1995–96 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke City
1995–96 season
Chairman Peter Coates
Manager Lou Macari
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League First Division 4th (73 Points)
FA Cup Third Round
League Cup Fourth Round
Anglo-Italian Group Stage
Top goalscorer League: Mike Sheron (15)
All: Mike Sheron (15)
Highest home attendance 18,897 vs Southend United (5 May 1996)
Lowest home attendance 8,618 vs Tranmere Rovers (16 September 1995)
Average home league attendance 12,279
Home colours

The 1995–96 season was Stoke City's 89th season in the Football League and 33rd in the second tier.

Prior to the start of the 1995–96 season there was a lot of talk about the possibility of building a new stadium to bring Stoke up to the requirements of the Taylor Report. On the pitch Stoke enjoyed their most successful season for quite a long time as they mounted a push for promotion to the Premiership and made the end-of-season play-offs against Leicester City. Unfortunately for Stoke Leicester scored the only goal in the two-legged tie and they went on to be promoted.[1]

Season review

League

There were few transactions taking place in the summer of 1995 with the main talk being about a change of home.[1] The Taylor Report had come to the conclusion that all football stadia in England should be all-seater and the best option for Stoke would be to build a new stadium rather than convert the Victoria Ground.[1] The season began slowly with one win picked up in the first eight matches and with Icelandic midfielder Toddy Orlygsson leaving for Oldham Athletic after a contract dispute.[1] But wins over Midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers kick started Stoke's season and after a 5–0 win at home against Luton Town, City went on a run of six wins in seven and took the team into the play-off zone.[1] In November Stoke completed a master-stroke signing swapping the poor-scoring Keith Scott for Mike Sheron at Norwich City.[1] He formed a great partnership with Simon Sturridge and the pair scored 29 goals between them this season.[1]

Fielding a settled side, Stoke continued to remain in the hunt for promotion and after a 2–0 win at home to rivals Barnsley at the start of March Stoke put distance between themselves and 7th.[1] But on transfer deadline day Paul Peschisolido was controversially sold back to Birmingham City with Macari claiming not to have been aware of any deal.[1] Attention was diverted by Sheron's club record run of seven goals in seven games as five wins out the last seven cemented Stoke place in the play-offs.[1] By this time it was agreed and ratified that in two years Stoke would be moving to a new purpose-built all-seater stadium.[1] Stoke's opponents in the play-offs were Martin O'Neill's Leicester City whom Stoke had already beaten twice in the league.[1] The first leg at Filbert Street ended 0–0.[1] In the second leg, Stoke produced a poor performance and Leicester scored the only goal, Garry Parker's left-foot volley ending Stoke's hopes of promotion.[1]

FA Cup

Stoke outplayed Premiership Nottingham Forest but fell to a 2–0 defeat in a replay.[1]

League Cup

Stoke drew Chelsea in the second round and after a 0–0 draw at home Stoke produced a brilliant performance away at Stamford Bridge and came away with a memorable 1–0 victory thanks to a 75th-minute goal from Paul Peschisolido.[1] Alas Stoke couldn't match another Premiership side, Newcastle United, who eased to a 4–0 win.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGDPts
1 Sunderland 46 22 17 7 59 33 +26 83
2 Derby County 46 21 16 9 71 51 +20 79
3 Crystal Palace 46 20 15 11 67 48 +19 75
4 Stoke City 46 20 13 13 60 49 +11 73
5 Leicester City 46 19 14 13 66 60 +6 71
6 Charlton Athletic 46 17 20 9 57 45 +12 71
7 Ipswich Town 46 19 12 15 79 69 +10 69
8 Huddersfield Town 46 17 12 17 61 58 +3 63
9 Sheffield United 46 16 14 16 57 54 +3 62
10 Barnsley 46 14 18 14 60 66 –6 60
11 West Bromwich Albion 46 16 12 18 60 68 –8 60
12 Port Vale 46 15 15 16 59 66 –7 60
13 Tranmere Rovers 46 14 17 15 64 60 +4 59
14 Southend United 46 15 14 17 52 61 –9 59
15 Birmingham City 46 15 13 18 61 64 –3 58
16 Norwich City 46 14 15 17 59 55 +4 57
17 Grimsby Town 46 14 14 18 55 69 –14 56
18 Oldham Athletic 46 14 14 18 54 50 +4 56
19 Reading 46 13 17 16 54 63 –7 56
20 Wolverhampton Wanderers 46 13 16 17 56 62 –8 55
21 Portsmouth 46 13 13 20 61 69 –8 52
22 Millwall 46 13 13 20 43 63 –20 52
23 Watford 46 10 18 18 62 70 –48 48
24 Luton Town 46 11 12 23 40 64 –45 45

