Seasons

 

Coventry leapfrog Liverpool into eighth place by crushing them 5-1 at Highfield Road. Micky Quinn scores another brace, and Jamie Redknapp is sent off in the Anfield side’s worst defeat in 16 years.

Future Chelsea player-manager Gianluca Vialli (Juventus) plays his final international for Italy in Malta – scoring the opening goal in a 2-1 victory.

 

Norwich lose 2-0 at home to fierce local rivals Ipswich. Their lead is now just four points whilst the Portman Road side move up to sixth.

Striker Stan Collymore (21) makes his move from Crystal Palace to Southend (Div 1) permanent after four goals in five games while on loan (£100,000)

 

Alan Shearer (Blackburn) is out for the season. Having amassed an impressive 16 goals in just 21 games for his new club, he snaps his anterior cruciate ligament in the 3-1 victory over Leeds.

 

Man Utd hammer form-side Coventry 5-0 to go second – just 3 points behind Norwich.

England international winger Andy Sinton (QPR) scores a hat-trick in the 4–2 win over Everton.

 

Gordon Strachan (Leeds) is awarded an OBE in the New Years Honours List.

Future Liverpool defender Jon Flanagan born in Liverpool.

 

Arsenal boss George Graham is charged with misconduct over remarks made to referee Alf Buksh after last months defeat against Spurs.

Future WBA midfielder George Thorne born in Chatham.

 

Defender and future football wheeler-dealer Ray Ransom (Newcastle – Div 1) loaned back to his first club Man City.

 

Based on TV evidence, Ian Wright (Arsenal) is given a 3-match ban for striking David Howells (Spurs), and his manager George Graham is fined £500 for his remarks to the match referee following the same game.

Liverpool pay former coach Phil Thompson £28,000 for dropping his claim for unfair dismissal, on the proviso that he makes no comment on the subject for two years.

Swedish international defender Patrik Andersson (Malmo) to Blackburn (£800,000)

 

Man Utd beat Spurs 4-1 to go top on goal difference, ahead of Aston Villa – for whom Dean Saunders scores against his old club Liverpool – and Norwich. All are on 41 points.

 

Norwich fail to retake the top position by losing at Sheff Wed. Although the top three have all scored 34 goals each, the Canaries have a goal difference of minus-one.

 

Notts Co (Div 1) – currently lying bottom of the division, sacks future-Premier League manager Neil Warnock.

 

Norwich can only draw at home to Coventry but return to the top. Meanwhile Liverpool slip to 16th place as they lose at relegation-threatened Wimbledon, and Brian Deane (Sheff Utd) scores a hat-trick as the Blades beat Ipswich 3-0.

 

The Department of Employment reject Spurs application for a work permit for 23-year-old Ukrainian striker Oleg Salenko (Dynamo Kiev).

David Speedie (Southampton) is immediately loaned out to WBA (Div 2) on his return from a similar deal at Birmingham (Div 1).

 

A Chris Sutton goal at Everton puts Norwich back on top, as Man Utd lose at Ipswich and Aston Villa do likewise at Southampton. Elsewhere, a John Barnes penalty against Arsenal elevates struggling Liverpool back into mid-table. Full-back Nigel Winterburn is sent-off for the Gunners.

 

Central defender Martin Keown (Everton) returns to Arsenal (£2m) seven years after leaving for Aston Villa.

 

Crystal Palace ease their relegation worries with a surprise 2-1 win at a fast-fading Blackburn, who have only won one of their last six league games.

 

Man Utd and Aston Villa both win to go two points clear of Norwich who are without a game. Meanwhile champions Leeds lose their eighth consecutive away league game at Wimbledon, and are now only 4 points clear of the drop-zone.

 

Eric Cantona (Man Utd) returns to a hostile Leeds, where his new team come away with a 0-0 draw to take them a point clear at the top.

 

Both Aston Villa and Norwich lose to leave Man Utd a point clear of Aston Villa and three points clear of Norwich at the top.

 

Aston Villa take advantage of an FA Cup 5th Round weekend to leapfrog Man Utd by winning at Chelsea 1-0.

With many clubs having completed two-thirds of the season’s fixtures, the potential winners and losers are beginning to become apparent.

FA Premier League – Top six.

