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1996–97 Football League

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(Redirected from 1996–97 Football League Third Division) 98th season of the Football League
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Football league season
The Football League
Season1996–97
ChampionsBolton Wanderers
PromotedBolton Wanderers
Barnsley
Crystal Palace
RelegatedHereford United
← 1995–96 1997–98 →

The 1996–97 Football League (known as the Nationwide Football League for sponsorship reasons) was the 98th completed season of The Football League.

Bolton Wanderers returned to the Premiership in superb fashion, hitting 100 goals and taking 98 points. Barnsley were promoted to the top flight for the first time in their history, while Crystal Palace returned after a two-year absence by winning the play-offs.

The decline of Oldham Athletic continued, falling into the third tier for the first time in 23 years, and just three years after being in the Premiership. Grimsby Town and Southend United joined them in relegation to the Second Division.

Bury won their second consecutive promotion, taking the Second Division title, Stockport County joined them in automatic promotion, and play-off winners Crewe Alexandra completed the trio moving up.

Going down were Peterborough United, Shrewsbury Town, Rotherham United and Notts County. County had been in the top division just five years earlier.

Wigan Athletic won the Third Division title on goals scored from Fulham. Carlisle United and play-off winners Northampton Town also won promotion to the Second Division.

Hereford United were the first club for four years to be relegated to the Conference after finishing bottom. Conference champions Macclesfield Town replaced Hereford (two years after Town had been denied entry to the Third Division). In December, Brighton & Hove Albion were 11 points adrift at the bottom of the Third Division, having had 2 points deducted for a pitch invasion. However a draw in their final game at Hereford kept Brighton in the league, and sent United down.

Final league tables and results

The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation website, with home and away statistics separated. Play-off results are from the same website.

First Division

Football league season
First Division
Season1996–97
ChampionsBolton Wanderers
PromotedBolton Wanderers
Barnsley
Crystal Palace
RelegatedGrimsby Town
Oldham Athletic
Southend United
Matches played552
Goals scored1,474 (2.67 per match)
Top goalscorerJohn McGinlay
(24 goals)
← 1995–96 1997–98 →

One season after being relegated from the Premier League, Bolton Wanderers finished champions of Division One after leading the table virtually all season, finishing with 100 goals and 98 points in their final season at Burnden Park before relocating to the new all-seater Reebok Stadium. Barnsley finished runners-up and reached the top flight for the first time in their 101-year history. Wolves, who were beaten to automatic promotion by Barnsley, lost to Crystal Palace in the semi-finals of the playoffs, their second playoff defeat in three seasons, while Sheffield United overcame Ipswich Town in the other semi-final. Palace sealed promotion after two years away from the Premier League when midfielder David Hopkin scored with almost the last kick of the game.

A year after almost being relegated to Division Two, Portsmouth made strong progress in their second full season under the management of Terry Fenwick and just missed out on the playoffs. Port Vale, who finished eighth, enjoyed one of the highest final positions in their history, although eighth place was not high enough for playoff qualification and the chance of top flight football for the first time in the club's history. Vale's local rivals Stoke City finished 12th in their final season at the 119-year-old Victoria Ground before moving to the new Britannia Stadium. Manchester City spent the first half of the season battling at the wrong end of the table before the mid-season appointment of Frank Clark sparked a turnaround in fortunes and lifted them to 14th in the final table.