Key: P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Results

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League First Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
1 12 August 1995 ReadingH1–111,932Wallace 12'
2 19 August 1995 Leicester CityA3–217,719Peschisolido (2) 9', 23', Gleghorn 33'
3 27 August 1995 Port ValeH0–114,283
4 30 August 1995 Ipswich TownA1–410,848Peschisolido 83'
5 2 September 1995 Oldham AthleticH0–18,663
6 9 September 1995 WatfordA0–37,130
7 12 September 1995 Birmingham CityA1–119,005Carruthers 52'
8 16 September 1995 Tranmere RoversH0–08,618
9 24 September 1995 West Bromwich AlbionH2–19,612Peschisolido 14', Keen 51'
10 28 September 1995 Crystal PalaceA1–114,613Carruthers 36'
11 7 October 1995 Norwich CityH1–112,016Wallace 67'
12 14 October 1995 Wolverhampton WanderersA4–126,486Gleghorn 36', Potter 41', Wallace 85', Carruthers 90'
13 22 October 1995 Derby CountyH1–19,436Keen 66'
14 28 October 1995 Grimsby TownA0–15,477
15 4 November 1995 Luton TownH5–09,382Peschisolido 14', Sturridge (2) 73', 87', Gayle 75', Gleghorn 90'
16 11 November 1995 Southend UnitedA4–25,967Sturridge (3) 32', 63', 75', Gleghorn 65'
17 18 November 1995 PortsmouthA3–38,030Gayle (2) 29', 61', Sturridge 63'
18 22 November 1995 SunderlandH1–011,754Wallace 21'
19 25 November 1995 MillwallH1–012,590Gleghorn 62'
20 2 December 1995 Norwich CityA1–015,707Gleghorn 53'
21 9 December 1995 West Bromwich AlbionA1–014,819Peschisolido 35'
22 16 December 1995 Crystal PalaceH1–212,090Sheron 87'
23 23 December 1995 Sheffield UnitedH2–212,265Gleghorn 27', Sheron 46'
24 26 December 1995 BarnsleyA1–39,229Gleghorn 68'
25 30 December 1995 Huddersfield TownA1–115,669Sheron 57'
26 13 January 1996 Leicester CityH1–015,071Sheron 47'
27 20 January 1996 ReadingA0–18,082
28 10 February 1996 Ipswich TownH3–112,239Sheron (2) 37', 75', Gleghorn 65'
29 17 February 1996 Birmingham CityH1–015,716Sturridge 25'
30 24 February 1996 Tranmere RoversA0–018,312
31 28 February 1996 WatfordH2–010,114Cranson 48', Wallace 62'
32 2 March 1996 BarnsleyH2–012,663Keen 39', Sheron 70'
33 9 March 1996 Sheffield UnitedA0–014,468
34 12 March 1996 Port ValeA0–116,737
35 16 March 1996 Huddersfield TownH1–113,157Sturridge 66'
36 23 March 1996 Charlton AthleticA1–212,770Sheron 41'
37 30 March 1996 Derby CountyA1–317,245Sheron 22'
38 1 April 1996 Wolverhampton WanderersH2–016,361Sheron 3', Sturridge 58'
39 6 April 1996 Grimsby TownH1–212,524Sheron 35'
40 9 April 1996 Luton TownA2–17,689Sturridge 86', Sheron 90'
41 13 April 1996 PortsmouthH2–111,471Wallace 7', Sheron 90'
42 17 April 1996 Charlton AthleticH1–012,969Sheron 29'
43 21 April 1996 SunderlandA0–021,276
44 27 April 1996 MillwallA3–210,105Sheron 28', Sturridge (2) 32', 70 (pen)
45 30 April 1996 Oldham AthleticA0–210,271
46 5 May 1996 Southend UnitedH1–018,897Sheron 12'

First Division play-offs

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
Semi-final 1st Leg 12 May 1996 Leicester CityA0–020,325
Semi-final 2nd Leg 15 May 1996 Leicester CityH0–121,037

FA Cup

Main article: 1995–96 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R36 January 1996 Nottingham ForestH1–117,947Sturridge 27'
R3 Replay17 January 1996 Nottingham ForestA0–217,372

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R2 1st Leg20 September 1995 ChelseaH0–015,574
R2 2nd Leg4 October 1995 ChelseaA1–016,272Peschisolido 75'
R325 October 1995 Newcastle UnitedH0–423,000

Anglo-Italian Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
Group Match 15 September 1995 FoggiaA1–11,000Peschisolido
Group Match 211 October 1995 SalernitanaH2–25,071Peschisolido, Wallace
Group Match 38 November 1995 BresciaH1–14,193Dreyer
Group Match 413 December 1995 ReggianaA0–0

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup League Cup Anglo-Italian Play-offs Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Carl Muggleton 600000000060
GKEngland Mark Prudhoe 39020302020480
GKScotland Ronnie Sinclair 100000010020
DFEngland David Brightwell 0(1)0000010001(1)0
DFEngland Ian Clarkson 43020302020520
DFEngland Ian Cranson 23(1)1100(1)0100025(2)1
DFEngland John Dreyer 4(15)0100021007(15)1
DFEngland Graham Potter 38(3)12030302048(3)1
DFEngland Lee Sandford 46020302020550
DFIceland Lárus Sigurðsson 46020302020550
DFEngland Ray Wallace 44620303120547
DFEngland Justin Whittle 7(1)0000000209(1)0
MFEngland Carl Beeston 13(3)00000000013(3)0
MFScotland Mark Devlin 5(5)000000(2)0207(7)0
MFEngland Nigel Gleghorn 46920303020569
MFEngland Kevin Keen 27(6)32020200033(6)3
MFIceland Toddy Orlygsson 6(1)0000010007(1)0
MFEngland Vince Overson 18000302000230
FWEngland Martin Carruthers 10(14)31030200(1)016(15)3
FWEngland John Gayle 5(5)30(1)00010006(6)3
FWCanada Paul Peschisolido 20(6)61031220026(6)9
FWEngland Keith Scott 6(1)0000000006(1)0
FWEngland Mike Sheron 23(5)150000002025(5)15
FWEngland Simon Sturridge 30(11)132110202037(11)14

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Lowe, Simon (2000). Stoke City The Modern Era - A Complete Record. Desert Island Books. ISBN 1-874287-39-2.

See also

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