1996–97 Ipswich Town F.C. season

During the 1996–97 English football season, Ipswich Town competed in the Football League First Division.

Ipswich Town
1996–97 season
ChairmanDavid Sheepshanks
ManagerGeorge Burley
StadiumPortman Road
First Division4th
FA CupThird round
League CupFifth round
Play-offsSemi-finals
Top goalscorerLeague: Paul Mason (14)
All: Paul Mason (15)
Highest home attendance22,397
(vs. Norwich City, 18 April 1997, First Division)
Lowest home attendance6,163
(vs. Bournemouth, 20 August 1996, League Cup)
Average home league attendance11,953

Season summary

In George Burley's second season in charge of Ipswich, the club reached the play-offs as they looked for a return to the Premier League at the second attempt. Ipswich were in the bottom half of the table for most of the first half of the season but their form in the new year saw Town go 10 games unbeaten and move into the play-off places. Jason Cundy was signed on loan in October to bolster the team and became permanent a month later but was diagnosed with testicular cancer in February and stopped playing. In January, Adam Tanner failed a drug test and was withdrawn from the squad and later suspended for three months.[1]

In the play-offs, Ipswich faced Sheffield United in the semi-final. The first leg played at Bramall Lane finished 1–1.[2] In the return leg, Niklas Gudmundsson gave Ipswich a 2–1 lead in the 73rd minute but their advantage lasted just four minutes until Andy Walker made it 2–2. With the aggregate scores level at 3–3, the game went into extra time but no further goals were scored, and Sheffield United advanced to the final as they had scored more away goals than Ipswich.[3]

Ipswich also reached the quarter-finals of the Coca-Cola Cup, losing to Leicester City.

First-team squad

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK England ENG Richard Wright
— GK Canada CAN Craig Forrest
— DF England ENG Wayne Brown
— DF England ENG Jason Cundy
— DF England ENG Tony Mowbray
— DF England ENG Chris Swailes
— DF England ENG Tony Vaughan
— DF Netherlands NED Gus Uhlenbeek
— DF Argentina ARG Mauricio Taricco
— MF England ENG Steve Sedgley
— MF England ENG Kieron Dyer
— MF England ENG Paul Mason
— MF England ENG Simon Milton
— MF England ENG Mick Stockwell
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF England ENG Adam Tanner
— MF Wales WAL Geraint Williams
— MF Scotland SCO John Wark
— MF Northern Ireland NIR Danny Sonner
— MF Netherlands NED Bobby Petta
— MF New Zealand NZL Lee Norfolk
— MF Scotland SCO Stuart Niven
— MF Sweden SWE Niklas Gudmundsson (on loan from Blackburn Rovers)
— FW England ENG Richard Naylor
— FW England ENG James Scowcroft
— FW Scotland SCO Gerry Creaney (on loan from Manchester City)
— FW Scotland SCO Alex Mathie
— FW Zambia ZAM Neil Gregory

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
— GK Northern Ireland NIR Aidan Davison (loan return to Bolton Wanderers)
— DF Denmark DEN Claus Thomsen (to Everton)
— MF England ENG Bobby Howe (loan return to Nottingham Forest)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW Saint Lucia LCA Earl Jean (to Rotherham United)
— FW England ENG Ian Marshall (to Leicester City)

Competitions

Football League First Division
Main article: 1996–97 Football League First Division

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
2 Barnsley (P) 46 22 14 10 76 55 +21 80 Promotion to the Premier League
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
Source: [4]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goals scored; 3) Goal difference
(O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted

Legend
Win Draw Loss

Ipswich Town's score comes first

Matches
DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
16 August 1996Manchester CityA0–129,126
24 August 1996ReadingH5–29,767Vaughan (2), Sedgley (pen), Taricco, Scowcroft
27 August 1996Grimsby TownH1–19,762Mason
31 August 1996Oldham AthleticA3–35,339Mathie (2), Stockwell
7 September 1996Huddersfield TownH1–310,661Mason
10 September 1996Crystal PalaceA0–012,520
14 September 1996Sheffield UnitedA3–114,261Sedgley, Scowcroft (2)
20 September 1996Charlton AthleticH2–110,558Sedgley, Mathie
28 September 1996West Bromwich AlbionA0–015,606
1 October 1996BarnsleyH1–19,041Mathie
11 October 1996Norwich CityA1–320,256Sonner
15 October 1996Birmingham CityA0–115,664
19 October 1996PortsmouthH1–110,514Mason
26 October 1996Tranmere RoversH0–211,003
30 October 1996Queens Park RangersA1–010,562Mason
2 November 1996Oxford UnitedA1–37,903Tanner
9 November 1996Southend UnitedH1–110,146Stockwell
16 November 1996Bradford CityA1–210,504Cundy
19 November 1996Swindon TownH3–27,086Scowcroft, Creaney, Sedgley (pen)
23 November 1996Port ValeH2–19,491Tanner, Mason
30 November 1996Tranmere RoversA0–310,127
7 December 1996Wolverhampton WanderersH0–012,048
14 December 1996Bolton WanderersA2–113,314Scowcroft (2)
21 December 1996Stoke CityH1–110,159Mason
26 December 1996Crystal PalaceH3–116,020Tanner (pen), Mason, Naylor
28 December 1996Huddersfield TownA0–211,467
1 January 1997Charlton AthleticA1–110,186Tanner (pen)
18 January 1997BarnsleyA2–19,872Mason, Cundy
25 January 1997West Bromwich AlbionH5–09,381Holmes (own goal), Scowcroft, Stockwell, Naylor, Mason
1 February 1997Southend UnitedA0–07,232
8 February 1997Queens Park RangersH2–012,983Naylor, Gregory
15 February 1997Port ValeA2–26,115Mason, Stockwell
22 February 1997Oxford UnitedH2–111,483Naylor, Stockwell
1 March 1997Wolverhampton WanderersA0–026,700
4 March 1997Bradford CityH3–29,367Sedgley (pen), Sonner, Gregory
8 March 1997Stoke CityA1–011,933Taricco
15 March 1997Bolton WanderersH0–116,187
18 March 1997Sheffield UnitedH3–110,374Gregory (3)
22 March 1997ReadingA0–110,058
31 March 1997Grimsby TownA1–26,268Mason
5 April 1997Oldham AthleticH4–011,730Scowcroft, Williams, Stockwell, Gregory
12 April 1997Swindon TownA4–08,591Swailes, Stockwell, Sedgley (pen), Gudmundsson
18 April 1997Norwich CityH2–022,397Taricco, Mason
22 April 1997Manchester CityH1–015,824Sedgley (pen)
25 April 1997PortsmouthA1–012,101Scowcroft
4 May 1997Birmingham CityH1–120,570Gudmundsson

