The 2019–20 season was Stevenage's sixth consecutive season in League Two and their 44th year in existence. Along with competing in League Two, the club participated in the FA Cup, EFL Cup and EFL Trophy.
Following a winless start to the season, manager Dino Maamria was sacked in September 2019. First-team coach Mark Sampson assumed control of the team in a Caretaker role, overseeing the club for 14 games. With the club in 23rd-position, Graham Westley returned as manager, his fourth spell at the club. Westley resigned in February 2020 and was replaced by player Alex Revell.
The club were in last place of League Two when the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. EFL clubs formally agreed to end the season during an EFL meeting on 9 June 2020, although "ongoing disciplinary matters" involving 23rd-placed Macclesfield Town, who had not paid their players on six separate occasions during the season, meant Stevenage might be reprieved. Stevenage were initially relegated from League Two after an independent disciplinary panel opted to deduct Macclesfield two points on 19 June, with a further four suspended, the maximum number they could deduct without relegating them, highlighting this as a key factor in the sanctions they had chosen to impose. The EFL stated it would appeal against the independent disciplinary panel's sanctions on Macclesfield, winning their appeal against the points deduction on 11 August. This meant that the four suspended points were activated immediately and applied to the 2019–20 season, meaning Stevenage finished in 23rd-place and consequently retained their League Two status.
The season covers the period from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020.
Pre-season Stevenage confirmed their pre-season schedule in June 2019.
Competitions
League Two
League table
Results summary
Results by matchday
Matches On Thursday, 20 June 2019, the EFL League Two fixtures were revealed.
FA Cup
The first round draw was made on 21 October 2019.
EFL Cup
The first round draw was made on 20 June.
EFL Trophy
On 9 July 2019, the pre-determined group stage draw was announced with Invited clubs to be drawn on 12 July 2019. The draw for the second round was made on 16 November 2019 live on Sky Sports. The third round draw was confirmed on 5 December 2019.
Transfers Transfers in Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. 1 July 2019 FW Jason Cowley Bromsgrove Sporting Undisclosed 1 July 2019 CB Jamie Fielding Hastings United Undisclosed 2 July 2019 AM Charlie Carter Chesterfield Undisclosed 2 July 2019 DM Paul Digby Forest Green Rovers Undisclosed 2 July 2019 LB Chris Stokes Bury Free transfer 11 July 2019 LB Tyler Denton Leeds United Undisclosed 15 July 2019 CM Dean Parrett Gillingham Free transfer 1 August 2019 CM Noor Husin Notts County Free transfer 1 August 2019 CF Paul Taylor Free agent Free transfer 2 August 2019 GK Sacha Bastien Granville Free transfer 2 August 2019 CM Tom Soares AFC Wimbledon Free transfer 5 August 2019 RW Joel Rollinson Reading Free transfer 31 August 2019 CF Elliott List Gillingham Undisclosed 6 September 2019 CB Adam El-Abd Wycombe Wanderers Free transfer 20 September 2019 CM Michael Timlin Free Agent Free transfer 14 January 2020 CF Jake Cassidy Maidenhead United Undisclosed 17 January 2020 DM Diaguely Dabo Free Agent Free transfer 20 January 2020 CF Simeon Jackson Kilmarnock Free transfer 31 January 2020 RB Canice Carroll Brentford Undisclosed 31 January 2020 LB Patrick Reading Middlesbrough Undisclosed
Loans in Date from Position Nationality Name From Date until Ref. 16 August 2019 CB Kelland Watts Newcastle United 10 January 2020 22 August 2019 AM Charlie Lakin Birmingham City 30 June 2020 2 September 2019 CF Craig Mackail-Smith Wycombe Wanderers 30 June 2020 26 October 2019 GK Sam French Derby County 2 November 2019 6 January 2020 LM Joe Leesley Harrogate Town 30 June 2020 28 January 2020 CF David Parkhouse Sheffield United 30 June 2020 31 January 2020 CF Ben Folami Ipswich Town 30 June 2020 31 January 2020 RW Dan Kemp West Ham United 30 June 2020
Loans out Date from Position Nationality Name To Date until Ref. 16 July 2019 CF Joe White Biggleswade Town January 2020 23 July 2019 CF Harry Draper Hitchin Town 30 June 2020 31 August 2019 CF Alex Reid Ebbsfleet United 1 January 2020 19 September 2019 CF Andronicos Georgiou St Albans City November 2019 14 November 2019 CF Andronicos Georgiou Hendon 30 June 2020 15 November 2019 CB Jamie Fielding St Albans City 30 June 2020 13 January 2020 CB Jack Smith Braintree Town February 2020 13 January 2020 CF Liam Smyth Braintree Town February 2020 27 January 2020 MF Jamie Jellis Wingate & Finchley March 2020 24 February 2020 DM Arthur Iontton Braintree Town March 2020
Transfers out Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. 1 July 2019 GK Will Appleyard FC Halifax Town Released 1 July 2019 GK Oliver Byrne Free agent Released 1 July 2019 RW Jamal Campbell-Ryce Free agent Released 1 July 2019 RB Ronnie Henry Billericay Town Free transfer 1 July 2019 LB Johnny Hunt Hamilton Academical Released 1 July 2019 RB Donovan Makoma Free agent Mutual consent 1 July 2019 LB Joe Martin Northampton Town Released 1 July 2019 CM Mark McKee Cliftonville Released 1 July 2019 CM Michael Timlin Stevenage Released 1 July 2019 CB Luke Wilkinson Yeovil Town Released 4 July 2019 CF Alex Revell Retired 14 July 2019 MF Marcus Gouldbourne Ytterhogdals Free transfer 15 July 2019 DM James Ball Ebbsfleet United Undisclosed 23 July 2019 FW Devonte Simms Hitchin Town Free transfer 8 January 2020 CF Joe White Hendon Undisclosed 21 January 2020 CM Michael Timlin Free agent Released 31 January 2020 CF Kurtis Guthrie Bradford City Undisclosed 31 January 2020 LB Chris Stokes Forest Green Rovers Free transfer 22 February 2020 CM Noor Husin Dartford Free transfer
References