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)
Play-offs	Semi-final
FA Cup	Third Round
League Cup	Fourth Round
Anglo-Italian Cup	Group Stage
Top goalscorer	League: Mike Sheron ; (16); All: Mike Sheron ; (16)
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
	Home colours
	← 1994–95 1996–97 →

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, the possibility of building a new stadium to bring Stoke up to the requirements of the Taylor Report was discussed. On the pitch Stoke enjoyed their most successful season for quite a long time as they mounted a push for promotion to the Premier League and made the end-of-season play-offs against Leicester City. However, Leicester scored the only goal in the two-legged tie and they were the team that 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 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 Premier League 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

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
2	Derby County (P)	46	21	16	9	71	51	+20	79	Promotion to the Premier League
3	Crystal Palace	46	20	15	11	67	48	+19	75	Qualification for the First Division play-offs
4	Stoke City	46	20	13	13	60	49	+11	73
5	Leicester City (O, P)	46	19	14	13	66	60	+6	71
6	Charlton Athletic	46	17	20	9	57	45	+12	71

Source: ^{[citation needed]}
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goals scored; 3) Goal difference
(O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted

Results

Legend

Win	Draw	Loss

Football League First Division

Match	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
1	12 August 1995	Reading	H	1–1	11,932	Wallace 12'
2	19 August 1995	Leicester City	A	3–2	17,719	Peschisolido (2) 9', 23', Gleghorn 33'
3	27 August 1995	Port Vale	H	0–1	14,283
4	30 August 1995	Ipswich Town	A	1–4	10,848	Peschisolido 83'
5	2 September 1995	Oldham Athletic	H	0–1	8,663
6	9 September 1995	Watford	A	0–3	7,130
7	12 September 1995	Birmingham City	A	1–1	19,005	Carruthers 52'
8	16 September 1995	Tranmere Rovers	H	0–0	8,618
9	24 September 1995	West Bromwich Albion	H	2–1	9,612	Peschisolido 14', Keen 51'
10	28 September 1995	Crystal Palace	A	1–1	14,613	Carruthers 36'
11	7 October 1995	Norwich City	H	1–1	12,016	Wallace 67'
12	14 October 1995	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	4–1	26,486	Gleghorn 36', Potter 41', Wallace 85', Carruthers 90'
13	22 October 1995	Derby County	H	1–1	9,436	Keen 66'
14	28 October 1995	Grimsby Town	A	0–1	5,477
15	4 November 1995	Luton Town	H	5–0	9,382	Peschisolido 14', Sturridge (2) 73', 87', Gayle 75', Gleghorn 90'
16	11 November 1995	Southend United	A	4–2	5,967	Sturridge (3) 32', 63', 75', Gleghorn 65'
17	18 November 1995	Portsmouth	A	3–3	8,030	Gayle (2) 29', 61', Sturridge 63'
18	22 November 1995	Sunderland	H	1–0	11,754	Wallace 21'
19	25 November 1995	Millwall	H	1–0	12,590	Gleghorn 62'
20	2 December 1995	Norwich City	A	1–0	15,707	Gleghorn 53'
21	9 December 1995	West Bromwich Albion	A	1–0	14,819	Peschisolido 35'
22	16 December 1995	Crystal Palace	H	1–2	12,090	Sheron 87'
23	23 December 1995	Sheffield United	H	2–2	12,265	Gleghorn 27', Sheron 46'
24	26 December 1995	Barnsley	A	1–3	9,229	Gleghorn 68'
25	30 December 1995	Huddersfield Town	A	1–1	15,669	Sheron 57'
26	13 January 1996	Leicester City	H	1–0	15,071	Sheron 47'
27	20 January 1996	Reading	A	0–1	8,082
28	10 February 1996	Ipswich Town	H	3–1	12,239	Sheron (2) 37', 75', Gleghorn 65'
29	17 February 1996	Birmingham City	H	1–0	15,716	Sturridge 25'
30	24 February 1996	Tranmere Rovers	A	0–0	18,312
31	28 February 1996	Watford	H	2–0	10,114	Cranson 48', Wallace 62'
32	2 March 1996	Barnsley	H	2–0	12,663	Keen 39', Sheron 70'
33	9 March 1996	Sheffield United	A	0–0	14,468
34	12 March 1996	Port Vale	A	0–1	16,737
35	16 March 1996	Huddersfield Town	H	1–1	13,157	Sturridge 66'
36	23 March 1996	Charlton Athletic	A	1–2	12,770	Sheron 41'
37	30 March 1996	Derby County	A	1–3	17,245	Sheron 22'
38	1 April 1996	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	2–0	16,361	Sheron 3', Sturridge 58'
39	6 April 1996	Grimsby Town	H	1–2	12,524	Sheron 35'
40	9 April 1996	Luton Town	A	2–1	7,689	Sturridge 86', Sheron 90'
41	13 April 1996	Portsmouth	H	2–1	11,471	Wallace 7', Sheron 90'
42	17 April 1996	Charlton Athletic	H	1–0	12,969	Sheron 29'
43	21 April 1996	Sunderland	A	0–0	21,276
44	27 April 1996	Millwall	A	3–2	10,105	Sheron 28', Sturridge (2) 32', 70 (pen)
45	30 April 1996	Oldham Athletic	A	0–2	10,271
46	5 May 1996	Southend United	H	1–0	18,897	Sheron 12'

