The 1996–97 Southampton F.C. season was the club's 96th season of competitive football, their 27th in the top flight of English football, and their fifth in the FA Premier League. It was the sole season to feature Graeme Souness as the club's manager, who took over from Dave Merrington in the summer of 1996. After finishing 17th and avoiding relegation on goal difference the previous season, the Saints had another poor campaign as they improved their league position by just one place, finishing a single point above the drop zone. Outside the league, the club were knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round, but made it to the fifth round of the League Cup for the first time since 1991. This was the last season with chairman Guy Askham, who left in 1997.
Following his arrival in July, Souness made several changes to the Southampton squad – notable new signings included Norwegian striker Egil Østenstad, Dutch right-back Ulrich van Gobbel and Norwegian centre-back Claus Lundekvam, while major outgoings included the sales of striker Neil Shipperley, centre-back Richard Hall and winger Neil Heaney. The most infamous transfer activity took place during November, when the club signed unproven Senegalese striker Ali Dia for a matter of weeks, before releasing him again after one 53-minute appearance. All the changes brought mixed results, as the club struggled throughout much of the season, before an unbeaten run of seven games in the final weeks of the campaign secured their top-flight survival.
Outside the league, Southampton were eliminated from the FA Cup in the third round when they lost 1–3 to First Division side Reading, who had also knocked the Saints out of the League Cup the previous year. In the 1996–97 edition of the latter tournament, the Saints faired much better, reaching the quarter-finals for the first time since 1991. On the way to the fifth round, they eased past Peterborough United (who were struggling in, and would ultimately be relegated from, the Second Division), beat Third Division club Lincoln City in a replayed third round tie, and made it past First Division side Oxford United (again after a replay). They were ultimately eliminated by another Second Division side, Stockport County, who were on their way to achieving promotion.
Southampton used 31 players during the 1996–97 season and had 15 different goalscorers. After one season off the top of the goalscoring charts, Matt Le Tissier finished as the club's top scorer for the sixth time in eight seasons, with 13 league and three League Cup goals. Jim Magilton made the most appearances for a second season out of three, playing in 46 of the team's 48 games during the campaign. Østenstad, who finished just behind Le Tissier on 13 goals, won the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award. The average league attendance at The Dell during 1996–97 was 15,099. The highest attendance was 15,253 against Manchester United in October and the lowest was 10,737 against Oxford United in the League Cup in December.
Background and transfers
Shortly after the end of the 1995–96 season, manager Dave Merrington was sacked by the Southampton board. The decision was described by club historians in 2003 as an "abandonment" of the manager,[1] who had saved the club from relegation in the final stages of the season, earning him the Premier League Manager of the Month award for April 1996 (during which the Saints had won three out of their six games).[2] In a statement to the media, Merrington commented that "To say it's a great shock is a massive understatement ... I'm leaving with deep regret and sadness".[3]Southern Daily Echo columnist Graham Hiley wrote that "Twelve years of loyal service were wiped out in a terse two-paragraph statement ... The man who brought through Matthew Le Tissier, Alan Shearer, the Wallaces [Ray and Rod] and many others appears to have been ruthlessly discarded like litter left on the terraces."[1] A couple of weeks later, Merrington was replaced by former Rangers, Liverpool and Galatasaray manager Graeme Souness.[4]
Wayne Bridge started his Southampton career as a trainee in 1996 and would go on to play 174 times for the club.Graeme Souness' first signing for Southampton was left-back Graham Potter from Stoke City for £250,000.After losing his status as first-choice goalkeeper, Bruce Grobbelaar left for Plymouth Argyle during pre-season.Australian midfielder Robbie Slater signed from West Ham United in September and made 38 appearances in his first of two seasons at the club.Souness signed Dutch centre-back Ulrich van Gobbel from his former club Galatasaray in October for £1.3 million.
