The 1996–97 FA Premier League (known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons) was the fifth season of the FA Premier League since its formation in 1992. The majority of the season was contested by the reigning champions, Manchester United, along with Newcastle United, Arsenal and Liverpool. The title was eventually won by Manchester United, after Liverpool's and Newcastle's failure to win in their penultimate games of the season; at 75 points it is the lowest points total for a Premier League champion club and lowest since the 3-1-0 points system was introduced in the 1981–82 season.
| Season | 1996–97 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 17 August 1996 – 11 May 1997 |
| Champions | Manchester United 4th Premier League title 11th English title |
| Relegated | Sunderland Middlesbrough Nottingham Forest |
| Champions League | Manchester United Newcastle United F.C. |
| Cup Winners' Cup | Chelsea |
| UEFA Cup | Arsenal Liverpool Aston Villa (through UEFA Respect Fair Play ranking) Leicester City |
| Matches played | 380 |
| Goals scored | 970 (2.55 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Alan Shearer (25 goals) |
| Best goalkeeper | Nigel Martyn (19 clean sheets) |
| Biggest home win | Everton 7–1 Southampton (16 November 1996) Newcastle United 7–1 Tottenham Hotspur (28 December 1996) |
| Biggest away win | Leeds United 0–4 Manchester United (7 September 1996) Nottingham Forest 0–4 Manchester United (26 December 1996) Sunderland 0–4 Tottenham Hotspur (4 March 1997) |
| Highest scoring | Southampton 6–3 Manchester United (26 October 1996) |
| Longest winning run | 7 games[1] Newcastle United Wimbledon |
| Longest unbeaten run | 16 games[1] Manchester United |
| Longest winless run | 16 games[1] Nottingham Forest |
| Longest losing run | 6 games[1] Everton |
| Highest attendance | 55,314 Manchester United 2–1 Wimbledon (29 January 1997) |
| Lowest attendance | 7,979 Wimbledon 2–0 Leeds United (16 April 1997) |
| Total attendance | 10,818,380[2] |
| Average attendance | 28,469[2] |
← 1995–96 1997–98 → | |
Middlesbrough, who had high-profile foreign players like Juninho, Emerson, Fabrizio Ravanelli (who scored 31 goals in all competitions), Branco and Gianluca Festa, were relegated on the final day of the season and were on the losing side in both the FA Cup final and the League Cup final. Middlesbrough finished in 19th place, but would have been placed 14th without a three-point deduction imposed for unilaterally postponing a 21 December 1996 fixture at Blackburn Rovers, with the Middlesbrough board making the decision due to the absence of 23 players ill or injured.[3][4] The club consulted the Premier League prior to calling off the fixture and was told to do 'what they thought best'. To protect the integrity of the game, and avoid fielding a team of untried teenagers including three goalkeepers, Middlesbrough called off the match. The Premier League subsequently absolved itself of all responsibility and deducted the three points. This sanction meant Coventry City, who had been in the top division since 1967, finished in 17th place and avoided relegation. The decision was controversial, and later resurfaced in 2006–07 when West Ham escaped a points deduction and subsequently avoided relegation.
Another relegation place went to Nottingham Forest, who sacked manager Frank Clark in December. Stuart Pearce took over as temporary player-manager, spending three months in charge and winning the January 1997 Manager of the Month award. In March, Pearce quit as manager to be replaced by Dave Bassett, formerly of Crystal Palace. Also relegated, due to a 1–0 defeat to Wimbledon in their last game of the season, was Sunderland, who were leaving Roker Park after 99 years and relocating to the 42,000-seat Stadium of Light on the banks of the River Wear for the start of the 1997–98 season in Division One.
Teams
editTwenty teams competed in the league – the top seventeen teams from the previous season and the three teams promoted from the First Division. The promoted teams were Sunderland, Derby County (both teams returning to the top flight after a five-year absence) and Leicester City (immediately returning to the top flight after a season's absence). This was also both Sunderland and Derby County's first season in the Premier League. They replaced Manchester City, Queens Park Rangers and Bolton Wanderers, who were relegated to the Division One.
