1996–97 Southampton F.C. season

Southampton F.C.
1996–97 season
ChairmanGuy Askham
ManagerDave Merrington
(until 14 June 1996)
Graeme Souness
(from 3 July 1996)
StadiumThe Dell
FA Premier League16th
FA CupThird round
League CupFifth round
Top goalscorerLeague: Matt Le Tissier (13)
All: Matt Le Tissier (16)
Highest home attendance15,253 v Manchester
United (26 October 1996)
Lowest home attendance10,737 v Oxford United
(18 December 1996)
Average home league attendance15,099
Biggest win4–0 v Middlesbrough
(28 September 1996)
Biggest defeat1–7 v Everton
(16 November 1996)

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

[edit]

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.

Souness' first two signings came courtesy of tips from assistant manager Terry Cooper – left-back Graham Potter, who Cooper had managed at Birmingham City in 1992–93, joined from First Division side Stoke City for £250,000,[5] while centre-back Richard Dryden, a member of Cooper's Exeter City team from 1988 to 1991, signed from Bristol City in the Second Division for £150,000.[6] Among three trainee signings in July came left-back Wayne Bridge, who would go on to make 174 appearances for the Southampton first team during a five-year stint, before later spells with top clubs Chelsea and Manchester City.[7] Souness also sold five players ahead of the league starting – midfielder Tommy Widdrington moved to Grimsby Town in the First Division for a club record fee of £300,000,[8] out-of-contract defender Richard Hall was snapped up by West Ham United for a tribunal-set fee of £1.4 million,[9] winger Mark Walters moved on a free transfer to Swindon Town, who had been recently promoted to the First Division,[10] defender Derek Allan moved to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Third Division, three years since his sole substitute appearance for the Saints,[11] and goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar moved on a free transfer to third-tier club Plymouth Argyle.[12]

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]

Players transferred in

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
Graham Potter  England DF England Stoke City 23 July 1996 £250,000 [5]
Wayne Bridge  England DF England Olivers Battery July 1996 Free[a] [7]
Kevin Gibbens  England MF England Lordswood July 1996 Free[b] [34]
Garry Monk  England DF England Torquay United July 1996 Free[c] [35]
Richard Dryden  England DF England Bristol City 6 August 1996 £150,000 [6]
Russell Watkinson  England FW England Woking 1 September 1996 Free [13]
Claus Lundekvam  Norway DF Norway Brann 2 September 1996 £400,000 [14]
Robbie Slater  Australia MF England West Ham United 3 September 1996 £200,000 [15]
Egil Østenstad  Norway FW Norway Viking 3 October 1996 £800,000 [16]
Ulrich van Gobbel  Netherlands DF Turkey Galatasaray 15 October 1996 £1,300,000 [17]
Ali Dia  Senegal FW England Blyth Spartans November 1996 Free[d] [26]
Maik Taylor  Northern Ireland GK England Barnet 31 December 1996 £500,000 [30]
Mickey Evans  Republic of Ireland FW England Plymouth Argyle 3 March 1997 £500,000 [32]
Kevin Davies  England FW England Chesterfield 8 May 1997 £750,000 [36]

Players transferred out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
Tommy Widdrington  England MF England Grimsby Town 11 July 1996 £300,000 [8]
Richard Hall  England DF England West Ham United 19 July 1996 £1,400,000 [9]
Mark Walters  England MF England Swindon Town 31 July 1996 Free [10]
Derek Allan  Scotland DF England Brighton & Hove Albion 1 August 1996 Free [11]
Bruce Grobbelaar  Zimbabwe GK England Plymouth Argyle 12 August 1996 Free [12]
Neil Shipperley  England FW England Crystal Palace 25 October 1996 £1,000,000 [18]
Neil Heaney  England MF England Manchester City 23 November 1996 £500,000 [21]
Frankie Bennett  England FW England Bristol Rovers 29 November 1996 £50,000 [22]
Gordon Watson  England FW England Bradford City 15 January 1997 £500,000 [31]
Graham Potter  England DF England West Bromwich Albion 14 February 1997 £300,000 [5]