Changes to the squad continued throughout the season. At the beginning of September, the club signed three players in three days, as they brought in 19-year-old striker Russell Watkinson from non-league side Woking,[13] Norwegian centre-back Claus Lundekvam from Brann for £400,000,[14] and Australian midfielder Robbie Slater from West Ham for £200,000.[15] The next month, another Norwegian international, 24-year-old striker Egil Østenstad, was signed for £800,000 from Viking,[16] while Dutch centre-back Ulrich van Gobbel, who Souness had signed just nine months earlier at Galatasaray, arrived in a near-record £1.3 million deal.[17] Østenstad was brought in to replace Neil Shipperley, who subsequently moved later the same month for £1 million to First Division side Crystal Palace, whom he chose over Portsmouth.[18] Also arriving in loan deals during October were Israeli playmaker Eyal Berkovic, who joined from Maccabi Haifa until the end of the season,[19] and goalkeeper Chris Woods, who came from American club Colorado Rapids until the next March.[20]
During November, winger Neil Heaney and striker Frankie Bennett moved to Manchester City and Bristol Rovers, respectively.[21][22] The most notable transfer activity, however, was the brief signing of Senegalese striker Ali Dia, who would go down as one of the "worst players" in FA Premier League and world football history.[23][24][25] After an uneventful early career in mainland Europe, Dia joined English non-league club Blyth Spartans in November 1996, before days later making the five-division jump to Southampton just a few days after his only game for the club.[26] According to reports, Souness was convinced to give Dia a trial after receiving a phone call from someone purporting to be George Weah, the most recent winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year award, who claimed that the pair had been teammates at French side Paris Saint-Germain, and that Dia had played (and scored) for the Senegal national team.[27] Dia made an "embarrassing" appearance as a substitute when several strikers were out injured,[28] before he was released after just two weeks.[29]
After Christmas, the club spent £500,000 on Northern Irish goalkeeper Maik Taylor, who joined Souness' side from Third Division side Barnet on the recommendation of recently departed manager Ray Clemence.[30] In the new year, striker Gordon Watson moved for the same fee to Bradford City, who were fighting against relegation from the First Division having recently been promoted.[31] Graham Potter, who had been signed only seven months earlier, left Southampton in February for £300,000 (a profit of £50,000) to join West Bromwich Albion, another First Division side.[5] In March, Souness spent another £500,000 to sign Republic of Ireland striker Mickey Evans from Plymouth Argyle to help with the closing stages of the campaign.[32] The same month, Christer Warren – who had earlier in the year spent a week at Brighton – joined Fulham on loan until the end of the season.[33]
Southampton had a dreadful start to the 1996–97 season, dropping into the relegation zone immediately after failing to pick up a win in their first seven fixtures.[40] After an opening day goalless draw at home to Chelsea, the Saints lost 1–2 at both Leicester City and West Ham United, reduced to ten men in each game as Barry Venison and Francis Benali, respectively, were sent off.[1] Another home draw, 2–2 against Nottingham Forest (the point saved by a last-minute Matt Le Tissier goal), was followed by three straight defeats which saw the South Coast side descend into the drop zone – they lost 1–2 at Liverpool thanks to a goal in the last minute from Steve McManaman, lost 0–1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur thanks to a Chris Armstrong penalty, and went down 1–3 at a high-flying Wimbledon side.[1][41]
After this dreadful start, Southampton picked up their first – and biggest – win of the season, when they beat Middlesbrough 4–0 at home (their joint-biggest win in the FA Premier League since August 1993). Matt Oakley scored his first league goal for the club to open the scoring, before a Matt Le Tissier brace either side of half-time and a Gordon Watson strike late on secured the three points.[41] This started a short unbeaten run of five games which continued with a 1–1 draw at Coventry City (in which new signings Egil Østenstad and Eyal Berkovic made their debuts) and a 3–0 win at home to recently-promoted Sunderland (featuring another debut, for centre-back Ulrich van Gobbel).[41] A week after the win, Southampton hosted FA Premier League champions Manchester United, who they beat 6–3 in "humiliating" fashion.[42] Berkovic opened the scoring after just six minutes with his first goal for the club, before Roy Keane was sent off for United just 15 minutes later, having picked up two bookings for fouls on Southampton players.[41] The hosts took advantage and were 3–1 up by half-time courtesy of Le Tissier and Østenstad, who scored his first goal for the club on the stroke of the break.[41] In the last ten minutes, Berkovic and Østenstad scored again to secure the win – the final goal of the game was initially credited to Østenstad, completing his hat-trick, although it was later judged to be a Gary Neville own goal.[41]
