1996–97 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season

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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 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.

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[]

Football League First Division[]

See also: 1996–97 Football League

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 Goal 62' Report Bull Goal 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 Goal 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 Goal 24' Report Dichio Goal 41' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 25,767 (1,587 away)
31 August 1996 4 Norwich City 1–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers Norwich
15:00 BST Adams Goal 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 Goal 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 Goal 39' Report Roberts Goal 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 Goal 42'
Taylor Goal 66'		 Report Roberts Goal 4', 27', 53'
Bull Goal 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 Goal 89' (pen.) Report White Goal 76'
Kachura Goal 90'		 Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 25,170 (1,498 away)
27 September 1996 9 Swindon Town 1–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Swindon
19:45 BST Horlock Goal 67' Report Ferguson Goal 44'
Foley Goal 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 Goal 12' Report McGinlay Goal 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 Goal 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 Goal 38' Report Bull Goal 73' Stadium: Roots Hall
Attendance: 5,550 (846 away)
15 October 1996 13 Portsmouth 0–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Portsmouth
19:45 BST Report Bull Goal 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 Goal 65' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 22,755 (813 away)
27 October 1996 15 Manchester City 0–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers Manchester
13:00 GMT Report Bull Goal 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 Goal 28'
Bull Goal 61'
Roberts Goal 86'		 Report de Zeeuw Goal 31'
Redfearn Goal 35' (pen.)
Eaden Goal 44'		 Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 22,840 (1,288 away)
17 November 1996 18 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–2 Birmingham City Wolverhampton
14:10 GMT Bull Goal 10' Report Breen Goal 8'
Legg Goal 58'		 Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 22,627 (2,544 away)
23 November 1996 19 Crystal Palace 2–3 Wolverhampton Wanderers London
15:00 GMT Veart Goal 51'
Dyer Goal 55'		 Report Corica Goal 9', 14'
Thomas Goal 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 Goal 46', 54'
Dennison Goal 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 Goal 15' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 22,528 (883 away)
21 December 1996 23 Tranmere Rovers 0–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Birkenhead
15:00 GMT Report Osborn Goal 5' (pen.)
Bull Goal 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 Goal 13', 67'
Goodman Goal 63'		 Report Gray Goal 33' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 26,511
28 December 1996 25 Charlton Athletic 0–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers London
15:00 GMT Report Stadium: The Valley
Attendance: 12,259
12 January 1997 26 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–0 West Bromwich Albion Wolverhampton
14:10 GMT Richards Goal 3'
Roberts Goal 37'		 Report Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 27,336
18 January 1997 27 Bolton Wanderers 3–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers Bolton
15:00 GMT McGinlay Goal 21'
Curle Goal 58' (o.g.)
Blake Goal 62'		 Report Stadium: Burnden Park
Attendance: 18,980
24 January 1997 28 Sheffield United 2–3 Wolverhampton Wanderers Sheffield
19:45 GMT White Goal 24', 82' Report Atkins Goal 19'
Osborn Goal 25'
Bull Goal 88'		 Stadium: Bramall Lane
Attendance: 17,490
29 January 1997 29 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–0 Swindon Town Wolverhampton
19:45 GMT Bull Goal 35' Report Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 23,003
1 February 1997 30 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–0 Stoke City Wolverhampton
15:00 GMT Bull Goal 16', 55' Report Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 27,400
8 February 1997 31 Huddersfield Town 0–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Huddersfield
15:00 GMT Report Froggatt Goal 37'
Bull Goal 84'		 Stadium: McAlpine Stadium
Attendance: 15,267
15 February 1997 32 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–3 Crystal Palace Wolverhampton
15:00 GMT Report Tuttle Goal 17'
Veart Goal 72'
Dyer Goal 73'		 Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 25,919
22 February 1997 33 Barnsley 1–3 Wolverhampton Wanderers Barnsley
15:00 GMT Sheridan Goal 53' Report Bull Goal 2'
Roberts Goal 23'
Froggatt Goal 59'		 Stadium: Oakwell
Attendance: 18,024
1 March 1997 34 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–0 Ipswich Town Wolverhampton
15:00 GMT Report Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 26,700
4 March 1997 35 Birmingham City 1–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Birmingham
19:45 GMT Forster Goal 70' Report Bull Goal 1'
Roberts Goal 23'		 Stadium: St Andrew's
Attendance: 19,838
8 March 1997 36 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–2 Tranmere Rovers Wolverhampton
15:00 GMT Bull Goal 34', 41'
Roberts Goal 79'		 Report Irons Goal 55'
Aldridge Goal 57'		 Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 26,192
15 March 1997 37 Oldham Athletic 3–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Oldham
15:00 GMT Rickers Goal 3', 87'
Barlow Goal 55'		 Report Bull Goal 24'
Roberts Goal 76'		 Stadium: Boundary Park
Attendance: 9,661
18 March 1997 38 Stoke City 1–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers Stoke-on-Trent
19:45 GMT Forsyth Goal 47' Report Stadium: Victoria Ground
Attendance: 15,683
22 March 1997 39 Bradford City 2–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers Bradford
15:00 GMT Edinho Goal 45'
Pepper Goal 51'		 Report Goodman Goal 55' Stadium: Valley Parade
Attendance: 15,351
31 March 1997 40 Queens Park Rangers 2–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers London
15:00 BST Spencer Goal 13'
Peacock Goal 27'		 Report Goodman Goal 39'
Curle Goal 70' (pen.)		 Stadium: Loftus Road
Attendance: 17,376
5 April 1997 41 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–2 Norwich City Wolverhampton
15:00 BST Thomas Goal 19'
Curle Goal 35' (pen.)
Roberts Goal 78'		 Report Broughton Goal 43'
Adams Goal 45' (pen.)		 Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 26,938
12 April 1997 42 Reading 2–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers Reading
15:00 BST Lovell Goal 89', 90' Report Atkins Goal 75' Stadium: Elm Park
Attendance: 14,852
19 April 1997 43 Wolverhampton Wanderers 4–1 Southend United Wolverhampton
15:00 BST Ferguson Goal 7'
Bull Goal 9'
Atkins Goal 35'
Goodman Goal 40'		 Report Rammell Goal 30' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 25,095
23 April 1997 44 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–1 Grimsby Town Wolverhampton
19:45 BST Gilkes Goal 10' Report Oster Goal 45' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 25,474
27 April 1997 45 Port Vale 1–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Burslem
13:00 BST Naylor Goal 40' Report Thomas Goal 34'
Atkins Goal 42'		 Stadium: Vale Park
Attendance: 13,615
4 May 1997 46 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–1 Portsmouth Wolverhampton
13:30 BST Report Hall Goal 80' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 26,031

