1996–97 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season
The 1996–97 season for Huddersfield Town failed to carry on the good work of the previous and nearly saw Town relegated back to Division Two. Following the heavy spending on players in the closed season, much was expected of the Terriers in the 1996–97 season but, despite a bright start from new striker Marcus Stewart, Horton was unable to improve on the team's consistently poor away form that had ended the side's playoff bid the previous year. Long-term injuries to Stewart and Andy Morrison did little to help things and, with the previously strong home form becoming increasingly patchy, the Terriers struggled at the wrong end of the table. It was perhaps the least celebrated summer signing, Andy Payton, who notched an impressive tally of 20 goals and helped staved off the threat of relegation as the side scrambled to 20th, just 8 points and 2 places above the drop zone.
| 1996–97 season | |
|---|---|
| Chairman |  |
| Manager | |
| Division One | 20th |
| FA Cup | Third Round |
| Coca-Cola Cup | Third Round |
| Top goalscorer | League: Andy Payton (17) All: Andy Payton (19) |
| Highest home attendance | 17,358 vs Manchester City (18 January 1997) |
| Lowest home attendance | 5,094 vs Colchester United (19 September 1996) |
Injuries and illness forced Town to play 35 players during the season, then a record, which would actually be broken the following season. Brian Horton's job was seemingly under threat, although he wouldn't leave the McAlpine Stadium until October 1997.
Squad at the start of the season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Review
Town made a promising start beating Charlton Athletic 2-0 in front of the highest home crowd for an opening day game for 24 years. This was followed up by wins over Ipswich Town, Oldham Athletic, Reading & Birmingham City, but then a spell of 9 games without a win including a 6-0 hiding at Swindon Town left manager Brian Horton in the lurch.
Form wasn't helped by the consistent injuries to top players such as Marcus Stewart and Andy Morrison, but Town slowly tried to recover, but their best run of the season came during the Christmas and New Year period when they went 5 games unbeaten, but they then went on a run of 1 win in 10, which propelled them into relegation territory.
By the end of the season, top scorer Andy Payton's goals were starting to dry up, but a win on the penultimate day of the season against already relegated Southend United made certain that Town would play Division 1 football the next season.
Squad at the end of the season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Results
Division One
| Date | Opponents | Home/ Away |
Result F - A |
Scorers | Attendance | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 August 1996 | Charlton Athletic | H | 2 - 0 | Bullock [15], Morrison [85] | 11,858 | 3rd |
| 25 August 1996 | Barnsley | A | 1 - 3 | Cowan [44] | 9,787 | 12th |
| 31 August 1996 | Crystal Palace | H | 1 - 1 | Payton [33] | 11,166 | 16th |
| 7 September 1996 | Ipswich Town | A | 3 - 1 | Payton [47, 67], Stewart [51] | 10,661 | 7th |
| 10 September 1996 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 0 - 1 | 10,181 | 11th | |
| 13 September 1996 | Oldham Athletic | H | 3 - 2 | Stewart [15, 85], Gray [90] | 10,296 | 7th |
| 22 September 1996 | Stoke City | A | 2 - 3 | Worthington [7 (og)], Stewart [36] | 9,147 | 14th |
| 28 September 1996 | Reading | H | 1 - 0 | Payton [34] | 10,330 | 11th |
| 8 October 1996 | Birmingham City | H | 3 - 0 | Edwards [17], Stewart [23], Dalton [45] | 10,904 | 7th |
| 12 October 1996 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1 - 1 | Cowan [51] | 14,960 | 6th |
| 16 October 1996 | Swindon Town | A | 0 - 6 | 7,724 | 10th | |
| 19 October 1996 | Southend United | H | 0 - 0 | 9,578 | 10th | |
| 26 October 1996 | Port Vale | H | 0 - 1 | 11,017 | 12th | |
| 30 October 1996 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0 - 0 | 22,376 | 13th | |
| 2 November 1996 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 0 - 2 | 15,865 | 15th | |
| 8 November 1996 | Bradford City | H | 3 - 3 | Dalton [42], Lawson [45], Crosby [48] | 14,126 | 13th |
| 16 November 1996 | Oxford United | A | 0 - 1 | 7,460 | 15th | |
| 19 November 1996 | Manchester City | A | 0 - 0 | 23,314 | 17th | |
| 23 November 1996 | Grimsby Town | H | 2 - 0 | Payton [24, 27] | 10,590 | 13th |
| 30 November 1996 | Port Vale | A | 0 - 0 | 6,026 | 15th | |
| 3 December 1996 | Sheffield United | A | 1 - 3 | Payton [14] | 14,700 | 15th |
| 7 December 1996 | Norwich City | H | 2 - 0 | Payton [34, 56] | 10,749 | 13th |
| 14 December 1996 | Portsmouth | A | 1 - 3 | Makel [51] | 6,954 | 17th |
| 21 December 1996 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 1 - 2 | Payton [51] | 10,718 | 18th |
| 26 December 1996 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 1 - 1 | Payton [21] | 10,134 | 18th |
| 28 December 1996 | Ipswich Town | H | 2 - 0 | Lawson [50], Payton [85] | 11,467 | 18th |
| 1 January 1997 | Stoke City | H | 2 - 1 | Makel [6], Edwards [63] | 11,919 | 12th |
| 18 January 1997 | Manchester City | H | 1 - 1 | Lawson [78] | 17,358 | 13th |
| 25 January 1997 | Oldham Athletic | A | 2 - 1 | Payton [71, 83] | 8,566 | 13th |
| 28 January 1997 | Reading | A | 1 - 4 | Payton [9] | 5,710 | 13th |
| 1 February 1997 | Bradford City | A | 1 - 1 | Crosby [1] | 17,373 | 14th |
| 8 February 1997 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 0 - 2 | 15,267 | 15th | |