On the back of picking up three wins in five games, Southampton suffered their heaviest defeat since October 1985 at the beginning of November when they lost 1–7 to Everton at Goodison Park, with Gary Speed scoring a hat-trick for the hosts.[43] The following week, the Saints lost 0–2 at home to fellow bottom-half side Leeds United. This game became infamous in the history of the club, as it marked the debut and sole appearance of Ali Dia, who Souness signed on a short-term basis of a fraudulent recommendation he received over the phone.[26] With many of the team's attacking players unavailable due to injury, Dia was brought on when Le Tissier went off with an injury in the 32nd minute; he played most of the remainder of the game, before being substituted off again in the last five minutes.[26] Dia's sole appearance before he was released within just two weeks was described by BBC Sport as "disastrous".[27] Three more defeats followed in a run of five straight losses: 1–2 at Blackburn Rovers, 1–3 at Arsenal, and 0–1 at home to Aston Villa.[43]
Southampton ended 1996 with a 3–1 win over recently-promoted Derby County, followed by two more defeats against top sides Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool which saw them drop back into the relegation zone – where they would remain for several months.[44] January started with a 1–0 win over Middlesbrough, when Jim Magilton converted a second-half penalty, which was followed by a 2–2 draw at home to Newcastle United in which Le Tissier scored a "25-yard blockbuster" in the last minute to save his side a point.[43] The club remained in the bottom three when they sacrificed winning positions in games against Manchester United (losing 1–2 from a 1–0 lead after ten minutes) and Sheffield Wednesday (losing 2–3 after leading 2–0 at half-time), and were held to draws by Wimbledon, Everton and Leeds United between February and March (the Saints picked up just one win during this run, 1–0 over Newcastle United).[43] Towards the end of March, the club dropped from 19th to 20th (bottom) in the FA Premier League table.[45]
Maik Taylor signed at the end of 1996 and played in goal for the last 18 league games.
Southampton responded to their drop to the bottom of the table with a run of seven games unbeaten, including four crucial "six-pointers" against other sides fighting against the risk of relegation. The first win came at the home of Nottingham Forest on 5 April, when new signing Mickey Evans scored his first two goals for the club since arriving the month before, to help the Saints secure a 3–1 win.[46] After a late-fought 1–1 draw with Derby County, the second win of the run came in a 2–0 home win over West Ham United, with Evans scoring again (followed by Berkovic before half-time).[46] The result saw Southampton climb out of the drop zone, into 16th place, for the first time since December.[47] After dropping a 2–0 lead to draw 2–2 at home to Coventry City, the Saints won again when they picked up a 1–0 win over 18th-placed Sunderland, which was followed a couple of weeks later by a 2–0 win over Blackburn Rovers, the latter of which included Matt Le Tissier's first goal in nine games.[46] Like his predecessor Dave Merrington, Souness was named Premier League Manager of the Month for April after an unbeaten month which saw his club secure a chance at FA Premier League survival with three wins and two draws.[46]
The Saints went into their final game of the season, against 5th-place Aston Villa, needing either Middlesbrough and/or Sunderland to lose in order to ensure their safety. The game ended 1–0 to Villa, with Richard Dryden scoring a 12th-minute own goal to decide the tie, while Middlesbrough drew 1–1 with Leeds United and Sunderland lost 0–1 at Wimbledon, leaving Southampton in 16th place, one point above the relegation spots.[46] This marked the fourth time in five seasons the club had finished their season within a point of the first relegation place, with results on the final day of the campaign deciding their fate.[48] Club historians have noted the importance of the signing of Mickey Evans in the closing stages of the season, as he scored four goals in three key games to keep the side's hopes of FA Premier League survival alive.[46]
