# 1995–96 Coventry City F.C. season

During the 1995–96 English football season, Coventry City competed in the FA Premier League.

## Season summary

Once again, Coventry City defied the odds after a season of struggle. This time they had the determination of manager Ron Atkinson and the regular supply of goals from Dion Dublin to thank for their survival. They hit the headlines in December with a spectacular 5–0 win over defending champions Blackburn, but the defence leaked too many goals for the Sky Blues to progress beyond 16th place in the final table, surviving only on goal difference to secure a 30th successive season of top flight football. Tragedy struck the club as promising defender David Busst suffered a harrowing broken-leg injury during a clash with Denis Irwin and Brian McClair from a corner in the 1-0 defeat at Manchester United, often considered one of the worst football injuries in history, which ultimately ended his career. He was diagnosed with MRSA later on from his injury in hospital, forcing him to premature retirement later that year.
New to the side for the season were defender Paul Williams from Derby County (not to be confused with another defender, Paul Williams, who departed the club the following week, nor with yet another Paul Williams, a Northern Irish forward who played for the club on loan from West Brom in the 92-93 season); Brazilian midfielder Isaías; and 21-year-old Leeds United striker Noel Whelan.
Atkinson splashed out more than £15 million on new players during the close season, as he looked to build a Coventry side which was capable of matching the high placing of his old club Aston Villa, one of Coventry's deadliest rivals.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 14 | Wimbledon | 38 | 10 | 11 | 17 | 55 | 70 | −15 | 41 | |
| 15 | Sheffield Wednesday | 38 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 48 | 61 | −13 | 40 | |
| 16 | Coventry City | 38 | 8 | 14 | 16 | 42 | 60 | −18 | 38 | |
| 17 | Southampton | 38 | 9 | 11 | 18 | 34 | 52 | −18 | 38 | |
| 18 | Manchester City (R) | 38 | 9 | 11 | 18 | 33 | 58 | −25 | 38 | Relegation to Football League First Division |

### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Source: Statto

### Results by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |
| Ground | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | A | H | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | A | H |
| Result | L | W | D | D | D | L | L | L | D | L | L | L | D | L | D | L | W | L | W | W | D | L | D | L | D | W | D | D | D | L | L | L | W | L | W | D | W | D |
| Position | 20 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 |

## Results

Coventry City's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### FA Premier League

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 19 August 1995 | Newcastle United | A | 0-3 | 36,485 | |
| 23 August 1995 | Manchester City | H | 2-1 | 15,957 | Telfer, Dublin |
| 26 August 1995 | Arsenal | H | 0-0 | 20,065 | |
| 30 August 1995 | Chelsea | A | 2-2 | 24,398 | Isaías, Ndlovu |
| 9 September 1995 | Nottingham Forest | H | 1-1 | 17,219 | Dublin |
| 16 September 1995 | Middlesbrough | A | 1-2 | 27,882 | Isaías |
| 23 September 1995 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 1-5 | 24,382 | Ndlovu |
| 30 September 1995 | Aston Villa | H | 0-3 | 20,987 | |
| 14 October 1995 | Liverpool | A | 0-0 | 39,079 | |
| 21 October 1995 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 0-1 | 13,998 | |
| 28 October 1995 | Leeds United | A | 1-3 | 30,161 | Dublin |
| 4 November 1995 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 2-3 | 17,545 | Dublin, Williams |
| 19 November 1995 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 1-1 | 11,189 | Dublin |
| 22 November 1995 | Manchester United | H | 0-4 | 23,400 | |
| 25 November 1995 | Wimbledon | H | 3-3 | 12,523 | Heald (own goal), Dublin, Rennie |
| 4 December 1995 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 3-4 | 16,229 | Dublin (3) |
| 9 December 1995 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 5-0 | 13,376 | Busst, Dublin, Rennie, Ndlovu, Salako |
| 16 December 1995 | Aston Villa | A | 1-4 | 28,486 | Dublin |
| 23 December 1995 | Everton | H | 2-1 | 16,639 | Busst, Whelan |
| 30 December 1995 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 2-1 | 16,678 | Whelan, Salako (pen) |
| 1 January 1996 | Southampton | H | 1-1 | 16,818 | Whelan |
| 14 January 1996 | Newcastle United | H | 0-1 | 20,547 | |
| 20 January 1996 | Manchester City | A | 1-1 | 25,710 | Dublin |
| 31 January 1996 | West Ham United | A | 2-3 | 18,884 | Whelan, Dublin |
| 3 February 1996 | Arsenal | A | 1-1 | 35,623 | Whelan |
| 10 February 1996 | Chelsea | H | 1-0 | 20,639 | Whelan |
| 24 February 1996 | Middlesbrough | H | 0-0 | 18,810 | |
| 2 March 1996 | West Ham United | H | 2-2 | 17,459 | Salako, Whelan |
| 9 March 1996 | Everton | A | 2-2 | 34,517 | Daish, Williams |
| 16 March 1996 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 0-2 | 17,226 | |
| 25 March 1996 | Southampton | A | 0-1 | 14,461 | |
| 30 March 1996 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 1-3 | 26,808 | Dublin |
| 6 April 1996 | Liverpool | H | 1-0 | 23,137 | Whelan |
| 8 April 1996 | Manchester United | A | 0-1 | 50,332 | |
| 13 April 1996 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 1-0 | 22,910 | Jess |
| 17 April 1996 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0-0 | 24,629 | |
| 27 April 1996 | Wimbledon | A | 2-0 | 15,540 | Ndlovu (2) |
| 5 May 1996 | Leeds United | H | 0-0 | 22,769 | |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 6 January 1996 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 3-1 | 17,721 | Pickering, Telfer, Salako |
| R4 | 7 February 1996 | Manchester City | H | 2-2 | 18,709 | Whelan, Dublin |
| R4R | 14 February 1996 | Manchester City | A | 1-2 | 22,419 | Dublin |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R2 1st Leg | 20 September 1995 | Hull City | H | 2-0 | 8,915 | Richardson, Lamptey |
| R2 2nd Leg | 4 October 1995 | Hull City | A | 1-0 (won 3-0 on agg) | 6,929 | Lamptey |
| R3 | 25 October 1995 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 3-2 | 18,227 | Busst, Ndlovu (pen), Salako |
| R4 | 29 November 1995 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1-2 | 24,628 | Williams |

## Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | ENG | Steve Ogrizovic |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Brian Borrows |
| 3 | DF | ENG | David Burrows |
| 4 | DF | ENG | Paul Williams |
| 5 | DF | SCO | David Rennie |
| 6 | MF | ENG | Kevin Richardson |
| 7 | MF | ENG | Paul Telfer |
| 8 | FW | BRA | Isaías |
| 9 | FW | ZIM | Peter Ndlovu |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Dion Dublin |
| 11 | MF | ENG | John Salako |
| 12 | DF | ENG | Dave Busst |
| 13 | GK | AUS | John Filan |
| 14 | FW | ENG | Noel Whelan |
| 16 | MF | SCO | Eoin Jess |
| 17 | DF | ENG | Ally Pickering |
| 18 | DF | ENG | Marcus Hall |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 19 | FW | ENG | Iyseden Christie |
| 20 | DF | ENG | Steve Morgan |
| 21 | MF | POR | Carlita |
| 22 | MF | IRL | Willie Boland |
| 23 | GK | SCO | Jonathan Gould |
| 24 | DF | ENG | Richard Shaw |
| 25 | DF | SCO | Gary Gillespie |
| 26 | MF | SCO | Gordon Strachan (player-manager) |
| 27 | MF | GHA | Nii Lamptey |
| 28 | FW | ENG | Darren Huckerby |
| 29 | GK | ENG | Colin Hunwick |
| 30 | DF | IRL | Liam Daish |
| 31 | DF | IRL | Lorcan Costello |
| 32 | FW | ENG | Andy Ducros |
| 33 | MF | ENG | Sam Shilton |
| 35 | DF | ENG | Adam Willis |

### Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 14 | MF | WAL | Leigh Jenkinson (to St Johnstone) |
| 15 | MF | ENG | Paul Cook (to Tranmere Rovers) |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Julian Darby (to West Bromwich Albion) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 28 | FW | ENG | Jamie Barnwell-Edinboro (to Cambridge United) |
| 30 | GK | ENG | Peter Shilton (to West Ham United) |
| 34 | DF | ENG | Chris Whyte (on loan from Birmingham City) |

### Reserve squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | ENG | Neil Cutler (on loan from West Bromwich Albion) |
| — | DF | IRL | Colin Hawkins |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | IRL | Barry Prenderville |
| — | MF | SCO | Gavin Strachan |

## Transfers
### In

| Date | Pos | Name | From | Fee |
| 7 June 1995 | MF | Calita | Farense | £250,000 |
| 5 July 1995 | FW | Isaías | Benfica | £500,000 |
| 11 July 1995 | MF | Paul Telfer | Luton Town | £1,150,000 |
| 3 August 1995 | MF | John Salako | Crystal Palace | £1,500,000 |
| 6 August 1995 | DF | Paul Williams | Derby County | £750,000 |
| 12 February 1996 | DF | Liam Daish | Birmingham City | £1,500,000 |
| 23 February 1996 | MF | Eoin Jess | Aberdeen | £2,000,000 |

### Out

| Date | Pos | Name | To | Fee |
| 26 June 1995 | MF | Mike Marsh | Galatasaray | £500,000 |
| 25 July 1995 | DF | Steven Pressley | Dundee United | £750,000 |
| 28 July 1995 | MF | Sandy Robertson | Dundee United | £250,000 |
| 2 August 1995 | GK | Martin Davies | Cambridge United | Free transfer |
| 10 August 1995 | DF | Paul Williams | Plymouth Argyle | £50,000 |
| 11 August 1995 | MF | Sean Flynn | Derby County | £225,000 |
| 15 September 1995 | FW | John Williams | Wycombe Wanderers | £150,000 |
| 24 November 1995 | MF | Julian Darby | West Bromwich Albion | £250,000 |
| 8 December 1995 | MF | Leigh Jenkinson | St Johnstone | Signed |
| 11 January 1996 | GK | Peter Shilton | West Ham United | Free transfer |
| 29 February 1996 | MF | Paul Cook | Tranmere Rovers | £250,000 |
    Transfers in: £6,150,000
    Transfers out: £2,425,000
    Total spending: £3,725,000