1996–97 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season

The 1996–97 season was the 98th season of competitive league football in the history of English football club Wolverhampton Wanderers. They played the season in the second tier of the English football system, the Football League First Division.

Wolverhampton Wanderers
1996–97 season
ChairmanJonathan Hayward
ManagerMark McGhee
First Division3rd
(lost in play-offs)
FA Cup3rd round
League Cup1st round
Top goalscorerLeague: Steve Bull (23)
All: Steve Bull (23)
Highest home attendance27,400 (vs Stoke,
1 February 1997)
Lowest home attendance10,760 (vs Swindon,
4 September 1996)
Average home league attendance24,763 (league only)

The team finished in third position in the league, their highest position in the football pyramid since their relegation from the top flight in 1983–84. Nonetheless, the season ended in disappointment for the club as they lost in the semi-finals of the play-offs to Crystal Palace, thereby failing to reach the Premier League.

Their failure to finish ahead of unfancied Barnsley in the automatic promotion places, and then subsequent play-off exit, caused owner Sir Jack Hayward to make an emotional outburst days after the campaign in which he accused manager Mark McGhee and the chairman, his son Jonathan, of "blackmailing" him into funding their high transfer spending. He promised that there would be an end to Wolves being a "sloppily-run club".[1][2]

Results edit

Football League First Division edit

A total of 24 teams competed in the Football League First Division in the 1996–97 season. Each team played every other team twice: once at their stadium, and once at the opposition's. Three points were awarded to teams for each win, one point per draw, and none for defeats. Teams finishing level on points were firstly divided by the number of goals scored rather than goal difference.

The provisional fixture list was released on 17 June 1996, but was subject to change in the event of matches being selected for television coverage or police concerns.[3]

