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1994–95 Southampton F.C. season


FieldValue
clubSouthampton F.C.
season1994–95
chairmanGuy Askham
managerAlan Ball
stadiumThe Dell
leagueFA Premier League
league result10th
cup1FA Cup
cup1 resultFifth round
cup2League Cup
cup2 resultThird round
league topscorerMatt Le Tissier (19)
season topscorerMatt Le Tissier (29)
highest attendance15,210 v Queens Park
Rangers (15 April 1995)
lowest attendance12,032 v Huddersfield
Town (5 October 1994)
average attendance14,685
largest win6–0 v Luton Town
(8 February 1995)
largest loss1–5 v Newcastle United
(27 August 1994)
2–6 v Tottenham
Hotspur (1 March 1995)
pattern_la1pattern_b1 = _southampton9395hpattern_ra1 =pattern_sh1 = _southampton9395hpattern_so1 = _southampton9395hleftarm1 = FF0000body1 = FFFFFFrightarm1 = FF0000shorts1 = 000000socks1 = 000000
pattern_la2_southampton9395apattern_b2 = _southampton9395apattern_ra2 =pattern_sh2 = _southampton9395apattern_so2 = _southampton9395aleftarm2 = 23ABE1body2 = 23ABE1rightarm2 = 23ABE1shorts2 = 3B92E3socks2 = 0000FF
pattern_la3_southampton9395tpattern_b3 = _southampton9395tpattern_ra3 = _southampton9395tpattern_sh3 = _southampton9395tpattern_so3 = _southampton9395tleftarm3 = 0000FFbody3 = FFE800rightarm3 = 0000FFshorts3 = 0000FFsocks3 = FFE800
prevseason1993–94
nextseason1995–96

Rangers](queens-park-rangers-f-c) (15 April 1995) Town](huddersfield-town-f-c) (5 October 1994) (8 February 1995) (27 August 1994) 2–6 v Tottenham Hotspur (1 March 1995) 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.

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

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, while Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar arrived on a free transfer. 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, and Steve Wood, who moved to Oxford United, who had recently been relegated to the Second Division. 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, while out-of-favour goalkeeper Ian Andrews moved to Bournemouth for £20,000. 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.

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, while striker Nicky Banger was loaned – and subsequently sold, for £250,000 – to FA Premier League strugglers Oldham Athletic. 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. In the new year, Ball spent a club record £1.4 million on 20-year-old Chelsea striker Neil Shipperley, which preceded the sale of Iain Dowie to Crystal Palace for £500,000. Also in January, Allen was loaned out for the rest of the season to Stoke City. The final transfers took place in March, when Jeff Kenna was signed by eventual champions Blackburn Rovers for £1.5 million, striker Gordon Watson was signed from Sheffield Wednesday for £1.2 million, and young winger Christer Warren joined from Southern League side Cheltenham Town for £40,000.

Players transferred in

NameNationalityPos.ClubDateFeeRef.Steve BashamDuncan SpeddingPeter WhistonBruce GrobbelaarNeil ShipperleyGordon WatsonChrister Warren
FWnone (free agent)July 1994Free
MFnone (free agent)July 1994Free
DFENG Exeter City10 August 1994£30,000
GKENG Liverpool11 August 1994Free
FWENG Chelsea6 January 1995£1,400,000
FWENG Sheffield Wednesday17 March 1995£1,200,000
MFENG Cheltenham Town31 March 1995£40,000

Players transferred out

NameNationalityPos.ClubDateFeeRef.Kevin MooreSteve WoodColin CrambIan AndrewsMatthew BoundNicky BangerRory HamillNeal BartlettIain DowieJeff Kenna
DFENG FulhamJuly 1994Free
DFENG Oxford UnitedJuly 1994Free
FWSCO Falkirk30 August 1994Unknown
GKENG Bournemouth5 September 1994£20,000
DFENG Stockport County27 October 1994£100,000
FWENG Oldham Athletic4 November 1994£250,000
FWENG Fulham18 November 1994Free
MFENG Fareham Town2 December 1994Free
FWENG Crystal Palace13 January 1995£500,000
DFENG Blackburn Rovers15 March 1995£1,500,000

