| 1989–90 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Guy Askham | |||
| Manager | Chris Nicholl | |||
| Stadium | The Dell | |||
| First Division | 7th | |||
| FA Cup | Fifth round | |||
| League Cup | Fifth round | |||
| Top goalscorer | League:Matt Le Tissier (20) All: Matt Le Tissier (24) | |||
| Highest home attendance | 20,510 vManchester United(24 March 1990) | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 8,096 vYork City (3 October 1989) | |||
| Average home league attendance | 16,494 | |||
| Biggest win | 4–1 vQueens Park Rangers(14 October 1989) 4–1 vLiverpool (21 October 1989) 6–3 vLuton Town (25 November 1989) 4–1 vNorwich City (27 February 1990) 3–0 vCoventry City (28 April 1990) | |||
| Biggest defeat | 0–3 vEverton (26 August 1989) 0–3 vLiverpool (17 February 1990) | |||
The1989–90Southampton F.C. season was the club's 89th season of competitive football and their 20th in theFirst Division of theFootball League. The season wasChris Nicholl's most successful as manager in the league, as the club finished in 7th place after four consecutive seasons finishing in the bottom half of the league table under Nicholl. Outside the First Division, the Saints reached the fifth round of both theFA Cup and theLeague Cup.
Southampton had a quiet summer transfer window in 1989, with the departure ofDerek Statham the only business prior to the start of the league.Danny Wallace andJohn Burridge left during the campaign, whileIan Andrews,Sammy Lee andOleksiy Cherednyk were brought in during the second half of the season. Following several disappointing years, the Saints enjoyed good spells of form throughout 1989–90, including several high-scoring wins and victories over title contenders such asLiverpool,Aston Villa andArsenal. The team's best spell came during a seven-game unbeaten run between August and October, during which time they reached a season-high position of third in the table; poor spells later in the season saw them drop as low as 12th position.
In the FA Cup, Southampton beat title contendersTottenham Hotspur in the third round, followed by a narrow victory overSecond Division sideOxford United. They were knocked out in the fifth round by defending champions Liverpool, who picked up a convincing 3–0 home win. In the League Cup, the Saints made it pastFourth Division clubYork City, top-flight strugglersCharlton Athletic and Second Division promotion hopefulsSwindon Town, before facing elimination in a fifth round replay at the hands of another second-flight side,Oldham Athletic. The club opted out of competing in the1989–90 Full Members' Cup.
Southampton used 23 players during the 1989–90 season and had 11 different goalscorers. Their top scorer wasMatt Le Tissier, who scored 24 times in all competitions, including 20 in the league – making him the joint third-highest scorer in the division. The previous season's top scorerRod Wallace scored 21 times and also made the most appearances for the club, playing 47 games. Le Tissier won theSouthampton F.C. Player of the Season award – his first win of a record three during his career – and was also namedPFA Young Player of the Year. The average league attendance atThe Dell during 1989–90 was 16,494. The highest attendance was 20,510 againstManchester United on 24 March 1990 and the lowest was 8,906 againstYork City on 3 October 1989.
