1999–2000 Southampton F.C. season

The 1999–2000 Southampton F.C. season was the club's 99th season of competitive football, their 30th (and 22nd consecutive) in the top flight of English football, and their eighth in the FA Premier League. After securing their Premier League survival on the final day of the previous season, the Saints fared slightly better in 1999–2000 as the club finished 15th in the table, eight points above the relegation zone. Outside the league, they reached the fourth round of both the FA Cup and the League Cup. 1999–2000 was Southampton's last season to feature Dave Jones as manager – he was suspended in January 2000 whilst facing charges of child abuse in a previous job, with Glenn Hoddle taking his place temporarily. Although the case against Jones was dismissed, Hoddle remained in charge after the season ended.

Southampton F.C.
1999–2000 season
ChairmanRupert Lowe
ManagerDave Jones
(until 27 January 2000)
Glenn Hoddle
(from 28 January 2000)
StadiumThe Dell
FA Premier League15th
FA CupFourth round
League CupFourth round
Top goalscorerLeague: Marians Pahars (13)
All: Marians Pahars (13)
Highest home attendance15,257 v West Ham
United
(5 February 2000)
Lowest home attendance10,960 v Manchester
City
(21 September 1999)
Average home league attendance15,132
Biggest win4–2 v Newcastle United
(15 August 1999)
2–0 (multiple games)
Biggest defeat0–5 v Newcastle United
(16 January 2000)
2–7 v Tottenham
Hotspur
(11 March 2000)

After barely retaining their top-flight status the year before, Southampton made two key signings in the summer of 1999, bringing in centre-back Dean Richards and midfielder Trond Egil Soltvedt. They also re-signed striker Kevin Davies, who returned from Blackburn Rovers in exchange for Egil Østenstad, the previous season's top scorer. Other new arrivals throughout the season included Portuguese winger Luís Boa Morte, Norwegian midfielder Jo Tessem, Latvian midfielder Imants Bleidelis, and Moroccan defender Tahar El Khalej. The club picked up regular victories throughout the campaign, remaining clear of the bottom three of the league table for the whole year. Their form was slightly better under Hoddle when he took over as manager, with their FA Premier League status for 2000–01 confirmed with five games left to play.

Outside the league, Southampton improved on their previous season's performances in both the FA Cup and the League Cup. In the former, the Saints made it past First Division promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town in the third round with a slender 1–0 victory. They were knocked out in the fourth round by the same scoreline at the hands of Aston Villa, who would end the season in the top six of the FA Premier League. In the League Cup, Southampton beat Manchester City in the second round, winning the second leg 4–3 after extra time following a goalless first leg. In the third round, they beat FA Premier League high-flyers Liverpool 2–1, thanks to a last-minute goal from Trond Egil Soltvedt. They were eliminated in the fourth round by Aston Villa, who beat the Saints 4–0 just over a month before also eliminating them from the FA Cup.

Southampton used 29 players during the 1999–2000 season and had 15 different goalscorers. Latvian striker Marians Pahars finished as the club's top goalscorer for the first time, scoring 13 goals in the FA Premier League – more than twice as many as the second-highest scorer, Kevin Davies, on six league goals. Dean Richards made the most appearances for the side during his first of two seasons at the club, playing in 40 of the team's 44 fixtures across all competitions, and was named Southampton F.C. Player of the Season at the end of the campaign. The average league attendance at The Dell during 1999–2000 was 15,132. The highest attendance was 15,257 against West Ham United in February (Hoddle's first game in charge) and the lowest was 10,960 against Manchester City in the League Cup in September.

Background and transfers

edit
Southampton's first major signing of the summer was Trond Egil Soltvedt, who joined from Coventry City for £300,000.
 
Centre-back Ken Monkou left after seven years in 1999.
Kevin Davies (top) returned after one season at Blackburn Rovers, with Egil Østenstad (bottom) moving the other way.
The club signed Jo Tessem, another Norwegian midfielder, from Molde in November.

Having spent much of the previous season on loan at the club, in the summer of 1999 striker Steve Basham left Southampton to join Preston North End in the Second Division for a fee of £200,000.[1] Danish goalkeeper Michael Stensgaard, who had joined from Copenhagen just seven months earlier, returned to his former club having failed to make an appearance for the Saints.[2] The club's sole signings prior to the start of the league season were defenders Bruno Leal and Dean Richards, who arrived from Portuguese side Sporting and First Division side Wolverhampton Wanderers, respectively, on free transfers.[3][4] The day after the second game in the league, Southampton signed Norwegian attacking midfielder Trond Egil Soltvedt from Coventry City for £300,000.[5] He was followed just under a week later by striker Kevin Davies, who returned to the club having left for Blackburn Rovers the previous summer for a Saints record fee of £7.5 million; in exchange, Southampton's 1998–99 top scorer Egil Østenstad moved to the recently relegated Rovers.[6][7] Ken Monkou left on the same day to join second-flight side Huddersfield Town on a free transfer,[8] while Portuguese winger Luís Boa Morte arrived from Arsenal for a fee of £500,000 a week later.[9]