Southampton entered the 1996–97 FA Cup in the third round against Reading, who were struggling in the lower places of the First Division, and by whom the Saints had been eliminated from the League Cup the previous year.[49] Despite an early start in which they looked more likely to score, it was the top-flight visitors who suffered the first setback of the game when Reading broke the deadlock in the 19th minute through Jamie Lambert.[49] After the half-time break, the Saints drew level when Egil Østenstad "held off three defenders" to equalise after being set up by Eyal Berkovic.[50] Reading were back in front within six minutes though, when Darren Caskey volleyed in a header from Trevor Morley.[50] Lambert doubled his tally and made it 3–1 for the hosts late on, when he converted a penalty given for a foul by Francis Benali (for which he was sent off).[50] In the last minute of the game, Southampton were reduced to nine men as Robbie Slater was also sent off, after making a "gesture" to the linesman.[50]
Southampton entered the 1996–97 League Cup in the second round against Second Division strugglers Peterborough United. In the first leg, at The Dell, the top-flight hosts won 2–0 thanks to goals in either half from Matt Le Tissier (a 20th-minute left-footer) and Gordon Watson (a chip from a Claus Lundekvam cross in the 81st minute).[51] The Saints faired even better in the second leg at London Road Stadium, winning 4–0 to take their aggregate win to 6–1.[51] Watson opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark with a volley from a Le Tissier free kick, with Simon Charlton doubling the lead before the break with a volley from a Robbie Slater cross.[51]David Farrell pulled one back for the hosts five minutes into the second half, before long-range shots from Jim Magilton and Richard Dryden extended Southampton's lead as they progressed to the next round.[51]
In the third round, Southampton hosted Third Division side Lincoln City, who were playing in the third round for the first time since the 1982–83 season. Despite the gulf between their league standings, it was the fourth-tier side who went into half-time with the advantage, after Mark Hone put them 1–0 up in the 21st minute.[51] Straight after the break, Le Tissier equalised with a 30-yard volley, before centre-back Ulrich van Gobbel scored his first goal for the club with a header eight minutes later.[51] In the final five minutes, Lincoln forced a replay when Gareth Ainsworth scored a second for the team.[51] In the replay at Sincil Bank, Ainsworth put the hosts in front after just nine minutes, with the lead lasting through half-time until the late stages of the game.[52] It took until the 75th minute for the Saints to equalise, when Magilton scored a penalty given for a foul on Egil Østenstad, which was followed ten minutes later by Watson from a Jason Dodd cross for 2–1, and in the last minute by a long-range Eyal Berkovic effort for 3–1.[52]
Southampton were drawn against First Division club Oxford United in the fourth round, this time away. Dryden put the top-flight visitors ahead in the 26th minute for what appeared to be a winner, before former Saint Paul Moody scored in the last minute of the game to force a replay.[52] The replay at The Dell was an evenly-fought affair, with Berkovic's 21st-minute opener matched by an equaliser just before the break from Oxford's Nigel Jemson.[52] Shortly after the break, Dryden scored his third goal of the tournament to put the Saints 2–1 up, before Egil Østenstad made it 3–1 just before the hour mark.[52]Bobby Ford scored another for Oxford straight after Østenstad's goal, but his side were unable to break the deadlock further and were eliminated.[52]
In the fifth round, Southampton were hosted by Stockport County, another Second Division side. Despite opening the scoring through Østenstad in the 16th minute, the top-flight Saints went into half-time 1–2 down, after Alun Armstrong and Luís Cavaco scored in quick succession in the 25th and 26th minutes, respectively.[52] Stockport held onto their lead until the last five minutes, when Østenstad scored his – and Southampton's – second to force a replay for a third round in a row.[52] At The Dell, Le Tissier opened the scoring for Southampton after just eight minutes, however the hosts were "outplayed" and conceded twice in the second half – through Brett Angell and Andy Mutch – to face elimination.[52]
Outside the league and cup competitions, Southampton played three additional matches during the second half of the 1996–97 season. The first two, in February and March, saw the Saints lose at two Second Division clubs: 0–2 at Brentford and 1–2 at Bournemouth.[39] The final game took place two days after the conclusion of the league season and saw the club's current first team take on a side of "ex Saints" for defender Francis Benali's testimonial.[39] The game finished in a 7–7 draw, with Benali scoring alongside goalkeeper Dave Beasant, who netted twice.[39]
^"Neil Moss". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
^"Steve Basham". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
^"Dave Beasant". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 21 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
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