1996–97 Sunderland A.F.C. season
During the 1996–97 English football season, Sunderland competed in the FA Premier League (known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons).
Season summary
Just one year after they had almost slipped into Division Two, Sunderland had returned to the top flight under new manager Peter Reid. With a new 42,000-seat stadium due to be ready in the summer of 1997, Reid and his players were determined to secure survival in the final season at historic Roker Park and give the new stadium at Monkwearmouth a debut season in the Premiership.
The first half of the season went well for club, finding themselves in a comfortable 11th position by the end of January, boasting a strong home form going into the February. However, a run of 4 consecutive defeats against Aston Villa, Leeds United, Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hospur saw them slip down to 16th by March.
Sunderland lost 1-0 to Wimbledon on the final day of the season; with Coventry City's win at Tottenham, the Wearsiders were relegated.
On a high note, Sunderland did manage to beat Chelsea (3-0), Arsenal (1-0) and Manchester United (2-1) all at home during the season.
Final league table
Updated to games played on 11 May 1997.
Source: Premier League
Rules for classification:
1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
1 Chelsea qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup as FA Cup winners.
2 Leicester City qualified for the UEFA Cup as League Cup winners.
3 Middlesbrough were docked three points for failing to fulfil a fixture.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
- Results Summary
Overall | Home | Away |
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
38 |
10 |
10 |
18 |
35 |
53 |
−18 |
40 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
20 |
18 |
+2 |
3 |
4 |
12 |
15 |
35 |
−20 |
Source: Statto
- Results by round
Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |
Ground | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A |
Result | D | W | D | L | D | L | W | L | D | L | W | L | L | D | W | L | W | L | W | L | D | W | D | D | L | L | L | L | W | L | L | D | D | L | W | L | W | L |
Position | 11 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 |
Source: Statto.com
Ground: A = Away; H = Home. Result: D = Draw; L = Loss; W = Win; P = Postponed.
Results
Sunderland's score comes first[1]
Legend
FA Premier League
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
17 August 1996 | Leicester City | H | 0-0 | 19,262 | |
21 August 1996 | Nottingham Forest | A | 4-1 | 22,874 | Gray, Quinn (2), Ord |
24 August 1996 | Liverpool | A | 0-0 | 40,503 | |
4 September 1996 | Newcastle United | H | 1-2 | 22,037 | Scott (pen) |
8 September 1996 | West Ham United | H | 0-0 | 18,642 | |
14 September 1996 | Derby County | A | 0-1 | 17,692 | |
21 September 1996 | Coventry City | H | 1-0 | 19,459 | Agnew |
28 September 1996 | Arsenal | A | 0-2 | 38,016 | |
14 October 1996 | Middlesbrough | H | 2-2 | 20,936 | Rae (pen), Russell |
19 October 1996 | Southampton | A | 0-3 | 15,225 | |
26 October 1996 | Aston Villa | H | 1-0 | 21,059 | Stewart |
2 November 1996 | Leeds United | A | 0-3 | 31,667 | |
16 November 1996 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 0-2 | 31,867 | |
23 November 1996 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 1-1 | 20,644 | Melville |
30 November 1996 | Everton | A | 3-1 | 40,087 | Russell, Bridges (2) |
7 December 1996 | Wimbledon | H | 1-3 | 19,672 | Melville |
15 December 1996 | Chelsea | H | 3-0 | 19,683 | Duberry (own goal), Ball, Russell |
21 December 1996 | Manchester United | A | 0-5 | 55,081 | |
26 December 1996 | Derby County | H | 2-0 | 22,512 | Ord, Russell |
28 December 1996 | West Ham United | A | 0-2 | 24,077 | |
1 January 1997 | Coventry City | A | 2-2 | 17,700 | Bridges, Agnew (pen) |
11 January 1997 | Arsenal | H | 1-0 | 21,154 | Adams (own goal) |
18 January 1997 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 0-0 | 20,850 | |
29 January 1997 | Leicester City | A | 1-1 | 17,883 | Williams |
1 February 1997 | Aston Villa | A | 0-1 | 32,491 | |
22 February 1997 | Leeds United | H | 0-1 | 21,890 | |
1 March 1997 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 0-1 | 24,208 | |
4 March 1997 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 0-4 | 20,785 | |
8 March 1997 | Manchester United | H | 2-1 | 22,225 | Gray, Mullin |
12 March 1997 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 1-2 | 20,294 | Ball |
16 March 1997 | Chelsea | A | 2-6 | 24,027 | Stewart, Rae |
22 March 1997 | Nottingham Forest | H | 1-1 | 22,120 | Ball |
5 April 1997 | Newcastle United | A | 1-1 | 36,582 | Gray |
13 April 1997 | Liverpool | H | 1-2 | 21,938 | Stewart |
19 April 1997 | Middlesbrough | A | 1-0 | 30,106 | Williams |
22 April 1997 | Southampton | H | 0-1 | 21,521 | |
3 May 1997 | Everton | H | 3-0 | 22,108 | Stewart (pen), Waddle, Johnston |
11 May 1997 | Wimbledon | A | 0-1 | 21,338 | |
FA Cup
Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
R3 | 4 January 1997 | Arsenal | A | 1-1 | 37,793 | Gray |
R3R | 15 January 1997 | Arsenal | H | 0-2 | 15,277 | |
League Cup
Squad
[2][3]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Reserve squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Transfers
In
Date |
Pos. |
Name |
From |
Fee |
1 June 1996 |
MF |
Alex Rae |
Millwall |
£1,000,000 |
11 July 1996 |
FW |
Paul Conlon |
Hartlepool United |
Free transfer |
18 July 1996 |
GK |
Tony Coton |
Manchester United |
£600,000 |
1 August 1996 |
FW |
Chris Tate |
York City |
Signed |
1 August 1996 |
GK |
Lionel Pérez |
Bordeaux |
£200,000 |
17 August 1996 |
FW |
Niall Quinn |
Manchester City |
£1,300,000 |
18 October 1996 |
DF |
Darren Williams |
York City |
£50,000 |
7 January 1997 |
DF |
Jan Eriksson |
Helsingborgs IF |
£250,000 |
17 March 1997 |
MF |
Chris Waddle |
Bradford City |
£75,000 |
21 March 1997 |
MF |
Kim Keiselberg |
Esbjerg fB |
£125,000 |
26 March 1997 |
GK |
Chris Woods |
Colorado Rapids |
Signed |
1 April 1997 |
MF |
Allan Johnston |
Rennes |
£550,000 |
Out
- Transfers in: £4,150,000
- Transfers out: £160,000
- Total spending: £3,990,000
References
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