Players loaned in

NameNationalityPos.ClubDate fromDate toRef.Ronnie Ekelund
MFESP Barcelona15 September 1994End of season

Players loaned out

NameNationalityPos.ClubDate fromDate toRef.Nicky BangerPaul AllenPaul Allen
FWENG Oldham AthleticOctober 1994November 1994
MFENG Luton Town9 December 199419 January 1995
MFENG Stoke City20 January 1995End of season

Notes

Pre-season friendlies

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. Back in England in early August, the Saints beat Second Division side Leyton Orient and First Division side Luton Town 2–1. 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.

Maddison Monkou Maskell Le Tissier Dodd Heaney Le Tissier Ekelund Maskell Magilton

FA Premier League

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. 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. 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.

After three straight wins which put them 7th in the league table, 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). 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. 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.

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. 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. 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. 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.

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. 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. 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. 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. 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.

List of match results

Cole Lee Barnes Ekelund Ekelund Dowie Le Tissier Roberts Carr Le Tissier Rush Wallace Beagrie Ekelund Shearer Le Tissier Le Tissier Harford Gallen Hughes Hughes Pallister Le Tissier Flitcroft Ward Magilton Chapman Collymore Watson Shipperley Le Tissier Magilton Klinsmann Fowler Le Tissier Watson Magilton Watson Le Tissier Irwin Le Tissier Robins

Final league table

Results by matchday

FA Cup

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Luton did eventually equalise, nine minutes before the end, through Wayne Biggins. 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. Second-half strikes from Ken Monkou and David Hughes secured Southampton's biggest win of the season.

In the fifth round, Southampton travelled to face Tottenham Hotspur, who were sixth in the FA Premier League table. 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. Within a minute, however, the visitors were level when Le Tissier scored a penalty awarded for a foul of Jeff Kenna. 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. 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. Despite the hosts' domination of the first half, Ronny Rosenthal scored two goals in quick succession soon after the break to bring Tottenham even. 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.

Le Tissier Magilton Heaney Monkou Hughes Le Tissier Sheringham Barmby Anderton

League Cup

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. 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".

Other matches

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. This was followed by a game on the Isle of Wight which the Saints won 3–0. 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.

Le Tissier Magilton Le Tissier Watson Maddison Watson

Player details

Southampton used 27 players during the 1994–95 season, 14 of whom scored during the campaign. Eight players made their debut appearances for the club, including five of their six first team signings (loanee Ronnie Ekelund, Bruce Grobbelaar, Neil Shipperley, Gordon Watson, and Peter Whiston) and three players making the step up from youth to the first team (Matt Oakley, Matthew Robinson, and Paul Tisdale). Two of these – Ekelund and Whiston – also made their last appearances for the Saints during the campaign, as did mid-season departees Nicky Banger, Iain Dowie, and Jeff Kenna, plus one player sold the next season (Paul Allen). 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. He was followed on 49 appearances by Matt Le Tissier, who finished as the club's top goalscorer with 29 goals in all competitions. 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.