| 15 February 1997 | Grimsby Town | A | 2 - 2 | Stewart [44], Edwards [48] | 6,197 | 16th |
| 22 February 1997 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 1 - 2 | Cowan [16] | 15,861 | 16th |
| 1 March 1997 | Norwich City | A | 0 - 2 | 13,001 | 17th | |
| 4 March 1997 | Oxford United | H | 1 - 0 | Makel [27] | 11,276 | 14th |
| 8 March 1997 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 0 - 2 | 9,789 | 18th | |
| 15 March 1997 | Portsmouth | H | 1 - 3 | Stewart [35] | 10,512 | 20th |
| 22 March 1997 | Barnsley | H | 0 - 0 | 14,754 | 20th | |
| 31 March 1997 | Sheffield United | H | 2 - 1 | Dalton [1], Cowan [18] | 14,551 | 19th |
| 5 April 1997 | Crystal Palace | A | 1 - 1 | Payton [61] | 13,541 | 20th |
| 9 April 1997 | Charlton Athletic | A | 1 - 2 | Dalton [77] | 11,032 | 20th |
| 12 April 1997 | Birmingham City | A | 0 - 1 | 14,394 | 20th | |
| 19 April 1997 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 0 - 0 | 12,748 | 20th | |
| 26 April 1997 | Southend United | A | 2 - 1 | Payton [23], Beresford [67] | 4,762 | 20th |
| 4 May 1997 | Swindon Town | H | 0 - 0 | 11,506 | 20th |
FA Cup
| Date | Round | Opponents | Home/ Away |
Result F - A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 January 1997 | Round 3 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 1 - 1 | Crosby [64] | 11,776 |
| 14 January 1997 | Round 3 Replay | Queens Park Rangers | H | 1 - 2 | Edwards [7] | 11,814 |
Coca-Cola Cup
| Date | Round | Opponents | Home/ Away |
Result F - A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 August 1996 | Round 1 1st Leg | Wrexham | H | 3 - 0 | Stewart [12, 25, 53] | 5,178 |
| 3 September 1996 | Round 1 2nd Leg | Wrexham | A | 2 - 1 | Payton [10], Edwards [55] | 1,776
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| 17 September 1996 | Round 2 1st Leg | Colchester United | H | 1 - 1 | Cowan [45] | 5,094 |
| 24 September 1996 | Round 2 2nd Leg | Colchester United | A | 2 - 0 (aet: 90 mins: 0 - 0) | Stewart [98], Simon Collins [110] | 4,095
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| 23 October 1996 | Round 3 | Middlesbrough | A | 1 - 5 | Payton [87] | 26,615 |
Appearances and goals
| Name | Nation | Position | League Apps | League Goals | FA Cup Apps | FA Cup Goals | League Cup Apps | League Cup Goals | Total Apps | Total Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simon Baldry | | MF | 2 (5) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (5) | 0 |
| David Beresford | | MF | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Marcus Browning | .svg.png){kind=small} | MF | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Darren Bullock | | MF | 26 (1) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 32 (1) | 1 |
| Wayne Burnett | | MF | 33 (2) | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 37 (3) | 0 |
| Sam Collins | | DF | 10 (6) | 0 | 0 (2) | 0 | 2 (2) | 0 | 12 (10) | 0 |
| Simon Collins | | DF | 3 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 1 | 4 (2) | 1 |
| Tom Cowan |  | DF | 42 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 48 | 5 |
| Gary Crosby | | MF | 19 (5) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21 (5) | 3 |
| Paul Dalton | | MF | 17 (12) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2) | 0 | 18 (14) | 4 |
| Simon Davies | | MF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Iain Dunn | | FW | 1 (4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (4) | 0 |
| Jon Dyson | | DF | 18 (5) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 (2) | 0 | 20 (7) | 0 |
| Darren Edmondson | | DF | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Rob Edwards | | MF | 24 (9) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 (1) | 1 | 30 (10) | 5 |
| Delroy Facey |  | FW | 1 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2) | 0 |
| Steve Francis | | GK | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 48 | 0 |
| Lee Glover | | MF | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Kevin Gray | | DF | 36 (3) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 40 (3) | 1 |
| Thomas Heary |  | DF | 2 (3) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (3) | 0 |
| Jeremy Illingworth | | MF | 2 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (1) | 0 |
| Steve Jenkins | | DF | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| Peter Kaye | | FW | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 |
| Ian Lawson | | FW | 8 (10) | 3 | 1 (1) | 0 | 1 (3) | 0 | 10 (14) | 3 |
| Lee Makel | | MF | 19 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 3 |
| Andy Morrison | | DF | 9 (1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 (1) | 1 |
| Tony Norman | | GK | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Andy Payton | | FW | 38 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 45 | 19 |
| Paul Reid | | MF | 20 (2) | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 4 | 0 | 25 (3) | 0 |
| Rodney Rowe | | FW | 1 (6) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 1 (7) | 0 |
| Robbie Ryan | | DF | 2 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (3) | 0 |
| Lee Sinnott | | DF | 29 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 31 (1) | 0 |
| Marcus Stewart | | FW | 19 (1) | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 24 (1) | 11 |
| Paul Tisdale |  | DF | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 |
| Mike Williams | | MF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |