1996–97 Wigan Athletic F.C. season

Wigan Athletic
1996–97 season
ChairmanDave Whelan
ManagerJohn Deehan
StadiumSpringfield Park
Third Division1st (champions)
FA CupFirst round
League CupFirst round
Football League TrophySecond round
Top goalscorerLeague: Jones (31)
All: Jones (33)
Average home league attendance3,899

During the 1996–97 English football season, Wigan Athletic F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division.

Season summary

In the 1996–97 season, Wigan Athletic became Third Division champions on the last day of the campaign, Graeme Jones scoring a club record 31 league goals in the process. In most seasons they would have been runners-up, but a temporary rule change which saw goals scored take precedence over goal difference allowed them to finish above runners-up Fulham, who had the same number of points and a better goal difference.

Transfers

In

Player Pos From Fee Date Notes
Charlie Bishop DF Barnsley £20,000 1 July 1996 [1]
Graeme Jones FW Doncaster Rovers £150,000 8 July 1996 [1]
Andy Saville FW Preston North End £100,000 25 October 1996 [1]
Paul Rogers MF Notts County £50,000 7 March 1997 [1]
Roy Carroll GK Hull City £350,000 16 April 1997 [1]

Out

Player Pos To Fee Date Notes
Jesús Seba MF Real Zaragoza Released 15 October 1996 [2]
Mark Ward MF Released 31 October 1996 [3]
Michael Love DF Sligo Rovers Free 24 January 1997 [4]
Wayne Biggins MF Leek Town Released 31 May 1997
John Butler DF Stalybridge Celtic Released 31 May 1997
Matt Carragher DF Port Vale Released 31 May 1997

Loans in

Player Pos From Date Duration Notes
Stuart Whittaker MF Bolton Wanderers 30 August 1996 One month
Paul Rogers MF Notts County 13 December 1996 Three months
Pat McGibbon DF Manchester United 3 March 1997 End of season

Results

Wigan Athletic's score comes first[5]

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Pre-season

Date Opponent Venue Result Scorers Notes
22 July 1996 Port Vale N 2–3 [6][a]
23 July 1996 West Bromwich Albion N 0–1 [a]
26 July 1996 Isle of Man XI N 3–1 [a]
30 July 1996 Preston North End A 0–1 [b]
3 August 1996 Southport A 2–1 [7][b]
6 August 1996 Coventry City H 2–2 [8]
10 August 1996 Barnsley H 1–1 [9]
  1. ^ a b c Isle of Man Festival game
  2. ^ a b Lancashire Marsden Cup game

League

Main article: 1996–97 Football League
Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
17 August 1996 Northampton Town H 2–1 3,449 Lancashire, Biggins
24 August 1996 Barnet A 1–1 1,905 Jones
27 August 1996 Cardiff City A 2–0 3,354 Jones, Kilford
31 August 1996 Chester City H 4–2 3,854 Jones (3, 1 pen), Shelton (own goal)
7 September 1996 Scunthorpe United H 3–0 3,321 Jones, Lancashire (2)
10 September 1996 Darlington A 1–3 2,601 Greenall
14 September 1996 Hartlepool United A 1–1 2,433 Jones
21 September 1996 Lincoln City H 1–0 3,394 Lancashire
28 September 1996 Scarborough A 1–3 2,570 Lancashire
1 October 1996 Exeter City H 2–0 2,788 Lancashire, Jones
5 October 1996 Brighton & Hove Albion H 1–0 3,744 Jones
12 October 1996 Colchester United A 1–3 2,700 Sharp
15 October 1996 Mansfield Town A 1–0 1,942 Sharp
19 October 1996 Torquay United H 3–2 3,374 Jones (3)
26 October 1996 Hull City H 1–2 3,887 Morgan
29 October 1996 Swansea City A 1–2 2,227 Díaz
2 November 1996 Carlisle United A 3–0 6,235 Díaz (2), Saville
9 November 1996 Hereford United H 4–1 3,414 Martínez, Jones, Greenall, Saville
23 November 1996 Fulham H 1–1 5,039 Martínez
30 November 1996 Hull City A 1–1 3,537 Jones
3 December 1996 Doncaster Rovers H 4–1 2,606 Biggins, Johnson, Saville, Jones
14 December 1996 Cambridge United A 1–1 2,784 Kilford
21 December 1996 Rochdale H 0–1 3,311
28 December 1996 Scunthorpe United A 3–2 2,833 Saville, Rogers, Kilford
18 January 1997 Exeter City A 1–0 3,067 Johnson
21 January 1997 Leyton Orient A 2–1 3,014 Kilford, Jones
25 January 1997 Swansea City H 3–2 4,058 Jones (2), Kilford
1 February 1997 Hereford United A 1–3 2,532 Rogers
4 February 1997 Lincoln City A 3–1 2,241 Jones (2), Johnson
8 February 1997 Carlisle United H 1–0 6,195 Lowe
15 February 1997 Fulham A 1–1 9,448 Lowe
22 February 1997 Leyton Orient H 5–1 3,783 Jones (3), Lancashire, Rogers
25 February 1997 Darlington H 3–2 3,667 Jones (3, 1 pen)
28 February 1997 Doncaster Rovers A 0–2 2,948
4 March 1997 Hartlepool United H 2–2 3,229 Jones, Kilford
8 March 1997 Rochdale A 1–3 3,254 Jones (pen)
11 March 1997 Scarborough H 7–1 3,094 Martínez, Lowe (2), Díaz (2), Lancashire, Biggins
15 March 1997 Cambridge United H 1–1 3,867 Jones
22 March 1997 Barnet H 2–0 3,286 Kilford, Martínez
29 March 1997 Northampton Town A 1–0 5,914 Lowe
31 March 1997 Cardiff City H 0–1 4,634
5 April 1997 Chester City A 1–1 4,005 Kilford
8 April 1997 Colchester United H 1–0 4,571 McGibbon
12 April 1997 Brighton & Hove Albion A 0–1 8,703
26 April 1997 Torquay United A 3–0 2,481 Jones (2), Díaz
3 May 1997 Mansfield Town H 2–0 7,106 Lancashire, Lowe

Final league table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Wigan Athletic (C, P) 46 26 9 11 84 51 +33 87 Promotion to the Second Division
2 Fulham (P) 46 25 12 9 72 38 +34 87
3 Carlisle United (P) 46 24 12 10 67 44 +23 84
4 Northampton Town (O, P) 46 20 12 14 67 44 +23 72 Qualification for the Third Division play-offs
5 Swansea City 46 21 8 17 62 58 +4 71
Source: [10]
Rules for classification: In the Football League goals scored (GF) takes precedence over goal difference (GD).
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted

FA Cup

Main article: 1996-97 FA Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
First 16 November 1996 Blackpool A 0–1 5,465

League Cup

Main article: 1996-97 Football League Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
First (1st leg) 20 August 1996 Preston North End H 2–3 3,713 Lancashire, Jones
First (2nd leg) 3 September 1996 Preston North End A 4–4 (a.e.t.) 5,767 Lancashire (3), Greenall
Preston won 7–6 on aggregate

Football League Trophy

Main article: 1996-97 Football League Trophy
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
NR2 14 January 1997 Shrewsbury Town A 2–3 (a.e.t.)[a] 1,639 Martínez, Jones
  1. ^ Shrewsbury Town won via the golden goal rule.[11]

Squad

Note: Numbers in brackets are appearances as a substitute.
Source:[12]

Nat. Pos. Player Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
League FA Cup Other[13] Total
England FW Wayne Biggins 20 (13) 3 1 0 1 (2) 0 22 (15) 3
England DF Charlie Bishop 20 (1) 0 0 0 2 0 22 (1) 0
England DF John Butler 20 (4) 0 1 0 1 0 22 (4) 0
England GK Lee Butler 46 0 1 0 3 0 50 0
England DF Matt Carragher 12 (6) 0 0 (1) 0 2 0 12 (7) 0
Spain MF Isidro Díaz 26 (13) 6 0 (1) 0 0 (1) 0 26 (15) 6
England DF Colin Greenall 46 2 1 0 2 (1) 1 49 (1) 3
England DF Gavin Johnson 37 3 1 0 3 0 41 3
England FW Graeme Jones 39 (1) 31 1 0 2 (1) 2 42 (2) 33
England MF Ian Kilford 24 (11) 8 0 0 2 (1) 0 26 (12) 8
England DF Ryan Kirby 5 (1) 0 0 0 0 0 5 (1) 0
England FW Graham Lancashire 15 (9) 9 0 0 2 4 17 (9) 13
England DF Michael Love 0 (3) 0 0 0 0 0 0 (3) 0
England FW David Lowe 31 (11) 6 1 0 3 0 35 (11) 6
Spain MF Roberto Martínez 38 (5) 4 1 0 2 (1) 1 41 (6) 5
Northern Ireland DF Pat McGibbon 10 1 0 0 0 0 10 1
England DF Steve Morgan 18 (5) 1 0 0 3 0 21 (5) 1
Republic of Ireland DF Roy O'Brien 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Republic of Ireland DF John Pender 27 (2) 0 1 0 3 0 31 (2) 0
England MF Paul Rogers 18 (2) 3 0 0 0 0 18 (2) 3
England FW Andy Saville 17 (3) 4 1 0 1 0 19 (3) 4
Spain MF Jesús Seba 0 (1) 0 0 0 0 (1) 0 0 (2) 0
England DF Kevin Sharp 30 (5) 2 1 0 1 (1) 0 32 (6) 2
England MF Mark Ward 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
England MF Stuart Whittaker 2 (1) 0 0 0 0 0 2 (1) 0

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (1997). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1997–98. London: Headline. pp. 539–551. ISBN 978-0-7472-7738-5.
  2. ^ Moore, Andy (16 October 1996). "New Seba, New Danger". Wigan Observer. p. 40 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Ex-Everton star Ward is released by Athletic". Liverpool Echo. 31 October 1996. p. 71 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "It's love on the rocks". Liverpool Echo. 24 January 1997. p. 61 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Wigan Athletic 1996-1997". Archived from the original on 17 August 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  6. ^ "Fightback to no a-Vale". Wigan Observer. 24 July 1996. p. 37 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "David denied by trouble spot". Wigan Observer. 7 August 1996. p. 45 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "Blast from The Past: On This Pre Season Day 1996 – Sky Blues Draw At Wigan". Coventry City Former Players' Association. 6 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Deehan dealt an early blow". Wigan Observer. 14 August 1996. p. 45 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "England 1996–97". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  11. ^ "Shrewsbury Town v Wigan Athletic, 14 January 1997". 11v11.com. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
  12. ^ 1996–97 Wigan Athletic F.C. season at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  13. ^ Includes appearances and goals in the League Cup and Football League Trophy.
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