Southampton made no signings in the summer of 1989. The only transfer involving the club prior to the start of the season was the sale of left-backDerek Statham – who had lost his place in the starting lineup toMicky Adams following injury – toSecond Division sideStoke City for a fee of £75,000 as determined by a tribunal.[1][2] A few games into the season, strikerDanny Wallace joinedManchester United for a new Saints record fee of £1.2 million, after an offer of £750,000 was rejected.[1][3]Russell Osman and Danny's brotherRod Wallace also requested transfers, but these were turned down.[1] Also in September,Mark Blake was sent out on loan toColchester United in theFourth Division.[4] The month after,John Burridge was sold toNewcastle United;[5] and in November,Steve Davis was loaned out to Fourth Division sideBurnley.[6]
After Burridge's departure in October, Southampton brought inCeltic goalkeeperIan Andrews on loan in December as backup forTim Flowers, before signing him permanently for a fee of £200,000 in January 1990.[7] The same month, midfielderSammy Lee was signed on a free transfer from Spanish clubOsasuna.[8] Southampton's final signing of the season came towards the end of the campaign, in March 1990, when they signed Soviet Union right-backOleksiy Cherednyk fromDnipro for a fee of £300,000.[9] When he made his first team debut a few weeks later, he became the first Soviet player to appear in an English First Division match.[9] In April, Blake – having returned from Colchester the previous month – was loaned out again, this time toShrewsbury Town in theThird Division; come the end of the season, he would join the club permanently.[4]
Players transferred in
| Name | Nationality | Pos. | Club | Date | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Rowland |  England | FW | Exmouth Town | November 1989 | Unknown | [10] |
| Ian Andrews | England | GK |  Celtic | January 1990 | £200,000 | [7] |
| Sammy Lee | England | MF |  Osasuna | January 1990 | Free | [8] |
| Oleksiy Cherednyk |  Soviet Union | DF | Dnipro | March 1990 | £300,000 | [9] |
Players transferred out
| Name | Nationality | Pos. | Club | Date | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derek Statham | England | DF | Stoke City | July 1989 | £75,000 | [2] |
| Danny Wallace | England | FW | Manchester United | September 1989 | £1,200,000 | [3] |
| John Burridge | England | GK | Newcastle United | October 1989 | Unknown | [5] |
Players loaned in
| Name | Nationality | Pos. | Club | Date from | Date to | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ian Andrews | England | GK | Celtic | December 1989 | January 1990 | [7] |
Players loaned out
| Name | Nationality | Pos. | Club | Date from | Date to | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Blake | England | DF | Colchester United | September 1989 | March 1990 | [4] |
| Steve Davis | England | DF | Burnley | November 1989 | February 1990 | [6] |
| Mark Blake | England | DF | Shrewsbury Town | April 1990 | End of season | [4] |
Ahead of the 1989–90 league campaign, Southampton played seven pre-seasonfriendlies. The first two, on the same day at the end of July, saw the Saints beating non-league opponentsBath City andFarnborough 3–1 and 6–0, respectively, withMatt Le Tissier scoring a hat-trick in the latter.[11] The club continued their winning form with 3–0 wins overAldershot andBashley, followed by a 6–0 victory againstSwansea City, featuring another Le Tissier hat-trick.[11] The final two pre-season games ended in draws: 2–2 away toBasingstoke Town and 3–3 at home to Soviet sideDnipro.[11]
| 29 July 1989Friendly | Bath City | 1–3 | Southampton | Bath |
Rideout Ruddock D. Wallace | Stadium:Twerton Park |
| 29 July 1989Friendly | Farnborough | 0–6 | Southampton | Farnborough |
| Le Tissier Blake Rod Wallace Shearer | Stadium:Cherrywood Road |
| 1 August 1989Friendly | Aldershot | 0–3 | Southampton | Aldershot |
| Maddison Shearer Ray Wallace | Stadium:Recreation Ground |
| 2 August 1989Friendly | Bashley | 0–3 | Southampton | Bashley |
| Rideout Ruddock Rod Wallace | Stadium:Bashley Road |
| 4 August 1989Friendly | Swansea City | 0–6 | Southampton | Swansea,Wales |
| Le Tissier Baker Shearer D. Wallace | Stadium:Vetch Field |
| 7 August 1989Friendly | Basingstoke Town | 2–2 | Southampton | Basingstoke |
| Adams D. Wallace | Stadium:The Camrose |
| 11 August 1989Friendly | Southampton | 3–3 | Dnipro | Southampton |
| Case Le Tissier Rod Wallace | Stadium:The Dell |