Southend United's six-year spell in the league's second tier came to an end as they finished bottom of Division One, with relegation quickly being followed by the dismissal of manager Ronnie Whelan. Oldham Athletic were next to go, their second relegation in four seasons being confirmed soon after the departure of manager Graeme Sharp. Alan Buckley, sacked mid-season by West Bromwich Albion, returned to Grimsby Town for his second spell as manager but was unable to keep the Mariners up, the battle against relegation being lost on the final day of the season.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Bolton Wanderers (C, P) 46 28 14 4 100 53 +47 98 Promotion to the Premier League
2 Barnsley (P) 46 22 14 10 76 55 +21 80
3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 46 22 10 14 68 51 +17 76 Qualification for the First Division play-offs
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 (O, P) 46 19 14 13 78 48 +30 71
7 Portsmouth 46 20 8 18 59 53 +6 68
8 Port Vale 46 17 16 13 58 55 +3 67
9 Queens Park Rangers 46 18 12 16 64 60 +4 66
10 Birmingham City 46 17 15 14 52 48 +4 66
11 Tranmere Rovers 46 17 14 15 63 56 +7 65
12 Stoke City 46 18 10 18 51 57 −6 64
13 Norwich City 46 17 12 17 63 68 −5 63
14 Manchester City 46 17 10 19 59 60 −1 61
15 Charlton Athletic 46 16 11 19 52 66 −14 59
16 West Bromwich Albion 46 14 15 17 68 72 −4 57
17 Oxford United 46 16 9 21 64 68 −4 57
18 Reading 46 15 12 19 58 67 −9 57
19 Swindon Town 46 15 9 22 52 71 −19 54
20 Huddersfield Town 46 13 15 18 48 61 −13 54
21 Bradford City 46 12 12 22 47 72 −25 48
22 Grimsby Town (R) 46 11 13 22 59 81 −22 46 Relegation to the Second Division
23 Oldham Athletic (R) 46 10 13 23 51 66 −15 43
24 Southend United (R) 46 8 15 23 42 85 −43 39
Source:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goals scored; 3) Goal difference
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Play-offs

Main article: Football League Championship play-offs § 1997
Semi-finals
1st leg – 10 May; 2nd leg – 14 May 1997 		Final at Wembley
26 May 1997
        
3rd Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 2 3
6th Crystal Palace 3 1 4
5th Sheffield United 0
6th Crystal Palace 1
4th Ipswich Town 1 2 3
5th Sheffield United (away goals) 1 2 3

Top scorers

Rank Player Club Goals
1 Scotland John McGinlay Bolton Wanderers 24
2 England Steve Bull Wolverhampton Wanderers 23
3 England Trevor Morley Reading 22
4 Wales Nathan Blake Bolton Wanderers 20
5 Republic of Ireland John Aldridge Tranmere Rovers 18
= England Nigel Jemson Oxford United 18
= England Mike Sheron Stoke City 18