Newcastle United broke the world transfer record fee before the season began, paying Blackburn Rovers £15million for England striker Alan Shearer, who went on to top the Premier League goal charts with 25 goals throughout the season. Manchester United, whose efforts to sign Shearer failed, paid a fraction of that fee for Norwegian strike Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who finished the season as United’s top league scorer on 18 goals, with a further goal on United’s run to their first European Cup semi final since 1969.
The title was won by Manchester United, who topped the table from late January onwards and finished seven points ahead of their nearest rivals Newcastle United, Arsenal and Liverpool. Aston Villa’s fifth place finish was enough for a fourth UEFA Cup campaign in five seasons. Chelsea F.C. finished sixth and won the FA Cup to end their 26-year wait for a major trophy, with new Dutch player-manager Ruud Gullit becoming the first foreign manager to win a major trophy with an English club. Arsenal also appointed a foreign manager, Frenchman Arsene Wenger, several games into the season, following the dismissal of Bruce Rioch a few days before the league campaign commenced.
Howard Wilkinson, one of the longest serving managers in the English league, was sacked by Leeds United in September after eight years in charge. He was succeeded by George Graham, who returned to management 18 months after being dismissed by Arsenal for accepting illegal payments from an agent who had overseen two transfers several years earlier.
Newly promoted Leicester City also ended their own long wait for silverware by winning the League Cup, also finishing an impressive ninth in the league.
Blackburn Rovers, bottom of the division and winless until November, a mere 18 months after being league champions, enjoyed an upturn in form after manager Ray Harford resigned, with long serving coach Tony Parkes steering the club to survival before handing over the reins to Roy Hodgson.
Nottingham Forest, UEFA Cup quarter finals the previous season, were relegated in bottom place with just six wins all season. Middlesbrough, with a squad containing several multi million signings including Italian striker Fabrizio Ravanelli, were deducted three points after postponing a mid-season fixture due to an injury and illness crisis - a penalty which ultimately cost them their Premier League status on the final day of the season. They were also losing finalists in both the FA Cup and the League Cup. Coventry City survived relegation at Middlesbrough’s expense. Also going down to Division One were newly promoted Sunderland, in their final season at Roker Park before relocating to the new Stadium of Light.
Wimbledon emerged as surprise title contenders in an excellent first half of the season, peaking at second place in the league in early December before eventually finishing eighth. They also reached the semi finals of both the FA Cup and the League Cup.
There was a major shock just after the end of the campaign, when champions Manchester United announced that their captain Eric Cantona was retiring from football after five seasons at Old Trafford.
Stadiums and locations
edit- ^ This was Derby County's last season at Baseball Ground as they were scheduled to relocate to the Pride Park Stadium at the end of the season.
- ^ Due to Wimbledon lacking a home stadium, they played their home games at Selhurst Park, which is the home stadium of Crystal Palace.
