| 1985–86 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Alan Woodford | ||
| Manager | Chris Nicholl | ||
| Stadium | The Dell | ||
| First Division | 14th | ||
| FA Cup | Semi-final | ||
| League Cup | Fourth round | ||
| Super Cup | Group stage | ||
| Top goalscorer | League:David Armstrong (10) All:David Armstrong (16) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 19,784 vLiverpool (15 March 1986) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 9,085 vBirmingham City (6 November 1985) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 15,034 | ||
| Biggest win | 3–0 vManchester City (7 September 1985) 3–0 vQueens Park Rangers (26 October 1985) 3–0 vArsenal (7 December 1985) 3–0 vWigan Athletic (25 January 1986) 3–0 vBirmingham City (6 November 1985) | ||
| Biggest defeat | 0–7 vLuton Town (19 October 1985) | ||
The1985–86Southampton F.C. season was the club's 85th season of competitive football and their 16th in theFirst Division of theFootball League. Following the departure ofLawrie McMenemy in the summer, 1985–86 was the first season to feature former playerChris Nicholl as manager. The Saints had a disappointing first campaign with Nicholl, finishing 14th in theFirst Division table – their joint lowest position since their 1979 promotion to the top flight. Outside the league, the club reached the semi-finals of theFA Cup for the second time in three seasons and the fourth round of theLeague Cup. The team were due to compete in theUEFA Cup, but English sides were banned following theHeysel Stadium disaster. In its place, Southampton played in the only incarnation of theSuper Cup, but failed to make it out of the group stage.
Southampton's squad at the start of the 1985–86 campaign remained much the same as the previous season, with full-backMick Mills the only major departure in the summer. Nicholl signed a number of youth players before the season started, includingMatt Le Tissier, and brought inGlenn Cockerill,Jon Gittens andGerry Forrest later in the season. He also signed goalkeeperTim Flowers on loan towards the end of the campaign, with the deal made permanent the next summer. The team's league performance was poor throughout most of the season, as they picked up just 12 wins and suffered 20 defeats, failing to climb past 13th in the table and ultimately finishing one place lower – their worst performance since 1978–79. The campaign also included one of the club's heaviest league defeats, as they lost 0–7 toLuton Town.
Outside the league, Southampton performed well in the FA Cup, reaching the semi-finals for the second time in three seasons. After easing pastMiddlesbrough andWigan Athletic, the Saints beatMillwall andBrighton & Hove Albion 2–0 in the fifth and sixth rounds, respectively. In the semi-finals, they faced First Division title hopefuls (and eventual winners)Liverpool, losing 0–2 thanks to two goals in extra time. Liverpool went on to win the tournament, beating local rivalsEverton in the final. In the League Cup, the Saints edged past Millwall andBirmingham City (after penalties and a replay, respectively), before facing elimination at the hands ofArsenal in the fourth round, again after a replay. In the Super Cup, Southampton were eliminated in the group stage after finishing bottom of their group, with no wins, one draw and three defeats.
Southampton used 27 players during the 1985–86 season and had 13 different goalscorers. Their top scorer wasDavid Armstrong, who scored 16 times in all competitions.Danny Wallace was the club's second-highest scorer with 15 goals, followed bySteve Moran on ten in all competitions. Armstrong featured in the most games during the campaign, missing just one fixture in the league. GoalkeeperPeter Shilton played in all but five league games, and at the end of the season became the first player to win theSouthampton F.C. Player of the Season award for a second (and second consecutive) year. The average attendance atThe Dell in 1985–86 was 15,034 – a significant drop from the previous year. The highest attendance was 19,784 againstLiverpool; the lowest was 12,500 againstNottingham Forest.