Players loaned in

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date from Date to Ref.
Eyal Berkovic  Israel MF Israel Maccabi Haifa 9 October 1996 End of season [19]
Chris Woods  England GK United States Colorado Rapids 31 October 1996 25 March 1997 [20]

Players loaned out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date from Date to Ref.
Christer Warren  England MF England Brighton & Hove Albion 11 October 1996 19 October 1996 [33]
Frankie Bennett  England FW England Shrewsbury Town 25 October 1996 12 November 1996 [22]
Paul Tisdale  England MF England Huddersfield Town 29 November 1996 14 December 1996 [37]
Christer Warren  England MF England Fulham 7 March 1997 End of season [33]

Players released

Name Nationality Pos. Date Subsequent club Ref.
Ali Dia  Senegal FW November 1996 England Gateshead [26]

Players retired

Name Nationality Pos. Date Reason Ref.
Barry Venison  England DF October 1996 Retired due to a back injury, subsequently became a television pundit. [38]

Notes

  1. ^ Wayne Bridge was initially signed as a trainee in July 1996, before turning professional in January 1998.[7]
  2. ^ Kevin Gibbens was initially signed as a trainee in July 1996, before turning professional in January 1998.[34]
  3. ^ Garry Monk was initially signed as a trainee in July 1996, before turning professional the following May.[35]
  4. ^ Ali Dia was signed on a trial basis for a month, although this was cut short after two weeks and he was released.[26]

Pre-season friendlies

[edit]

Ahead of the 1996–97 campaign, Southampton played eight pre-season friendlies. Like the previous season, they started their pre-season preparations with a short tour of Ireland, beating both Cork City and Waterford United 1–0, thanks to goals from Neil Heaney and Gordon Watson, respectively.[39] This was followed by a 3–1 win over Southern League side Cheltenham Town (in which Graham Potter, who had signed just three days earlier, scored one of the Saints' goals) and two matches at Scottish opposition: a 2–2 draw with Dunfermline Athletic and a 0–1 defeat at Heart of Midlothian.[39] Another 0–1 loss at Wycombe Wanderers of the Second Division was followed by a 1–2 defeat to Oxford United (as part of the Oxford Benevolent Cup pre-season tournament) and a 0–2 loss at Greek side PAOK.[39]

22 July 1996 Friendly Republic of Ireland Cork City 0–1 Southampton Cork, Ireland
Heaney Stadium: Turners Cross
24 July 1996 Friendly Republic of Ireland Waterford United 0–1 Southampton Waterford, Ireland
Watson Stadium: Waterford RSC
26 July 1996 Friendly Cheltenham Town 1–3 Southampton Cheltenham
Potter
Shipperley
Watson 		Stadium: Whaddon Road
31 July 1996 Friendly Scotland Dunfermline Athletic 2–2 Southampton Dunfermline, Scotland
Le Tissier
own goal 		Stadium: East End Park
3 August 1996 Friendly Scotland Heart of Midlothian 1–0 Southampton Edinburgh, Scotland
Stadium: Tynecastle Park
6 August 1996 Friendly Wycombe Wanderers 1–0 Southampton High Wycombe
Stadium: Adams Park
8 August 1996 Oxford Benevolent Cup Oxford United 2–1 Southampton Oxford
Le Tissier Stadium: Manor Ground
11 August 1996 Friendly Greece PAOK 2–0 Southampton Thessaloniki, Greece
Stadium: PAOK Stadium

FA Premier League

[edit]
See also: 1996–97 FA Premier League

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]

Egil Østenstad joined in October and finished as the season's second-highest scorer, winning the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award.
Egil Østenstad joined in October and finished as the season's second-highest scorer, winning the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award.