17 August 1996 1 Grimsby Town 1–3 Wolverhampton Wanderers Cleethorpes
15:00 BST Mendonca   62' Report Bull   36', 45', 71' Stadium: Blundell Park
Attendance: 7,910 (1,800 away)
24 August 1996 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–0 Bradford City Wolverhampton
15:00 BST Bull   72' Report Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 24,171 (2,053 away)
28 August 1996 3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–1 Queens Park Rangers Wolverhampton
19:45 BST Osborn   24' Report Dichio   41' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 25,767 (1,587 away)
31 August 1996 4 Norwich City 1–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers Norwich
15:00 BST Adams   21' (pen.) Report Stadium: Carrow Road
Attendance: 14,456 (991 away)
6 September 1996 5 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–0 Charlton Athletic Wolverhampton
19:45 BST Thompson   39' (pen.) Report Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 21,072 (643 away)
10 September 1996 6 Oxford United 1–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers Oxford
19:45 BST Ford   39' Report Roberts   54' Stadium: Manor Ground
Attendance: 7,468 (1,900 away)
15 September 1996 7 West Bromwich Albion 2–4 Wolverhampton Wanderers West Bromwich
13:00 BST Hamilton   42'
Taylor   66'
Report Roberts   4', 27', 53'
Bull   14'
Stadium: The Hawthorns
Attendance: 20,711 (5,000 away)
21 September 1996 8 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–2 Sheffield United Wolverhampton
15:00 BST Thompson   89' (pen.) Report White   76'
Kachura   90'
Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 25,170 (1,498 away)
27 September 1996 9 Swindon Town 1–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Swindon
19:45 BST Horlock   67' Report Ferguson   44'
Foley   85'
Stadium: County Ground
Attendance: 8,572 (2,006 away)
2 October 1996 10 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–2 Bolton Wanderers Wolverhampton
19:45 BST Ferguson   12' Report McGinlay   39', 86' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 26,540 (2,373 away)
5 October 1996 11 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–1 Reading Wolverhampton
15:00 BST Report Lambert   69' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 23,193 (1,022 away)
13 October 1996 12 Southend United 1–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers Southend-on-Sea
13:00 BST Marsh   38' Report Bull   73' Stadium: Roots Hall
Attendance: 5,550 (846 away)
15 October 1996 13 Portsmouth 0–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Portsmouth
19:45 BST Report Bull   12', 68' Stadium: Fratton Park
Attendance: 7,411 (1,359 away)
19 October 1996 14 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–1 Port Vale Wolverhampton
15:00 BST Report Naylor   65' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 22,755 (813 away)
27 October 1996 15 Manchester City 0–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers Manchester
13:00 GMT Report Bull   77' Stadium: Maine Road
Attendance: 27,296 (1,589 away)
30 October 1996 16 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–0 Huddersfield Town Wolverhampton
19:45 GMT Report Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 22,376 (1,169 away)
2 November 1996 17 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–3 Barnsley Wolverhampton
15:00 GMT Goodman   28'
Bull   61'
Roberts   86'
Report de Zeeuw   31'
Redfearn   35' (pen.)
Eaden   44'
Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 22,840 (1,288 away)
17 November 1996 18 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–2 Birmingham City Wolverhampton
14:10 GMT Bull   10' Report Breen   8'
Legg   58'
Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 22,627 (2,544 away)
23 November 1996 19 Crystal Palace 2–3 Wolverhampton Wanderers London
15:00 GMT Veart   51'
Dyer   55'
Report Corica   9', 14'
Thomas   61'
Stadium: Selhurst Park
Attendance: 20,655 (1,610 away)
1 December 1996 20 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–0 Manchester City Wolverhampton
14:10 GMT Roberts   46', 54'
Dennison   80'
Report Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 23,911 (2,999 away)
7 December 1996 21 Ipswich Town 0–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers Ipswich
15:00 GMT Report Stadium: Portman Road
Attendance: 12,048 (855 away)
14 December 1996 22 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–1 Oldham Athletic Wolverhampton
15:00 GMT Report Ormondroyd   15' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 22,528 (883 away)
21 December 1996 23 Tranmere Rovers 0–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Birkenhead
15:00 GMT Report Osborn   5' (pen.)
Bull   76'
Stadium: Prenton Park
Attendance: 9,674 (2,013 away)
26 December 1996 24 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–1 Oxford United Wolverhampton
