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday preceded the side's heaviest defeat of the season, 0–4 at home to Arsenal, in which Ian Wright scored a hat-trick.[36] They subsequently dropped points against four teams in a row that were also facing the threat of relegation, drawing 0–0 at Sheffield United before losing 1–3 at home to Oldham Athletic, 0–2 at Chelsea and 0–1 at home to Manchester City – a run of results which had saw them drop back to 21st in the table, with only six games left (only two of which were at The Dell).[36]
On 9 April, Southampton faced Norwich City at Carrow Road, coming from behind four times throughout the match to win 5–4; Le Tissier scored a third away hat-trick in the second half, as well as setting up Monkou's last-minute winner with a corner.[34] This was followed by a 3–1 home win over Blackburn Rovers, who were just three points behind Manchester United at the top of the table, which saw the Saints move back up to 19th out of the relegation zone.[37] After a 0–3 loss at fellow strugglers Tottenham Hotspur, the club moved back up to 17th with a 4–1 home win over Aston Villa in which Le Tissier (who scored twice) was joined on the scoresheet by Monkou and Maddison, both of whom were assisted by the newly-named Player of the Season.[38] The final two games of the season saw Southampton lose 0–2 to Manchester United and draw 3–3 with West Ham United – the latter enough to secure FA Premier League safety due to results elsewhere.[38] Like the season before, Southampton survived relegation by a single point.[38]
Southampton entered the 1993–94 FA Cup, drawn against Second Division side Port Vale. The last game in charge for Ian Branfoot, the tie took place at The Dell but saw the visitors "outplaying" the hosts from early on; in the 14th minute, Andy Porter scored a free kick to put his third-flight side ahead, after goalkeeper Dave Beasant made a mistake.[39] Despite failing to increase the pressure in any noticeable fashion, the Saints equalised just before half-time through Iain Dowie, who converted a chance created by Tommy Widdrington.[39] The second half brought no goals for either side, forcing a replay ten days later.[40] With caretaker managers Lew Chatterley and Dave Merrington leading for their second and final game, Southampton were eliminated by a single goal scored in the 18th minute by Bernie Slaven.[40]
Southampton entered the second round of the 1993–94 League Cup against Shrewsbury Town, who were playing in the fourth flight of English football, the Third Division. After winning the first leg 1–0 thanks to a first-half goal from Kevin Moore, the top-flight Saints were eliminated after a 0–2 loss at Gay Meadow in the return leg, marking the first time since 1987–88 they had been knocked out at the first hurdle.[41]
Outside the league, FA Cup and League Cup, the Southampton first team played four additional matches during the 1993–94 season. The first was a 4–0 friendly win over Welsh Conference side Merthyr Tydfil in December, which was followed by a 3–0 home win over Swedish side Göteborg in January and a 2–1 win over Southend United of the First Division in February.[28] The final game of the season came three days after the league's conclusion and saw the Saints face nearby rivals Portsmouth for the first time since 1988, in a testimonial for goalkeeper Alan Knight.[42] The FA Premier League side won the friendly match 5–1, with first-half goals from Iain Dowie and Neil Maddison followed by second-half additions from Craig Maskell, Jeff Kenna and David Hughes.[42] Knight himself scored Pompey's consolation goal just before being substituted off, converting a penalty given for a foul by Francis Benali on striker Guy Whittingham.[42] Late in the game, Southampton manager Alan Ball played a few minutes himself.[42]
^Lew Chatterley and Dave Merrington served as temporary joint caretaker managers in between Ian Branfoot's sacking and Alan Ball's signing.
^Matt Oakley joined as a trainee in July 1993, before turning professional in July 1995.[22]
^Shayne Bradley joined as an associate schoolboy in December, before becoming an apprentice in December 1995 and turning professional in August 1998.[23]
References
^ ab"Perry Groves". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
^ ab"David Speedie". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
^ abc"Kerry Dixon". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
^"David Hughes". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
^"Ian Andrews". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
^"Neal Bartlett". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
^"Kevin Moore". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
^"Steve Wood". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 14 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
Juson, Dave; Aldworth, Clay; Bendel, Barry; Bull, David; Chalk, Gary (10 November 2004), Saints v Pompey: A History of Unrelenting Rivalry, Bristol, England: Hagiology Publishing, ISBN978-0953447459
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