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.
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]

List of match results

[edit]
18 August 1996 1 Southampton 0–0 Chelsea Southampton
16:00 BST Dodd Yellow card
Le Tissier Yellow card		 Report Morris Yellow card
Wise Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,186
Referee: Martin Bodenham
21 August 1996 2 Leicester City 2–1 Southampton Leicester
19:45 BST Heskey 6', 42'
Lennon Yellow card		 Report Le Tissier 68' (pen.), Yellow card
Venison Yellow card Yellow-red card 82'
Dodd Yellow card
Dryden Yellow card		 Stadium: Filbert Street
Attendance: 17,562
Referee: Mike Riley
24 August 1996 3 West Ham United 2–1 Southampton London
15:00 BST Hughes 73'
Dicks 81' (pen.)
Bowen Yellow card		 Report Heaney 19'
Benali Yellow card Yellow-red card 83'
Charlton Yellow card		 Stadium: Boleyn Ground
Attendance: 21,227
Referee: David Elleray
4 September 1996 4 Southampton 2–2 Nottingham Forest Southampton
19:30 BST Dryden 53'
Le Tissier 89'
Heaney Yellow card		 Report Campbell 4', Yellow card 72'
Saunders 23'
Jerkan Yellow card
Pearce Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,450
Referee: Paul Danson
7 September 1996 5 Liverpool 2–1 Southampton Liverpool
15:00 BST Collymore 39'
McManaman 89'
Bjørnebye Yellow card		 Report Magilton 58'
Dryden Yellow card
Maddison Yellow card
Slater Yellow card		 Stadium: Anfield
Attendance: 39,189
Referee: Alan Wilkie
14 September 1996 6 Southampton 0–1 Tottenham Hotspur Southampton
15:00 BST Le Tissier Yellow card
Monkou Yellow card		 Report Armstrong 66' (pen.)
Edinburgh Yellow card
Howells Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,251
Referee: Paul Alcock
23 September 1996 7 Wimbledon 3–1 Southampton London
20:00 BST Gayle 12', Yellow card
Ekoku 38', 73', Yellow card
Kimble Yellow card		 Report Oakley 77'
Dryden Yellow card
Monkou Yellow card		 Stadium: Selhurst Park
Attendance: 8,562
Referee: Paul Durkin
28 September 1996 8 Southampton 4–0 Middlesbrough Southampton
15:00 BST Oakley 11'
Le Tissier 29', 48'
Watson 82'
Lundekvam Yellow card		 Report Juninho Yellow card
Whelan Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,230
Referee: Roger Dilkes
13 October 1996 9 Coventry City 1–1 Southampton Coventry
16:00 BST Borrows Yellow card 49'
Williams Yellow card 53'
Dublin 90'		 Report Le Tissier 17'
Dryden Yellow card
Neilson Yellow card		 Stadium: Highfield Road
Attendance: 15,485
Referee: Paul Durkin
19 October 1996 10 Southampton 3–0 Sunderland Southampton
15:00 BST Dodd 38'
Le Tissier 53' (pen.), Yellow card 58'
Shipperley 89'
Berkovic Yellow card
Lundekvam Yellow card		 Report Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,225
Referee: Gary Willard
26 October 1996 11 Southampton 6–3 Manchester United Southampton
15:00 BST Berkovic 6', 83'
Le Tissier 35'
Østenstad 45', 85'
G. Neville 89' (o.g.)
Lundekvam Yellow card		 Report Keane Yellow card 6' Yellow-red card 21'
Cantona Yellow card 18'
Cruyff Yellow card 40'
Beckham 41'
May 56'
G. Neville Yellow card 81'
Scholes 89'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,253
Referee: Jeff Winter
2 November 1996 12 Sheffield Wednesday 1–1 Southampton Sheffield
15:00 GMT Newsome 14', Yellow card Report Le Tissier 50' (pen.)