Changes to the squad continued throughout much of the season. During September, the club sent Kevin Gibbens, Garry Monk, Andy Williams and Shayne Bradley all out on loans – all but Bradley to Stockport County, Bradley to Exeter City.[10][11][12][13] Williams' loan was made permanent at the beginning of October.[12] That same month, John Beresford was loaned out to Birmingham City,[14] while Scott Marshall was loaned out – and eventually sold, for £250,000 – to Brentford.[15] In November, Richard Dryden was sent out on loan to Stoke City, where he would spend much of the rest of the season over two separate spells.[16] Also in November, the club made their sixth signing of the season when they brought in Norwegian midfielder Jo Tessem from Molde, against whom they'd played in pre-season, for £600,000.[17] December saw the £50,000 sale of Scott Hiley to local rivals Portsmouth,[18] as well as the cancellation of a season-long loan deal for Portuguese centre-back Marco Almeida, who had made just one substitute appearance for the club since arriving in July.[19]

In January, striker David Hirst was forced to retire from professional football due to a knee injury he had picked up during the 1998–99 pre-season period. He subsequently joined Sheffield-based non-league side Brunsmeer Athletic.[20] The next month, following extended negotiations to secure a work permit, Latvian winger Imants Bleidelis joined from Skonto – the same club from which the Saints signed Marians Pahars a year earlier – for £600,000.[21] In March, striker Mark Hughes was offloaded to Everton on a free transfer after a disappointing 20-month stay at the club which delivered only two goals.[22] Moroccan centre-back Tahar El Khalej joined from Benfica the same month,[23] as did free midfielder Paul Hughes, who had played under Hoddle at Chelsea.[24] Dryden started his second loan spell at Stoke City just before the transfer deadline, remaining until the end of the season.[16]

Players transferred in

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
Bruno Leal   Portugal DF   Sporting 8 July 1999 Free [3]
Dean Richards   England DF   Wolverhampton Wanderers 14 July 1999 Free [4]
Trond Egil Soltvedt   Norway MF   Coventry City 12 August 1999 £300,000 [5]
Kevin Davies   England FW   Blackburn Rovers 17 August 1999 Exchange [6]
Luís Boa Morte   Portugal MF   Arsenal 25 August 1999 £500,000 [9]
Jo Tessem   Norway MF   Molde 20 November 1999 £600,000 [17]
Imants Bleidelis   Latvia MF   Skonto 2 February 2000 £600,000 [21]
Tahar El Khalej   Morocco DF   Benfica 10 March 2000 £350,000 [23]
Paul Hughes   England MF   Chelsea 23 March 2000 Free [22]

Players transferred out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
Stephen Jenkins   England DF   Brentford 10 June 1999 Free [25]
Steve Basham   England FW   Preston North End 15 June 1999 £200,000 [1]
Michael Stensgaard   Denmark GK   Copenhagen 1 July 1999 Free [2]
Ken Monkou   Netherlands DF   Huddersfield Town 17 August 1999 Free [8]
Egil Østenstad   Norway FW   Blackburn Rovers 17 August 1999 Exchange [7]
Andy Williams   Wales DF   Swindon Town 1 October 1999 £65,000 [12]
Scott Marshall   Scotland DF   Brentford 29 October 1999 £250,000 [15]
Scott Hiley   England DF   Portsmouth 3 December 1999 £50,000 [18]
David Hirst   England FW   Brunsmeer Athletic 25 January 2000 Free [20]
Mark Hughes   Wales FW   Everton 14 March 2000 Free [22]

Players loaned in

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date from Date to Ref.
Marco Almeida   Portugal DF   Sporting 20 July 1999 9 December 1999 [19]

Players loaned out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date from Date to Ref.
Kevin Gibbens   England MF   Stockport County 9 September 1999 30 September 1999 [10]
Garry Monk   England DF   Stockport County 9 September 1999 30 September 1999 [11]
Andy Williams   Wales DF   Swindon Town 9 September 1999 30 September 1999 [12]
Shayne Bradley   England FW   Exeter City 17 September 1999 3 November 1999 [13]
John Beresford   England DF   Birmingham City 6 October 1999 13 October 1999 [14]
Scott Marshall   Scotland DF   Brentford 15 October 1999 26 October 1999 [15]
Richard Dryden   England DF   Stoke City 2 November 1999 7 December 1999 [16]
22 March 2000 End of season

Pre-season friendlies

edit

Ahead of the 1999–2000 season, Southampton played seven pre-season friendlies. In the first two, the club faced Isthmian League side Aldershot Town and Conference side Kingstonian on the same day in July, winning 3–2 and 2–1, respectively.[26] A few days later, they faced three local sides as part of a short Norwegian tour, winning 3–1 against Førde, drawing 1–1 with Molde, and losing 1–3 to Viking.[26] Another defeat in Europe, 0–1 at Belgian side Lierse, was followed by a 3–0 win over Second Division side Reading, with Matt Le Tissier and Egil Østenstad (two) on the scoresheet for the visitors.[26]