Southampton had a mixed start to their 1989–90 league campaign, picking up two wins, two draws and two defeats in their opening six games. The season started with a 1–2 home defeat toMillwall, who scored the winning goal in the penultimate minute; this was followed by a 2–1 away win over recently promotedManchester City in whichDanny Wallace scored both goals.[1] A 0–3 thrashing at the hands ofEverton was followed by a narrow 2–1 win overAston Villa, after which the Saints shared eight goals withNorwich City atCarrow Road, in a match described by club historians as "remarkable".[1] The 4–4 draw was Danny Wallace's last game for Southampton before his record transfer toManchester United; he assisted one of brotherRod Wallace's two goals in the game.[1] After two more draws and a 1–0 win overDerby County, Southampton sat eighth in the First Division table.[12]
Mid-October saw the Saints pick up two 4–1 wins in a row and move all the way up to third in the league.[13] The first was an away victory overQueens Park Rangers, which saw the Hampshire side pick up two goals in the last three minutes after the London-based hosts threatened a late comeback.[14] The second was a home win overLiverpool, who sat atop the table before the game, unbeaten to that point in the league;Paul Rideout and a brace fromRod Wallace put the Saints 3–0 up within an hour, before aPeter Beardsley penalty was followed by a lateMatt Le Tissier header to give Southampton their first league win over the Reds in three years.[14] Despite these strong displays, it would be another month before the club won again, as they picked up two draws (againstTottenham Hotspur andChelsea) and two marginal defeats (atManchester United andCoventry City).[14]
Southampton's last game in November saw them score six goals in a league fixture for the first time since April 1984, as they beatLuton Town (who had thrashed the Saints 6–1 the previous season and 7–0 in1985–86)[15] 6–3 at The Dell.[14] Rideout opened the scoring in the second minute and Le Tissier scored the hosts' second just before half-time, although the visitors responded to both goals in kind. After the break, however, Rod Wallace added two,Alan Shearer added another, and Rideout doubled his tally, to send the Saints back up to fifth in the table.[14][16] December saw the club pick up narrow wins over strugglersManchester City and defending championsArsenal, while dropping points againstNottingham Forest and eventual relegateesMillwall andSheffield Wednesday.[17] Come the end of 1989, the Saints sat fourth in the First Division table.[18]
1990 started with similarly mixed fortunes for Southampton. After a 4–2 away win overCharlton Athletic on New Year's Day, the club held title challengersEverton to a 2–2 draw, before dropping all three points in a 1–2 defeat atAston Villa, who picked up their tenth home win in a row with the result.[17][19] In February, a defeat atCrystal Palace and a draw at Luton Town were followed by a third 4–1 win of the season, this time over mid-table side Norwich City, in which Le Tissier scored his first hat-trick of the season.[19] He would score his second hat-trick just three weeks later in a 3–3 draw withWimbledon, overcoming a 1–3 deficit and the dismissal ofFrancis Benali to salvage a point.[20] The club's worst spell of the season followed, as the Saints lost three in a row including two at home – the first defeat saw the struggling Manchester United win 2–0 at The Dell; the second saw Southampton sacrifice a 2–1 lead atAnfield to lose 2–3 to eventual title winners Liverpool; and the third saw the club drop all three points to Queens Park Rangers.[20]
Now sitting 12th in the league table[21] – their worst position since the third game of the season – Southampton went on a four-game winning streak, their best of the campaign. First was a first away win since 1 January, a 1–0 victory over strugglers Sheffield Wednesday; second was a 3–2 home win over Charlton Athletic, in which all three of the hosts' goals (including two forNeil Ruddock) were scored in the first half; third was a 2–0 victory at home over Nottingham Forest, in which Rod Wallace scored his final two goals of the season (for a total of 18 in the league); and the fourth was a 3–0 win, again at home, over Coventry City.[20][22] The winning run put Southampton back up to 7th in the table, where they would finish the season.[23] The final two games of the campaign ended in defeat, as the Hampshire side lost 1–2 to two top-four sides: Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.[22] The 7th-place finish was the best the club achieved under Chris Nicholl, and saw them score 19 more goals than the previous season.[22]
| 19 August 19891 | Southampton | 1–2 | Millwall | Southampton |
| Ruddock 71' | Report | Briley 38' Sheringham 89' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,201 |
| 23 August 19892 | Manchester City | 1–2 | Southampton | Manchester |
