Ipswich Town 1996–97 football season
During the 1996–97 English football season, Ipswich Town competed in the Football League First Division .
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 In January, Adam Tanner failed a drug test and was withdrawn from the squad and later suspended for three months.[ 1]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 .
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Left club during season [ edit ] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Source:
[ 4] Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goals scored; 3) Goal difference
(O) Play-off winners;
(P) Promoted
Ipswich Town's score comes first
Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers 16 August 1996 Manchester City A 0–1 29,126 24 August 1996 Reading H 5–2 9,767 Vaughan (2), Sedgley (pen), Taricco , Scowcroft 27 August 1996 Grimsby Town H 1–1 9,762 Mason 31 August 1996 Oldham Athletic A 3–3 5,339 Mathie (2), Stockwell 7 September 1996 Huddersfield Town H 1–3 10,661 Mason 10 September 1996 Crystal Palace A 0–0 12,520 14 September 1996 Sheffield United A 3–1 14,261 Sedgley , Scowcroft (2) 20 September 1996 Charlton Athletic H 2–1 10,558 Sedgley , Mathie 28 September 1996 West Bromwich Albion A 0–0 15,606 1 October 1996 Barnsley H 1–1 9,041 Mathie 11 October 1996 Norwich City A 1–3 20,256 Sonner 15 October 1996 Birmingham City A 0–1 15,664 19 October 1996 Portsmouth H 1–1 10,514 Mason 26 October 1996 Tranmere Rovers H 0–2 11,003 30 October 1996 Queens Park Rangers A 1–0 10,562 Mason 2 November 1996 Oxford United A 1–3 7,903 Tanner 9 November 1996 Southend United H 1–1 10,146 Stockwell 16 November 1996 Bradford City A 1–2 10,504 Cundy 19 November 1996 Swindon Town H 3–2 7,086 Scowcroft , Creaney , Sedgley (pen) 23 November 1996 Port Vale H 2–1 9,491 Tanner , Mason 30 November 1996 Tranmere Rovers A 0–3 10,127 7 December 1996 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 0–0 12,048 14 December 1996 Bolton Wanderers A 2–1 13,314 Scowcroft (2) 21 December 1996 Stoke City H 1–1 10,159 Mason 26 December 1996 Crystal Palace H 3–1 16,020 Tanner (pen), Mason , Naylor 28 December 1996 Huddersfield Town A 0–2 11,467 1 January 1997 Charlton Athletic A 1–1 10,186 Tanner (pen) 18 January 1997 Barnsley A 2–1 9,872 Mason , Cundy 25 January 1997 West Bromwich Albion H 5–0 9,381 Holmes (own goal), Scowcroft , Stockwell , Naylor , Mason 1 February 1997 Southend United A 0–0 7,232 8 February 1997 Queens Park Rangers H 2–0 12,983 Naylor , Gregory 15 February 1997 Port Vale A 2–2 6,115 Mason , Stockwell 22 February 1997 Oxford United H 2–1 11,483 Naylor , Stockwell 1 March 1997 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 0–0 26,700 4 March 1997 Bradford City H 3–2 9,367 Sedgley (pen), Sonner , Gregory 8 March 1997 Stoke City A 1–0 11,933 Taricco 15 March 1997 Bolton Wanderers H 0–1 16,187 18 March 1997 Sheffield United H 3–1 10,374 Gregory (3) 22 March 1997 Reading A 0–1 10,058 31 March 1997 Grimsby Town A 1–2 6,268 Mason 5 April 1997 Oldham Athletic H 4–0 11,730 Scowcroft , Williams , Stockwell , Gregory 12 April 1997 Swindon Town A 4–0 8,591 Swailes , Stockwell , Sedgley (pen), Gudmundsson 18 April 1997 Norwich City H 2–0 22,397 Taricco , Mason 22 April 1997 Manchester City H 1–0 15,824 Sedgley (pen) 25 April 1997 Portsmouth A 1–0 12,101 Scowcroft 4 May 1997 Birmingham City H 1–1 20,570 Gudmundsson
First Division play-offs [ edit ] Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers R3 4 January 1997 Nottingham Forest A 0–3 14,681
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers R1 First Leg 20 August 1996 Bournemouth H 2–1 6,163 Marshall , Mason R1 Second Leg 3 September 1996 Bournemouth A 3–0 (won 5–1 on agg) 4,119 Scowcroft , Mathie , Stockwell R2 First Leg 17 September 1996 Fulham A 1–1 6,947 Milton R2 Second Leg 24 September 1996 Fulham H 4–2 (won 5–3 on agg) 6,825 Sonner , Sedgley (pen), Mathie (2) R3 22 October 1996 Crystal Palace H 4–1 8,390 Mason (2), Mathie (2) R4 26 November 1996 Gillingham H 1–0 13,537 Naylor R5 21 January 1997 Leicester City H 0–1 20,793
National teams
League competitions
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