First Division play-offs

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
Semi-final 1st Leg	12 May 1996	Leicester City	A	0–0	20,325
Semi-final 2nd Leg	15 May 1996	Leicester City	H	0–1	21,037

FA Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
R3	6 January 1996	Nottingham Forest	H	1–1	17,947	Sturridge 27'
R3 Replay	17 January 1996	Nottingham Forest	A	0–2	17,372

League Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
R2 1st Leg	20 September 1995	Chelsea	H	0–0	15,574
R2 2nd Leg	4 October 1995	Chelsea	A	1–0	16,272	Peschisolido 75'
R3	25 October 1995	Newcastle United	H	0–4	23,000

Anglo-Italian Cup

Note: The final group match against Reggiana was postponed and never replayed the result defaulted at 0–0.

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
Group Match 1	5 September 1995	Foggia	A	1–1	4,200	Peschisolido 65'
Group Match 2	11 October 1995	Salernitana	H	2–2	5,071	Peschisolido 3', Wallace 47'
Group Match 3	8 November 1995	Brescia	H	1–1	4,193	Dreyer 90'
Group Match 4	13 December 1995	Reggiana	A	0–0

Squad statistics

Pos.	Name	League		FA Cup		League Cup		Anglo-Italian Cup		Play-offs		Total
Pos.	Name	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GK	Phil Morgan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
GK	Carl Muggleton	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
GK	Mark Prudhoe	39	0	2	0	3	0	2	0	2	0	48	0
GK	Ronnie Sinclair	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	0
DF	Mark Birch	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
DF	David Brightwell	0(1)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1(1)	0
DF	Ian Clarkson	43	0	2	0	3	0	2	0	2	0	52	0
DF	Ian Cranson	23(1)	1	1	0	0(1)	0	1	0	0	0	25(2)	1
DF	John Dreyer	4(15)	0	1	0	0	0	1(1)	1	0	0	6(16)	1
DF	Graham Potter	38(3)	1	2	0	3	0	3	0	2	0	48(3)	1
DF	Lee Sandford	46	0	2	0	3	0	2	0	2	0	55	0
DF	Lárus Sigurðsson	46	0	2	0	3	0	2	0	2	0	55	0
DF	Ray Wallace	44	6	2	0	3	0	3	1	2	0	54	7
DF	Justin Whittle	7(1)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	9(1)	0
MF	Carl Beeston	13(3)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	13(3)	0
MF	Mark Devlin	5(5)	0	0	0	0	0	0(2)	0	2	0	7(7)	0
MF	Nigel Gleghorn	46	9	2	0	3	0	3	0	2	0	56	9
MF	Kevin Keen	27(6)	3	2	0	2	0	2	0	0	0	33(6)	3
MF	Chris McDonald	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
MF	Toddy Orlygsson	6(1)	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	8(1)	0
MF	Vince Overson	18	0	0	0	3	0	1	0	0	0	22	0
FW	Martin Carruthers	10(14)	3	1	0	3	0	2	0	0(1)	0	16(15)	3
FW	John Gayle	5(5)	3	0(1)	0	0	0	1(1)	0	0	0	6(7)	3
FW	Paul Peschisolido	20(6)	6	1	0	3	1	2	2	0	0	26(6)	9
FW	Keith Scott	6(1)	0	0	0	0	0	0(1)	0	0(1)	0	6(2)	0
FW	Mike Sheron	23(5)	16	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	25(5)	16
FW	Simon Sturridge	30(11)	12	2	1	1	0	2	0	2	0	37(11)	13

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q Lowe, Simon (2000). Stoke City The Modern Era - A Complete Record. Desert Island Books. ISBN 1-874287-39-2.

[Stoke_City_Modern_Era-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q Lowe, Simon (2000). Stoke City The Modern Era - A Complete Record. Desert Island Books. ISBN 1-874287-39-2.

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