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

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)
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

OverallHomeAway
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsWDLGFGAGDWDLGFGAGD
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

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

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

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

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 A yellow card A red card Notes
League FA CupLeague CupTotalDiscipline
GKEngland Vince Bartram 0000000000
GKEngland Matt Murray 0000000000
GKNetherlands Hans Segers 0000000000
GKEngland Mike Stowell 480102051000
DFEngland Keith Curle (c) 22(1)2000022(1)200
DFWales Brian Law 4(3)000004(3)000
DFNorthern Ireland Neil Masters 0000000000
DFEngland Lee Naylor 0000000000
DFEngland Dennis Pearce 4000004000
DFEngland Dean Richards 19(2)1002021(2)100
DFFrance Serge Romano 1(3)000102(3)000
DFEngland Jamie Smith 38(2)1101(1)040(3)100
DFEngland Andy Thompson 27(6)2002029(6)200
DFEngland Mark Venus 36(4)0102039(4)000
DFEngland Chris Westwood 0000000000
DFWales Ady Williams 8100008100
DFWales Eric Young 1000001000
MFEngland Mark Atkins 46(1)5102049(1)500
MFAustralia Steve Corica 33(3)2102036(3)200
MFEngland Tony Daley 0000000000
MFNorthern Ireland Robbie Dennison 9(5)1100010(5)100
MFGermany Jens Dowe 5(3)000005(3)000
MFEngland Neil Emblen 27(1)0100028(1)000
MFScotland Darren Ferguson 12(6)30(1)11013(7)401
MFEngland Steve Froggatt 272002029200
MFBarbados Michael Gilkes 5100005100
MFEngland Simon Osborn 35(2)5101137(2)600
MFEngland Mark Rankine 0000000000
MFWales Carl Robinson 1(1)000001(1)000
MFEngland Geoff Thomas 17(7)3100018(7)300
MFNetherlands Robin van der Laan 7000007000
MFEngland Jermaine Wright 0(3)0000(2)00(5)000
FWEngland Steve Bull 45231020482301
FWRepublic of Ireland Glen Crowe ¤ 5(1)000005(1)000
FWRepublic of Ireland Dominic Foley 0(7)100000(7)100
FWEngland Don Goodman 20(8)6100021(8)600
FWEngland Richard Leadbeater 0(1)000000(1)000
FWWales Iwan Roberts 26(9)120(1)02028(10)1200

Transfers

In

Date Player From Fee
1 July 1996Wales Ady WilliamsReading£750,000[4]
5 July 1996Wales Iwan RobertsLeicester City£1.3 million[5]
31 July 1996England Keith CurleManchester City£650,000[6]
12 August 1996France Serge RomanoFrance MartiguesFree[7]
30 August 1996Netherlands Hans SegersUnattachedFree[8]
27 March 1997Barbados Michael GilkesReading£150,000[9]

Out

Date Player To Fee
June 1996Netherlands John de WolfReleasedFree[10]
June 1996England Andy De BontHereford UnitedFree[11]
June 1996England Gavin MahonHereford UnitedFree[11]
June 1996England Steve PiearceDoncaster RoversFree[11]
June 1996England Quentin TownsendHereford UnitedFree[11]
June 1996South Africa Mark WilliamsReleasedFree[10]
16 July 1996Wales Paul JonesStockport County£60,000[12]
20 July 1996England Paul BirchDoncaster RoversFree
17 September 1996England Mark RankinePreston North End£100,000[13]
28 March 1997Northern Ireland Neil MastersGillingham£150,000[14]

Loans in

Start date Player From End date
9 October 1996Germany Jens DoweGermany HamburgEnd of season[15]
11 October 1996Netherlands Robin van der LaanDerby County1 January 1997[16][17]
26 February 1997England Vince BartramArsenal14 March 1997[18]

Loans out

Start date Player To End date
21 February 1997Republic of Ireland Glen CroweExeter City12 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. 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. 1 2 "Football". The Independent. 8 May 1996. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "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.
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