13 July 1999 Friendly Aldershot Town 2–3 Southampton Aldershot
Kachloul  
Le Tissier  
Wallace  
Stadium: Recreation Ground
13 July 1999 Friendly Kingstonian 1–2 Southampton London
Østenstad    Stadium: Kingsmeadow
17 July 1999 Friendly   Førde 1–3 Southampton Førde, Norway
M. Hughes  
Østenstad  
Pahars  
Stadium: Førde Stadion
19 July 1999 Friendly   Molde 1–1 Southampton Molde, Norway
Kachloul   Stadium: Aker Stadion
24 July 1999 Friendly   Viking 3–1 Southampton Stavanger, Norway
Østenstad   Stadium: Stavanger Stadion
28 July 1999 Friendly   Lierse 1–0 Southampton Lier, Belgium
Stadium: Herman Vanderpoortenstadion
31 July 1999 Friendly Reading 0–3 Southampton Reading
Le Tissier  
Østenstad   
Stadium: Madejski Stadium

FA Premier League

edit
 
Marians Pahars scored 13 league goals in 1999–2000, finishing the season as Southampton's top scorer.

For the first time since the 1988–89 season, Southampton won their opening league fixture at the start of the 1999–2000 campaign, beating Coventry City 1–0 at Highfield Road thanks to a late goal from the previous season's top scorer, Egil Østenstad.[27] They lost their first home game 0–3 to Leeds United four days later, with Michael Bridges scoring a hat-trick.[27] This was followed by a second win from three when the Saints beat Newcastle United 4–2 at home, with second-half goals from Hassan Kachloul (two), Marians Pahars and Mark Hughes sending the South Coast side to 6th in the league table.[27][28] Following the sale of Østenstad to Blackburn Rovers in exchange for the return of Kevin Davies, Southampton lost 1–4 at Everton but beat Sheffield Wednesday 2–0 at home to see out August.[27] The side sat 9th in the table at the end of the month.[29]

The club's form dipped dramatically starting in September, when they lost 2–3 at Middlesbrough and 0–1 at home to Arsenal. In the first game, new winger Luís Boa Morte was sent off in his debut for the club, after which the hosts overturned Southampton's 2–1 lead to make the most of the advantage; in the second, the tie was decided by Thierry Henry's first league goal for the Gunners, scored when he beat another debutant, loanee Marco Almeida, who was ultimately making his only appearance for the club.[27][19] Two 3–3 draws followed, against defending league champions Manchester United at Old Trafford and at home to Derby County, the latter of which saw the Saints "carelessly surrender" the win by conceding twice late on.[30] The winless run continued through October, as Southampton lost 1–2 at Leicester City, before sacrificing another four points from winning positions when they drew 1–1 with both Liverpool and Wimbledon.[30] A first win in eight games, a late 1–0 victory over Aston Villa, ensured that the side held their position at 14th place in the table.[30][31]

Southampton saw out 1999 with another poor run of form, failing to pick up a win in their last seven games of the calendar year. The only point they picked up during this period was in a goalless draw at home to Coventry City at the beginning of December.[30] The first two games after the win over Aston Villa saw the Saints ending with ten men and conceding late goals – in a home tie against Tottenham Hotspur, they conceded in the 81st minute before Claus Lundekvam was sent off in the penultimate minute; and in an away trip to Leeds United, they saw Patrick Colleter dismissed in the 88th minute before conceding the only goal of the game in the 90th.[30] Other defeats were faced at the hands of two sides recently promoted to the Premier League, as the Saints lost 0–2 at Sunderland and 2–3 at Watford.[30] Against the third promoted side, Bradford City, Southampton won 1–0 at The Dell in their opening game of 2000, which helped them stay clear of the relegation zone at the Bantams' expense.[32]

 
Glenn Hoddle replaced Dave Jones as Southampton manager in January 2000.

After picking up their first win in two months over Bradford City, Southampton faced their joint-heaviest defeat of the season at Newcastle United, who were just one place above them in the table at the time. Trailing 0–2 within three minutes, the Saints conceded two own goals courtesy of Richard Dryden and Garry Monk either side of half time to complete a 0–5 thrashing at St James' Park.[30] This was followed by a 2–0 home win over Everton, who had been unbeaten in eight games.[24] The win marked the last match to feature Dave Jones as manager, who was given a one-year leave of absence and replaced by Glenn Hoddle on 28 January.[33] Jones' future with the club had been in doubt since the beginning of the season, when he had first been charged with offences against children allegedly committed during his time working in a children's home after his retirement from playing.[34] In a statement about the change in manager, Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe assured fans that Jones had not been fired, but instead given a year away to "concentrate fully on his defence and the clearing of his name".[35] Jones was ultimately cleared of all allegations in December 2000, although he did not return to Southampton and had his contract "paid up" by the club.[36]

