1996–97_Wolverhampton_Wanderers_F.C._season
1996–97 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season
1996–97 season of Wolverhampton Wanderers
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.
Quick Facts Chairman, Manager ...
| 1996–97 season | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Jonathan Hayward |
| Manager | Mark McGhee |
| First Division | 3rd (lost in play-offs) |
| FA Cup | 3rd round |
| League Cup | 1st round |
| Top goalscorer | League: Steve Bull (23) All: Steve Bull (23) |
| Highest home attendance | 27,400 (vs Stoke, 1 February 1997) |
| Lowest home attendance | 10,760 (vs Swindon, 4 September 1996) |
| Average home league attendance | 24,763 (league only) |
Close
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]
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]
Grimsby Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Bradford City
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Queens Park Rangers
| 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) |
Norwich City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Charlton Athletic
| 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) |
Oxford United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
West Bromwich Albion v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Sheffield United
| 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) |
Swindon Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Bolton Wanderers
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Reading
| 5 October 1996 11 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0–1 | Reading | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Lambert 69' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 23,193 (1,022 away) |
Southend United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Portsmouth v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Port Vale
| 19 October 1996 14 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0–1 | Port Vale | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Naylor 65' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 22,755 (813 away) |
Manchester City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Huddersfield Town
| 30 October 1996 16 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0–0 | Huddersfield Town | Wolverhampton |
| 19:45 GMT | Report | Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 22,376 (1,169 away) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Barnsley
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Birmingham City
| 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) |
Crystal Palace v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester City
| 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) |
Ipswich Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 7 December 1996 21 | Ipswich Town | 0–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Ipswich |
| 15:00 GMT | Report | Stadium: Portman Road Attendance: 12,048 (855 away) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Oldham Athletic
| 14 December 1996 22 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0–1 | Oldham Athletic | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 GMT | Report | Ormondroyd 15' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 22,528 (883 away) |
Tranmere Rovers v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Oxford United
| 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) |
Charlton Athletic v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 28 December 1996 25 | Charlton Athletic | 0–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | London |
| 15:00 GMT | Report | Stadium: The Valley Attendance: 12,259 (1,977 away) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v West Bromwich Albion
| 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) |
Bolton Wanderers v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Sheffield United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Swindon Town
| 29 January 1997 29 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–0 | Swindon Town | Wolverhampton |
| 19:45 GMT | Bull 35' |
Report | Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 23,003 (693 away) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Stoke City
| 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) |
Huddersfield Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Crystal Palace
| 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) |
Barnsley v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Ipswich Town
| 1 March 1997 34 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0–0 | Ipswich Town | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 GMT | Report | Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 26,700 (1,284 away) |
Birmingham City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Tranmere Rovers
| 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) |
Oldham Athletic v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Stoke City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Bradford City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Queens Park Rangers v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Norwich City
| 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) |
Reading v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Southend United
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Grimsby Town
| 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) |
Port Vale v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Portsmouth
| 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
More information Pos, Team ...
| 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 |
Close
Source: Statto.com
Results summary
More information Overall, Home ...
| 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 |
Close
Source: Statto.com
Results by round
More information Round, Result ...
| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | W | W | D | L | W | D | W | L | W | L | L | D | W | L | W | D | D | L | W | W | D | L | W | W | D | W | L | W | W | W | W | L | W | D | W | W | L | L | L | D | W | L | W | D | W | L |
| Position | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Close
Play-offs
See also: 1997 Football League play-offs
Crystal Palace v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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 |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Crystal Palace
| 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
See also: 1996–97 FA Cup
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Portsmouth
| 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
See also: 1996–97 Football League Cup
Swindon Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers
| 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 |
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Swindon Town
| 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 |
Key:
‡ On loan from another club * First appearance(s) for the club
- # = Squad number
- Pos = Playing position
- P = Number of games played 10
- G = Number of goals scored
- GK = Goalkeeper
- DF = Defender
- MF = Midfielder
- FW = Forward
= Yellow cards
= 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.
More information Pos, Name ...
| Pos | Name | P | G | P | G | P | G | P | G |  |
 |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | Discipline | ||||||||
| 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 | |
Close
In
More information Date, Player ...
| 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] |
Close
Out
More information Date, Player ...
| 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] |
Close
Loans in
More information Start date, Player ...
| 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] |
Close
Loans out
More information Start date, Player ...
| Start date | Player | To | End date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 February 1997 | Glen Crowe | Exeter City | 12 April 1997[19] |
Close
More information Position, Name ...
| 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 |
Close
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.
- "Mac lashed". The Mirror. 16 May 1997.
- "McGhee blasted by boss". Daily Record. 16 May 1997.
- "Fixture guide". The Mirror. 18 June 1996.
- "Wolves hunt". The Mirror. 1 July 1996.
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