1996–97 Coventry City F.C. season

Coventry City F.C.
1996–97 season
ChairmanBryan Richardson
ManagerRon Atkinson (until 5 November)
Gordon Strachan (from 5 November)
StadiumHighfield Road
FA Premier League17th
FA CupFifth round
League CupThird round
Top goalscorerDion Dublin (13)
Highest home attendance23,085 vs Manchester United
(18 Jan 1997, FA Premier League)
Lowest home attendance11,828 vs Birmingham City
(18 Sep 1996, League Cup)
Average home league attendance19,625

During the 1996–97 English football season, Coventry City F.C. competed in the FA Premier League.

Season summary

Manager Ron Atkinson stepped up to the role of Director of Football at struggling Coventry City in early November, with assistant Gordon Strachan stepping up to the manager's seat. A good run of form saw Coventry climb to 11th place in January, but then a decline set in and defeat in the penultimate game of the season made Coventry's 30-year stay in the top flight appear to be over. However, with a win over Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the season and losses for Sunderland and Middlesbrough, the Sky Blues pulled off a miraculous survival act to book themselves a 31st successive top flight campaign.[1] The key player in the great escape act was striker Dion Dublin, who scored 14 FA Premier League goals to attract attention from several larger clubs and encourage calls for an international call-up from many observers.

However, Coventry only ultimately avoided relegation due to the three-point deduction imposed upon Middlesbrough, who had been penalised in mid-season for cancelling a fixture at short notice.

Final league table

Main article: 1996–97 FA Premier League
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
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[a]
Source: Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Middlesbrough were docked three points for failing to fulfill their original fixture at Blackburn Rovers on 21 December 1996.

Results

Coventry City's score comes first[2]

Legend

Win Draw Loss

FA Premier League

Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
17 August 1996 Nottingham Forest H 0–3 19,468
21 August 1996 West Ham United A 1–1 21,580 McAllister
24 August 1996 Chelsea A 0–2 25,024
4 September 1996 Liverpool H 0–1 23,021
7 September 1996 Middlesbrough A 0–4 29,811
14 September 1996 Leeds United H 2–1 17,297 Salako, Whelan
21 September 1996 Sunderland A 0–1 19,459
28 September 1996 Blackburn Rovers H 0–0 17,032
13 October 1996 Southampton H 1–1 15,485 Dublin
19 October 1996 Arsenal A 0–0 38,140
26 October 1996 Sheffield Wednesday H 0–0 17,267
4 November 1996 Everton A 1–1 31,477 McAllister
16 November 1996 Wimbledon A 2–2 10,307 Whelan, Dublin
23 November 1996 Aston Villa H 1–2 21,340 Dublin
30 November 1996 Derby County A 1–2 18,042 Dublin
7 December 1996 Tottenham Hotspur H 1–2 19,675 Whelan
17 December 1996 Newcastle United H 2–1 21,538 Huckerby, McAllister
21 December 1996 Leicester City A 2–0 20,038 Dublin (2)
26 December 1996 Leeds United A 3–1 36,465 Huckerby, Dublin, McAllister (pen)
28 December 1996 Middlesbrough H 3–0 20,617 Huckerby, McAllister (pen), Liddle (own goal)
1 January 1997 Sunderland H 2–2 17,700 Dublin, Daish
11 January 1997 Blackburn Rovers A 0–4 24,055
18 January 1997 Manchester United H 0–2 23,085
29 January 1997 Nottingham Forest A 1–0 22,619 Huckerby
1 February 1997 Sheffield Wednesday A 0–0 21,793
19 February 1997 Aston Villa A 1–2 30,409 Staunton (own goal)
22 February 1997 Everton H 0–0 19,497
1 March 1997 Manchester United A 1–3 55,230 Huckerby
3 March 1997 Wimbledon H 1–1 15,273 Dublin
8 March 1997 Leicester City H 0–0 19,220
15 March 1997 Newcastle United A 0–4 36,571
22 March 1997 West Ham United H 1–3 22,291 Rieper (own goal)
6 April 1997 Liverpool A 2–1 40,079 Whelan, Dublin
9 April 1997 Chelsea H 3–1 19,917 Dublin, Williams, Whelan
19 April 1997 Southampton A 2–2 15,251 Ndlovu, Whelan
21 April 1997 Arsenal H 1–1 19,998 Dublin
3 May 1997 Derby County H 1–2 22,839 McAllister (pen)
11 May 1997 Tottenham Hotspur A 2–1 33,029 Dublin, Williams

FA Cup

Main article: 1996–97 FA Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
R3 25 January 1997 Woking H 1–1 16,040 Jess
R3R 4 February 1997 Woking A 2–1 6,000 Whelan, Foster (own goal)
R4 15 February 1997 Blackburn Rovers A 2–1 21,123 Jess, Huckerby
R5 26 February 1997 Derby County A 2–3 18,003 Huckerby, Whelan

League Cup

Main article: 1996–97 Football League Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
R2 1st Leg 18 September 1996 Birmingham City H 1–1 11,828 Daish
R2 2nd Leg 24 September 1996 Birmingham City A 1–0 15,281 McAllister
R3 22 October 1996 Gillingham A 2–2 10,603 Telfer (2)
R3R 13 November 1996 Gillingham H 0–1 12,639