Squad statistics

No.NamePos.Nat.LeagueFA CupLeague CupTotalDisciplineApps.GoalsApps.GoalsApps.GoalsApps.Goals[[File:Yellow card.svg13px]][[File:Red card.svg13px]]Bruce GrobbelaarMatthew RobinsonFrancis BenaliJim MagiltonRichard HallKen MonkouMatt Le TissierCraig MaskellNeil ShipperleyNeil MaddisonPaul AllenNeil HeaneyDave BeasantSimon CharltonJason DoddGordon WatsonDerek AllanDavid HughesPaul McDonaldTommy WiddringtonNeil HopperFrankie BennettPeter WhistonPaul TisdaleMatt OakleySquad members who left before the end of the seasonJeff KennaIain DowieNicky BangerRonnie Ekelund
1GKZIM300503038010
2DFENG0(1)000000(1)000
3DFENG32(3)0403039(3)0110
4MFNIR426513050730
5DFENG36(1)3402042(1)360
6DFNED3114120372120
7MFENG41195535492960
8FWENG2(4)010003(4)000
9FWENG194420023630
10MFENG353402041320
11MFENG110002013020
12MFENG21(13)2522(1)028(14)430
13GKENG12(1)0200012(1)000
14DFENG251102(1)028(1)110
15DFENG24(2)2301028(2)250
16FWENG123000012310
17DFSCO0000000000
18MFENG2(10)20(4)1002(14)310
19DFSCO0(2)000000(2)000
21MFENG23(5)0501029(5)040
23GKENG0000000000
24FWENG00000(1)00(1)000
27DFENG0(1)000000(1)000
28MFENG0(7)00(1)00(1)00(9)000
33MFENG0(1)000000(1)000
2DFIRL280502035010
9FWNIR175003020520
16FWENG4200004200
24MFDEN15(2)5002(1)017(3)510

Most appearances

RankNamePos.LeagueFA CupLeague CupTotalStartsSubsStartsSubsStartsSubsStartsSubsTotal
1Jim MagiltonMF420503050050
2Matt Le TissierMF410503049049
3Richard HallDF361402042143
4Francis BenaliDF323403039342
Neil HeaneyMF21135021281442
6Neil MaddisonMF350402041041
7Bruce GrobbelaarGK300503038038
8Ken MonkouDF310402037037
9Jeff KennaDF280502035035
10Tommy WiddringtonMF235501029534

Top goalscorers

RankNamePos.LeagueFA CupLeague CupTotalGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGPG
1Matt Le TissierMF1941555329490.59
2Jim MagiltonMF64215037500.14
3Neil ShipperleyFW41924006230.26
4Iain DowieFW51700035200.25
Ronnie EkelundMF51700035200.25
6Neil HeaneyMF23425034420.10
7Gordon WatsonFW31200003120.25
David HughesMF21214003160.19
Neil MaddisonMF33504023410.07
Richard HallDF33704023430.07

References

Bibliography

References

  1. "Peter Whiston". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  2. "Bruce Grobbelaar". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  3. "Kevin Moore". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  4. "Steve Wood". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  5. "Colin Cramb". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  6. "Ian Andrews". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  7. "Ronnie Ekelund". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  8. "Matthew Bound". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  9. "Nicky Banger". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  10. "Neal Bartlett". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  11. "Paul Allen". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  12. "Neil Shipperley". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  13. "Iain Dowie". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  14. "Neal Bartlett". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  15. "Gordon Watson". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  16. "Christer Warren". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  17. "Steve Basham". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  18. "Duncan Spedding". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  19. {{harvnb. Holley. Chalk. 2003
  20. {{harvnb. Holley. Chalk. 2003
  21. {{harvnb. Holley. Chalk. 2003
  22. "Premier League table after close of play on 08 October 1994". 11v11.com.
  23. {{harvnb. Holley. Chalk. 2003
  24. "Premier League table after close of play on 11 February 1995". 11v11.com.
  25. {{harvnb. Holley. Chalk. 2003
  26. {{harvnb. Holley. Chalk. 2003
  27. "Premier League table after close of play on 06 May 1995". 11v11.com.
  28. {{harvnb. Holley. Chalk. 2003
  29. {{harvnb. Holley. Chalk. 2003
  30. {{harvnb. Holley. Chalk. 2003
  31. {{harvnb. Holley. Chalk. 2003
  32. {{harvnb. Holley. Chalk. 2003
  33. {{harvnb. Holley. Chalk. 2003
  34. "Matt Oakley". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  35. "Matthew Robinson". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
  36. "Paul Tisdale". SaintsPlayers.co.uk.
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