1996–97 Oxford United F.C. season

Oxford United

1996–97 season
Chairman	Robin Herd
Manager	Denis Smith
Stadium	Manor Ground
Football League First Division	17th
FA Cup	Third round
League Cup	Fourth round
Top goalscorer	League: Jemson (18) All: Jemson (23)
Highest home attendance	9,223 vs. Reading (28 December 1996)
Lowest home attendance	6,334 vs. Bradford City (14 September 1996)
Average home attendance	7,656
← 1995–96 1997–98 →

During the 1996–97 English football season, Oxford United F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.

Season summary

The 1996–97 season saw Oxford looking hopeful of gaining promotion to the Premier League, but the squad lacked the strength to make their form consistent and they finished seventeenth, following the sale of star defender Matt Elliott to Leicester City.

Final league table

Main article: 1996-97 Football League

Pos	Team	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1.	Bolton Wanderers	46	28	14	4	100	53	+47	98
2.	Barnsley	46	22	14	10	76	55	+21	80
3.	Wolverhampton Wanderers	46	22	10	14	68	51	+17	76
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	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	46	11	13	22	60	81	-21	46
23.	Oldham Athletic	46	10	13	23	51	66	-15	43
24.	Southend United	46	8	15	23	42	86	-44	39

See also: Play-off results

Key
Promoted to the Premier League
Qualified for the promotion playoff
Relegated to Division Two

NB In the Football League goals scored (F) takes precedence over goal difference

Results

Oxford United's score comes first

Legend

Win

Draw

Loss

Football League First Division

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
17 August 1996	Queens Park Rangers	A	1–2	14,703	Jemson
24 August 1996	Southend United	H	5–0	6,382	Beauchamp (2), Jemson (2), Rush
27 August 1996	Norwich City	H	0–1	7,436
31 August 1996	Port Vale	A	0–2	6,016
8 September 1996	Reading	A	0–2	8,099
10 September 1996	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	1–1	7,468	M Ford
14 September 1996	Bradford City	H	2–0	6,334	Jemson, Moody
21 September 1996	Grimsby Town	A	2–0	4,120	Jemson (pen), Handyside (own goal)
28 September 1996	Portsmouth	H	2–0	7,626	Beauchamp, M Ford
1 October 1996	Tranmere Rovers	A	0–0	4,577
12 October 1996	Swindon Town	A	0–1	10,811
15 October 1996	Barnsley	A	0–0	6,337
18 October 1996	Birmingham City	H	0–0	7,594
26 October 1996	Charlton Athletic	A	0–2	10,626
29 October 1996	Stoke City	H	4–1	6,381	Gray, Angel, Jemson, Aldridge
2 November 1996	Ipswich Town	H	3–1	7,903	Mowbray (own goal), Jemson, Elliott
13 November 1996	Manchester City	A	3–2	23,079	Beauchamp, Jemson, Elliott
16 November 1996	Huddersfield Town	H	1–0	7,460	Elliott
19 November 1996	Bolton Wanderers	H	0–0	7,517
23 November 1996	Oldham Athletic	A	1–2	4,851	Jemson
30 November 1996	Charlton Athletic	H	0–2	7,080
7 December 1996	Crystal Palace	A	2–2	17,879	Jemson, Massey
14 December 1996	Sheffield United	H	4–1	7,737	Aldridge (3), Jemson
21 December 1996	West Bromwich Albion	A	3–3	13,782	Jemson, Murphy, Elliott
26 December 1996	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	1–3	26,511	Gray
28 December 1996	Reading	H	2–1	9,223	Beauchamp, Murphy
11 January 1997	Bradford City	A	0–2	13,275
18 January 1997	Tranmere Rovers	H	2–1	7,072	Aldridge, Jemson (pen)
28 January 1997	Portsmouth	A	1–2	7,301	Angel
2 February 1997	Manchester City	H	1–4	8,824	Moody
7 February 1997	Stoke City	A	1–2	8,609	Moody
15 February 1997	Oldham Athletic	H	3–1	6,868	Graham, Purse, Jemson
22 February 1997	Ipswich Town	A	1–2	11,483	Gabbiadini
1 March 1997	Crystal Palace	H	1–4	8,572	Marsh
4 March 1997	Huddersfield Town	A	0–1	11,276
8 March 1997	West Bromwich Albion	H	1–0	8,502	Murphy
15 March 1997	Sheffield United	A	1–3	16,226	Gilchrist
18 March 1997	Grimsby Town	H	3–2	6,421	M Ford, Gilchrist, Aldridge
22 March 1997	Southend United	A	2–2	4,102	Jemson, Aldridge
29 March 1997	Queens Park Rangers	H	2–3	8,365	Jemson (pen), Moody
31 March 1997	Norwich City	A	1–1	14,644	Massey
5 April 1997	Port Vale	H	0–2	7,370
12 April 1997	Bolton Wanderers	A	0–4	15,994
19 April 1997	Swindon Town	H	2–0	8,167	Aldridge, Massey
26 April 1997	Birmingham City	A	0–2	16,109
4 May 1997	Barnsley	H	5–1	8,693	Beauchamp (2), Jemson (2, 1 pen), M Ford

FA Cup

Main article: 1996-97 FA Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R3	21 January 1997	Watford	A	0–2	9,502

League Cup

Main article: 1996-97 Football League Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R1 First Leg	20 August 1996	Norwich City	H	1–1	6,062	Jemson
R1 Second Leg	4 September 1996	Norwich City	A	3–2 (won 4-3 on agg)	7,301	Elliott, M Ford, Aldridge
R2 First Leg	18 September 1996	Sheffield Wednesday	A	1–1	7,499	Moody
R2 Second Leg	24 September 1996	Sheffield Wednesday	H	1–0	6,863	Jemson
R3	22 October 1996	Port Vale	A	0–0	4,942
R3R	5 November 1996	Port Vale	H	2–0 (won 2-0 on agg)	5,279	Jemson (2)
R4	26 November 1996	Southampton	H	1–1	9,473	Moody
R4R	18 December 1996	Southampton	A	2–3	10,737	Jemson, B Ford

Squad

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

No. Position Player - GK Phil Whitehead - DF Mike Ford - DF Phil Gilchrist - DF Darren Purse - DF Les Robinson - MF David Smith - FW Nigel Jemson - MF Joey Beauchamp - FW Paul Moody - MF Martin Gray - MF Stuart Massey - GK Elliott Jackson - FW Matt Murphy

No. Position Player - MF Bobby Ford - FW Martin Aldridge - DF Matt Elliott - FW Mark Angel - DF Chris Whyte - FW David Rush - DF Simon Marsh - FW Marco Gabbiadini (on loan from Derby County) - DF Brian Wilsterman - MF Marcus Phillips - MF Simon Weatherstone - MF Paul Powell

References

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