During the 1991–92 season, English football team Newcastle United participated in the Football League Second Division.
The season started with much promise but quickly deteriorated into a relegation battle. Manager Ossie Ardiles struggled to add to his squad of talented youngsters due to lack of funds, the truth being the club was severely in debt. At one point it had looked like Newcastle would be relegated and could go out of business.
Sir John Hall had all but taken control of the club, and replaced Ardiles with Kevin Keegan on 5 February 1992. An improvement in form helped Newcastle to narrowly avoid relegation from the Second Division, with their survival only confirmed on the last day of the season. They finished 20th, two places above the relegation zone – the lowest League finish in the club's history.
Season synopsis
In a season that saw a change of manager, the club had three different chairmen: Gordon McKeag stepped down under pressure from the Magpie Group consortium, to be replaced by board member George Forbes, before Sir John Hall, the head of the Magpie Group since the late 1980s, replaced Forbes
Hall presided over a period of boardroom calm at the club, debts were restructured and the funds were made available for team strengthening. He chairman installed Kevin Keegan, a former Newcastle player, as the new manager on 5 February 1992, in place of Ardiles. In the last few weeks of the season Keegan led the team to safety and the possibility of relegation to the third division for the first time in the club's history.
Just as in the 1980s, Keegan's mere presence captivated the region. St James' Park was regularly packed to capacity again and United confirmed their Second Division survival with a 2–1 win at Leicester City on the last day of the season, after a last-minute own goal.
Even though the club had narrowly avoided relegation, the club's supporters were overjoyed with the choice of manager and the prospect of a bright new start.
League table
Appearances, goals and cards (Substitute appearances in brackets) Pos.NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupZDS CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGK Tommy Wright330201000360DF Matty Appleby16 (2)0202 (1)00020 (3)0DF Paul Bodin6000000060DF Darren Bradshaw17 (2)010201021 (2)0DF Robbie Elliott90001010110DF Steve Howey13 (8)10 (2)01 (2)10014 (12)2DF Brian Kilcline120000000120DF Bjørn Kristensen1 (1)00000001 (1)0DF Darron McDonough2 (1)00000002 (1)0DF Gavin Maguire3000000030DF Alan Neilson160002010190DF Ray Ranson5 (1)00000005 (1)0DF Kevin Scott441203010501DF Mark Stimson23 (1)000200025 (1)0DF Steve Watson23 (5)120000025 (5)1DF Terry Wilson2000000020MF Kevin Brock31 (4)420001034 (4)4MF Franz Carr12 (3)200100013 (3)2MF Lee Clark25 (4)520301131 (4)6MF Archie Gourlay0 (1)00000000 (1)0MF Lee Makel5 (4)10010006 (4)1MF Liam O'Brien404203040464MF Gavin Peacock46162023125121MF David Roche18 (8)010200 (1)021 (9)0MF Kevin Sheedy131000000131MF Alan Thompson12 (2)010000013 (2)0FW Justin Fashanu00000 (1)0000 (1)0FW Andy Hunt21 (6)922311027 (6)12FW David Kelly25111000002611FW Micky Quinn18 (4)700101320 (4)10FW David Robinson0 (3)00000000 (3)0FW Andy Walker2000100030
Coaching staff
Matches
Second Division
FA Cup
Football League Cup
Zenith Data Systems Cup
External links Flirting with Relegation: Newcastle United 1991/92 Season, James Williams, Leazes Terrace