| Gleghorn 48' | Report | D. Wallace 38',57' | Stadium:Maine Road Attendance: 25,416 |
| 26 August 19893 | Everton | 3–0 | Southampton | Liverpool |
| Whiteside 5' Newell 36'McCall 46' | Report | Stadium:Goodison Park Attendance: 27,807 |
| 29 August 19894 | Southampton | 2–1 | Aston Villa | Southampton |
| Cockerill 59' Case 72' | Report | Platt 85' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,401 |
| 9 September 19895 | Norwich City | 4–4 | Southampton | Norwich |
| Rosario 27',77',83' Sherwood 48' | Report | Rideout 6',50' Rod Wallace 38',47' | Stadium:Carrow Road Attendance: 14,259 |
| 16 September 19896 | Southampton | 1–1 | Crystal Palace | Southampton |
| Horne 42' | Report | Hopkins 72' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,368 |
| 23 September 19897 | Derby County | 0–1 | Southampton | Derby |
| Report | Rod Wallace 67' | Stadium:Baseball Ground Attendance: 13,694 |
| 30 September 19898 | Southampton | 2–2 | Wimbledon | Southampton |
| Le Tissier 53',75' (pen.) | Report | Young 24' Wise 73' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 12,904 |
| 14 October 19899 | Queens Park Rangers | 1–4 | Southampton | London |
| Francis 81' | Report | R. Wallace 32',89' Le Tissier 66' (pen.)Shearer 87' | Stadium:Loftus Road Attendance: 10,022 |
| 21 October 198910 | Southampton | 4–1 | Liverpool | Southampton |
| Rideout 24' R. Wallace 39',56'Le Tissier 85' | Report | Beardsley 59' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 20,501 |
| 28 October 198911 | Manchester United | 2–1 | Southampton | Manchester |
| McClair 16',61' | Report | Le Tissier 17' | Stadium:Old Trafford Attendance: 37,122 |
| 4 November 198912 | Southampton | 1–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | Southampton |
| Cockerill 60' | Report | Gascoigne 44' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 19,601 |
| 11 November 198913 | Coventry City | 1–0 | Southampton | Coventry |
| Drinkell 75' | Report | Stadium:Highfield Road Attendance: 12,151 |
| 18 November 198914 | Chelsea | 2–2 | Southampton | London |
| Monkou 74' Wilson 75' | Report | Le Tissier 44' (pen.),66' | Stadium:Stamford Bridge Attendance: 23,093 |
| 25 November 198915 | Southampton | 6–3 | Luton Town | Southampton |
| Rideout 2',84' Le Tissier 41'Rod Wallace 53',71'Shearer 73' | Report | Dreyer 24' Black 46'Elstrup 75' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,014 |
| 2 December 198916 | Millwall | 2–2 | Southampton | London |
| Cascarino 24' Stephenson 70' | Report | Rideout 16' Le Tissier 88' (pen.) | Stadium:The Den Attendance: 10,470 |
| 9 December 198917 | Southampton | 2–1 | Manchester City | Southampton |
| Rod Wallace 75' Horne 80' | Report | Allen 11' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,832 |
| 17 December 198918 | Nottingham Forest | 2–0 | Southampton | Nottingham |
| Hodge 2' Chapman 71' | Report | Stadium:City Ground Attendance: 16,437 |
| 26 December 198919 | Southampton | 1–0 | Arsenal | Southampton |
| Rod Wallace 82' | Report | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 20,229 |
| 30 December 198920 | Southampton | 2–2 | Sheffield Wednesday | Southampton |
| Le Tissier 44' (pen.),59' | Report | Atkinson 33' Shirtliff 64' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 16,417 |
| 1 January 199021 | Charlton Athletic | 2–4 | Southampton | London |
| Lee 24' MacKenzie 90' | Report | Le Tissier 30' Osman 32'Rod Wallace 37',70' | Stadium:Selhurst Park Attendance: 7,614 |
| 13 January 199022 | Southampton | 2–2 | Everton | Southampton |
| Osman 14',74' | Report | Whiteside 44',46' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 19,381 |
| 20 January 199023 | Aston Villa | 2–1 | Southampton | Birmingham |
| Daley 39' Gage 79' | Report | Cockerill 54' | Stadium:Villa Park Attendance: 33,118 |
| 10 February 199024 | Crystal Palace | 3–1 | Southampton | London |
| Salako 12' Gray 51'Barber 57' | Report | Osman 58' | Stadium:Selhurst Park Attendance: 13,363 |
| 24 February 199025 | Luton Town | 1–1 | Southampton | Luton |
| Dowie 3' | Report | Shearer 45' | Stadium:Kenilworth Road Attendance: 9,417 |
| 27 February 199026 | Southampton | 4–1 | Norwich City | Southampton |
| Le Tissier 55',60',86' Moore 82' | Report | Allen 18' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 13,668 |
| 3 March 199027 | Southampton | 2–3 | Chelsea | Southampton |
| Rod Wallace 18',29' | Report | K. Wilson 34' Dorigo 81'Durie 82' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 16,526 |
| 10 March 199028 | Southampton | 2–1 | Derby County | Southampton |
| Rod Wallace 47' Le Tissier 50' | Report | Saunders 80' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 16,430 |
| 17 March 199029 | Wimbledon | 3–3 | Southampton | London |
| Young 28' Scales 37'Fashanu 53' | Report | Le Tissier 19',63',67' (pen.) | Stadium:Plough Lane Attendance: 5,382 |
| 24 March 199030 | Southampton | 0–2 | Manchester United | Southampton |
| Report | Gibson 65' Robins 88' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 20,510 |
| 31 March 199031 | Liverpool | 3–2 | Southampton | Liverpool |
| Barnes 15' Moore 72' (o.g.)Rush 82' | Report | Rideout 35' Case 48' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 37,027 |
| 3 April 199032 | Southampton | 0–2 | Queens Park Rangers | Southampton |
| Report | Maddix 75' Wegerle 85' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,757 |
| 7 April 199033 | Sheffield Wednesday | 0–1 | Southampton | Sheffield |
| Report | Cockerill 70' | Stadium:Hillsborough Attendance: 18,329 |
| 14 April 199034 | Southampton | 3–2 | Charlton Athletic | Southampton |
| Ruddock 23',35' Case 36' | Report | Jones 52' Caton 64' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,725 |
| 21 April 199035 | Southampton | 2–0 | Nottingham Forest | Southampton |
| Rod Wallace 4',60' | Report | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 17,006 |
| 28 April 199036 | Southampton | 3–0 | Coventry City | Southampton |
| Le Tissier 36' (pen.) Horne 43'Osman 85' | Report | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 16,359 |
| 2 May 199037 | Arsenal | 2–1 | Southampton | London |
| Dixon 76' (pen.) Rocastle 80' | Report | Horne 47' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 23,732 |
| 5 May 199038 | Tottenham Hotspur | 2–1 | Southampton | London |
| Stewart 21' Allen 35' | Report | Cook 89' | Stadium:White Hart Lane Attendance: 31,038 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Chelsea | 38 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 58 | 50 | +8 | 60 |
| 6 | Everton | 38 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 57 | 46 | +11 | 59 |
| 7 | Southampton | 38 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 71 | 63 | +8 | 55 |
| 8 | Wimbledon | 38 | 13 | 16 | 9 | 47 | 40 | +7 | 55 |
| 9 | Nottingham Forest | 38 | 15 | 9 | 14 | 55 | 47 | +8 | 54 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | A | H | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | H | A | A |
| Result | L | W | L | W | D | D | W | D | W | W | L | D | L | D | W | D | W | L | W | D | W | D | L | L | D | W | L | W | D | L | L | L | W | W | W | W | L | L |
| Position | 14 | 8 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
Southampton entered the 1989–90 FA Cup in the third round against First Division rivalsTottenham Hotspur, with both clubs in the top five of the league table.[24] Despite the tie taking place atWhite Hart Lane, the visiting Saints dominated most of the first half, breaking the deadlock just before the half-hour mark throughMatt Le Tissier, who converted a setup fromJimmy Case.[24] Just before the break,Barry Horne doubled Southampton's lead when he "effortlessly" scored a setup from Le Tissier.[24] Tottenham increased the pressure after the break and finally scored in the 78th minute, thanks to a "thunderous" shot from outside the box byDavid Howells.[24] However, despite pushing for an equaliser, it was the Saints who would score the final goal of the match, whenRod Wallace scored in injury time.[24]
In the fourth round, Southampton hostedSecond Division sideOxford United. Despite the difference in divisions, the visitors almost went ahead on multiple occasions in the first half, with the "below par" Saints saved only by goalkeeperTim Flowers and his defenders.[25] After the break, Le Tissier set upNeil Ruddock from a corner for a headed goal to put the top-flight side ahead; this proved to be the only goal of the game, as the Saints were unable to assert their dominance.[25] The fifth round of the tournament saw Southampton drawn away toLiverpool, the defending FA Cup champions and current First Division leaders, whose only loss of the season had come at the hands of the Saints.[25] Playing without top scorer Le Tissier, the visitors struggled throughout the opening half of the game, eventually conceding five minutes before the break toIan Rush.[25] The second half saw the hosts continue to take advantage of their chances on goal, with aPeter Beardsley chip just after the hour mark doubling their lead, beforeSteve Nicol would complete the 3–0 win later on.[25]
| 6 January 1990Round 3 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1–3 | Southampton | London |
| Howells 78' | Le Tissier 29' Horne 42'Rod Wallace 90' | Stadium:White Hart Lane Attendance: 33,134 |
| 27 January 1990Round 4 | Southampton | 1–0 | Oxford United | Southampton |