First-team squad

Squad at end of season[3]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ENG Steve Ogrizovic
2 DF  ENG Richard Shaw
3 DF  ENG David Burrows
4 DF  ENG Paul Williams
5 DF  IRL Liam Daish
6 MF  ENG Kevin Richardson
7 MF  SCO Eoin Jess
8 MF  ENG Noel Whelan
9 FW  ENG Dion Dublin
10 MF  SCO Gary McAllister (captain)
11 MF  ENG John Salako
12 MF  ENG Paul Telfer
13 GK  AUS John Filan
14 FW  ZIM Peter Ndlovu
15 FW  BRA Isaías
16 DF  ENG Brian Borrows
17 MF  IRL Willie Boland
18 DF  ENG Marcus Hall
19 FW  ENG Iyseden Christie
20 MF  NIR Michael O'Neill
No. Pos. Nation Player
21 FW  ENG Andy Ducros
22 MF  IRL Gavin O'Toole
23 DF  UKR Oleksandr Yevtushok
25 DF  IRL Gary Breen
26 MF  SCO Gordon Strachan (player-manager)
27 MF  NIR Chris McMenamin
28 FW  ENG Darren Huckerby
29 DF  ENG Scott Goodwin
30 DF  IRL Lorcan Costello
31 DF  ENG Adam Willis
32 DF  IRL Barry Prenderville
33 MF  ENG Brett Healy
34 DF  IRL Colin Hawkins
35 FW  ENG Craig Faulconbridge
36 DF  ENG Carl Nolan
37 MF  ENG Sam Shilton
38 MF  ENG Tim Blake
39 MF  ENG Paul Bailey
40 DF  ENG Jamie Williams

Left club during season

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
24 DF  BEL Régis Genaux (to Udinese)

Reserve squad

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
- DF  IRL Barry Quinn
- MF  ENG John Eustace
No. Pos. Nation Player
- MF  SCO Gavin Strachan

Transfers

In

Date Pos. Name From Fee
26 July 1996 MF Gary McAllister Leeds United £3,000,000
10 August 1996 DF Régis Genaux Standard Liège £750,000
23 November 1996 FW Darren Huckerby Newcastle United £1,000,000
30 January 1997 DF Gary Breen Birmingham City £2,500,000
30 January 1997 DF Oleksandr Yevtushok Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk £800,000
21 May 1997 FW Simon Haworth Cardiff City £500,000
19 June 1997 MF Trond Egil Soltvedt Rosenborg £500,000
4 July 1997 FW Kyle Lightbourne Walsall £500,000
7 July 1997 GK Magnus Hedman AIK Free
9 July 1997 MF Martin Johansen Copenhagen Free

Out

Date Pos. Name To Fee
5 August 1996 DF David Rennie Northampton Town Free
15 August 1996 DF Ally Pickering Stoke City £280,000
28 January 1997 DF Régis Genaux Udinese £800,000
1 July 1997 MF Chris McMenamin Peterborough United Free
4 July 1997 MF Eoin Jess Aberdeen £700,000
14 July 1997 FW Peter Ndlovu Birmingham City £1,600,000
14 July 1997 GK Neil Wypior West Bromwich Albion Undisclosed
Transfers in: £6,550,000
Transfers out: £3,380,000
Total spending: £3,170,000

Statistics

Appearances and goals

No. Pos Nat Player Total FA Premier League FA Cup League Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Goalkeepers
1 GK  ENG Steve Ogrizovic 46 0 38 0 4 0 4 0
13 GK  AUS John Filan 1 0 0+1 0 0 0 0 0
Defenders
2 DF  IRL Richard Shaw 42 0 35 0 4 0 3 0
3 DF  ENG David Burrows 21 0 18+1 0 0 0 2 0
4 DF  ENG Paul Williams 38 2 29+3 2 4 0 2 0
5 DF  IRL Liam Daish 20 0 20 0 0 0 0 0
12 DF  SCO Paul Telfer 42 2 31+3 0 4 0 4 2
16 DF  ENG Brian Burrows 29 0 15+7 0 3 0 4 0
18 DF  ENG Marcus Hall 18 0 10+3 0 3 0 2 0
23 DF  UKR Oleksandr Yevtushok 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0
25 DF  IRL Gary Breen 9 0 8+1 0 0 0 0 0
Midfielders
6 MF  ENG Kevin Richardson 36 0 25+3 0 4 0 4 0
7 MF  SCO Eoin Jess 32 2 19+8 0 4 2 1 0
10 MF  SCO Gary McAllister 46 7 38 6 4 0 4 1
11 MF  ENG John Salako 29 1 23+1 1 1 0 4 0
17 MF  IRL Willie Boland 1 0 0+1 0 0 0 0 0
20 MF  NIR Michael O'Neill 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
26 MF  SCO Gordon Strachan 11 0 3+6 0 0+1 0 0+1 0
Forwards
8 FW  ENG Noel Whelan 43 8 34+1 6 4 2 4 0
9 FW  ENG Dion Dublin 39 14 33+1 14 1 0 3+1 0
14 FW  ZIM Peter Ndlovu 22 1 10+9 1 0+3 0 0 0
15 FW  BRA Isaías 1 0 0+1 0 0 0 0 0
21 FW  ENG Andy Ducros 5 0 1+4 0 0 0 0 0
28 FW  ENG Darren Huckerby 29 7 21+4 5 4 2 0 0
Players who left the club during the season
24 DF  IRL Régis Genaux 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0

References

  1. ^ Moore, Glenn (12 May 1997). "Football: Coventry perform escape act once again". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  2. ^ "Coventry City 1996-1997 Results - statto.com". Archived from the original on 27 January 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  3. ^ "FootballSquads - Coventry City - 1996/97".
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