1993 Premier league | 1993 Division 1 | 1993 Division 2 | 1993 Division 3
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The Football Association Premier League was renamed the Football Association Carling Premiership before the 1993-1994 season began. The premier league having signed a lucrative sponsorship deal with drinks brand Carling.
During the summer of 1993 a number of big pre-season transfer deals took place. First to go was England international Peter Beardsley of Everton for £1,400,000; who rejoined home town club newly promoted Newcastle United who had been in fine form to win the 1992-1993 English Football League Division 1 title. Leeds United paid Sheffield United £2,900,000 for striker Brian Dean, the player who had scored the very first Premiership goal during the previous 1992/93 FA Premier League season; this led to two Sheffield United directors resigning over the transfer. Current champions Manchester United purchased Nottingham Forrest and Irish international Roy Keane, the combative Irish midfielder's fee was £3,750,000. The other major transfer of summer 1993 was Tottenham Hotspur defender Neil 'Razor' Ruddock for £2,500,000.
An unusual football statistic occurred opening weekend of the FA Carling Premiership season with 6 teams winning away. It is a difficult introduction for Swindon Town to Premiership Life, newly promoted through the playoff system during the 1992-93 English Football League 1st Division season, they managed to register just 3 points by the end of September 1993. The 1992/1993 FA Premier League Champions Manchester United started their campaign in very strong form as they looked to repeat the previous season's 10 point victory. By the end of September United have a 3 point lead over rivals George Graham's Arsenal. United have a strong team with some big stars in Ryan Giggs, Andrei Kanchelskis, Lee Sharp, Steve Bruce and Mark Hughes just to name a few. Eric Cantona who had joined during the 1992-93 FA Premier League season from Leeds United was on electric form. The Frenchman was unable to inspire France during the 1994 USA World Cup qualifying campaign; France like Graham Taylor's England would not qualify for the tournament. The Merseyside derby at Goodison Park hits the headlines for all the wrong reasons, as Everton beat local rival Liverpool fc 2-0, after Liverpool concede the first goal Steve McManaman and Bruce Grobelaar nearly exchange blows over who is to blame for it. Everton's joy at winning the derby was short-lived however as they are on the receiving end of the best goal scoring football statistic as Efan Ekoku scores 4 in Norwich's 5-1 away win.
October 1993 see's Manchester United increase their stranglehold on the FA Carling Premiership going 11 points clear at the end of the month, as they begin an impressive unbeaten run. Man Utd's rivals Liverpool have a hard time on the pitch during the opening months of the season dropping to 13th in the Premier League, however young home grown superstar Robbie Fowler scores his first hat-trick of the 1993-1994 FA Carling Premiership campaign inspiring Liverpool Football Club to a 4-2 victory over Southampton at Anfield. It's also a poor start to Trevor Francis and Sheffield Wednesday, last season's performance getting to the 1993 League Cup Final and the 1993 FA Cup Final meant that Wednesday were one of the favourites at the start of the season to push Man United for the title. They drop into the bottom 3 although they do eventually climb away. Newcastle United's Andy Cole has an excellent start to his Premiership career, his partnership with Peter Beardsley netting him 15 goals in 15 Premiership football matches, a remarkable goal scoring football statistic. Swindon Town finally register a league win in the 16th football match of the season. A 1-0 win against QPR is not enough to take them off bottom position; by the end of November 1993 they were bottom by 5 points.
Howard Kendall, who had first joined Everton as a player in the 1960's and indeed helped Everton to the 1969-1970 English Football League Division 1 title; who's midfield partnership with Alan Ball and Colin Harvey made what was known around Goodison Park as the Holy Trinity, quits Everton as manager for the second time in the month of November 1993. It is not the last time Everton see Howard Kendall as manager though as he takes control of his beloved Goodison Park club for a third time at the beginning of Everton's 1997-1998 FA Carling Premiership campaign. December 1993 see's Man Utd finish the year with a now 14 point lead. At the other end of the table Swindon Town stay bottom with Sheffield United a place above them, Sheffield United end the year with the unenviable football statistic of not having scored a goal in the last 540 minutes of Premiership football.
The month of January 1994 see's Everton finally replace Howard Kendall, poaching Mike Walker from Norwich City, who during the previous season the 1992-93 FA Premier League season had taken Norwich City third. Manchester United are saddened by the death of former manager Sir Matt Busby. Busby led United to the European Cup in 1968 and had survived the Munich Air Disaster during the 1957/58 English Football League season. The first game United played since Busby's death was a 1-0 victory against Everton, this increased United's lead to 16 points. Second place in the FA Carling Premiership is taken by Blackburn Rovers, who are in inspired form, Alan Shearer being Blackburn catalyst ending January 1994 with 23 league goals.
Spring 1994 really highlighted Blackburn's quality as they began to eat into United's seemingly insurmountable lead. As well as the forward line being led by Alan Shearer they had re-enforced themselves defensively taking Tim Flower for £2,000,000 from Southampton earlier in the season, which was then a record fee paid by a British club for a Goalkeeper. In March 1994 Manchester United loose to Chelsea bringing to an end United's 22 unbeaten Premiership games run. Gavin Peacock netting the only goal of the game at Old Trafford, this added to the goal he had scored earlier in the season at Stamford Bridge again in a 1-0 win against United. Blackburn despite losing the last game of March 1994 1-0 to Wimbledon had reduced United's lead to just 6 points.
Blackburn open the title race up at the beginning of April by beating United 2-0, both scored by Alan Shearer. At the bottom Sheffield United climb out of the relegation zone to be replaced by Everton. Despite Mike Walkers best efforts Everton form was pretty poor. Everton are joined by Oldham Athletic and relegation favourites Swindon Town who are still bottom. United though carry on playing dominating Football and suffer no more slip ups. They add to the first FA Premier League title 1992-93 winning the second. They are crowned FA Carling Premiership 1993-1994 with an 8 point lead over Blackburn Rovers. Everton escape relegation during the last game of the season, Everton look relegated as they go 2-0 down at Goodison park to Wimbledon, Everton though fight back amid jubilant scenes with Graham Stuart scoring the winner to send Sheffield United down with Oldham Athletic and Swindon Town. The three relegated clubs knowing that a return to the Premiership would be a tough one during the 1994-1995 English Football League Division 1 season.
1993 Premier league | 1993 Division 1 | 1993 Division 2 | 1993 Division 3
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