Results

Home \ Away BAR BIR BOL BRA CHA CRY GRI HUD IPS MCI NWC OLD OXF PTV POR QPR REA SHU STD STK SWI TRA WBA WOL
Barnsley 0–1 2–2 2–0 4–0 0–0 1–3 3–1 1–2 2–0 3–1 2–0 0–0 1–0 3–2 1–3 3–0 2–0 3–0 3–0 1–1 3–0 2–0 1–3
Birmingham City 0–0 3–1 3–0 0–0 1–0 0–0 1–0 1–0 2–0 2–3 0–0 2–0 1–2 0–3 0–0 4–1 1–1 2–1 3–1 1–0 0–0 2–3 1–2
Bolton Wanderers 2–2 2–1 2–1 4–1 2–2 6–1 2–0 1–2 1–0 3–1 3–1 4–0 4–2 2–0 2–1 2–1 2–2 3–1 1–1 7–0 1–0 1–0 3–0
Bradford City 2–2 0–2 2–4 1–0 0–4 3–4 1–1 2–1 1–3 0–2 0–3 2–0 1–0 3–1 3–0 0–0 1–2 0–0 1–0 2–1 1–0 1–1 2–1
Charlton Athletic 2–2 2–1 3–3 0–2 2–1 1–3 2–1 1–1 1–1 4–4 1–0 2–0 1–3 2–1 2–1 1–0 0–0 2–0 1–2 2–0 3–1 1–1 0–0
Crystal Palace 1–1 0–1 1–1 3–1 1–0 3–0 1–1 0–0 3–1 2–0 3–1 2–2 1–1 1–2 3–0 3–2 0–1 6–1 2–0 1–2 0–1 0–0 2–3
Grimsby Town 2–3 1–2 1–2 1–1 2–0 2–1 2–2 2–1 1–1 1–4 0–3 0–2 1–1 0–1 2–0 2–0 2–4 4–0 1–1 2–1 0–0 1–1 1–3
Huddersfield Town 0–0 3–0 1–2 3–3 2–0 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 2–0 3–2 1–0 0–1 1–3 1–2 1–0 2–1 0–0 2–1 0–0 0–1 0–0 0–2
Ipswich Town 1–1 1–1 0–1 3–2 2–1 3–1 1–1 1–3 1–0 2–0 4–0 2–1 2–1 1–1 2–0 5–2 3–1 1–1 1–1 3–2 0–2 5–0 0–0
Manchester City 1–2 1–0 1–2 3–2 2–1 1–1 3–1 0–0 1–0 2–1 1–0 2–3 0–1 1–1 0–3 3–2 0–0 3–0 2–0 3–0 1–2 3–2 0–1
Norwich City 1–1 0–1 0–1 2–0 1–2 1–1 2–1 2–0 3–1 0–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–0 2–0 2–0 1–1 2–4 1–0
Oldham Athletic 0–1 2–2 0–0 1–2 1–1 0–1 0–3 1–2 3–3 2–1 3–0 2–1 3–0 0–0 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–0 1–2 5–1 1–2 1–1 3–2
Oxford United 5–1 0–0 0–0 2–0 0–2 1–4 3–2 1–0 3–1 1–4 0–1 3–1 0–2 2–0 2–3 2–1 4–1 5–0 4–1 2–0 2–1 1–0 1–1
Port Vale 1–3 3–0 1–1 1–1 2–0 0–2 1–1 0–0 2–2 0–2 6–1 3–2 2–0 0–2 4–4 1–0 0–0 2–1 1–1 1–0 2–1 2–2 1–2
Portsmouth 4–2 1–1 0–3 3–1 2–0 2–2 1–0 3–1 0–1 2–1 0–1 1–0 2–1 1–1 1–2 1–0 1–1 1–0 1–0 0–1 1–3 4–0 0–2
Queens Park Rangers 3–1 1–1 1–2 1–0 1–2 0–1 3–0 2–0 0–1 2–2 3–2 0–1 2–1 1–2 2–1 0–2 1–0 4–0 1–1 1–1 2–0 0–2 2–2
Reading 1–2 0–0 3–2 0–0 2–2 1–6 1–1 4–1 1–0 2–0 2–1 2–0 2–0 0–1 0–0 2–1 1–0 3–2 2–2 2–0 2–0 2–2 2–1
Sheffield United 0–1 4–4 1–1 3–0 3–0 3–0 3–1 3–1 1–3 2–0 2–3 2–2 3–1 3–0 1–0 1–1 2–0 3–0 1–0 2–0 0–0 1–2 2–3
Southend United 1–2 1–1 5–2 1–1 0–2 2–1 1–0 1–2 0–0 2–3 1–1 1–1 2–2 0–0 2–1 0–1 2–1 3–2 2–1 1–3 1–1 2–3 1–1
Stoke City 1–0 1–0 1–2 1–0 1–0 2–2 3–1 3–2 0–1 2–1 1–2 2–1 2–1 2–0 3–1 0–0 1–1 0–4 1–2 2–0 2–0 2–1 1–0
Swindon Town 3–0 3–1 2–2 1–1 1–0 0–2 3–3 6–0 0–4 2–0 0–3 1–0 1–0 1–1 0–1 1–1 3–1 2–1 0–0 1–0 2–1 2–3 1–2
Tranmere Rovers 1–1 1–0 2–2 3–0 4–0 1–3 3–2 1–1 3–0 1–1 3–1 1–1 0–0 2–0 4–3 2–3 2–2 1–1 3–0 0–0 2–1 2–3 0–2
West Bromwich Albion 1–2 2–0 2–2 0–0 1–2 1–0 2–0 1–1 0–0 1–3 5–1 1–1 3–3 1–1 0–2 4–1 3–2 1–2 4–0 0–2 1–2 1–2 2–4
Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–3 1–2 1–2 1–0 1–0 0–3 1–1 0–0 0–0 3–0 3–2 0–1 3–1 0–1 0–1 1–1 0–1 1–2 4–1 2–0 1–0 3–2 2–0
Source:
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Locations

1996–97 Football League is located in England1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football LeagueBarnsleyBirminghamBoltonBradford CityCharltonCrystal PalaceGrimsby TownHuddersfieldIpswich TownManchester CityNorwich CityOldhamOxfordPortsmouthPort ValeQPRReadingSheffield UnitedSouthendStokeSwindonTranmereWest Bromwich AlbionWolverhampton Wanderersclass=notpageimage| Locations of the First Division teams

Second Division

Bury's upturn in fortunes continued as they followed their promotion from Division Three with promotion from Division Two, finishing champions of the division to clinch a place in Division One. Stockport County, another club more familiar with the lower two divisions of the league, sealed promotion as runners-up at the end of an exciting season which also saw them reach the semi-finals of the League Cup.

Crewe Alexandra finally reached the league's second tier for the first time over a century, triumphing over Brentford in the Division Two playoff final after falling at the semi-final stages during the previous two seasons. Bristol City and Luton Town were the beaten semi-finalists. Notts County finished bottom of the table to make it three relegations in six seasons, condemning them to fourth tier football only a few years after they had been in the top flight. Rotherham United went down in second from bottom place, followed shortly afterwards by Shrewsbury Town and Peterborough United. York City enjoyed a repeat of the 1995-96 season, beginning the campaign by eliminating Premier League opposition from the League Cup (this time Everton rather than Manchester United) and finished one place above the relegation zone, although this time safety was achieved before the final day of the season.

Football league season
Football League, Second Division
Season1996–97
ChampionsBury (2nd third tier title)
Direct promotionBury,
Stockport County
Promoted through play-offsCrewe Alexandra
RelegatedNotts County,
Peterborough United,
Rotherham United,
Shrewsbury Town
Matches played552
Goals scored1,270 (2.3 per match)
Top goalscorerTony Thorpe (Luton Town), 28
← 1995–96 1997–98 →

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Bury (C, P) 46 24 12 10 62 38 +24 84 Promotion to the First Division
2 Stockport County (P) 46 23 13 10 59 41 +18 82
3 Luton Town 46 21 15 10 71 45 +26 78 Qualification for the Second Division play-offs
4 Brentford 46 20 14 12 56 43 +13 74
5 Bristol City 46 21 10 15 69 51 +18 73
6 Crewe Alexandra (O, P) 46 22 7 17 56 47 +9 73
7 Blackpool 46 18 15 13 60 47 +13 69
8 Wrexham 46 17 18 11 55 50 +5 69
9 Burnley 46 19 11 16 71 55 +16 68
10 Chesterfield 46 18 14 14 42 39 +3 68
11 Gillingham 46 19 10 17 60 59 +1 67
12 Walsall 46 19 10 17 54 53 +1 67
13 Watford 46 16 19 11 45 38 +7 67
14 Millwall 46 16 13 17 50 55 −5 61
15 Preston North End 46 18 7 21 49 55 −6 61
16 Bournemouth 46 15 15 16 43 45 −2 60
17 Bristol Rovers 46 15 11 20 47 50 −3 56
18 Wycombe Wanderers 46 15 10 21 51 57 −6 55
19 Plymouth Argyle 46 12 18 16 47 58 −11 54
20 York City 46 13 13 20 47 68 −21 52
21 Peterborough United (R) 46 11 14 21 55 73 −18 47 Relegation to the Third Division
22 Shrewsbury Town (R) 46 11 13 22 49 74 −25 46
23 Rotherham United (R) 46 7 14 25 39 70 −31 35
24 Notts County (R) 46 7 14 25 33 59 −26 35
Source:
Rules for classification: In the Football League goals scored (GF) takes precedence over goal difference (GD).
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Play-offs

Main article: Football League One play-offs § 1997
Semi-finals
1st leg – 11 May; 2nd leg – 14 May 1997 		Final at Wembley
25 May 1997
        
3rd Luton Town 1 2 3
6th Crewe Alexandra 2 2 4
4th Brentford 0
6th Crewe Alexandra 1
4th Brentford 2 2 4
5th Bristol City 1 1 2

Top scorers

Rank Player Club Goals
1 England Tony Thorpe Luton Town 28
2 England Paul Barnes Burnley 24
3 England Carl Asaba Brentford 23
= Bermuda Shaun Goater Bristol City 23
5 Scotland Iffy Onuora Gillingham 21
6 Bermuda Kyle Lightbourne Walsall 20

Results

Home \ Away BLP BOU BRE BRI BRR BUR BRY CHF CRE GIL LUT MIL NTC PET PLY PNE ROT SHR STP WAL WAT WRE WYC YOR
Blackpool 1–1 1–0 1–0 3–2 1–3 2–0 0–1 1–2 2–0 0–0 3–0 1–0 5–1 2–2 2–1 4–1 1–1 2–1 2–1 1–1 3–3 0–0 3–0
Bournemouth 0–0 2–1 0–2 1–0 0–0 1–1 3–0 0–1 2–2 3–2 1–1 0–1 1–2 1–0 2–0 1–1 0–0 0–0 0–1 1–2 2–1 2–1 1–1
Brentford 1–1 1–0 0–0 0–0 0–3 0–2 1–0 0–2 2–0 3–2 0–0 2–0 0–1 3–2 0–0 4–2 0–0 2–2 1–1 1–1 2–0 0–0 3–3
Bristol City 0–1 0–1 1–2 1–1 2–1 1–0 2–0 3–0 0–1 5–0 1–1 4–0 2–0 3–1 2–1 0–2 3–2 1–1 4–1 1–1 2–1 3–0 2–0
Bristol Rovers 0–0 3–2 2–1 1–2 1–2 4–3 2–0 2–0 0–0 3–2 1–0 1–0 1–0 2–0 1–0 1–2 2–0 1–1 0–1 0–1 2–0 3–4 1–1
Burnley 2–0 1–0 1–2 2–3 2–2 3–1 0–0 2–0 5–1 0–2 1–0 1–0 5–0 2–1 1–2 3–3 1–3 5–2 2–1 4–1 2–0 2–1 1–2
Bury 1–0 2–1 1–1 4–0 2–1 1–0 1–0 1–0 3–0 0–0 2–0 2–0 1–0 1–0 3–0 3–1 2–0 0–0 2–1 1–1 0–0 2–0 4–1
Chesterfield 0–0 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–0 0–0 1–2 1–0 2–2 1–1 1–0 1–0 2–1 1–2 2–1 1–1 2–1 0–1 1–0 0–0 0–0 4–2 2–0
Crewe Alexandra 3–2 2–0 2–0 1–2 1–0 1–1 2–0 1–2 3–2 0–0 0–0 3–0 1–1 3–0 1–0 1–0 5–1 1–0 1–0 0–2 3–1 3–0 0–1
Gillingham 2–3 1–1 1–2 3–2 1–0 1–0 2–2 0–1 2–1 1–2 2–3 1–0 2–1 4–1 1–1 3–1 2–0 1–0 2–0 3–1 1–2 1–0 0–1
Luton Town 1–0 2–0 1–0 2–2 2–1 1–2 0–0 0–1 6–0 2–1 0–2 2–0 3–0 2–2 5–1 1–0 2–0 1–1 3–1 0–0 0–0 0–0 2–0
Millwall 2–1 0–1 0–0 0–2 2–0 2–1 1–0 2–1 2–0 0–2 0–1 1–0 0–2 0–0 3–2 2–0 2–1 3–4 1–0 0–1 1–1 2–1 1–1
Notts County 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 0–1 0–0 0–1 1–1 1–2 1–2 0–0 2–1 2–1 0–0 1–2 1–2 2–0 2–3 0–0 1–2 0–1
Peterborough United 0–0 3–1 0–1 3–1 1–2 3–2 1–2 1–1 2–2 0–1 0–1 3–3 1–3 0–0 2–0 6–2 2–2 0–2 0–1 2–1 0–1 6–3 2–2
Plymouth Argyle 0–1 0–0 1–4 0–0 0–1 0–0 2–0 0–3 1–0 2–0 3–3 0–0 0–0 1–1 2–1 1–0 2–2 0–0 2–0 0–0 0–1 0–0 2–1
Preston North End 3–0 0–1 1–0 0–2 0–0 1–1 3–1 0–1 2–1 1–0 3–2 2–1 2–0 3–4 1–1 0–0 2–1 1–0 2–0 1–1 2–1 2–1 1–0
Rotherham United 1–2 1–0 0–1 2–2 0–0 1–0 1–1 0–1 1–4 1–2 0–3 0–0 2–2 2–0 1–2 0–1 1–2 0–1 1–2 0–0 0–0 2–1 0–2
Shrewsbury Town 1–3 1–1 0–3 1–0 2–0 2–1 1–1 2–0 0–1 1–2 0–3 1–1 2–1 2–2 2–3 0–2 0–2 3–2 2–2 1–0 0–1 1–1 2–0
Stockport County 1–0 0–1 1–2 1–1 1–0 1–0 2–1 1–0 1–0 2–1 1–1 5–1 0–0 0–0 3–1 1–0 0–0 3–1 2–0 1–0 0–2 2–1 2–1
Walsall 1–1 2–1 1–0 2–0 1–0 1–3 3–1 1–1 1–0 1–0 3–2 2–1 3–1 4–0 0–1 1–0 1–1 2–2 1–1 1–1 0–1 2–2 1–1
Watford 2–2 0–1 2–0 3–0 1–0 2–2 0–0 0–2 0–1 0–0 1–1 0–2 0–0 0–0 0–2 1–0 2–0 2–0 1–0 1–0 1–1 1–0 4–0
Wrexham 2–1 2–0 0–2 2–1 1–0 0–0 1–1 3–2 1–1 1–1 2–1 3–3 3–3 1–1 4–4 1–0 1–0 2–1 2–3 1–2 3–1 1–0 0–0
Wycombe Wanderers 1–0 1–1 0–1 2–0 2–0 5–0 0–1 1–0 2–0 1–1 0–1 1–0 1–0 2–0 2–1 0–1 4–2 3–0 0–2 0–2 0–0 0–0 3–1
York City 1–0 1–2 2–4 0–3 2–2 1–0 0–2 0–0 1–1 2–3 1–1 3–2 1–2 1–0 1–1 3–1 2–1 0–0 1–2 0–2 1–2 1–0 2–0
Source:
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Locations