van Gobbel Yellow card		 Stadium: Hillsborough Stadium
Attendance: 20,106
Referee: Alan Wilkie
16 November 1996 13 Everton 7–1 Southampton Liverpool
15:00 GMT Stuart 12'
Kanchelskis 22', 35'
Speed 30', 32', 72'
Barmby 57'		 Report Østenstad 39' Stadium: Goodison Park
Attendance: 35,669
Referee: Mike Riley
23 November 1996 14 Southampton 0–2 Leeds United Southampton
15:00 GMT van Gobbel Yellow card Report Ford Yellow card 69'
Kelly 82'
Sharpe 89'
Beesley Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,241
Referee: Keith Burge
30 November 1996 15 Blackburn Rovers 2–1 Southampton Blackburn
15:00 GMT Sherwood 27'
Sutton 87', Yellow card
Wilcox Yellow card		 Report Maddison Yellow card 58'
Østenstad 61'
van Gobbel Yellow card Yellow-red card 81'
Monkou Yellow card		 Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 23,018
Referee: Roger Dilkes
4 December 1996 16 Arsenal 3–1 Southampton London
19:45 GMT Merson 43'
Wright 57' (pen.)
Shaw 89'
Vieira Yellow card		 Report Berkovic 81'
Charlton Yellow card
Lundekvam Yellow card		 Stadium: Arsenal Stadium
Attendance: 38,033
Referee: Peter Jones
7 December 1996 17 Southampton 0–1 Aston Villa Southampton
15:00 GMT van Gobbel Yellow card Report Townsend 34'
Milošević Yellow card 53'
Draper Yellow card
Staunton Yellow card
Taylor Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,232
Referee: Stephen Lodge
21 December 1996 18 Southampton 3–1 Derby County Southampton
15:00 GMT Watson 9'
Oakley 13'
Magilton 89' (pen.)
Benali Yellow card
Slater Yellow card		 Report Dailly 8'
Gabbiadini Yellow card
Rowett Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,901
Referee: Paul Danson
26 December 1996 19 Tottenham Hotspur 3–1 Southampton London
12:00 GMT Iversen 1', 30'
Nielsen 64'		 Report Le Tissier 40'
Neilson Yellow card
Slater Yellow card
van Gobbel Yellow card		 Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 30,549
Referee: Graham Barber
29 December 1996 20 Southampton 0–1 Liverpool Southampton
16:00 GMT Maddison Yellow card Report Barnes 76'
Thomas Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,222
Referee: Steve Dunn
11 January 1997 21 Middlesbrough 0–1 Southampton Middlesbrough
15:00 GMT Blackmore Yellow card Yellow-red card 58'
Cox Yellow card
Emerson Yellow card
Hignett Yellow card		 Report Magilton 59' (pen.)
Berkovic Yellow card 70'
Monkou Yellow card
Taylor Yellow card
van Gobbel Yellow card		 Stadium: Riverside Stadium
Attendance: 29,509
Referee: Gerald Ashby
18 January 1997 22 Southampton 2–2 Newcastle United Southampton
15:00 GMT Hughes Yellow card 35'
Maddison 88'
Le Tissier 89'		 Report Ferdinand 14', Yellow card
Clark 82'
Beresford Yellow card
Elliott Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,251
Referee: Mike Reed
1 February 1997 23 Manchester United 2–1 Southampton Manchester
15:00 GMT Pallister 19'
Poborský Yellow card 73'
Cantona 80'
 Report Østenstad 11', Yellow card
Berkovic Yellow card 70'
Dryden Yellow card
Le Tissier Yellow card		 Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 55,269
Referee: Mike Riley
22 February 1997 24 Southampton 2–3 Sheffield Wednesday Southampton
15:00 GMT Østenstad 28'
Le Tissier 33' (pen.)
van Gobbel 65'
Monkou Yellow card		 Report Blinker Yellow card 43'