The summer transfer window ahead of the 1985–86 season was relatively quiet for Southampton. The sole departure was 36-year-old full-backMick Mills, who left the Saints to take on the role of player-manager atStoke City.[1] Joining the Saints squad were three youth players. First to join was 16-year-old attacking midfielderMatt Le Tissier, who moved fromVale Recreation in May and signed as an apprentice.[2] He was followed by two 16-year-old left-backs,Allen Tankard andAndy Cook, in June and July, respectively, both of whom joined as part of theYouth Training Scheme.[3][4] In August, strikerStuart McManus was briefly loaned out toThird Division sideNewport County.[5]
In October, with the club having struggled in the league thus far, Southampton signed midfielderGlenn Cockerill fromSecond Division sideSheffield United for £200,000 and defenderJon Gittens fromMidland Combination sidePaget Rangers for £5,000.[6][7] Towards the end of the season, goalkeeperTim Flowers was brought in on a short-term loan from Third Division strugglersWolverhampton Wanderers until the end of the season, with the deal made permanent come the summer.[8]Phil Kite was loaned out at the same time toMiddlesbrough in the Second Division,[9] while strikerAlan Curtis spent a month on loan at Stoke City, under new manager Mills.[10]
Players transferred in
| Name | Nationality | Pos. | Club | Date | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Le Tissier |  England | MF | Vale Recreation | May 1985 | Free[a] | [2] |
| Allen Tankard | England | DF | none (free agent) | June 1985 | Free[b] | [3] |
| Andy Cook | England | DF | none (free agent) | July 1985 | Free[c] | [4] |
| Glenn Cockerill | England | MF | Sheffield United | October 1985 | £200,000 | [6] |
| Jon Gittens | England | DF | Paget Rangers | October 1985 | £5,000 | [7] |
| Gerry Forrest | England | DF | Rotherham United | December 1985 | £100,000 | [11] |
| Phil Parkinson | England | MF | none (free agent) | December 1985 | Free | [12] |
Players transferred out
| Name | Nationality | Pos. | Club | Date | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mick Mills | England | DF | Stoke City | May 1985 | Free | [1] |
Players loaned in
| Name | Nationality | Pos. | Club | Date from | Date to | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Flowers | England | GK | Wolverhampton Wanderers | March 1986 | End of season | [8] |
Players loaned out
| Name | Nationality | Pos. | Club | Date from | Date to | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stuart McManus |  Scotland | FW | Newport County | August 1985 | September 1985 | [5] |
| Alan Curtis |  Wales | FW | Stoke City | February 1986 | March 1986 | [10] |
| Phil Kite | England | GK | Middlesbrough | March 1986 | End of season | [9] |
Notes
Prior to the start of the 1985–86 season, Southampton played sevenfriendlies. The first three were as part of a short West Indies tour, during which they beat domestic league rivalsManchester United 1–0, theTrinidad and Tobago under-21 team 7–3, and local side Trintoc 4–0.[13] Upon their return to England, the Saints thrashedAlliance Premier League sideWeymouth 6–0 in a testimonial match and faced threeThird Division sides – beatingBristol Rovers 2–0, losing 0–1 toBrentford, and holdingPlymouth Argyle to a goalless draw.[13]
| 24 May 1985Friendly | Manchester United | 0–1 | Southampton | |
Lawrence |
Trinidad and Tobago U21 v Southampton| 26 May 1985Friendly | Trinidad and Tobago U21 | 3–7 | Southampton | |
| Armstrong Puckett Jordan |
| 27 July 1985Lawrence & Arnold Testimonial | Weymouth | 0–6 | Southampton | Weymouth |
| Puckett Wallace Case own goal |
| 31 July 1985Friendly | Bristol Rovers | 0–2 | Southampton | Bristol |
| Armstrong Moran | Stadium:Eastville Stadium |
| 7 August 1985Friendly | Brentford | 1–0 | Southampton | London |
| Stadium:Griffin Park |
| 12 August 1985Friendly | Plymouth Argyle | 0–0 | Southampton | Plymouth |
| Stadium:Home Park |
Southampton started their first season underChris Nicholl poorly, picking up just four points from their first six games and immediately dropping down the table close to the relegation zone. Points were gained in a 1–1 draw on the opening day withNewcastle United, a goalless draw at home toAston Villa, and consecutive 1–1 draws againstIpswich Town andWest Ham United,[14] both of whom had finished within two points of the relegation zone the previous year.[15]David Armstrong quickly established himself as the club's lead goalscorer during the fixtures, scoring four of their first six goals in the league.[14] The team's first win came in September, when they beat the recently promotedManchester City 3–0 atThe Dell, after which Nicholl praised the performance of his defenders.[16] By mid-October, the South Coast side had only picked up one more victory: a 3–1 win overWatford in whichSteve Moran scored his fourth league hat-trick for the club (onlyRon Davies had scored more in the top flight, with five First Division hat-tricks).[16] A subsequent 0–1 loss at title challengersLiverpool had left the club 17th in the table,[17] after which Nicholl brought in midfielderGlenn Cockerill and defenderJon Gittens to bolster the struggling squad.[16]