1996–97 Football League is located in England1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football LeagueBlackpoolBournemouthBrentfordBristol CityBristol RoversBurnleyBuryChesterfieldCrewe AlexandraGillinghamLuton TownMillwallNotts CountyPeterboroughPlymouth ArgylePreston North EndRotherhamShrewsburyStockportWalsallWatfordWrexhamWycombeYork Cityclass=notpageimage| Locations of the Second Division teams

Third Division

In their second season under the management of John Deehan and ownership of ambitious chairman Dave Whelan, Wigan finished champions of Division Three, with striker Graeme Jones being the league's top scorer with 31 goals. Fulham finished runners-up behind them on goals scored in their final season under the chairmanship of Jimmy Hill. The West London club was then taken over by Harrods owner Mohamed al-Fayed. Carlisle United clinched the final automatic promotion spot, one season after relegation. The final promotion place was won by Northampton Town, who ended their seven-year stay in the league's basement division by defeating Swansea City with John Frain goal in the last minute of extra time in the playoff final.

16th placed Leyton Orient made a move for 47-year-old former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton in December, with the veteran shot-stopper making nine league appearances and becoming the first player in English football to make a total of 1,000 league appearances before leaving the Brisbane Road side at the end of the season.

Brighton, deep in debt and faced with being left homeless through the sale of the Goldstone Ground, looked doomed by Christmas as they trailed the rest of the Division Three sides by a long distance. However, an incredible improvement in form during the second half of the season made survival appear like a realistic target by April, and they went into the final game of the season off the bottom of the table against a Hereford United side who were their hosts on the final day. Brighton need at least a draw to survive, while victory would keep Hereford in the league. A Kerry Mayo own goal put the Edgar Street side ahead and Brighton looked set to go down to the Conference a mere 14 years after being FA Cup finalists and side in the old First Division, before equalizing late on in the game through new signing Robbie Rienelt, securing their Division Three survival and ending Hereford's 25-year stay in the league. Brighton were then faced with several weeks of uncertainty about their future as the search for a new home continued, ending when a groundsharing deal was agreed with Gillingham in Kent.

Coming up from the Conference were Macclesfield Town, who had overturned a wide lead by Kidderminster Harriers during the second half of the season to clinch the Conference title on the final day of the season and claim the Football League status which they had been denied two years earlier when their Moss Rose stadium failed to meet the league's capacity requirements. The necessary work had since taken place, ensuring that the Cheshire side did not suffer the same disappointment again.

Football league season
Football League, Third Division
Season1996–97
ChampionsWigan Athletic (1st fourth tier title)
Direct promotionWigan Athletic,
Carlisle United,
Fulham
Promoted through play-offsNorthampton
Relegated to ConferenceHereford United
Matches played552
Goals scored1,385 (2.51 per match)
Top goalscorerGraeme Jones (Wigan Athletic), 31
← 1995–96 1997–98 →