Hirst 49', 55'
Booth 78'
Carbone Yellow card 88'
Atherton Yellow card
Pembridge Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,062
Referee: Mike Reed
26 February 1997 25 Southampton 0–0 Wimbledon Southampton
19:30 GMT Report Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,418
Referee: Alan Wilkie
1 March 1997 26 Newcastle United 0–1 Southampton Newcastle upon Tyne
15:00 GMT Asprilla Yellow card Report Le Tissier 56'
Magilton Yellow card
Neilson Yellow card
van Gobbel Yellow card		 Stadium: St James' Park
Attendance: 36,446
Referee: Martin Bodenham
5 March 1997 27 Southampton 2–2 Everton Southampton
19:30 GMT Slater 59'
Short 61' (o.g.)		 Report Ferguson 11'
Speed 27', Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,134
Referee: Paul Durkin
12 March 1997 28 Leeds United 0–0 Southampton Leeds
19:45 GMT Report Lundekvam Yellow card
Maddison Yellow card		 Stadium: Elland Road
Attendance: 25,913
Referee: Gerald Ashby
15 March 1997 29 Southampton 0–2 Arsenal Southampton
15:00 GMT Monkou Yellow card 37'
Slater Yellow card		 Report Hughes 41'
Shaw 72'
Parlour Yellow card
Vieira Yellow card
Winterburn Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,144
Referee: Jeff Winter
19 March 1997 30 Chelsea 1–0 Southampton London
19:45 GMT Zola 22'
Sinclair Yellow card		 Report Benali Yellow card 12'
van Gobbel Yellow card		 Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 28,079
Referee: Stephen Lodge
22 March 1997 31 Southampton 2–2 Leicester City Southampton
15:00 GMT Østenstad 32', Yellow card 74'
van Gobbel 48'		 Report Heskey 46'
Neilson 70' (o.g.)
Walsh Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,044
Referee: Keith Burge
5 April 1997 32 Nottingham Forest 1–3 Southampton Nottingham
15:00 BST Pearce 88' (pen.)
van Hooijdonk Yellow card		 Report Magilton 8', Yellow card
Evans 87', 89'
Benali Yellow card		 Stadium: City Ground
Attendance: 25,134
Referee: Alan Wilkie
9 April 1997 33 Derby County 1–1 Southampton Derby
19:45 BST Ward 66'
Trollope Yellow card		 Report Powell 90' (o.g.)
Berkovic Yellow card		 Stadium: Baseball Ground
Attendance: 17,839
Referee: Gary Willard
12 April 1997 34 Southampton 2–0 West Ham United Southampton
15:00 BST Evans 13', Yellow card
Berkovic 36'
Dodd Yellow card 43' Red card		 Report Rowland Yellow card 78'
Bilić Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,244
Referee: Steve Dunn
19 April 1997 35 Southampton 2–2 Coventry City Southampton
15:00 BST Neilson Yellow card 14'
Evans 27'
Østenstad 47', Yellow card
Magilton Yellow card		 Report Ndlovu 62'
Whelan 74'
Burrows Yellow card
Huckerby Yellow card
Shaw Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,251
Referee: Peter Jones
22 April 1997 36 Sunderland 0–1 Southampton Sunderland
19:45 BST Report Østenstad 22' Stadium: Roker Park
Attendance: 21,521
Referee: Mike Riley
3 May 1997 37 Southampton 2–0 Blackburn Rovers Southampton
15:00 BST Slater 22', Yellow card
Le Tissier 74'
van Gobbel Yellow card		 Report Sherwood Yellow card Yellow-red card 73'
McKinlay Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,247
Referee: Gerald Ashby
11 May 1997 38 Aston Villa 1–0 Southampton Birmingham
16:00 BST Dryden 12' (o.g.) Report Stadium: Villa Park
Attendance: 39,339
Referee: Gary Willard