Pos Club P W D L F A Pts
1  Aston Villa 29 15 8 6 45 30 53
2  Man Utd 28 14 9 5 42 22 51
3 Norwich 27 14 6 7 40 41 48
4 Ipswich 28 10 13 5 37 32 43
5 Coventry 28 11 9 8 44 38 42
6 Blackburn 27 11 8 8 40 30 41

And meanwhile, at the bottom…

FA Premier League – Bottom six

Pos Club P W D L F A Pts
17 Crystal Palace 28 8 9 11 35 44 33
18 Everton 28 9 5 14 30 37 32
19 Middlesbrough 28 7 9 12 36 47 30
20 Sheffield Utd 27 7 7 13 27 36 28
21 Oldham 27 7 6 14 38 50 27
22 Nottingham F. 26 6 7 13 26 35 25
 

Without a win in eleven league games, mid-table Chelsea part company with Ian Porterfield – who becomes the first Premier League managerial casualty.  Former Southend (Div 1) boss and Chelsea old-boy David Webb takes over on a contract that runs until the end of the season.

Ian Porterfield – Premier League managerial record

Club P W D L Pts Average Points per game
Chelsea 29 9 10 10 37 1.276
TOTAL 29 9 10 10 37 1.276

Twenty-three year-old Dutch international and future-Arsenal playmaker Dennis Bergkamp (Ajax) signs for Inter Milan for a reported £6.3m.

 

In a £12m sponsorship deal covering the next four years, the top division will be known as the Carling Premier League from next season. Bass Brewery – the parent company – already sponsors the Scottish League under the brand name of Tennents.

Former England striker Kerry Dixon (Southampton) loaned to Luton (Div 1)

Defensive midfielder and future TV pundit Chris Kamara (Luton – Div 1) loaned to Middlesbrough.

 

The top three all win with 2-1 scorelines. Aston Villa beat strugglers Everton – who have now lost four on the spin, Man Utd overcome Southampton with a late brace from Ryan Giggs, and Norwich see-off mid-table Man City. Elsewhere, Teddy Sherringham scores a hat-trick as Spurs thrash Leeds 4-0 and Oldham are now bottom following Nottingham F.’s 2-1 victory at Middlesbrough.

 

In a potential relegation battle, Sheffield United beat Oldham 2-0 to move out of the drop-zone.

 

Sheffield Wed win 2-1 at Man City to record an eighth league victory out of their last nine games. They now move into fourth place. Defender-turned emergency striker Paul Warhurst scores for the fourth consecutive league game.

 

Vinny Jones (Wimbledon) fails in his appeal against the FA’s £20,000 fine for his part in the video Soccer’s Hard Men.

 

A Dwight Yorke (Aston Villa) goal is enough to beat Wimbledon and keep his team two points ahead of his future employees Man Utd, who beat Middlesbrough 3-0.

A new law permitting coaching from the ‘technical area’ is passed – providing the coaches ‘…conduct themselves at all times in a responsible manner’.

 

Norwich suffers a setback to their championship ambitions by playing out a goalless draw against Blackburn.

 

In the clubs first extraordinary general meeting in 23 years, a group of disgruntled Nottingham F. shareholders fail in their bid to get information about Brian Clough’s day-to-day management of the club.

Future Chelsea midfielder Josh McEachran born in Oxford.

 

A major surprise as struggling Sheffield Utd crush Spurs 6-0 – bringing an end to the North Londoners sequence of five league wins on the bounce. It is their worst defeat since 1976. Middlesbrough also cause a shock by winning 1-0 at Ipswich

Forward Robert Rosario (Coventry) to Nottingham F. (£400,000). He becomes Brian Clough’s last signing.

 

Norwich can only draw 1-1 with pre-season favourites Arsenal.

Having already relieved Liverpool of Dean Saunders, Ray Houghton and Steve Staunton, Aston Villa make an unsuccessful offer of £3.5m for John Barnes.

 

Sunday and Daily Sport proprietor, and future West Ham co-owner David Sullivan buys Birmingham (Div 1). He appoints Karren Brady (24) as the first female managing director of a professional football club.

 

Man Utd win 2-1 at Liverpool to regain the top position. The Anfield club now lie just three points above the relegation zone. Elsewhere, Norwich lose 3-1 at QPR and are now seven points adrift of the leaders.

 

Oldham beat leaders Man Utd 1-0 but remain bottom.

Scott Sellars (Leeds) to Newcastle (Div 1 – £700,000).

 

Aston Villa can only draw 0-0 with Spurs and remain behind Man Utd on goal difference. But Norwich win 1-0 at Sheffield Utd and are back to with four points of the leaders. An Ian Rush goal gives Liverpool a much-needed victory over QPR.

 

Norwich beat bottom club Oldham 1-0 to go one point behind the leaders – Man Utd and Aston Villa.

 

Man Utd and Aston Villa draw 1-1 at Old Trafford with goals from Mark Hughes and Steve Staunton respectively. Norwich are now only two points behind, and all three have nine remaining games.