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Wigan Athletic (C, P) 46 26 9 11 84 51 +33 87 Promotion to the Second Division
2 Fulham (P) 46 25 12 9 72 38 +34 87
3 Carlisle United (P) 46 24 12 10 67 44 +23 84
4 Northampton Town (O, P) 46 20 12 14 67 44 +23 72 Qualification for the Third Division play-offs
5 Swansea City 46 21 8 17 62 58 +4 71
6 Chester City 46 18 16 12 55 43 +12 70
7 Cardiff City 46 20 9 17 57 55 +2 69
8 Colchester United 46 17 17 12 62 51 +11 68
9 Lincoln City 46 18 12 16 70 69 +1 66
10 Cambridge United 46 18 11 17 53 59 −6 65
11 Mansfield Town 46 16 16 14 47 45 +2 64
12 Scarborough 46 16 15 15 66 69 −3 63
13 Scunthorpe United 46 18 9 19 59 62 −3 63
14 Rochdale 46 14 16 16 58 58 0 58
15 Barnet 46 14 16 16 46 51 −5 58
16 Leyton Orient 46 15 12 19 50 58 −8 57
17 Hull City 46 13 18 15 44 50 −6 57
18 Darlington 46 14 10 22 64 78 −14 52
19 Doncaster Rovers 46 14 10 22 52 66 −14 52
20 Hartlepool United 46 14 9 23 53 66 −13 51
21 Torquay United 46 13 11 22 46 62 −16 50
22 Exeter City 46 12 12 22 48 73 −25 48
23 Brighton & Hove Albion 46 13 10 23 53 70 −17 47
24 Hereford United (R) 46 11 14 21 50 65 −15 47 Relegation to Football Conference
Source:
Rules for classification: In the Football League goals scored (GF) takes precedence over goal difference (GD).
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. Brighton & Hove Albion had two points deducted for failure to control spectators.

Play-offs

Main article: Football League Two play-offs § 1997
Semi-finals
1st leg – 11 May; 2nd leg – 14 May 1997 		Final at Wembley
24 May 1997
        
4th Northampton Town 1 3 4
7th Cardiff City 0 2 2
4th Northampton Town 1
5th Swansea City 0
5th Swansea City 0 3 3
6th Chester City 0 0 0

Top scorers

Rank Player Club Goals
1 England Graeme Jones Wigan Athletic 31
2 England Gareth Ainsworth Lincoln City 22
3 Scotland Mike Conroy Fulham 21
4 Scotland Colin Cramb Doncaster Rovers 18
5 England Adrian Foster Hereford United 16
= England Darren Roberts Darlington 16

Locations

1996–97 Football League is located in England1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football League1996–97 Football LeagueBarnetBrighton & HoveCambridge UtdCardiff CityCarlisle UnitedChesterColchesterDarlingtonDoncasterExeter CityFulhamHartlepoolHereford UnitedHullLeyton OrientLincoln CityMansfield TownNorthampton TownRochdaleScarboroughScunthorpe UnitedSwansea CityTorquayWigan Athleticclass=notpageimage| Locations of the Third Division teams

