1996–97 Leeds United A.F.C. season

During the 1996–97 season, Leeds United A.F.C. competed in the FA Premier League.

Leeds United
1996–97 season
ChairmanBill Fotherby
ManagerHoward Wilkinson (until 9 September 1996)[1]
George Graham (from 10 September)
StadiumElland Road
Premiership11th
FA CupFifth round
League CupThird round
Top goalscorerLeague: Brian Deane/Lee Sharpe (5)
All: Rod Wallace (8)
Highest home attendance39,981 vs Liverpool
(19 Nov 1996, Premier League)
Lowest home attendance15,230 vs Darlington
(18 Sep 1996, League Cup)
Average home league attendance32,109

Season summary

While Howard Wilkinson was heavily backed with funds by new owners Caspian, there were rumours of discord between him and recently appointed chairman Bill Fotherby. The club made a respectable enough start, earning 7 points from their first 4 games, but a 4–0 home defeat to Manchester United in September prompted Wilkinson's dismissal after eight years as manager. With assistant manager Mike Hennigan and first-team coaches Dick Bate and Eddie Gray also being dismissed alongside Wilkinson (though Gray would subsequently be reinstated), it became clear that Fotherby wanted a clean slate for the club after the massive disappointment of the previous season.

Wilkinson's successor was George Graham, back in football after a one-year ban arising from the "bung" scandal that had cost him his job as Arsenal manager back in February 1995. Graham was unable to improve the club's dismal goalscoring record (they finished with just 28 goals, the lowest number in Premier League history until that point; it would not be until the 2002–03 season when another club, namely Sunderland, scored fewer goals) but he managed to steer them well clear of relegation in a respectable 11th place, with a total of a staggering 20 league clean sheets all season.

Record signing Lee Sharpe failed to live up to expectations and, by the end of the season, it was rumoured that he would be on his way out of the club, while Tony Yeboah made just six appearances after recovering from a long-term injury; he, too, appeared to be heading for the Elland Road exit door. Full-back Tony Dorigo's future at the club was also thrown into doubt by the emergence of Ian Harte, while midfielder Carlton Palmer's days at Leeds were also looking numbered.

Final league table
Main article: 1996–97 FA Premier League
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
9 Leicester City 38 12 11 15 46 54 −8 47 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round[lower-alpha 1]
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
Source: Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Notes:
  1. Leicester City qualified for the UEFA Cup as League Cup winners.
Results summary
OverallHomeAway
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsWDLGFGAGDWDLGFGAGD
38 11 13 14 28 38  −10 46 7 7 5 15 13  +2 4 6 9 13 25  −12

Source: Statto

Results by round
Round1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738
GroundAHHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHHHAAHAAHAH
ResultDLWWLLLLWLLWLWWDDDLLLWWDDLWWWDLDDLDDDD
Position714116912141714161717171412131312141515121110111199999910111091111
Source: Statto.com
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Results

Leeds United's score comes first[2]