Hoddle's first two games as Southampton manager saw the club picking up their first consecutive wins of the campaign, following the Everton victory with a 2–1 win over West Ham United and a 1–0 win over bottom-placed Sheffield Wednesday.[24] The side began to flounder again, however, with defeats at Arsenal and West Ham flanking a 1–1 draw with Middlesbrough which left the club 16th in the league table.[24][37] This was followed by the club's joint-heaviest defeat of the campaign and their second game in successive seasons conceding seven goals, when they lost 2–7 to Tottenham Hotspur. The game started well for the Saints, with Jo Tessem opening the scoring in the 26th minute, although it was quickly 1–1 thanks to a Dean Richards own goal; debutant Tahar El Khalej put the visitors ahead again 12 minutes before half-time, but by the break it was 4–2 to Spurs when Darren Anderton, Chris Armstrong and Steffen Iversen all scored in quick succession.[24] In the second half, Armstrong doubled his tally and Iversen completed a hat-trick.[24]

Now just four points clear of the relegation zone,[38] the Saints picked up a 2–0 win over Aston Villa and gained a point at 4th-place Chelsea to move up to 15th in the table, eight points clear of the bottom three, where they would remain for the remainder of the season.[24][39] They continued to pick up points against fellow strugglers, beating Bradford City 2–1 thanks to a goal from Pahars within 30 seconds of coming on as a substitute, and winning 2–0 against bottom-placed Watford.[24] A poor run of results at the end of April saw Southampton lose 1–3 at home to Manchester United (who secured their second consecutive league title as a result), 0–2 at Derby County (who were just one place below the Saints), and 1–2 at home to Leicester City (in which Richards was sent off in the final minute).[40] The club had already secured its Premier League status for another season, but picked up four points from their last two games to secure their 15th-place finish, drawing 0–0 with Liverpool at Anfield before beating Wimbledon 2–0 on the final day, in which Wayne Bridge scored his first senior goal.[40]

