1996–97_Stockport_County_F.C._season
1996–97 Stockport County F.C. season
Stockport County 1996–97 football season
During the 1996–97 English football season, Stockport County F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division.
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2015) |
| 1996–97 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Brendan Elwood | |||
| Manager | Dave Jones | |||
| Stadium | Edgeley Park | |||
| Second Division | 2nd (promoted) | |||
| FA Cup | Fourth round | |||
| League Cup | Semi finals | |||
| Football League Trophy | Northern final | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: Angell (15) All: Angell (19) | |||
| Average home league attendance | 6,424 | |||
|
| ||||
← 1995–96 | ||||
The 1996–97 season proved to be possibly the most memorable in Stockport County's history. The season began in a forgettable fashion however, recording two draws and four defeats in the first six league matches. A 2nd round League Cup tie against Sheffield United proved to be a catalyst, and Stockport won with a 7–3 aggregate win, including a 5–2 victory at Bramall Lane. Although Stockport reached the northern final of the Auto Windscreens Shield, losing 2–0 on aggregate to Carlisle and just missing out on a visit to Wembley, it was the League Cup which provided the major highlights of the season, with four victories over top-flight opposition. The club, in its third colours for the first and only time in the season, recorded a 1–0 win away at Blackburn Rovers in the 3rd round, due to a colour clash with both the home and away kits[citation needed]. This win was followed by a 4th round 1–1 draw away to West Ham and a 2–1 victory in the replay at Edgeley Park, a quarter final 2–2 draw against Southampton at Edgeley Park followed by a 2–1 victory in the replay at The Dell, and then a semi-final meeting with Middlesbrough. Although County lost the first leg at Edgeley Park 2–0, they won 1–0 at the Riverside Stadium, failing to convert several chances to equalise on aggregate.[1]
After a disappointing start, Stockport also enjoyed a great league campaign, eventually securing promotion from Division Two with a 1–0 victory at Chesterfield in the penultimate match of the season. Had Stockport failed to win the game they would have faced a deciding match away at promotion rivals Luton Town on the final day of the season. As it turned out, County travelled to Kenilworth Road with a chance to win the title, but a 1–1 draw meant that local rivals Bury finished top of the table with Stockport finishing second.[1]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bury | 46 | 24 | 12 | 10 | 62 | 38 | +24 | 84 | Division Champions, promoted |
| 2 | Stockport County | 46 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 59 | 41 | +18 | 82 | Promoted |
| 3 | Luton Town | 46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 71 | 45 | +26 | 78 | Participated in play-offs |
| 4 | Brentford | 46 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 56 | 43 | +13 | 74 | |
| 5 | Bristol City | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 69 | 51 | +18 | 73 |
Rules for classification: In the Football League goals scored (GF) takes precedence over goal difference (GD).
Stockport County's score comes first[3]
Legend
| Win | Draw | Loss |
Football League Second Division
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 August 1996 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 0–1 | 4,310 | |
| 24 August 1996 | Notts County | H | 0–0 | 5,271 | |
| 27 August 1996 | Bournemouth | H | 0–1 | 3,446 | |
| 31 August 1996 | Bristol Rovers | A | 1–1 | 6,380 | Jeffers |
| 7 September 1996 | Watford | A | 0–1 | 7,208 | |
| 10 September 1996 | Wrexham | H | 0–2 | 4,244 | |
| 14 September 1996 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 3–1 | 5,087 | Gannon (2), Armstrong |
| 21 September 1996 | York City | A | 2–1 | 3,061 | Angell (2) |
| 28 September 1996 | Gillingham | H | 2–1 | 6,049 | Armstrong, Morris (own goal) |
| 2 October 1996 | Millwall | A | 4–3 | 7,537 | Durkan, Armstrong (2), Gannon |
| 5 October 1996 | Burnley | A | 2–5 | 10,332 | Angell, Mutch |
| 12 October 1996 | Preston North End | H | 1–0 | 8,405 | Angell |
| 15 October 1996 | Luton Town | H | 1–1 | 5,352 | Angell |
| 19 October 1996 | Wycombe Wanderers | A | 2–0 | 4,017 | Angell (2) |
| 26 October 1996 | Walsall | A | 1–1 | 3,767 | Durkan |
| 29 October 1996 | Chesterfield | H | 1–0 | 4,831 | Dinning |
| 2 November 1996 | Bristol City | H | 1–1 | 6,654 | Bennett |
| 9 November 1996 | Brentford | A | 2–2 | 5,076 | Angell, Cavaco |
| 19 November 1996 | Blackpool | H | 1–0 | 4,572 | Bennett |
| 23 November 1996 | Shrewsbury Town | A | 2–3 | 2,865 | Angell, Marsden |
| 30 November 1996 | Walsall | H | 2–0 | 5,333 | Angell (2) |
| 3 December 1996 | Rotherham United | A | 1–0 | 2,133 | Durkan |
| 14 December 1996 | Peterborough United | H | 0–0 | 5,748 | |
| 21 December 1996 | Bury | A | 0–0 | 5,069 | |
| 26 December 1996 | Wrexham | A | 3–2 | 6,736 | Armstrong, Gannon, Dinning (pen) |
| 18 January 1997 | Millwall | H | 5–1 | 7,502 | Mutch, Armstrong (pen), Flynn, Cavaco (2) |
| 1 February 1997 | Brentford | H | 1–2 | 8,650 | Cavaco |
| 7 February 1997 | Bristol City | A | 1–1 | 13,186 | Armstrong |
| 15 February 1997 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 3–1 | 6,712 | Angell (2), Armstrong |
| 22 February 1997 | Blackpool | A | 1–2 | 5,772 | Linighan (own goal) |
| 1 March 1997 | Rotherham United | H | 0–0 | 6,147 | |
| 8 March 1997 | Bury | H | 2–1 | 8,170 | Mutch, Jeffers |
| 15 March 1997 | Peterborough United | A | 2–0 | 4,857 | Cavaco, Marsden |
| 22 March 1997 | Notts County | A | 2–1 | 4,238 | Flynn, Hogg (own goal) |
| 29 March 1997 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 1–0 | 7,411 | Cooper |
| 1 April 1997 | Bournemouth | A | 0–0 | 5,476 | |
| 5 April 1997 | Bristol Rovers | H | 1–0 | 5,689 | Cooper (pen) |
| 8 April 1997 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 0–0 | 5,089 | |
| 12 April 1997 | Burnley | H | 1–0 | 9,187 | Mutch |
| 14 April 1997 | Watford | H | 1–0 | 7,164 | Jeffers |
| 16 April 1997 | Gillingham | A | 0–1 | 4,485 | |
| 19 April 1997 | Preston North End | A | 0–1 | 10,298 | |
| 22 April 1997 | York City | H | 2–1 | 6,654 | Bennett, Angell |
| 26 April 1997 | Wycombe Wanderers | H | 2–1 | 9,463 | Armstrong, Forsyth (own goal) |
| 28 April 1997 | Chesterfield | A | 1–0 | 8,690 | Angell |
| 3 May 1997 | Luton Town | A | 1–1 | 9,347 | Cooper (pen) |
FA Cup
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | 16 November 1996 | Doncaster Rovers | H | 2–1 | 4,211 | Flynn, Mutch |
| R2 | 7 December 1996 | Mansfield Town | A | 3–0 | 3,354 | Kilcline (own goal), Durkan (2) |
| R3 | 15 January 1997 | Stoke City | A | 2–0 | 9,961 | Durkan, Armstrong |
| R4 | 25 January 1997 | Birmingham City | A | 1–3 | 18,487 | Angell |
League Cup
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 1st Leg | 20 August 1996 | Chesterfield | H | 2–1 | 3,088 | Mutch (2) |
| R1 2nd Leg | 3 September 1996 | Chesterfield | A | 2–1 (won 4–2 on agg) | 3,334 | Ware, Mutch |
| R2 1st Leg | 17 September 1996 | Sheffield United | H | 2–1 | 4,004 | Flynn, Bennett |
| R2 2nd Leg | 24 September 1996 | Sheffield United | A | 5–2 (won 7–3 on agg) | 6,285 | Gannon, Armstrong (2), Bennett, Angell |
| R3 | 22 October 1996 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 1–0 | 14,622 | Sherwood (own goal) |
| R4 | 27 November 1996 | West Ham United | A | 1–1 | 20,061 | Cavaco |
| R4R | 18 December 1996 | West Ham United | H | 2–1 | 9,834 | Dowie (own goal), Angell |
| QF | 22 January 1997 | Southampton | H | 2–2 | 9,840 | Armstrong, Cavaco |
| QFR | 29 January 1997 | Southampton | A | 2–1 | 13,428 | Angell, Mutch |
| SF 1st Leg | 26 February 1997 | Middlesbrough | H | 0–2 | 11,778 | |
| SF 2nd Leg | 12 March 1997 | Middlesbrough | A | 1–0 (lost 1–2 on agg) | 29,633 | Connelly |
Football League Trophy
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NR1 | 10 December 1996 | Doncaster Rovers | A | 2–1 | 988 | |
| NR2 | 4 February 1997 | Burnley | A | 1–0 | 4,251 | |
| NQF | 11 February 1997 | Bury | A | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | 2,497 | |
| NSF | 4 March 1997 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 1–1 (won 5–3 on pens) | 3,529 | |
| NF 1st Leg | 18 March 1997 | Carlisle United | A | 0–2 | 7,057 | |
| NF 2nd Leg | 25 March 1997 | Carlisle United | H | 0–0 (lost 0–2 on agg) | 8,593 |
[4] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
- "Dave Jones factfile". Telegraph, 3 January 2001. London. 3 January 2001. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- "England 1996–97". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
- "Stockport County results for the 1996-1997 season - Statto.com". Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.