First Division play-offs
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
SF First Leg10 May 1997Sheffield UnitedA1–122,312Stockwell
SF Second Leg14 May 1997Sheffield UnitedH2–2 (lost on away goals)21,467Scowcroft, Gudmundsson

FA Cup
Main article: 1996–97 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R34 January 1997Nottingham ForestA0–314,681

League Cup
Main article: 1996–97 Football League Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R1 First Leg20 August 1996BournemouthH2–16,163Marshall, Mason
R1 Second Leg3 September 1996BournemouthA3–0 (won 5–1 on agg)4,119Scowcroft, Mathie, Stockwell
R2 First Leg17 September 1996FulhamA1–16,947Milton
R2 Second Leg24 September 1996FulhamH4–2 (won 5–3 on agg)6,825Sonner, Sedgley (pen), Mathie (2)
R322 October 1996Crystal PalaceH4–18,390Mason (2), Mathie (2)
R426 November 1996GillinghamH1–013,537Naylor
R521 January 1997Leicester CityH0–120,793

Transfers

Transfers in
Date Pos Name From Fee Ref
12 June 1996 MF Northern Ireland Danny Sonner Germany Viktoria Köln Free transfer [5]
1 July 1996 MF Netherlands Bobby Petta Netherlands Feyenoord Free transfer [6]
25 November 1996 DF England Jason Cundy England Tottenham Hotspur £200,000 [7]
6 December 1996 FW Saint Lucia Earl Jean Portugal Felgueiras Free transfer [8]

Loans in
Date from Pos Name From Date until Ref
9 October 1996 GK Northern Ireland Aidan Davison England Bolton Wanderers 9 November 1996 [9]
25 October 1996 FW Scotland Gerry Creaney England Manchester City 30 June 1997 [10]
29 October 1996 DF England Jason Cundy England Tottenham Hotspur 24 November 1996 [7]
17 January 1997 MF England Bobby Howe England Nottingham Forrest 8 February 1997 [11]
20 March 1997 MF Sweden Niklas Gudmundsson England Blackburn Rovers 30 June 1997 [12]

Transfers out
Date Pos Name To Fee Ref
31 May 1996 GK England Clive Baker Retired [13]
19 June 1996 DF England Leo Cotterell England Bournemouth Free transfer [14]
1 July 1996 MF England Lee Durrant England Harwich & Parkeston Free transfer [15]
1 August 1996 DF England Neil Thompson England Barnsley Free transfer [16]
16 August 1996 MF England Richard Appleby Wales Swansea City Free transfer [17]
31 August 1996 FW England Ian Marshall England Leicester City £800,000 [18]
9 September 1996 MF England Stuart Slater Free agent Released [19]
16 January 1997 DF Denmark Claus Thomsen England Everton £900,000 [20]
23 January 1997 FW Saint Lucia Earl Jean England Rotherham United Free transfer [8]

Loans out
Date from Pos Name From Date until Ref
22 November 1996 FW Zambia Neil Gregory England Torquay United 21 December 1996 [21]
27 March 1997 GK Canada Craig Forrest England Chelsea 22 April 1997 [22]

Awards

Player awards
Award Player
Player of the Year Argentina Mauricio Taricco

References
  1. Hadgraft, Rob. Ipswich Town The Modern Era. pp. 123–125. ISBN 1-905328-24-9.
  2. Wilson, Paul (11 May 1997). "Stockwell's saving ace". The Observer. p. 52. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Hutchings, Nick (15 May 1997). "Blades scrape through". The Guardian. p. 26. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "England 1996–97". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  5. "Danny Sonner at Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  6. "Bobby Petta at Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  7. "Jason Cundy at Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  8. "Earl Jean at Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  9. "Aidan Davison at Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  10. "Gerry Creaney at Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  11. "Bobby Howe at Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  12. "Niklas Gudmundsson at Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  13. "Clive Baker at Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  14. "Leo Cotterell at Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  15. "Lee Durrant at Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  16. "Neil Thompson at Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  17. "Richard Appleby at Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  18. "Ian Marshall at Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  19. "Stuart Slater at Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  20. "Claus Thompsen at Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  21. "Neil Gregory at Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  22. "Craig Forrest at Soccerbase". Soccerbase. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
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