List of match results

edit
7 August 1999 1 Coventry City 0–1 Southampton Coventry
15:00 BST Report Østenstad   85',  
Dodd  
Stadium: Highfield Road
Attendance: 19,915
Referee: Peter Jones
11 August 1999 2 Southampton 0–3 Leeds United Southampton
19:45 BST Benali  
M. Hughes  
Le Tissier  
Østenstad  
Report Bridges   11', 51', 72'
Batty  
Bakke  
Bowyer  
Duberry  
Mills  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,206
Referee: Alan Wiley
15 August 1999 3 Southampton 4–2 Newcastle United Southampton
16:00 BST Kachloul   58', 68'
Pahars   66'
M. Hughes   78',  
Benali  
Report Shearer   22' (pen.)
Speed   84'
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,030
Referee: David Elleray
21 August 1999 4 Everton 4–1 Southampton Liverpool
15:00 BST Gough   36'
Lundekvam   47' (o.g.)
Jeffers   48'
Campbell   54'
Hutchison  
Report Pahars   70'
Bradley  
Davies  
M. Hughes  
Stadium: Goodison Park
Attendance: 35,316
Referee: Barry Knight
28 August 1999 5 Southampton 2–0 Sheffield Wednesday Southampton
15:00 BST Kachloul   53'
Oakley   84'
Report Atherton  
Scott  
Sibon  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,815
Referee: Paul Alcock
11 September 1999 6 Middlesbrough 3–2 Southampton Middlesbrough
15:00 BST Pallister   17'
Gascoigne   67' (pen.)
Deane   78',  
Cooper  
Ricard  
Report Kachloul   15'
Pahars   55'
Boa Morte   66'
Stadium: Riverside Stadium
Attendance: 32,165
Referee: Stephen Lodge
18 September 1999 7 Southampton 0–1 Arsenal Southampton
15:00 BST Beattie  
Dodd  
Oakley  
Report Henry   79'
Grimandi  
Winterburn  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,242
Referee: Graham Barber
25 September 1999 8 Manchester United 3–3 Southampton Manchester
15:00 BST Sheringham   34'
Yorke   37', 64'
Berg  
Scholes  
Report Pahars   17'
Le Tissier   51', 73'
Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 55,249
Referee: Steve Dunn
4 October 1999 9 Southampton 3–3 Derby County Southampton
20:00 BST Pahars   22'
Oakley   35'
Ripley   66'
M. Hughes  
Report Delap   21'
Laursen   75',  
Beck   90'
Hoult  
Johnson  
Powell  
Prior  
Schnoor  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,208
Referee: Graham Poll
16 October 1999 10 Leicester City 2–1 Southampton Leicester
15:00 BST Guppy   8'
Cottee   39'
Heskey  
Savage  
Report Davies   76'
Kachloul  
Lundekvam  
Stadium: Filbert Street
Attendance: 19,556
Referee: Barry Knight
23 October 1999 11 Southampton 1–1 Liverpool Southampton
15:00 BST Soltvedt   39'
Dodd  
Oakley  
Report Camara   81'
Henchoz  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,241
Referee: Neale Barry
30 October 1999 12 Wimbledon 1–1 Southampton London
15:00 GMT Gayle   89'
Cort  
Hreiðarsson  
Report Stadium: Selhurst Park
Attendance: 15,754
Referee: Peter Jones
6 November 1999 13 Aston Villa 0–1 Southampton Birmingham
15:00 GMT Thompson   Report Richards   84',  
Colleter  
Kachloul  
Stadium: Villa Park
Attendance: 26,474
Referee: Andy D'Urso
20 November 1999 14 Southampton 0–1 Tottenham Hotspur Southampton
15:00 GMT Lundekvam     89'
Colleter  
M. Hughes  
Pahars  
Richards  
Report Leonhardsen   81',  
Campbell  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,248
Referee: Steve Bennett
28 November 1999 15 Leeds United 1–0 Southampton Leeds
15:00 GMT Bridges   90'
Bakke  
Bowyer  
Report Colleter     86'
M. Hughes  
Kachloul  
Pahars  
Stadium: Elland Road
Attendance: 39,288
Referee: Rob Harris
4 December 1999 16 Southampton 0–0 Coventry City Southampton
15:00 GMT Report Chippo  
Whelan  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,168
Referee: Jeff Winter
18 December 1999 17 Sunderland 2–0 Southampton Sunderland
15:00 GMT Phillips   30', 90',  
Makin  
Report Beattie  
Benali  
Kachloul  
Le Tissier  
Lundekvam  
Stadium: Stadium of Light
Attendance: 40,860
Referee: Mike Reed
26 December 1999 18 Southampton 1–2 Chelsea Southampton
12:00 GMT Davies   80'
Le Tissier  
Oakley  
Report Flo   18', 43'
Babayaro  
Deschamps  
Ferrer  
Leboeuf  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,232
Referee: Paul Alcock
28 December 1999 19 Watford 3–2 Southampton Watford
15:00 GMT Perpetuini   17',  
Gravelaine   31', 65',  
Hyde  
Robinson  
Smith  
Report Boa Morte   61'
Davies   63',  
M. Hughes  
Richards  
Stadium: Vicarage Road
Attendance: 18,459
Referee: Mike Riley
3 January 2000 20 Southampton 1–0 Bradford City Southampton
15:00 GMT Davies   55' Report Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,027
Referee: David Elleray
16 January 2000 21 Newcastle United 5–0 Southampton Newcastle upon Tyne
16:00 GMT Ferguson   3', 4'
Solano   17'
Dryden   31' (o.g.)
Monk   83' (o.g.)
Report M. Hughes   Stadium: St James' Park
Attendance: 35,623
Referee: Neale Barry
22 January 2000 22 Southampton 2–0 Everton Southampton
15:00 GMT Tessem   47'
Oakley   56'
Boa Morte  
Lundekvam  
Marsden  
Pahars  
Report Barmby  
Unsworth  
Weir  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,232
Referee: Andy D'Urso
5 February 2000 23 Southampton 2–1 West Ham United Southampton
15:00 GMT Pahars   54'
Charles   86' (o.g.)
Report Lampard   65'
Charles  
Štimac  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,257
Referee: Barry Knight
12 February 2000 24 Sheffield Wednesday 0–1 Southampton Sheffield
15:00 GMT Report Tessem   26'
Marsden  
Stadium: Hillsborough Stadium
Attendance: 23,470
Referee: Alan Wiley
26 February 2000 25 Arsenal 3–1 Southampton London
15:00 GMT Ljungberg   22', 68'
Bergkamp   36',  
Vieira  
Report Richards   61'
Davies  
Dodd  
Kachloul  
Marsden  
Stadium: Arsenal Stadium
Attendance: 38,044
Referee: Jeff Winter
4 March 2000 26 Southampton 1–1 Middlesbrough Southampton
15:00 GMT Pahars   44' Report Ricard   44' (pen.)
Cooper  
Deane  
Summerbell  
Ziege  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,223
Referee: Steve Dunn
8 March 2000 27 West Ham United 2–0 Southampton London
19:45 GMT Wanchope   18'
Sinclair   48'
Report Davies   Stadium: Boleyn Ground
Attendance: 23,484
Referee: Stephen Lodge
11 March 2000 28 Tottenham Hotspur 7–2 Southampton London
15:00 GMT Richards   28' (o.g.)
Anderton   39'
Armstrong   41', 64'
Iversen   45', 78', 90'
Carr  
Freund  
Report Tessem   26'
El Khalej   33'
Benali  
Kachloul  
Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 36,024
Referee: Mark Halsey
18 March 2000 29 Southampton 2–0 Aston Villa Southampton
15:00 GMT Davies   39', 63',  
El Khalej  
Kachloul  
Marsden  
Report Ehiogu   Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,218
Referee: Mike Riley
25 March 2000 30 Chelsea 1–1 Southampton London
15:00 GMT Richards   75' (o.g.) Report Tessem   69' Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 34,956
Referee: Dermot Gallagher
1 April 2000 31 Southampton 1–2 Sunderland Southampton
15:00 BST Le Tissier   89' (pen.)
Richards  
Report Quinn   14'
Phillips   86' (pen.)
Roy  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,245
Referee: Paul Durkin
8 April 2000 32 Bradford City 1–2 Southampton Bradford
15:00 BST Blake   77'
Beagrie  
Halle  
Report Windass   56' (o.g.)
Pahars   76'
El Khalej  
Ripley  
Stadium: Valley Parade
Attendance: 17,439
Referee: David Elleray
15 April 2000 33 Southampton 2–0 Watford Southampton
15:00 BST Davies   4'
Pahars   75'
Report Smart   Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,252
Referee: Alan Wilkie
22 April 2000 34 Southampton 1–3 Manchester United Southampton
15:00 BST Pahars   83',  
Davies  
Report Beckham   7'
Benali   15' (o.g.)
Solskjær   29'
Keane  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,245
Referee: Neale Barry
24 April 2000 35 Derby County 2–0 Southampton Derby
13:00 BST Powell   5'
Christie   42'
Burley  
Report Kachloul  
Marsden  
Stadium: Pride Park Stadium
Attendance: 29,403
Referee: Peter Jones
29 April 2000 36 Southampton 1–2 Leicester City Southampton
15:00 BST Kachloul   4'
Richards   89'
Davies  
El Khalej  
Kachloul  
Marsden  
Report Cottee   22'
Izzet   60'
Walsh  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,178
Referee: Mike Reed
7 May 2000 37 Liverpool 0–0 Southampton Liverpool
16:00 BST Report Dodd   Stadium: Anfield
Attendance: 44,015
Referee: Paul Alcock
14 May 2000 38 Southampton 2–0 Wimbledon Southampton
16:00 BST Bridge   57'
Pahars   79'
Report Blackwell  
Euell  
Kimble  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,249
Referee: Stephen Lodge