After Cockerill and Gittens' arrivals, Southampton faced their heaviest defeat of the season, losing 0–7 toLuton Town atKenilworth Road.[16] Despite the heavy defeat, the club bounced back with three wins and a draw from their next four games, including a 3–0 victory overQueens Park Rangers, a 1–0 win over last season's third-placed sideTottenham Hotspur, and a 1–0 edging of strugglersBirmingham City.[16] The end of November saw Southampton mark the club's centenary at home to defending league championsEverton, which ended in a close-fought 2–3 loss in which the visitors overturned a 1–2 disadvantage over the last 15 minutes to secure the win.[18] At the beginning of December,Gerry Forrest was signed and the Saints beatArsenal 3–0 at home, with goals coming fromKevin Bond, Armstrong and Moran.[18] After the last few games of 1985 – two away defeats and a 3–1 win overNottingham Forest – Southampton had reached a season-high position of 13th in the First Division table.[19]
1986 started with two wins and a draw from four fixtures, including a New Year's Day 3–1 victory over bottom-placedWest Bromwich Albion and a 1–0 win over fellow strugglersIpswich Town.[20] However, it took until mid-March for the Saints to pick up their first win on the road in the league, defeating Queens Park Rangers 2–0 atLoftus Road thanks to goals from debutantStuart McManus and Cockerill; this would be one of only two away league wins during 1985–86, the other coming five weeks later at Birmingham City who by that point had almost confirmed their relegation to the Second Division.[20] Several marginal 0–1 defeats in the final stages of the season – including againstChelsea, West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United – saw Southampton unable to make it above 14th in the league again, with their position confirmed by defeats against title chasers Everton (1–6) and mid-table side Tottenham Hotspur (3–5) in the final two games of the campaign (during whichKeith Granger andMark Blake made their first team debuts).[20]
| 17 August 19851 | Southampton | 1–1 | Newcastle United | Southampton |
| Pucket 42' | Beardsley 49' (pen.) | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 16,401 |
| 20 August 19852 | Arsenal | 3–2 | Southampton | London |
| Caton 5' Robson 47'Woodcock 67' | Armstrong 65',82' | Stadium:Arsenal Stadium Attendance: 21,623 |
| 24 August 19853 | Nottingham Forest | 2–1 | Southampton | Nottingham |
| Metgod 20' Birtles 44' | Armstrong 63' | Stadium:City Ground Attendance: 12,643 |
| 27 August 19854 | Southampton | 0–0 | Aston Villa | Southampton |
| Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,220 |
| 31 August 19855 | Ipswich Town | 1–1 | Southampton | Ipswich |
| Cranson 18' | Armstrong 85' (pen.) | Stadium:Portman Road Attendance: 11,588 |
| 3 September 19856 | Southampton | 1–1 | West Ham United | Southampton |
| Curtis 51' | McAvennie 81' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,477 |
| 7 September 19857 | Southampton | 3–0 | Manchester City | Southampton |
| Case 10' McCarthy 64' (o.g.)Lawrence 83' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,308 |
| 14 September 19858 | Chelsea | 2–0 | Southampton | London |
| Dixon 34' Canoville 79' | Stadium:Stamford Bridge Attendance: 16,711 |
| 21 September 19859 | Southampton | 1–1 | Coventry City | Southampton |
| Armstrong 71' | Gibson 60' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 12,674 |
| 28 September 198510 | Manchester United | 1–0 | Southampton | Manchester |
| Hughes 77' | Stadium:Old Trafford Attendance: 52,449 |
| 5 October 198511 | Southampton | 3–1 | Watford | Southampton |
| Moran 17',23',70' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,172 |
| 12 October 198512 | Liverpool | 1–0 | Southampton | Liverpool |
| McMahon 59' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 32,113 |
| 19 October 198513 | Luton Town | 7–0 | Southampton | Luton |
| Nwajiobi 5' Stein 31',55',89' (pen.)Hill 33'Preece 59'Daniel 88' | Stadium:Kenilworth Road Attendance: 8,896 |
| 26 October 198514 | Southampton | 3–0 | Queens Park Rangers | Southampton |
| Wallace 3',84' Cockerill 71' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,615 |
