Looking Back at Season….1992/93 (Part Three)

Dipping back into the archives at another memorable Southern Football League season, this time with the Southern Division.

Despite having a tremendous season, scoring over 100 league goals, losing only four games and being hailed as title winners very early on, Sittingbourne only just clinched the championship.

Salisbury pushed them all the way, and the two-point winning margin was much lower than expected.

However, John Ryan`s Sittingbourne side drew twelve matches, compared to Salisbury`s seven.

Former Norwich City and Luton Town full-back Ryan signed some outstanding players during the campaign. Welsh international striker Steve Lovell was lured away from the full-time game, as was Brian Clarke – both signed from Kent neighbours Gillingham, and they knitted in well with the likes of Karl Elsey, Jason Lillis and Neil Emblem – all quality players who would not be out of place in the Premier Division.

The club`s Central Park stadium will also be a welcome addition to the Premier Division, and they went on to finish in eighth spot in 1993/94 before suffering relegation the following season.

Third, fifth and now second was Geoff Butler`s record in charge of Salisbury over the last three seasons.

The only shame is that, because their Victoria Park ground is unsuitable, promotion to the Premier Division is out of the question.

There had been talk of a new ground being built but that didn`t come to fruition and the next 20 years or so would prove to be very interesting in the Wiltshire city.

But on-the-field in 1992/93, no-one could argue that Butler, the ex-Norwich City and Bournemouth defender, had done a great job.

He made a number of changes to his personnel during the campaign, after keeping virtually a settled squad together for a few years.

Newcomers like Paul Odey, Hung Dang, Simon Browne, Kevin Bale and Gerry Pearson all played important roles in Salisbury`s charge.

In 1993 the club's name was officially changed to Salisbury City, and in 1994/95 they won the Southern Division championship.

After redevelopment work at the council-owned Victoria Park, the club was finally able to step up to the Premier Division.

Witney Town were another club to enjoy a super season – their best since finishing fifth in 1983/84.

Manager Andy Lyne added a few young, talented players to his squad and the formula worked.

Defensively, Witney were excellent – conceding just 37 goals from their 42 games – the best in the division and 13 fewer than Salisbury.

Much of this was down to the fact that they had a settled back four with the experienced Peter Hutter, who played on until 2002 at the age of 39 with Aylesbury United and North Leigh before retiring, and Andy Leach at the heart of it flanked by youngsters Craig Dore and Lee Hyatt.

The Blanketmen (who I featured in more depth in a previous feature on here) moved to a brand-new stadium during the season but just eight seasons later, the club sadly folded.

Gravesend & Northfleet looked Premier Division-bound for much of the season but suffered a poor run of results just at the wrong time.

They did, however, possess the most lethal weapon in non-League football – Steve Portway, who netted an incredible 58 league goals!

He became a local celebrity, and his scoring exploits gave the club a new lease of life with both the fans and the media.

Manager Gary Aldous, a striker himself in his playing days with the Fleet and Tonbridge amongst others, saw his side hit 99 league goals but concede 63 – seven more than fifth-bottom Newport Isle of Wight!

Therein was the reason why Fleet missed out in 92/93, although they would take the title the following season.

Havant Town were a slight disappointment, given the fact they had finished third the previous season, missing out on a Premier Division place by just three points.

Manager Tony Mount introduced some good youngsters into his team but they were to finish in exactly the same position in 93/94 and it wasn`t until their merger with Waterlooville in 1998 that things began to move for the Hawks.

Sudbury Town drew too many games in 1993/93 to be serious promotion contenders, but manager Richie Powling, the former Arsenal midfielder, had a lethal striking partnership in the long-serving Paul Smith and Steve Parnell, who notched 61 goals between them that season.

Smith had a well-deserved testimonial in 1993 and over 1,000 fans turned up to watch the game against First Division Ipswich Town held in his honour.

Andover finished in 20th spot, a point clear of the bottom two, but decided to voluntarily drop down to the Wessex League, ending a twenty-two-year spell in the Southern League.

The Lions were struggling to cope with the Southern League financially. They would eventually return, five years later, only to suffer relegation straight back down in 1998/99 and then returned once again in 2006/07 before folding five years later.

With Dartford`s demise and Andover`s demotion, there was a reprieve for second-from-bottom Dunstable and bottom side Bury Town.

Dunstable promised better than they delivered in the end. Manager Steve Brinkman, the former Barnet midfielder who, sadly, after having several heart attacks, passed away in November 2001, managed to sign some experienced players like another ex-Barnet man John Margerrison and former Kettering Town and Buckingham Town striker Terry Shrieves but suffered from a lot of injuries.

Dunstable lasted one more season before folding – re-appearing in 1998/99 as Dunstable Town but down four levels in the Spartan South Midlands League Division One (they had a Premier, Senior and Division One in those days).

Suffolk side Bury had their worst season in the Southern League since winning promotion back from the Eastern Counties League in 1987/88.

They conceded 119 goals and, perhaps most significantly, went through three managers.

Chris Symes was replaced early in the season by Brian Lafflin, his former assistant.

However, Lafflin`s spell was a brief one, and the Blues appointed Dale Brooks, a former player, as their new man in charge in November 1992.

They would endure an even worse 1993/94 campaign, finishing rock-bottom again, winning only three games and letting in 121 goals!

However, they had another reprieve, assisted by Dunstable`s departure, but lasted just two more seasons, finishing 18th and then 21st in the Midland Division before going back down to the Eastern Counties League, returning for a two-season spell in the Southern League in 2008/09 and 2009/10 after being switched from the Isthmian League, switching back again in 2010.