Final league table

edit
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
13 Everton 38 12 14 12 59 49 +10 50
14 Coventry City 38 12 8 18 47 54 −7 44
15 Southampton 38 12 8 18 45 62 −17 44
16 Derby County 38 9 11 18 44 57 −13 38
17 Bradford City 38 9 9 20 38 68 −30 36 Qualification for the Intertoto Cup second round
Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Results by matchday

edit
Round1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738
GroundAHHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAAHAHAHHAHAH
ResultWLWLWLLDDLDDWLLDLLLWLWWWLDLLWDLWWLLLDW
Position5146109131313131414141414161616161616171716141615151615151515151515151515
Source: 11v11.com
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

FA Cup

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Southampton entered the 1999–2000 FA Cup in the third round against First Division side Ipswich Town, who were tipped for – and ultimately achieved – promotion to the FA Premier League at the end of the season.[41] Both sides had chances to open the scoring early on, but it was the visiting Saints who broke the deadlock just before half-time when Dean Richards headed in a free kick from Jo Tessem to put his side 1–0 up.[41] After the break, Southampton continued to enjoy the majority of chances, with Richards coming close to doubling their lead on 65 minutes when he headed in from a corner, but hit the crossbar.[42] Advancing to the fourth round, the Saints faced league rivals Aston Villa, who had knocked them out of the League Cup with a 4–0 thrashing just over a month before.[42] In a game described by club historians as a "dismal afternoon", the Saints struggled to gain any momentum in the tie and conceded the only goal of the game after 20 minutes, when centre-back Gareth Southgate headed in a Paul Merson free kick.[42]

13 December 1999 Round 3 Ipswich Town 0–1 Southampton Ipswich
M. Hughes   11'
Richards   40'
Stadium: Portman Road
Attendance: 14,383
Referee: Graham Barber
8 January 2000 Round 4 Aston Villa 1–0 Southampton Birmingham
Southgate   20'
Carbone  
Davies  
Kachloul  
Lundekvam  
Stadium: Villa Park
Attendance: 25,025
Referee: Neale Barry

League Cup

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Southampton entered the 1999–2000 League Cup in the second round, drawn against Manchester City, who were on their way to automatic promotion back to the FA Premier League as First Division runners-up. After a goalless first leg at Maine Road, the Saints edged through the return leg 4–3 after extra time.[43] After Paul Dickov put City 1–0 up within ten minutes, Jason Dodd equalised five minutes later from the penalty spot following a foul on Trond Egil Soltvedt.[43] Either side of the half-time break, Matt Oakley made it 2–1 and then 3–1, before a late brace from Shaun Goater forced an extra 30 minutes.[43] Just after the restart, Dean Richards scored from a Matt Le Tissier corner to send the hosts through.[43] In the third round, Southampton hosted Liverpool, beating the Reds 2–1 thanks to a last-minute winner from Soltvedt after second-half goals from Michael Owen and Richards.[43] Another FA Premier League side, Aston Villa, hosted the Saints in the fourth round, less than a month after the South Coast side had beaten them 1–0 at Villa Park in the league. Fortunes were dramatically reversed in the cup, however, as Villa won 4–0 thanks to goals from Steve Watson, Julian Joachim and Dion Dublin (two).[43]