| 2 November 198515 | Southampton | 1–0 | Tottenham Hotspur | Southampton |
| Pucket 67' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 17,740 |
| 9 November 198516 | Leicester City | 2–2 | Southampton | Leicester |
| Smith 3' Lynex 65' (pen.) | Armstrong 30' Puckett 56' | Stadium:Filbert Street Attendance: 8,080 |
| 16 November 198517 | Southampton | 1–0 | Birmingham City | Southampton |
| Wallace 67' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 13,167 |
| 23 November 198518 | Sheffield Wednesday | 2–1 | Southampton | Sheffield |
| Chapman 20' Marwood 70' | Wright 81' | Stadium:Hillsborough Stadium Attendance: 18,955 |
| 30 November 198519 | Southampton | 2–3 | Everton | Southampton |
| Cockerill 1' Moran 70' | Lineker 29' Heath 75'Steven 82' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 16,917 |
| 7 December 198520 | Southampton | 3–0 | Arsenal | Southampton |
| Bond 29' Armstrong 65' (pen.)Moran 67' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,052 |
| 14 December 198521 | Newcastle United | 2–1 | Southampton | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Roeder 29' Beardsley 79' | Moran 69' | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 19,229 |
| 20 December 198522 | Southampton | 3–1 | Nottingham Forest | Southampton |
| Moran 35',37' Armstrong 74' | Carr 44' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 12,500 |
| 26 December 198523 | Oxford United | 3–0 | Southampton | Oxford |
| Leworthy 23',29' Aldridge 61' | Stadium:Manor Ground Attendance: 11,266 |
| 1 January 198624 | Southampton | 3–1 | West Bromwich Albion | Southampton |
| Cockerill 47' Wallace 58'Armstrong 83' | Varadi 68' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 13,154 |
| 11 January 198625 | Manchester City | 1–0 | Southampton | Manchester |
| Phillips 85' | Stadium:Maine Road Attendance: 21,674 |
| 18 January 198626 | Southampton | 1–0 | Ipswich Town | Southampton |
| Wallace 50' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 13,164 |
| 1 February 198627 | Aston Villa | 0–0 | Southampton | Birmingham |
| Stadium:Villa Park Attendance: 8,456 |
| 8 February 198628 | Southampton | 1–2 | Luton Town | Southampton |
| Armstrong 65' | Newell 29' Stein 88' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 13,740 |
| 22 February 198629 | Coventry City | 3–2 | Southampton | Coventry |
| Brazil 55' Pickering 58'Bennett 79' | Wright 17' Cockerill 38' (pen.) | Stadium:Highfield Road Attendance: 10,881 |
| 1 March 198630 | Southampton | 1–0 | Manchester United | Southampton |
| Cockerill 81' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 19,012 |
| 11 March 198631 | Queens Park Rangers | 0–2 | Southampton | London |
| McManus 23' Cockerill 42' | Stadium:Loftus Road Attendance: 14,521 |
| 15 March 198632 | Southampton | 1–2 | Liverpool | Southampton |
| Lawrence 49' | Wark 53' Rush 59' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 19,784 |
| 22 March 198633 | Southampton | 0–1 | Chelsea | Southampton |
| Pates 62' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,509 |
| 29 March 198634 | West Bromwich Albion | 1–0 | Southampton | West Bromwich |
| Thompson 70' | Stadium:The Hawthorns Attendance: 7,324 |
| 1 April 198635 | Southampton | 1–1 | Oxford United | Southampton |
| Aldridge 35' | Wright 43' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,350 |
| 8 April 198636 | West Ham United | 1–0 | Southampton | London |
| Martin 26' | Stadium:Boleyn Ground Attendance: 22,531 |
| 12 April 198637 | Southampton | 0–0 | Leicester City | Southampton |
| Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 13,403 |
| 19 April 198638 | Birmingham City | 0–2 | Southampton | Birmingham |
| Wallace 42' Cockerill 70' | Stadium:St Andrew's Attendance: 5,833 |
| 26 April 198639 | Southampton | 2–3 | Sheffield Wednesday | Southampton |
| Case 54' Wallace 76' | Shutt 6' Shelton 64'Hart 89' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,365 |
| 29 April 198640 | Watford | 1–1 | Southampton | Watford |
| West 43' | Townsend 12' | Stadium:Vicarage Road Attendance: 11,868 |
| 3 May 198641 | Everton | 6–1 | Southampton | Liverpool |
| Mountfield 9' Steven 29'Lineker 30',35',64'Sharp 51' | Puckett 59' | Stadium:Goodison Park Attendance: 33,057 |
| 5 May 198642 | Tottenham Hotspur | 5–3 | Southampton | London |
| Waddle 9' Galvin 29',35',50'Allen 74' | Wallace 22' Mabbutt 41' (o.g.)Maskell 64' | Stadium:White Hart Lane Attendance: 13,036 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Watford | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 69 | 62 | +7 | 59 |
| 13 | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 53 | 64 | −11 | 52 |