Personnel and kits
edit(as of 11 May 1997)
Managerial changes
edit| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | Signed by England | 10 May 1996 | Pre-season | 10 May 1996 | ||
| Southampton | Sacked | 14 June 1996 | 3 July 1996 | |||
| Arsenal | 12 August 1996 | 12 August 1996 | ||||
| Leeds United | 10 September 1996 | 9th | 10 September 1996 | |||
| Arsenal | Signed by Queens Park Rangers | 16 September 1996 | 7th | 16 September 1996 | ||
| End of caretaker spell | 30 September 1996 | 3rd | 30 September 1996 | |||
| Blackburn Rovers | Resigned | 25 October 1996 | 20th | 25 October 1996 | ||
| Coventry City | Promoted to director of football | 5 November 1996 | 18th | 5 November 1996 | ||
| Nottingham Forest | Resigned | 19 December 1996 | 20th | 20 December 1996 | ||
| Newcastle United | 8 January 1997 | 4th | 8 January 1997 | |||
| End of caretaker spell | 14 January 1997 | 14 January 1997 | ||||
| Everton | Resigned | 27 March 1997 | 13th | 1 April 1997 |
League table
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United (C) | 38 | 21 | 12 | 5 | 76 | 44 | +32 | 75 | Qualification for the Champions League group stage |
| 2 | Newcastle United | 38 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 73 | 40 | +33 | 68 | Qualification for the Champions League second qualifying round |
| 3 | Arsenal | 38 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 62 | 32 | +30 | 68 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round[a] |
| 4 | Liverpool | 38 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 62 | 37 | +25 | 68 | |
| 5 | Aston Villa | 38 | 17 | 10 | 11 | 47 | 34 | +13 | 61 | |
| 6 | Chelsea | 38 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 58 | 55 | +3 | 59 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round[b] |
| 7 | Sheffield Wednesday | 38 | 14 | 15 | 9 | 50 | 51 | −1 | 57 | |
| 8 | Wimbledon | 38 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 49 | 46 | +3 | 56 | |
| 9 | Leicester City | 38 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 46 | 54 | −8 | 47 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round[c] |
| 10 | Tottenham Hotspur | 38 | 13 | 7 | 18 | 44 | 51 | −7 | 46 | |
| 11 | Leeds United | 38 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 28 | 38 | −10 | 46 | |
| 12 | Derby County | 38 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 45 | 58 | −13 | 46 | |
| 13 | Blackburn Rovers | 38 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 42 | 43 | −1 | 42 | |
| 14 | West Ham United | 38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 39 | 48 | −9 | 42 | |
| 15 | Everton | 38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 44 | 57 | −13 | 42 | |
| 16 | Southampton | 38 | 10 | 11 | 17 | 50 | 56 | −6 | 41 | |
| 17 | Coventry City | 38 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 38 | 54 | −16 | 41 | |
| 18 | Sunderland (R) | 38 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 35 | 53 | −18 | 40 | Relegation to the Football League First Division |
| 19 | Middlesbrough (R) | 38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 51 | 60 | −9 | 39[d] | |
| 20 | Nottingham Forest (R) | 38 | 6 | 16 | 16 | 31 | 59 | −28 | 34 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Aston Villa was rewarded entry to the UEFA Cup through UEFA Fair Play ranking.
- ^ Chelsea qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup as FA Cup winners.
- ^ Leicester City qualified for the UEFA Cup as League Cup winners.
- ^ Middlesbrough were docked three points for failing to fulfill their original fixture at Blackburn Rovers on 21 December 1996.
Results
editSeason statistics
editScoring
editTop scorers
edit| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newcastle United | 25 | |
| 2 | Arsenal | 23 | |
| 3 | Liverpool | 18 | |
| Manchester United | |||
| 5 | Aston Villa | 17 | |
| 6 | Newcastle United | 16 | |
| Middlesbrough | |||
| 8 | Coventry City | 13 | |
| Southampton | |||
| 10 | Arsenal | 12 | |
| Leicester City | |||
| Liverpool | |||
| Middlesbrough |
Hat-tricks
edit| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nottingham Forest | Coventry City | 3–0 (A) | 17 August 1996 | [5] | |
| Middlesbrough | Liverpool | 3–3 (H) | 17 August 1996 | [6] | |
| Arsenal | Sheffield Wednesday | 4–1 (H) | 16 September 1996 | [7] | |
| Aston Villa | Newcastle United | 4–3 (A) | 30 September 1996 | [8] | |
| Everton | Southampton | 7–1 (H) | 16 November 1996 | [9] | |
| Liverpool | Middlesbrough | 5–1 (H) | 14 December 1996 | [10] | |
| Newcastle United | Leicester City | 4–3 (H) | 2 February 1997 | [11] | |
| Leicester City | Derby County | 4–2 (H) | 22 February 1997 | [12] | |