Final league table

[edit]
Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
14 West Ham United 38 10 12 16 39 48 −9 42
15 Everton 38 10 12 16 44 57 −13 42
16 Southampton 38 10 11 17 50 56 −6 41
17 Coventry City 38 9 14 15 38 54 −16 41
18 Sunderland (R) 38 10 10 18 35 53 −18 40 Relegation to the Football League First Division
Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated

Results by matchday

[edit]
Round1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738
GroundHAAHAHAHAHHAAHAAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHHAHA
ResultDLLDLLLWDWWDLLLLLWLLWDLLDWDDLLDWDWDWWL
Position1315171818191918181714141417171718161919191819191919181919202019191617151416
Source: 11v11.com
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

FA Cup

[edit]
See also: 1996–97 FA Cup

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]

4 January 1997 Round 3 Reading 3–1 Southampton Reading
Lambert 19', 77' (pen.)
Caskey 54'
Holsgrove Yellow card		 Østenstad 49'
Benali Red card 75'
Slater Red card 90'		 Stadium: Elm Park
Attendance: 11,537
Referee: Graham Poll

League Cup

[edit]
Eyal Berkovic scored two of his six goals during his loan spell at Southampton in the League Cup third and fourth rounds.
Eyal Berkovic scored two of his six goals during his loan spell at Southampton in the League Cup third and fourth rounds.
See also: 1996–97 Football League Cup

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]

18 September 1996 Round 2 Leg 1 Southampton 2–0 Peterborough United Southampton
Le Tissier 20'
Watson 81'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 12,467
25 September 1996 Round 2 Leg 2 Peterborough United 1–4
(1–6 agg.)		 Southampton Peterborough
Farrell 50' Watson 32'
Charlton 35'
Magilton 55'
Dryden 78'		 Stadium: London Road Stadium
Attendance: 8,220
23 October 1996 Round 3 Southampton 2–2 Lincoln City Southampton
Hone 21'
Ainsworth 86'		 Le Tissier 46'
van Gobbel 54'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,516
12 November 1996 Round 3 Replay Lincoln City 1–3 Southampton Lincoln
Ainsworth 9' Magilton 75' (pen.)
Watson 85'
Berkovic 90'		 Stadium: Sincil Bank
Attendance: 10,523
26 November 1996 Round 4 Oxford United 1–1 Southampton Oxford
Moody 90' Dryden 26' Stadium: Manor Ground
Attendance: 9,473
18 December 1996 Round 4 Replay Southampton 3–2 Oxford United Southampton
Berkovic 21'
Dryden 52'
Østenstad 58'		 Jemson 42'
B. Ford 58'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 10,737
22 January 1997 Round 5 Stockport County 2–2 Southampton Stockport
Armstrong 25'
Cavaco 26'		 Østenstad 16', 85' Stadium: Edgeley Park
Attendance: 9,840
29 January 1997 Round 5 Replay Southampton 1–2 Stockport County Southampton
Le Tissier 8' Angell 62'
Mutch 83'		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,428

Other matches

[edit]

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]

14 February 1997 Friendly Brentford 2–0 Southampton London
Stadium: Griffin Park
7 March 1997 Friendly Bournemouth 2–1 Southampton Bournemouth
Mickey Evans Stadium: Dean Court
13 May 1997 Francis Benali Testimonial Southampton 7–7 Ex-Saints Southampton
Basham
Beasant
Benali
Berkovic
Dowie
Magilton 		Stadium: The Dell

Player details

[edit]

Southampton used 31 players during the 1996–97 season, 15 of whom scored during the campaign.[53] 14 players made their debut appearances for the club, including 12 of their 13 first team signings (Eyal Berkovic,[19] Ali Dia,[26] Richard Dryden,[6] Mickey Evans,[32] Claus Lundekvam,[14] Egil Østenstad,[16] Graham Potter,[5] Robbie Slater,[15] Maik Taylor,[30] Ulrich van Gobbel,[17] Russell Watkinson,[13] and Chris Woods[20]), one signing from the previous season (Neil Moss[54]), and one player making the step up from youth to the first team (Steve Basham[55]). Six of these – Berkovic,[19] Dia,[26] Potter,[5] Taylor,[30] Watkinson,[13] and Woods[20] – also made their last appearances for the Saints during the campaign, as did mid-season departees Frankie Bennett,[22] Neil Heaney,[21] Neil Shipperley,[18] and Gordon Watson,[31] plus two players sold the next season (Dave Beasant[56] and Christer Warren[33]), and one player who subsequently retired (Barry Venison[38]). Midfielder Jim Magilton made the most appearances for Southampton during the season, as he had the one before, playing in 46 of the team's 47 games.[53] Matt Le Tissier finished as the club's top goalscorer for the sixth time in the last eight seasons, with 13 goals in the league and three in the League Cup.[53] Østenstad, who finished second in the goalscoring charts with 13 total goals (nine in the league, one in the FA Cup and three in the League Cup), won the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award for 1996–97.[46]