Results

Home \ Away BAR BHA CAM CAR CRL CHE COL DAR DON EXE FUL HAR HER HUL LEY LIN MAN NOR ROC SCA SCU SWA TOR WIG
Barnet 3–0 2–1 3–1 0–0 1–2 2–4 0–0 3–0 3–0 2–2 1–0 2–3 1–0 0–0 1–0 1–1 1–1 3–2 1–3 1–1 0–1 0–0 1–1
Brighton & Hove Albion 1–0 1–2 2–0 1–3 2–1 1–1 2–3 1–0 1–0 0–0 5–0 0–1 3–0 4–4 1–3 1–1 2–1 3–0 3–2 1–1 3–2 2–2 1–0
Cambridge United 1–0 1–1 0–2 1–3 2–2 1–0 5–2 0–1 3–2 0–1 1–0 0–1 1–0 2–0 1–3 2–1 0–0 2–2 2–1 0–2 2–1 2–1 1–1
Cardiff City 1–2 1–0 0–0 2–0 1–0 1–2 2–0 0–2 2–1 1–2 2–0 2–0 2–0 3–0 1–3 1–2 2–2 2–1 1–1 0–0 1–3 2–0 0–2
Carlisle United 2–1 2–1 3–0 0–2 3–1 3–0 1–0 0–0 2–0 1–2 1–0 2–3 0–0 1–0 1–0 1–1 2–1 3–2 1–0 3–2 4–1 5–1 0–3
Chester 1–0 2–1 1–1 0–1 1–1 1–2 2–1 6–0 2–1 1–1 0–0 1–3 0–0 0–1 4–1 1–0 2–1 0–0 1–0 1–0 2–0 0–0 1–1
Colchester United 1–0 2–0 2–2 1–1 1–1 0–0 0–3 2–2 1–0 2–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 2–1 7–1 2–1 0–0 1–0 1–3 1–1 3–1 2–0 3–1
Darlington 0–1 2–0 2–0 2–1 2–1 1–1 1–1 0–3 0–1 0–2 1–2 1–0 1–0 1–1 5–2 2–4 3–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 4–1 2–3 3–1
Doncaster Rovers 1–1 3–0 2–1 3–3 0–1 0–1 0–0 3–2 1–2 0–0 2–1 1–0 0–0 2–1 1–3 0–0 1–2 3–0 1–2 1–1 0–1 2–1 2–0
Exeter City 1–1 2–1 0–1 2–0 2–1 1–5 0–3 3–2 1–1 0–1 2–0 1–1 0–0 3–2 3–3 0–0 0–1 0–0 2–2 0–1 1–2 1–1 0–1
Fulham 2–0 2–0 3–0 1–4 1–0 1–1 3–1 6–0 3–1 1–1 1–0 1–0 2–0 1–1 1–2 1–2 0–1 1–1 4–0 2–1 2–1 1–2 1–1
Hartlepool United 4–0 2–3 0–2 2–3 1–2 2–0 1–0 1–2 2–4 1–1 2–1 2–1 1–1 3–1 2–1 2–2 0–2 1–2 1–0 0–1 1–1 1–1 1–1
Hereford United 1–1 1–1 0–1 1–1 2–3 1–2 1–0 1–1 1–0 1–2 0–0 0–1 0–1 2–0 1–1 0–1 1–2 3–0 2–2 3–2 0–1 1–1 3–1
Hull City 0–0 3–0 1–3 1–1 0–1 1–0 1–2 3–2 3–1 2–0 0–3 1–0 1–1 3–2 2–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–1 2–0 1–1
Leyton Orient 0–1 2–0 1–1 3–0 2–1 0–0 1–1 0–0 2–1 1–1 0–2 2–0 2–1 1–1 2–3 2–1 2–1 2–1 0–1 0–1 1–0 1–0 1–2
Lincoln City 1–0 2–1 1–1 2–0 1–1 0–0 3–2 2–0 3–2 2–3 2–0 2–1 3–2 0–1 1–1 0–0 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 4–0 1–2 1–3
Mansfield Town 0–0 1–1 1–0 1–3 0–0 0–2 1–1 2–1 1–0 0–1 0–0 1–0 3–1 1–0 0–2 2–2 1–0 0–0 2–0 2–0 0–0 1–2 0–1
Northampton Town 2–0 3–0 1–2 4–0 1–1 5–1 2–1 3–1 2–0 4–1 0–1 3–0 1–0 2–1 0–1 1–1 3–0 2–2 1–0 1–0 1–2 1–1 0–1
Rochdale 1–1 3–0 3–0 1–0 2–2 0–1 0–0 2–0 2–1 2–0 1–2 1–3 0–0 1–2 1–0 2–0 0–1 1–1 3–3 1–2 2–3 2–1 3–1
Scarborough 1–1 1–1 1–0 0–0 1–1 0–0 1–1 4–1 2–1 3–4 0–2 2–4 1–1 3–2 2–1 0–2 2–1 1–1 2–2 3–2 0–1 3–1 3–1
Scunthorpe United 1–2 1–0 3–2 0–1 0–0 0–2 2–1 3–2 1–2 4–1 1–4 2–1 5–1 2–2 1–2 2–0 0–2 2–1 2–2 0–2 1–0 1–0 2–3
Swansea City 3–0 1–0 3–1 0–1 0–1 2–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 3–1 1–2 2–2 4–0 0–0 1–0 1–2 3–2 1–0 2–1 1–2 1–1 2–0 2–1
Torquay United 1–2 2–1 0–1 2–0 1–2 0–0 0–2 1–1 1–0 2–0 3–1 0–1 2–1 1–1 0–0 2–1 1–2 1–2 0–1 1–0 1–2 2–0 0–3
Wigan Athletic 2–0 1–0 1–1 0–1 1–0 4–2 1–0 3–2 4–1 2–0 1–1 2–2 4–1 1–2 5–1 1–0 2–0 2–1 0–1 7–1 3–0 3–2 3–2
Updated to match(es) played on 5 November 2020. Source:
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

See also

References

  1. "England 1996–97". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  2. ^ "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  3. "England 1996–97". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  4. "England 1996–97". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  5. "England 1996–97". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
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