| Ruddock 59' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 19,802 |
| 17 February 1990Round 5 | Liverpool | 3–0 | Southampton | Liverpool |
| Rush 40' Beardsley 62'Nicol 78' | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 35,961 |
Southampton entered the 1989–90 League Cup in the second round againstFourth Division sideYork City. The Saints won the first leg by a singleRod Wallace goal just two minutes before full-time, before securing a 3–0 aggregate win in the return leg atThe Dell thanks to a brace fromAlan Shearer (his first goals for the club since his April 1988 full league debut).[26] In the third round, Southampton edged out First Division strugglersCharlton Athletic by a single goal, scored byGlenn Cockerill just after the half-time break.[26] In the fourth round, a goalless draw atSecond Division sideSwindon Town made way for a replay at The Dell which the Saints won 4–2 after extra time, thanks to winning goals fromMatt Le Tissier andRod Wallace.[26] The fifth round saw Southampton host another Second Division side,Oldham Athletic, who held the top-flight home side to a 2–2 draw thanks to a goal in injury time which forced a replay.[26] Oldham won the replay 2–0, with club historians reflecting that the "Saints created virtually nothing against a well-organised Oldham side".[26]
| 20 September 1989Round 2 Leg 1 | York City | 0–1 | Southampton | York |
| Rod Wallace 88' | Stadium:Bootham Crescent Attendance: 4,526 |
| 3 October 1989Round 2 Leg 2 | Southampton | 2–0 (3–0agg.) | York City | Southampton |
| Shearer 10',76' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 8,096 |
| 24 October 1989Round 3 | Southampton | 1–0 | Charlton Athletic | Southampton |
| Cockerill 46' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 13,590 |
| 29 November 1989Round 4 | Swindon Town | 0–0 | Southampton | Swindon |
| Stadium:County Ground Attendance: 15,085 |
| 16 January 1990Round 4 Replay | Southampton | 4–2 (a.e.t.) | Swindon Town | Southampton |
| Horne 47' Rideout 84'Le Tissier 91'Rod Wallace 113' | McLoughlin 33' White 36' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 19,018 |
| 24 January 1990Round 5 | Southampton | 2–2 | Oldham Athletic | Southampton |
| Le Tissier 6',84' (pen.) | Ritchie 81',90+3' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 21,026 |
| 31 January 1990Round 5 Replay | Oldham Athletic | 2–0 | Southampton | Oldham |
| Ritchie 9' Milligan 50' | Stadium:Boundary Park Attendance: 18,862 |
Southampton played three additional matches during the latter stages of the 1989–90 season. In April, they beatSouthern League sideSalisbury 9–0 in a testimonial for Barry Cramner, with eight different players on the scoresheet.[11] This was followed in May by an 8–1 thrashing ofSussex County League sidePagham (in whichAlan Shearer scored five) and a 10–0 victory overIsthmian League sideHungerford Town in which Shearer andMatt Le Tissier each scored hat-tricks.[11]
| 17 April 1990Barry Cramner Testimonial | Salisbury | 0–9 | Southampton | Salisbury |
| Banger Cockerill Le Tissier Rideout Rowland Ruddock Shearer Rod Wallace |
| 10 May 1990Friendly | Pagham | 1–8 | Southampton | Pagham |
| Shearer Rideout Cockerill | Stadium:Nyetimber Lane |
| 15 May 1990Chard Testimonial | Hungerford Town | 0–10 | Southampton | Hungerford |
| Le Tissier Shearer Banger Rideout Rowland | Stadium:Bulpit Lane |
Southampton used 23 players during the 1989–90 season, 11 of whom scored during the campaign.[27] Five players made their debut appearances for the club, including three of their four new signings (Ian Andrews,[7]Oleksiy Cherednyk,[9] andSammy Lee[8]) and two players making the step up from youth to the first team (Steve Davis[28] andJason Dodd[29]). Five players made their final appearances for the Saints during the campaign: Lee,[8]Graham Baker,[30]Gerry Forrest,[31]Ray Wallace,[32]Danny Wallace.[3] StrikerRod Wallace made the most appearances for Southampton during 1989–90, missing only one game in the League Cup; whileMatt Le Tissier scored the most goals during the campaign, with 20 in the league, one in the FA Cup, and three in the League Cup.[27] MidfielderGlenn Cockerill had the second most appearances of the season with 45, while Rod Wallace was the second-highest scorer with 21 goals across all competitions.[27] Le Tissier won theSouthampton F.C. Player of the Season award for the 1989–90 season.[22]
| Name | Pos. | Nat. | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps. | Goals | Apps. | Goals | Apps. | Goals | Apps. | Goals | |||||
| Micky Adams | DF | | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| Ian Andrews | GK | | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Graham Baker | MF | | 2(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2(1) | 0 | ||
| Nicky Banger | FW | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Francis Benali | DF | | 23(4) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 31(4) | 0 | ||
| Jimmy Case | MF | | 33 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 42 | 0 | ||
| Oleksiy Cherednyk | DF | | 7(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7(1) | 0 | ||
| Glenn Cockerill | MF | | 35(1) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 44(1) | 5 | ||
| Andy Cook | DF | | 2(2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2(2) | 1 | ||
| Steve Davis | DF | | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Jason Dodd | DF | | 21(1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4(1) | 0 | 27(2) | 0 | ||
| Tim Flowers | GK | | 35 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 44 | 0 | ||
| Gerry Forrest | DF | | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Barry Horne | MF |  | 28(1) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3(1) | 1 | 34(2) | 6 | ||
| Jeff Kenna | DF |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Matt Le Tissier | MF | | 35 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 5(1) | 3 | 42(1) | 24 | ||
| Sammy Lee | MF | | 0(2) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(3) | 0 | ||
| Lee Luscombe | FW |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Neil Maddison | MF | | 0(2) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(3) | 0 | ||
| Kevin Moore | DF | | 18(3) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2(1) | 0 | 22(4) | 1 | ||
| Russell Osman | DF | | 34(1) | 5 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 43(1) | 5 | ||
| Dean Radford | DF | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Paul Rideout | FW | | 30(1) | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 39(1) | 8 | ||
| Andy Rowland | FW | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Neil Ruddock | DF | | 25(4) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4(1) | 0 | 30(5) | 4 | ||
| Alan Shearer | FW | | 19(7) | 3 | 1(2) | 0 | 4(1) | 2 | 24(10) | 5 | ||
| Ray Wallace | DF | | 8(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11(1) | 0 | ||
| Rod Wallace | FW | | 35(3) | 18 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 44(3) | 21 | ||
| J. Webb | MF | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Players with appearances who left before the end of the season | ||||||||||||
| Danny Wallace | FW | | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | ||
| Rank | Name | Pos. | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starts | Subs | Starts | Subs | Starts | Subs | Starts | Subs | Total | |||
| 1 | Rod Wallace | FW | 35 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 44 | 3 | 47 |
| 2 | Glenn Cockerill | MF | 35 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 44 | 1 | 45 |
| 3 | Tim Flowers | GK | 35 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 44 |
| Russell Osman | DF | 34 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 43 | 1 | 44 | |
| 5 | Matt Le Tissier | MF | 35 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 42 | 1 | 43 |
| 6 | Jimmy Case | MF | 33 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 42 |
| 7 | Paul Rideout | FW | 30 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 39 | 1 | 40 |
| 8 | Barry Horne | MF | 28 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 34 | 2 | 36 |
| 9 | Francis Benali | DF | 23 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 31 | 4 | 35 |
| Neil Ruddock | DF | 25 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 30 | 5 | 35 | |
| Rank | Name | Pos. | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | GPG | |||
| 1 | Matt Le Tissier | MF | 20 | 35 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 43 | 0.56 |
| 2 | Rod Wallace | FW | 18 | 38 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 21 | 47 | 0.45 |
| 3 | Paul Rideout | FW | 7 | 31 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 40 | 0.20 |
| 4 | Barry Horne | MF | 4 | 29 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 36 | 0.17 |
| 5 | Alan Shearer | FW | 3 | 26 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 34 | 0.15 |
| Russell Osman | DF | 5 | 35 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 44 | 0.11 | |
| Glenn Cockerill | MF | 4 | 36 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 45 | 0.11 | |
| 8 | Neil Ruddock | DF | 3 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 35 | 0.11 |
| 9 | Jimmy Case | MF | 3 | 33 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 42 | 0.07 |
| 10 | Danny Wallace | FW | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0.40 |