| 14 | Southampton | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 51 | 62 | −11 | 46 |
| 15 | Manchester City | 42 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 43 | 57 | −14 | 45 |
| 16 | Aston Villa | 42 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 51 | 67 | −16 | 44 |
| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | A |
| Result | D | L | L | D | D | D | W | L | D | L | W | L | L | W | W | D | W | L | L | W | L | W | L | W | L | W | D | L | L | W | W | L | L | L | D | L | D | W | L | D | L | L |
| Position | 15 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Southampton entered the1985–86 FA Cup in the third round againstMiddlesbrough, who were struggling in (and later relegated from) theSecond Division. The top-flight side dominated possession and chances early in the game, withDanny Wallace opening the scoring after 11 minutes.[22]Don O'Riordan equalised for the hosts, before Wallace doubled his tally and put the Saints back ahead on 40 minutes from aGlenn Cockerill assist.[22] The visitors continued to apply most of the pressure after the break, with Wallace finally completing a hat-trick and securing his team's first away win in 10 months after 89 minutes.[22]
In the fourth round, Southampton hostedWigan Athletic, who were vying for promotion from theThird Division. After a first half which saw chances for both sides to break the deadlock, it was the Saints who struck first in the 68th minute through Cockerill, who headed in a cross fromDavid Armstrong to put the top-flight side 1–0 up.[22] It was the season's leading goalscorer Armstrong himself who converted next, first scoring a rebound from a penalty less than five minutes from full-time, then adding a third for his side in the last minute when he headed in a corner fromMark Dennis.[23]
Another home tie followed in the fifth round, this time against Second Division opponentsMillwall, past whom the Saints had edged on penalties after two goalless legs in theLeague Cup just a few months earlier. Like its predecessors, the game ended 0–0 despite being "fiercely contested", with neither side able to convert a chance on goal.[23] In a replay played just over two weeks later atThe Den, Southampton finally scored a single goal to beat Millwall and advance to the sixth round – Wallace scored the only goal of the game in the 16th minute, following a "stunning move" involving numerous players.[23]
In their fourth FA Cup quarter-final in ten years, Southampton travelled to face another Second Division side,Brighton & Hove Albion, just five days after the victory over Millwall. Despite the hosts dominating the opening of the game, the Saints scored against the run of play throughSteve Moran, who scored for the first time since December after just 14 minutes.[24] The visitors took control of the game after their opening goal, with Cockerill doubling their lead five minutes before half-time.[24] Despite chances aplenty for either side in the second 45 minutes, the score remained 2–0 and Southampton progressed.[24]
Southampton were drawn in their second FA Cup semi-final in three years against defending First Division championsLiverpool, in a tie played atTottenham Hotspur's stadiumWhite Hart Lane. The Merseyside team enjoyed the majority of early chances, with goalkeeperPeter Shilton and full-backNick Holmes preventing strong chances on goal.[24] Shortly before half-time, centre-backMark Wright broke his leg, which prevented him from finishing the season or playing in the upcoming1986 World Cup.[24] A goalless second half saw the sides progress to extra time, during which talismanIan Rush scored twice for the Reds to knock Southampton out and send Liverpool through to their seventh FA Cup final (which they would later win, a week after winning the league, securing thedouble as a result).[24]
| 13 January 1986Round 3 | Middlesbrough | 1–3 | Southampton | Middlesbrough |
| O'Riordan | Wallace 11',40',89' | Stadium:Ayresome Park Attendance: 12,012 |
| 25 January 1986Round 4 | Southampton | 3–0 | Wigan Athletic | Southampton |
| Cockerill 68' Armstrong 87',90' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,462 |
| 15 February 1986Round 5 | Southampton | 0–0 | Millwall | Southampton |
| Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 16,356 |
| 3 March 1986Round 5 Replay | Millwall | 0–1 | Southampton | London |
| Wallace 16' | Stadium:The Den Attendance: 10,625 |
| 8 March 1986Round 6 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0–2 | Southampton | Hove |
| Moran 14' Cockerill 40' | Stadium:Goldstone Ground Attendance: 25,069 |
| 5 April 1986Semi-Final | Southampton | 0–2 (a.e.t.) | Liverpool | London |