15 September 1999 Round 2 Leg 1 Manchester City 0–0 Southampton Manchester
Weaver   Stadium: Maine Road
Attendance: 17,476
Referee: Kevin Lynch
21 September 1999 Round 2 Leg 2 Southampton 4–3 (a.e.t.)
(4–3 agg.)
Manchester City Southampton
Dodd   16' (pen.),  
Oakley   28', 57',  
Richards   92'
M. Hughes     89'
Lundekvam  
Dickov   10'
Goater   76', 82'
Bishop  
Jobson  
Tiatto  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 10,960
Referee: Rob Harris
13 October 1999 Round 3 Southampton 2–1 Liverpool Southampton
Richards   67'
Soltvedt   90'
Owen   53'
Henchoz  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,822
Referee: Dermot Gallagher
1 December 1999 Round 4 Aston Villa 4–0 Southampton Birmingham
Watson   22'
Joachim   66',  
Dublin   72', 90'
Boateng  
Oakley   Stadium: Villa Park
Attendance: 17,608
Referee: Barry Knight

Player details

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Southampton used 29 players during the 1999–2000 season, 15 of whom scored during the campaign.[44] Seven players made their debut appearances for the club, including six of their ten first team signings (Marco Almeida,[19] Luís Boa Morte,[9] Tahar El Khalej,[23] Dean Richards,[4] Trond Egil Soltvedt,[5] and Jo Tessem[17]) and one signing from the previous season (Dani Rodrigues[45]). Three of these – Almeida,[19] Boa Morte,[9] and Rodrigues[45] – also made their last appearances for the Saints during the campaign, as did mid-season departees Scott Hiley,[18] Mark Hughes,[22] Egil Østenstad,[7] plus three players sold the following season (Shayne Bradley,[13] Richard Dryden,[16] and Patrick Colleter[46]), and one forced to retire the next season (John Beresford[14]). New centre-back Richards made the most appearances for Southampton during the season, playing in 40 of the side's 44 games across all three competitions.[44] Marians Pahars, who made the second-most appearances on 38 in all competitions, finished as the club's top goalscorer in his first full season at the club, with 13 goals in the league.[44] Richards won the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award for the 1999–2000 season.[40]

Squad statistics

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No. Name Pos. Nat. League FA Cup League Cup Total Discipline
Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals    
1 Paul Jones GK   31 0 2 0 4 0 37 0 0 0
2 Jason Dodd DF   30(1) 0 2 0 3(1) 1 35(2) 1 6 0
3 John Beresford DF   0(3) 0 0 0 0 0 0(3) 0 0 0
4 Chris Marsden MF   19(2) 0 1 0 0(2) 0 20(3) 0 6 0
5 Claus Lundekvam DF   25(2) 0 2 0 4 0 31(2) 0 5 1
6 Dean Richards DF   35 2 1 1 4 2 40 5 4 1
7 Matt Le Tissier MF   9(9) 3 0 0 1(2) 0 10(11) 3 3 0
8 Matt Oakley MF   26(5) 3 1 0 4 2 31(5) 5 5 0
10 Kevin Davies FW   19(4) 6 1 0 0(1) 0 20(5) 6 8 1
11 David Howells MF   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 Neil Moss GK   7(2) 0 0 0 0 0 7(2) 0 0 0
14 Stuart Ripley MF   18(5) 1 2 0 2 0 22(5) 1 1 0
15 Francis Benali DF   25(1) 0 1 0 3 0 29(1) 0 4 0
16 James Beattie FW   8(10) 0 0(1) 0 1(2) 0 9(13) 0 2 0
17 Marians Pahars FW   31(2) 13 2 0 3 0 36(2) 13 4 0
18 Wayne Bridge DF   15(4) 1 2 0 2 0 19(4) 1 0 0
19 Dani Rodrigues MF   0(2) 0 0 0 0 0 0(2) 0 0 0
20 Scott Bevan GK   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
21 Jo Tessem MF   23(2) 4 2 0 1 0 26(2) 4 0 0
22 David Hughes MF   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
24 Patrick Colleter DF   8 0 0 0 1 0 9 0 2 1
25 Garry Monk DF   1(1) 0 0 0 0 0 1(1) 0 0 0
26 Imants Bleidelis MF   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
27 Tahar El Khalej DF   11 1 0 0 0 0 11 1 3 0
28 Kevin Gibbens MF   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
29 Marco Almeida DF   0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0 0 0
30 Hassan Kachloul MF   29(3) 5 0(1) 0 4 0 33(4) 5 10 0
31 Shayne Bradley FW   0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0 1 0
32 Trond Egil Soltvedt MF   17(7) 1 1(1) 0 4 1 22(8) 2 0 0
33 Adam Sims MF   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
34 Bruno Leal DF   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
35 Luís Boa Morte MF   6(8) 1 1 0 0(2) 0 7(10) 1 1 1
37 Phil Warner DF   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Paul Hughes MF   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Squad members who left before the end of the season
9 Mark Hughes FW   18(2) 1 1(1) 0 3 0 22(3) 1 9 1
10 Egil Østenstad FW   3 1 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 0
21 Andy Williams MF   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
23 Scott Hiley DF   3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0
26 Scott Marshall DF   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Squad members who ended the season out on loan
12 Richard Dryden DF   1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