| Tottenham Hotspur | Sunderland | 4–0 (A) | 4 March 1997 | [13] | |
| Middlesbrough | Derby County | 6–1 (H) | 5 March 1997 | [14] | |
| Blackburn Rovers | Wimbledon | 3–1 (H) | 15 March 1997 | [15] | |
| West Ham United | Sheffield Wednesday | 5–1 (H) | 3 May 1997 | [16] |
- Note: 4 Player scored 4 goals; L Player finished on the losing side; (H) – Home; (A) – Away
Top assists
edit| Rank | Player | Club | Assists[17] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United | 12 | |
| 2 | Wimbledon | 11 | |
| 3 | Arsenal | 9 | |
| Everton | |||
| Coventry City | |||
| Chelsea | |||
| 7 | Everton | 8 | |
| Manchester United | |||
| Liverpool | |||
| Newcastle United |
Awards
editMonthly awards
edit| Month | Manager of the Month | Player of the Month | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Club | Player | Club | |
| August | Sheffield Wednesday | Manchester United | ||
| September | Wimbledon | Liverpool | ||
| October | Southampton | Southampton | ||
| November | Derby County | Arsenal | ||
| December | Coventry City | Chelsea | ||
| January | Nottingham Forest | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| February | Manchester United | Wimbledon | ||
| March | Middlesbrough | Middlesbrough | ||
| April | Southampton | Southampton | ||
Annual awards
edit| Award | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Premier League Manager of the Season | Manchester United | |
| Premier League Player of the Season | Middlesbrough | |
| PFA Players' Player of the Year | Newcastle United | |
| PFA Young Player of the Year | Manchester United | |
| FWA Footballer of the Year | Chelsea |
| PFA Team of the Year | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | ||||||||||||
| Defence | ||||||||||||
| Midfield | ||||||||||||
| Attack | ||||||||||||
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Earle was born in England, but made his debut for Jamaica in September 1997.
- ^ Evans was born in England, but made his debut for the Republic of Ireland in October 1997.
References
edit- ^ a b c d "English Premier League 1996–97". statto.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ^ a b "Premier League 1996/1997 » Attendance » Home matches". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ "Football's biggest punishments". Retrieved 20 September 2006.
- ^ "Funny Old Game|Happened on this day – 20 December". Retrieved 20 September 2006.
- ^ Culley, Jon (18 August 1996). "Campbell calls tune". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
- ^ "Middlesbrough v Liverpool". The Times. London. 9 November 2002. Retrieved 14 July 2009.[dead link]
- ^ Moore, Glenn (17 September 1996). "Football: Wright's hat-trick lifts the gloom". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
- ^ Turnbull, Simon (1 October 1996). "Yorke hat-trick in vain for Villa". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
- ^ Brown, Geoff (17 November 1996). "Football: Speed puts foot down". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
- ^ "Liverpool 5–1 Middlesbrough". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 17 February 2005. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
- ^ Hodgson, Guy (3 February 1997). "Football: Shearer provides Newcastle fantasy". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
- ^ Fox, Norman (23 February 1997). "Football: Marshall's triple tale of the unexpected". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
- ^ Stamiforth, Tommy (5 March 1997). "Football: Spurs boosted by Iversen's hat-trick". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
- ^ Turnbull, Simon (6 March 1997). "Football: Ravanelli hat-trick bodes well for Boro". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
- ^ Hadfield, Dave (17 March 1997). "Football: Gallacher takes advantage of Sullivan's sudden relapse". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
- ^ Houston, Bob (4 May 1997). "Kitson glory day". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
- ^ "Statistical Leaders – 1997". Premier League. Archived from the original on 24 June 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ a b "Seasonal Awards 1996/97" Archived 18 March 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 20 September 2006.
- ^ "England Player Honours – Professional Footballers' Association Players' Players of the Year". Retrieved 20 September 2006.
- ^ "England Player Honours – Professional Footballers' Association Young Players of the Year". Retrieved 20 September 2006.
- ^ "England Player Honours – Football Writers' Association Footballers of the Year". Retrieved 20 September 2006.