| Rush 100',105' | Stadium:White Hart Lane Attendance: 44,605 |
Entering the1985–86 League Cup in the second round, Southampton facedMillwall of theSecond Division. The first leg, atThe Den, ended in a 0–0 draw thanks to a "stunning" performance by Saints goalkeeperPeter Shilton, who saved a second-half penalty to keep his clean sheet.[25] The second leg also ended goalless, even after extra time, with the tie decided by a penalty shootout which was won 5–4 by the First Division side.[25] In the third round, Southampton playedBirmingham City atSt Andrew's, holding the hosts to a 1–1 draw to force a replay at home.[25] They won the replay 3–0, thanks to two goals fromDavid Armstrong (one a free kick, the other a penalty) and one fromWallace; late on, Armstrong missed a second penalty for a chance to finish a hat-trick.[25] Southampton's fourth round tie againstArsenal also ended in a draw necessitating a replay at home, which the visiting Gunners won 3–1 thanks to goals fromMartin Hayes,Charlie Nicholas andStewart Robson.[25]
| 25 September 1985Round 2 Leg 1 | Millwall | 0–0 | Southampton | London |
| Stadium:The Den Attendance: 7,958 |
| 7 October 1985Round 2 Leg 2 | Southampton | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (5–4p) | Millwall | Southampton |
| Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 9,480 |
| 29 October 1985Round 3 | Birmingham City | 1–1 | Southampton | Birmingham |
| Kennedy 25' | Puckett 13' | Stadium:St Andrew's Attendance: 4,832 |
| 6 November 1985Round 3 Replay | Southampton | 3–0 | Birmingham City | Southampton |
| Armstrong 34',39' (pen.) Wallace 60' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 9,085 |
| 19 November 1985Round 4 | Arsenal | 0–0 | Southampton | London |
| Stadium:Arsenal Stadium Attendance: 18,244 |
| 26 November 1985Round 4 Replay | Southampton | 1–3 | Arsenal | Southampton |
| Armstrong 59' (pen.) | Hayes 56' Nicholas 71'Robson 75' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,010 |
With English sides banned from UEFA competitions following theHeysel Stadium disaster, teams that had qualified for either the1985–86 European Cup,1985–86 UEFA Cup or1985–86 European Cup Winners' Cup were included in the inaugural (and only)Football League Super Cup. Due to their league position the previous season, Southampton had qualified for the UEFA Cup, and were consequently drawn in a Super Cup group with league runners-upLiverpool and third-placed teamTottenham Hotspur. The Saints lost both their opening away games 1–2, withDanny Wallace andSteve Moran, respectively, scoring consolations against Liverpool and Spurs.[26] Southampton picked up a point in the home fixture against Liverpool, thanks to a 79th-minuteDavid Armstrong penalty, before they lost again to Spurs 1–3 in December.[26]
| 17 September 1985Group Stage | Liverpool | 2–1 | Southampton | Liverpool |
| Mølby 5' Dalglish 29' | Wallace 23' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 16,408 |
| 2 October 1985Group Stage | Tottenham Hotspur | 2–1 | Southampton | London |
| Falco 14',38' | Moran 47' | Stadium:White Hart Lane Attendance: 11,549 |
| 22 October 1985Group Stage | Southampton | 1–1 | Liverpool | Southampton |
| Armstrong 79' (pen.) | Walsh 81' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 10,503 |
| 17 December 1985Group Stage | Southampton | 1–3 | Tottenham Hotspur | Southampton |
| Wallace 54' | Falco 9' Allen 20'Leworthy 84' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 4,680 |
Southampton used 27 different players during the 1985–86 season, 13 of whom scored during the campaign. Attacking midfielderDavid Armstrong featured in the most fixtures of any player, as well as finishing as the season's top goalscorer – he scored 16 goals in 57 appearances across all three competitions, missing only one game in the league.[27]Peter Shilton finished with the second-most appearances of the season, playing in 52 of the 58 games, whileDanny Wallace finished as the season's second-highest goalscorer, with 15 goals in all competitions.[27]
| Name | Pos. | Nat. | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Super Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps. | Gls. | Apps. | Gls. | Apps. | Gls. | Apps. | Gls. | Apps. | Gls. | |||
| David Armstrong | MF | | 41 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 57 | 16 |
| Steve Baker | DF | | 13 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Mark Blake | DF | | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kevin Bond | DF | | 34 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 47 | 1 |
| Kevan Brown | DF | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jimmy Case | MF | | 36 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 51 | 2 |
| Glenn Cockerill | MF | | 30 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 9 |
| Eamonn Collins | MF |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Alan Curtis | FW | | 10(1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 17(1) | 1 |
| Mark Dennis | DF | | 24 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| Gerry Forrest | DF | | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Jon Gittens | DF | | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Ivan Golac | DF |  | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Keith Granger | GK | | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Ian Hamilton | MF | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Holmes | MF | | 26 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
| Joe Jordan | FW | | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| George Lawrence | MF | | 12(9) | 2 | 3(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 17(11) | 2 |
| Craig Maskell | FW | | 0(2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | 1 |
| Stuart McManus | FW | | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Steve Moran | FW | | 24(4) | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3(1) | 0 | 3 | 1 | 34(5) | 10 |
| Phil Parkinson | MF | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| David Puckett | FW | | 13(2) | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4(1) | 1 | 1(1) | 0 | 20(4) | 5 |
| Peter Shilton | GK | | 37 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 52 | 0 |
| Allen Tankard | DF | | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Andy Townsend | MF | | 25(2) | 1 | 0(3) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2(2) | 0 | 30(7) | 1 |
| Danny Wallace | FW | | 34(1) | 8 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 48(1) | 15 |
| Mark Whitlock | DF | | 12(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16(2) | 0 |
| Mark Wright | DF | | 33 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 49 | 3 |
| Players with appearances who ended the season out on loan | ||||||||||||
| Phil Kite | GK | | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Rank | Name | Pos. | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Super Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starts | Subs | Starts | Subs | Starts | Subs | Starts | Subs | Starts | Subs | Total | |||
| 1 | David Armstrong | MF | 41 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 57 | 0 | 57 |
| 2 | Peter Shilton | GK | 37 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 52 |
| 3 | Jimmy Case | MF | 36 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 51 | 0 | 51 |
| 4 | Mark Wright | DF | 33 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 49 | 0 | 49 |
| Danny Wallace | FW | 34 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 48 | 1 | 49 | |
| 6 | Kevin Bond | DF | 34 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 47 | 0 | 47 |
| 7 | Steve Moran | FW | 24 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 5 | 39 |
| 8 | Glenn Cockerill | MF | 30 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 38 |
| 9 | Nick Holmes | MF | 26 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 37 |
| Andy Townsend | MF | 25 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 7 | 37 | |
| Rank | Name | Pos. | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Super Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | GPG | |||
| 1 | David Armstrong | MF | 10 | 41 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 57 | 0.28 |
| 2 | Danny Wallace | FW | 8 | 35 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 49 | 0.31 |
| 3 | Steve Moran | FW | 8 | 28 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 39 | 0.26 |
| 4 | Glenn Cockerill | MF | 7 | 30 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 38 | 0.24 |
| 5 | David Puckett | FW | 4 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 24 | 0.21 |
| 6 | Mark Wright | DF | 3 | 33 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 49 | 0.06 |
| 7 | George Lawrence | MF | 2 | 21 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 28 | 0.07 |
| Jimmy Case | MF | 2 | 36 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 51 | 0.04 | |
| 9 | Craig Maskell | MF | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.50 |
| Stuart McManus | FW | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.50 | |
| Alan Curtis | FW | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 0.06 | |
| Andy Townsend | MF | 1 | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 37 | 0.03 | |
| Kevin Bond | DF | 1 | 34 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 47 | 0.02 | |