Most appearances

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Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup League Cup Total
Starts Subs Starts Subs Starts Subs Starts Subs Total
1 Dean Richards DF 35 0 1 0 4 0 40 0 40
2 Marians Pahars FW 31 2 2 0 3 0 36 2 38
3 Paul Jones GK 31 0 2 0 4 0 37 0 37
Jason Dodd DF 30 1 2 0 3 1 35 2 37
Hassan Kachloul MF 29 3 0 1 4 0 33 4 37
6 Matt Oakley MF 26 5 1 0 4 0 31 5 36
7 Claus Lundekvam DF 25 2 2 0 4 0 31 2 33
8 Trond Egil Soltvedt MF 17 7 1 1 4 0 22 8 31
9 Francis Benali DF 25 1 1 0 3 0 29 1 30
10 Jo Tessem MF 23 2 2 0 1 0 26 2 28

Top goalscorers

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Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup League Cup Total
Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps GPG
1 Marians Pahars FW 13 33 0 2 0 3 13 38 0.34
2 Kevin Davies FW 6 23 0 1 0 1 6 25 0.24
3 Matt Oakley MF 3 31 0 1 2 4 5 36 0.14
Hassan Kachloul MF 5 32 0 1 0 4 5 37 0.14
Dean Richards DF 2 35 1 1 2 4 5 40 0.13
6 Jo Tessem MF 4 25 0 2 0 1 4 28 0.14
7 Matt Le Tissier MF 3 18 0 0 0 3 3 21 0.14
8 Trond Egil Soltvedt MF 1 24 0 2 1 4 2 30 0.07
9 Egil Østenstad FW 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 3 0.33
Tahar El Khalej DF 1 11 0 0 0 0 1 11 0.09
Luís Boa Morte MF 1 14 0 1 0 2 1 17 0.06
Wayne Bridge DF 1 19 0 2 0 2 1 23 0.04
Mark Hughes FW 1 20 0 2 0 3 1 25 0.04
Stuart Ripley MF 1 23 0 2 0 2 1 27 0.04
Jason Dodd DF 0 31 0 2 1 4 1 37 0.03

References

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  1. ^ a b "Steve Basham". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Michael Stensgaard Football Stats". Soccerbase. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Bruno Leal Football Stats". Soccerbase. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Dean Richards". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Trond Solvedt". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Kevin Davies". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  7. ^ a b c "Egil Ostenstad". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Ken Monkou". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d "Luis Boa Morte". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Kevin Gibbins". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Garry Monk". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d "Andy Williams". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  13. ^ a b c "Shayne Bradley". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  14. ^ a b c "John Beresford". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  15. ^ a b c "Scott Marshall". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  16. ^ a b c d "Richard Dryden". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  17. ^ a b c "Jo Tessem". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  18. ^ a b c "Scott Hiley". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  19. ^ a b c d e "Marco Almeida". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  20. ^ a b "David Hirst". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  21. ^ a b "Imants Bleidelis". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  22. ^ a b c d "Mark Hughes". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  23. ^ a b c "Tahar El Khalej". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 262
  25. ^ "Stephen Jenkins Football Stats". Soccerbase. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  26. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 431
  27. ^ a b c d e Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 260
  28. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 15 August 1999". 11v11.com. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  29. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 28 August 1999". 11v11.com. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 261
  31. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 06 November 1999". 11v11.com. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  32. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 03 January 2000". 11v11.com. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  33. ^ "Stunned!". Southern Daily Echo. 28 January 2000. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  34. ^ "Premiership manager on child abuse charges". BBC News. 27 September 1999. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  35. ^ "Dave Jones: what the chairman said". The Guardian. 29 January 2000. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  36. ^ Szczepanik, Nick (30 October 2011). "Dave Jones: 'I'd rather have been accused of murder'". The Independent. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  37. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 08 March 2000". 11v11.com. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  38. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 11 March 2000". 11v11.com. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  39. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 25 March 2000". 11v11.com. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  40. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 263
  41. ^ a b Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 408
  42. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 409
  43. ^ a b c d e f Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 295
  44. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, pp. 264, 295, 408–409
  45. ^ a b "Dani Rodrigues". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  46. ^ "Patrick Colleter". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2024.

Bibliography

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  • Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (2003), Bull, David (ed.), In That Number: A Post-War Chronicle of Southampton FC, Bristol, England: Hagiology Publishing, ISBN 0-9534474-3-X
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