Southampton FC was established in 1885 under the guise of the St Mary's Young Men's Association F.C. This name was later changed to St. Mary's in 1887 before changing again to Southampton St. Mary's in 1894. It wasn't until they had won the Southern League Title in the 1896-97 season that they changed their name to Southampton FC.
It is considered a family club, with a very friendly, but also fiercely competitive atmosphere on matchdays. Portsmouth, about 17 miles away, are Southampton's main rivals in football. However, in modern times, the two clubs have rarely met, only spending a few seasons together in the Premier League.
The 1990s - Season By Season:
- 1990-91 – Saints started the 90's with a decent squad, Matthew Le Tissier, Tim Flowers and Alan Shearer, were all emerging as excellent players. However, for much of the season, they struggled, managing a disappointing 14th place finish. A quarter final appearance in the League Cup was their best performance in cup competition. Chris Nicholl was sacked at the end of this season despite keeping Saints in the top flight fo several seasons.
- 1991-92 – Ian Branfoot took over for the 1991-92 season as Saints fortunes fared no better; they only managed to secure a 16th place finish.
- 1992-93 – Saints were one of the founding members of the Premiership as it entered its first ever season. The departure of Alan Shearer to Blackburn Rovers did not help the Southampton cause as they spent the season battling against relegation, only managing to avoid the drop by finishing in 18th place.
- 1993-94 – Ian Branfoot was sacked by Saints mid-way through the season as they found themselves battling relegation once again. Former Southampton star Alan Ball was brought in and helped Saints survive once more as they finished the season in 18th place.
- 1994-95 – With Matt Le Tissier proving his talent with his brilliant performances, and Alan Ball leading the team at the helm, Saints managed to find some form and finished the season in a respectable 10th place. For several seasons, however, Southampton had failed to go on any noteworthy cup runs.
- 1995-96 – A disappointing season ended with Saints in 17th place, avoiding relelgation only by goal difference. Before the season began they lost Alan Ball as manager to Manchester City amidst rumours he was not supported by the board. Dave Merrington took over and Saints did manage to reach the quarter finals of the F.A Cup before losing to Manchester United 2-0.
- 1996-97 – Merrington was sacked and replaced by Liverpool legend, Graeme Souness. He had a fine past record with Liverpool and Rangers, but could not bring success to the Saints. After a disappointing season, which included the awful decision to sign Ali Dia, Southampton finished in 16th place. They also crashed out to lowly Stockport County in the League Cup after reaching the quarter finals.
- 1997-98 – Souness only lasted one season at Saints, resigning over transfer fund disputes. He was replaced by Dave Jones, a successful and respected manager of the lower leagues of English football. The appointment of Jones drastically improved Saints' fortunes as they finished the season in 12th place and managed to reach the fourth round of the League Cup.
- 1998-99 – The 1998-99 season proved to be a return to the norm for Saints in the 90's as they finished 17th after a season of battling against relegation. They did, however, recieve the go ahead to build a new stadium, that would increase capacity and prove a welcome relief from the cramped Dell they had occupied since the club's creation.
- 1999-2000 – Another disappointing year led to another disappointing finish of 16th place in the league. Towards the end of this season, due to allegations of child abuse, Dave Jones stepped down as manager, to be replaced by Glenn Hoddle. This would be Southampton's seventh manager in 10 years, in no small way contributing to the downfall of the team's fortunes.
The Fall Of The Saints
The 1990s were a somewhat unpredictable and extremely erratic decade for Southampton Football Club. What began in the 90's was a period of managerial instability. Saints sacked and hired new managers constantly and fought against relegation nearly every season. The club's fine reputation was somewhat tarnished through this period, but the decade ended on a positive note with the talk of a new 32,000-seater stadium.
Other positive events that occurred in the decade were the several important wins over Manchester United, including the 6-3 demolition of United in the 1996-97 season. Matthew Le Tissier also grew into the Saints legend he is known as today, providing the goals and assists that would ultimately keep Southampton in the Premiership. Without his goals and performances, it is difficult to argue that Saints would have kept their top flight status for as long as they did.
Other Decades:
1960s
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