15:00 GMT Osborn   13', 67'
Goodman   63'
Report Gray   33' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 26,511 (1,365 away)
28 December 1996 25 Charlton Athletic 0–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers London
15:00 GMT Report Stadium: The Valley
Attendance: 12,259 (1,977 away)
12 January 1997 26 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–0 West Bromwich Albion Wolverhampton
14:10 GMT Richards   3'
Roberts   37'
Report Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 27,336 (3,153 away)
18 January 1997 27 Bolton Wanderers 3–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers Bolton
15:00 GMT McGinlay   21'
Curle   58' (o.g.)
Blake   62'
Report Stadium: Burnden Park
Attendance: 18,980 (2,500 away)
24 January 1997 28 Sheffield United 2–3 Wolverhampton Wanderers Sheffield
19:45 GMT White   24', 82' Report Atkins   19'
Osborn   25'
Bull   88'
Stadium: Bramall Lane
Attendance: 17,490 (1,655 away)
29 January 1997 29 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–0 Swindon Town Wolverhampton
19:45 GMT Bull   35' Report Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 23,003 (693 away)
1 February 1997 30 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–0 Stoke City Wolverhampton
15:00 GMT Bull   16', 55' Report Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 27,400 (2,777 away)
8 February 1997 31 Huddersfield Town 0–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Huddersfield
15:00 GMT Report Froggatt   37'
Bull   84'
Stadium: McAlpine Stadium
Attendance: 15,267 (1,704 away)
15 February 1997 32 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–3 Crystal Palace Wolverhampton
15:00 GMT Report Tuttle   17'
Veart   72'
Dyer   73'
Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 25,919 (1,617 away)
22 February 1997 33 Barnsley 1–3 Wolverhampton Wanderers Barnsley
15:00 GMT Sheridan   53' Report Bull   2'
Roberts   23'
Froggatt   59'
Stadium: Oakwell
Attendance: 18,024 (5,800 away)
1 March 1997 34 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–0 Ipswich Town Wolverhampton
15:00 GMT Report Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 26,700 (1,284 away)
4 March 1997 35 Birmingham City 1–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Birmingham
19:45 GMT Forster   70' Report Bull   1'
Roberts   23'
Stadium: St Andrew's
Attendance: 19,838 (2,800 away)
8 March 1997 36 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–2 Tranmere Rovers Wolverhampton
15:00 GMT Bull   34', 41'
Roberts   79'
Report Irons   55'
Aldridge   57'
Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 26,192 (1,073 away)
15 March 1997 37 Oldham Athletic 3–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Oldham
15:00 GMT Rickers   3', 87'
Barlow   55'
Report Bull   24'
Roberts   76'
Stadium: Boundary Park
Attendance: 9,661 (3,706 away)
18 March 1997 38 Stoke City 1–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers Stoke-on-Trent
19:45 GMT Forsyth   47' Report Stadium: Victoria Ground
Attendance: 15,683 (2,163 away)
22 March 1997 39 Bradford City 2–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers Bradford
15:00 GMT Edinho   45'
Pepper   51'
Report Goodman   55' Stadium: Valley Parade
Attendance: 15,351 (2,565 away)
31 March 1997 40 Queens Park Rangers 2–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers London
15:00 BST Spencer   13'
Peacock   27'
Report Goodman   39'
Curle   70' (pen.)
Stadium: Loftus Road
Attendance: 17,376 (3,200 away)
5 April 1997 41 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–2 Norwich City Wolverhampton
15:00 BST Thomas   19'
Curle   35' (pen.)
Roberts   78'
Report Broughton   43'
Adams   45' (pen.)
Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 26,938 (1,324 away)
12 April 1997 42 Reading 2–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers Reading
15:00 BST Lovell   89', 90' Report Atkins   75' Stadium: Elm Park
Attendance: 14,852 (2,450 away)
19 April 1997 43 Wolverhampton Wanderers 4–1 Southend United Wolverhampton
15:00 BST Ferguson   7'
Bull   9'
Atkins   35'
Goodman   40'
Report Rammell   30' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 25,095 (585 away)
23 April 1997 44 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–1 Grimsby Town Wolverhampton
19:45 BST Gilkes   10' Report Oster   45' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 25,474 (462 away)
27 April 1997 45 Port Vale 1–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Burslem
13:00 BST Naylor   40' Report Thomas   34'
Atkins   42'
Stadium: Vale Park
Attendance: 13,615 (3,587 away)
4 May 1997 46 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–1 Portsmouth Wolverhampton
13:30 BST Report Hall   80' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 26,031 (1,487 away)