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[]

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

FA Cup[]

See also: 1996–97 FA Cup
4 January 1997 R3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–2 Portsmouth Wolverhampton
15:00 GMT Ferguson Goal 68' Report McLoughlin Goal 68'
Hall Goal 80'		 Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 23,626
Referee: Alan Wilkie

League Cup[]

See also: 1996–97 Football League Cup
20 August 1996 R1.1 Swindon Town 2–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers Swindon
19:45 BST Allison Goal 42'
Leitch Goal 66'		 Report Stadium: County Ground
Attendance: 7,451
Referee:
4 September 1996 R1.2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–0
(1–2 agg.)		 Swindon Town Wolverhampton
19:45 BST Osborn Goal 5' Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 10,760
Referee:

Players[]

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

  • # = Squad number
  • Pos = Playing position
  • P = Number of games played
  • G = Number of goals scored
  • GK = Goalkeeper
  • DF = Defender
  • MF = Midfielder
  • FW = Forward
  • A yellow card = Yellow cards
  • A red card = Red cards
  • † Permanent player left club during the season
  • ¤ Loaned to another club for part or all of season

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

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

Transfers[]

In[]

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

Out[]

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

Loans in[]

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

Loans out[]

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

Management and coaching staff[]

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[]

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[]

  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.
  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.
  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.
  15. ^ "Celtic settle row with striker". The Independent. 10 October 1996.
  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.
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