Legend
Win Draw Loss

FA Premier League
DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
17 August 1996Derby CountyA3–317,927Laursen (own goal), Bowyer, Harte
20 August 1996Sheffield WednesdayH0–231,011
24 August 1996WimbledonH1–025,860Sharpe
4 September 1996Blackburn RoversA1–023,226Harte
7 September 1996Manchester UnitedH0–439,694
14 September 1996Coventry CityA1–217,297Couzens
21 September 1996Newcastle UnitedH0–136,070
28 September 1996Leicester CityA0–120,359
12 October 1996Nottingham ForestH2–029,225Wallace (2)
19 October 1996Aston VillaA0–239,051
26 October 1996ArsenalA0–338,076
2 November 1996SunderlandH3–031,667Ford, Sharpe, Deane
16 November 1996LiverpoolH0–239,981
23 November 1996SouthamptonA2–015,241Kelly, Sharpe
30 November 1996ChelseaH2–032,671Deane, Rush
3 December 1996MiddlesbroughA0–030,018
7 December 1996Tottenham HotspurH0–033,783
21 December 1996EvertonA0–036,954
26 December 1996Coventry CityH1–336,465Deane
28 December 1996Manchester UnitedA0–155,256
1 January 1997Newcastle UnitedA0–336,489
11 January 1997Leicester CityH3–029,486Bowyer, Rush (2)
20 January 1997West Ham UnitedA2–019,441Kelly, Bowyer
29 January 1997Derby CountyH0–027,549
1 February 1997ArsenalH0–035,502
19 February 1997LiverpoolA0–438,957
22 February 1997SunderlandA1–021,890Bowyer
1 March 1997West Ham UnitedH1–030,575Sharpe
8 March 1997EvertonH1–032,055Molenaar
12 March 1997SouthamptonH0–025,913
15 March 1997Tottenham HotspurA0–133,040
22 March 1997Sheffield WednesdayA2–230,373Sharpe, Wallace
7 April 1997Blackburn RoversH0–027,264
16 April 1997WimbledonA0–27,979
19 April 1997Nottingham ForestA1–125,565Deane
22 April 1997Aston VillaH0–026,897
3 May 1997ChelseaA0–028,277
11 May 1997MiddlesbroughH1–138,567Deane

Goalscorers

FA Cup
Main article: 1996–97 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R314 January 1997Crystal PalaceA2–221,052Deane, Andersen (own goal)
R3R25 January 1997Crystal PalaceH1–021,903Wallace
R44 February 1997ArsenalA1–038,115Wallace
R515 February 1997PortsmouthH2–335,604Bowyer (2)

Goalscorers

League Cup
Main article: 1996–97 Football League Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R2 1st Leg18 September 1996DarlingtonH2–215,711Wallace (2)
R2 2nd Leg24 September 1996DarlingtonA2–0 (won 4–2 on agg)6,298Wallace, Harte
R323 October 1996Aston VillaH1–215,803Sharpe

Goalscorers

Squad
Squad at end of season[3]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ENG Nigel Martyn
2 DF  IRL Gary Kelly
3 DF  ENG Tony Dorigo
4 MF  ENG Carlton Palmer
5 DF  RSA Lucas Radebe
6 DF  ENG David Wetherall
7 MF  ENG Lee Sharpe
8 FW  ENG Rod Wallace
9 FW  WAL Ian Rush
10 FW  ENG Brian Deane
11 MF  ENG Lee Bowyer
12 DF  ENG John Pemberton
14 FW  ENG Andy Gray[4]
15 GK  ENG Mark Beeney
16 DF  ENG Richard Jobson
17 FW  SCO Derek Lilley
18 DF  NOR Gunnar Halle
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 FW  AUS Harry Kewell
20 DF  IRL Ian Harte
21 FW  GHA Tony Yeboah
22 MF  ENG Mark Ford
23 MF  ENG Andy Couzens
24 MF  ENG Jason Blunt
25 MF  FRA Pierre Laurent (from January)
27 DF  IRL Alan Maybury
28 DF  ENG Paul Shepherd
29 DF  ENG Mark Jackson
30 DF  NED Robert Molenaar
31 MF  ENG Martin Foster
32 MF  ENG Andy Wright
33 MF  NIR Wesley Boyle
34 GK  RSA Paul Evans
35 FW  WAL Lawrence Davies

Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
17 MF  ENG Mark Tinkler (to York City)
25 DF  ENG Rob Bowman (to Rotherham United)
26 DF  ENG Paul Beesley (to Manchester City)
No. Pos. Nation Player
30 FW  ENG Mark Hateley (on loan from QPR)
36 FW  SWE Tomas Brolin (on loan to Parma)

Transfers and loans

Total spending: £4,225,000

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References
  1. "England Caretaker Managers – Howard Wilkinson".
  2. "Leeds United 1996-1997 Home - statto.com". Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  3. http://www.footballsquads.co.uk/eng/1996-1997/faprem/leeds.htm
  4. Gray was born in Harrogate, England, but also qualified to represent Scotland internationally and would make his international debut for Scotland in April 2003.
  5. Sharpe takes Iceland chance, BBC
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