Final table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Bolton Wanderers 46 28 14 4 100 53 +47 98
2 Barnsley 46 22 14 10 76 55 +21 80
3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 46 22 10 14 68 51 +17 76
4 Ipswich Town 46 20 14 12 68 50 +18 74
5 Sheffield United 46 20 13 13 75 52 +23 73
6 Crystal Palace 46 19 14 13 78 48 +30 71

Source: Statto.com

Results summary

Overall Home Away
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD
46 22 10 14 68 51  +17 76 10 5 8 31 24  +7 12 5 6 37 27  +10

Source: Statto.com

Results by round

Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546
ResultWWDLWDWLWLLDWLWDDLWWDLWWDWLWWWWLWDWWLLLDWLWDWL
Position1246363435663546597656554444422322222223333333
Source: Statto.com
W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Play-offs edit

10 May 1997 SF 1st leg Crystal Palace 3–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers London
15:00 BST Shipperley   68'
Freedman   89', 90'
Report Smith   90' Stadium: Selhurst Park
Attendance: 21,053 (3,200 away)
Referee: Neale Barry
14 May 1997 SF 2nd leg Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–1
(3–4 agg.)
Crystal Palace Wolverhampton
19:45 BST Atkins   30'
Williams   85'
Report Hopkin   66' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 26,403 (2,838 away)
Referee: Clive Wilkes

FA Cup edit

4 January 1997 R3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–2 Portsmouth Wolverhampton
15:00 GMT Ferguson   68' Report McLoughlin   68'
Hall   80'
Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 23,626
Referee: Alan Wilkie

League Cup edit

20 August 1996 R1.1 Swindon Town 2–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers Swindon
19:45 BST Allison   42'
Leitch   66'
Report Stadium: County Ground
Attendance: 7,451
Referee: Clive Wilkes
4 September 1996 R1.2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–0
(1–2 agg.)
Swindon Town Wolverhampton
19:45 BST Osborn   5' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 10,760
Referee: Scott Mathieson

Players edit

Key:
  ‡ On loan from another club   * First appearance(s) for the club

Correct as of end of season. Starting appearances are listed first, followed by substitute appearances in parentheses where applicable.

PosNamePGPGPGPG     Notes
League FA CupLeague CupTotalDiscipline
GK   Vince Bartram 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
GK   Matt Murray 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
GK   Hans Segers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
GK   Mike Stowell 48 0 1 0 2 0 51 0 0 0
DF   Keith Curle (c) 22(1) 2 0 0 0 0 22(1) 2 0 0
DF   Brian Law 4(3) 0 0 0 0 0 4(3) 0 0 0
DF   Neil Masters 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DF   Lee Naylor 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DF   Dennis Pearce 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0
DF   Dean Richards 19(2) 1 0 0 2 0 21(2) 1 0 0
DF   Serge Romano 1(3) 0 0 0 1 0 2(3) 0 0 0
DF   Jamie Smith 38(2) 1 1 0 1(1) 0 40(3) 1 0 0
DF   Andy Thompson 27(6) 2 0 0 2 0 29(6) 2 0 0
DF   Mark Venus 36(4) 0 1 0 2 0 39(4) 0 0 0
DF   Chris Westwood 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DF   Ady Williams 8 1 0 0 0 0 8 1 0 0
DF   Eric Young 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
MF   Mark Atkins 46(1) 5 1 0 2 0 49(1) 5 0 0
MF   Steve Corica 33(3) 2 1 0 2 0 36(3) 2 0 0
MF   Tony Daley 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MF   Robbie Dennison 9(5) 1 1 0 0 0 10(5) 1 0 0
MF   Jens Dowe 5(3) 0 0 0 0 0 5(3) 0 0 0
MF   Neil Emblen 27(1) 0 1 0 0 0 28(1) 0 0 0
MF   Darren Ferguson 12(6) 3 0(1) 1 1 0 13(7) 4 0 1
MF   Steve Froggatt 27 2 0 0 2 0 29 2 0 0
MF   Michael Gilkes 5 1 0 0 0 0 5 1 0 0
MF   Simon Osborn 35(2) 5 1 0 1 1 37(2) 6 0 0
MF   Mark Rankine 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MF   Carl Robinson 1(1) 0 0 0 0 0 1(1) 0 0 0
MF   Geoff Thomas 17(7) 3 1 0 0 0 18(7) 3 0 0
MF   Robin van der Laan 7 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0
MF   Jermaine Wright 0(3) 0 0 0 0(2) 0 0(5) 0 0 0
FW   Steve Bull 45 23 1 0 2 0 48 23 0 1
FW   Glen Crowe ¤ 5(1) 0 0 0 0 0 5(1) 0 0 0
FW   Dominic Foley 0(7) 1 0 0 0 0 0(7) 1 0 0
FW   Don Goodman 20(8) 6 1 0 0 0 21(8) 6 0 0
FW   Richard Leadbeater 0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0 0 0
FW   Iwan Roberts 26(9) 12 0(1) 0 2 0 28(10) 12 0 0

Transfers edit

In edit

Date Player From Fee
1 July 1996   Ady Williams Reading £750,000[4]
5 July 1996   Iwan Roberts Leicester City £1.3 million[5]
31 July 1996   Keith Curle Manchester City £650,000[6]
12 August 1996   Serge Romano   Martigues Free[7]
30 August 1996   Hans Segers Unattached Free[8]
27 March 1997   Michael Gilkes Reading £150,000[9]

Out edit

Date Player To Fee
June 1996   John de Wolf Released Free[10]
June 1996   Andy De Bont Hereford United Free[11]
June 1996   Gavin Mahon Hereford United Free[11]
June 1996   Steve Piearce Doncaster Rovers Free[11]
June 1996   Quentin Townsend Hereford United Free[11]
June 1996   Mark Williams Released Free[10]
16 July 1996   Paul Jones Stockport County £60,000[12]
20 July 1996   Paul Birch Doncaster Rovers Free
17 September 1996   Mark Rankine Preston North End £100,000[13]
28 March 1997   Neil Masters Gillingham £150,000[14]

Loans in edit

Start date Player From End date
9 October 1996   Jens Dowe   Hamburg End of season[15]
11 October 1996   Robin van der Laan Derby County 1 January 1997[16][17]
26 February 1997   Vince Bartram Arsenal 14 March 1997[18]

Loans out edit

Start date Player To End date
21 February 1997   Glen Crowe Exeter City 12 April 1997[19]

Management and coaching staff edit

Position Name
Manager Mark McGhee
Assistant manager Colin Lee
First Team coach Mike Hickman
Youth Development Officer Chris Evans
Youth Team coach Chris Turner
Club doctors Dr Peter Ackroyd and Dr Peter Bekenn
Club Physio Barry Holmes

Kit edit

The season saw Puma take over as the club's kit manufacturer, and two new kits were therefore introduced. Both used a "wolf head" design to the shirts as a central feature, the home shirt using their traditional gold and black colours, while the away kit used shades of teal. In a further emphasis of the "wolf head", a new club emblen was introduced replacing the usage of the Wolverhampton city crest on the shirts that had been adopted for the previous three seasons. Both shirts featured the sponsor name of Goodyear.

References edit

  1. ^ "Mac lashed". The Mirror. 16 May 1997.
  2. ^ "McGhee blasted by boss". Daily Record. 16 May 1997.
  3. ^ "Fixture guide". The Mirror. 18 June 1996.
  4. ^ "Wolves hunt". The Mirror. 1 July 1996.
  5. ^ "Iwan hits out". The Mirror. 6 July 1996. Archived from the original on 11 June 2014.
  6. ^ "Wolves grab Maine man". The Mirror. 1 August 1996.
  7. ^ "Plymouth sign Grobbelaar". The Independent. 10 August 1996. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022.
  8. ^ "Handy Hans". The Mirror. 30 August 1996.
  9. ^ "Round-up". The Independent. 27 March 1997. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014.
  10. ^ a b "Football". The Independent. 8 May 1996. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013.
  11. ^ a b c d "Club-By-Club Guide to the Nationwide League". The Times. 15 August 1996. p. 41.
  12. ^ "Stockport sign Paul Jones from Wolves". The Independent. 17 July 1996. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022.
  13. ^ "On the move". The Independent. 22 September 1996. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013.
  14. ^ "Everton call on Donachie as stand-in". The Independent. 29 March 1997. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022.
  15. ^ "Celtic settle row with striker". The Independent. 10 October 1996. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022.
  16. ^ "Derby v Newcastle". The Mirror. 12 October 1996.
  17. ^ "No headline". The Independent. 7 November 1996. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014.
  18. ^ "Cover up Bart". The Mirror. 19 February 1997. Archived from the original on 11 June 2014.
  19. ^ "On the move". The Independent. 23 February 1997. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013.