Squad statistics

[edit]
No. Name Pos. Nat. League FA Cup League Cup Total Discipline
Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals
1 Dave Beasant GK England 13(1) 0 1 0 4 0 18(1) 0 0 0
2 Jason Dodd DF England 23 1 0 0 3 0 26 1 2 1
3 Francis Benali DF England 14(4) 0 1 0 0 0 15(4) 0 4 2
4 Jim Magilton MF Northern Ireland 31(6) 4 1 0 6(2) 2 38(8) 5 3 0
6 Ken Monkou DF Netherlands 8(5) 0 0 0 5(1) 0 13(6) 0 6 0
7 Matt Le Tissier MF England 25(6) 13 1 0 6 3 32(6) 16 5 0
8 Mickey Evans FW Republic of Ireland 8(4) 4 0 0 0 0 8(4) 4 1 0
10 Neil Maddison MF England 14(4) 1 1 0 2(2) 0 17(6) 1 4 0
13 Neil Moss GK England 3 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 0 0
14 Simon Charlton DF England 24(3) 0 0(1) 0 5(1) 1 29(5) 1 2 0
15 Alan Neilson DF Wales 24(5) 0 0 0 5 0 29(5) 0 3 0
16 David Hughes MF England 1(5) 0 0 0 1(1) 0 2(6) 0 1 0
17 Paul Tisdale MF England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
18 Matt Oakley MF England 23(5) 3 0(1) 0 6(1) 0 29(7) 3 0 0
19 Richard Dryden DF England 28(1) 1 0 0 6 3 34(1) 4 5 0
20 Robbie Slater MF Australia 22(8) 2 1 0 5(2) 0 28(10) 2 5 1
22 Claus Lundekvam DF Norway 28(1) 0 1 0 7(1) 0 36(2) 0 5 0
23 Darryl Flahavan GK England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25 Paul Sheerin MF Scotland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
26 Matthew Robinson DF England 3(4) 0 1 0 0 0 4(4) 0 0 0
27 Steve Basham FW England 1(5) 0 0 0 0 0 1(5) 0 0 0
28 Russell Watkinson FW England 0(2) 0 0 0 0(1) 0 0(3) 0 0 0
29 Eyal Berkovic MF Israel 26(2) 4 1 0 5(1) 2 32(3) 6 4 0
30 Egil Østenstad FW Norway 29(1) 9 1 1 6 3 36(1) 13 3 0
32 Ulrich van Gobbel DF Netherlands 24(1) 1 1 0 6 1 31(1) 2 9 1
33 Maik Taylor GK Northern Ireland 18 0 0 0 0 0 18 0 1 0
Squad members who left before the end of the season
8 Gordon Watson FW England 7(8) 2 0(1) 0 4(2) 3 11(11) 5 0 0
9 Neil Shipperley FW England 9(1) 1 0 0 1(1) 0 10(2) 1 0 0
11 Neil Heaney MF England 4(4) 1 0 0 0 0 4(4) 1 1 0
12 Graham Potter DF England 2(6) 0 0 0 1(1) 0 3(7) 0 0 0
21 Frankie Bennett FW England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
31 Chris Woods GK England 4 0 0 0 2 0 6 0 0 0
33 Ali Dia FW Senegal 0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0 0 0
Squad members who ended the season out on loan
24 Christer Warren MF England 0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0 0 0
Squad members who retired before the end of the season
5 Barry Venison DF England 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 1

Most appearances

[edit]
Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup League Cup Total
Starts Subs Starts Subs Starts Subs Starts Subs Total
1 Jim Magilton MF 31 6 1 0 6 2 38 8 46
2 Claus Lundekvam DF 28 1 1 0 7 1 36 2 38
Matt Le Tissier MF 25 6 1 0 6 0 32 6 38
Robbie Slater MF 22 8 1 0 5 2 28 10 38
5 Egil Østenstad FW 29 1 1 0 6 0 36 1 37
6 Matt Oakley MF 23 5 0 1 6 1 29 7 36
7 Richard Dryden DF 28 1 0 0 6 0 34 1 35
Eyal Berkovic MF 26 2 1 0 5 1 32 3 35
9 Simon Charlton DF 24 3 0 1 5 1 29 5 34
Alan Neilson DF 24 5 0 0 5 0 29 5 34

Top goalscorers

[edit]
Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup League Cup Total
Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps GPG
1 Matt Le Tissier MF 13 31 0 1 3 6 16 38 0.42
2 Egil Østenstad FW 9 30 1 1 3 6 13 37 0.35
3 Eyal Berkovic MF 4 28 0 1 2 6 6 35 0.17
Jim Magilton MF 4 37 0 1 2 8 6 46 0.13
5 Gordon Watson FW 2 15 0 1 3 6 5 22 0.23
6 Mickey Evans FW 4 12 0 0 0 0 4 12 0.33
Richard Dryden DF 1 29 0 0 3 6 4 35 0.11
8 Matt Oakley MF 3 28 0 1 0 7 3 36 0.08
9 Ulrich van Gobbel DF 1 25 0 1 1 6 2 32 0.06
Robbie Slater MF 2 30 0 1 0 7 2 38 0.05

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 246
  2. ^ Brenkley, Stephen (5 May 1996). "Saints only just stay alive". The Independent. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  3. ^ Duxbury, Nick (14 June 1996). "Merrington 'shocked' by Southampton dismissal". The Independent. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  4. ^ "Graeme Souness factfile". The Guardian. 2 February 2006. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Graham Potter". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "Richard Dryden". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  7. ^ a b c "Wayne Bridge". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Tommy Widdrington". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Richard Hall". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Mark Walters". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Derek Allan". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Bruce Grobbelaar". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d "Russell Watkinson". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  14. ^ a b c "Claus Lundekvam". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  15. ^ a b c "Robbie Slater". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  16. ^ a b c "Egil Ostenstad". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  17. ^ a b c "Ulrich Van Gobbel". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  18. ^ a b c "Neil Shipperley". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  19. ^ a b c d "Eyal Berkovic". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  20. ^ a b c d "Chris Woods". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  21. ^ a b c "Neil Heaney". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  22. ^ a b c d "Frankie Bennett". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  23. ^ Hills, David (6 August 2000). "The 10 worst foreign signings of all time". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  24. ^ Barnwell, Bill (5 May 2020). "Ranking the 50 worst Premier League transfers of all time". ESPN. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  25. ^ Murphy, Alex (4 July 2007). "The 50 worst footballers". The Times. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h "Aly Dia". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  27. ^ a b "On this day 25 years ago: Dia's disastrous debut". BBC Sport. 23 November 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  28. ^ Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 504
  29. ^ Smith, Alan (22 November 2016). "'What's this geezer doing? He's hopeless' – the Ali Dia story". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  30. ^ a b c d "Maik Taylor". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  31. ^ a b c "Gordon Watson". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  32. ^ a b c "Micky Evans". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  33. ^ a b c d "Christer Warren". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  34. ^ a b "Kevin Gibbins". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  35. ^ a b "Garry Monk". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  36. ^ "Kevin Davies". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  37. ^ "Paul Tisdale". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  38. ^ a b "Barry Venison". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  39. ^ a b c d e f Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 431
  40. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 23 September 1996". 11v11.com. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  41. ^ a b c