1996–97 Liverpool F.C. season

Liverpool

1996–97 season

Chairman

David Moores

Manager

4th

Top goalscorer

League:
Robbie Fowler (18)
All:
Robbie Fowler (31)

Average home league attendance

38,436

Home colours

Away colours

← 1995–96

1997–98 →

During the 1996–97 English football season, Liverpool F.C. competed in the FA Premier League (known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons).

Competition	Result	Top scorer
Premier League	4th	Robbie Fowler, 18
UEFA CWC	Semi-finals	Robbie Fowler, 7
FA Cup	Fourth round	Stan Collymore, 2
League Cup	Fifth round	Robbie Fowler, 5
Overall		Robbie Fowler, 31

Season summary

Liverpool led the Premiership for much of the season, and established a five-point lead at the top before New Year's Day 1997. However, the team were overtaken by Manchester United in the latter stages of the season, and it was United who ultimately won the league, though Liverpool squandered several more chances to reclaim the top position.^[1] The side were marred both by the rise of the "Spice Boys" culture, as well as by defensive aberrations; dropping points at their previously impregnable Anfield home. A 2-1 home defeat against bottom of the table Coventry City denied Liverpool the chance to return to top spot with six games to go, United having lost at home to Derby the previous day.^[2] Indeed, a win over United at Anfield in April would have put Liverpool top with just three matches to go, but United won 3-1 to effectively clinch the title.^[3] The title lost, Liverpool still went into the final match of the season in second place with a two-point lead over Newcastle and Arsenal, but a 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday meant they ended up finishing 4th on goal difference, thus missing out on a place in the newly expanded UEFA Champions League^[4] and leaving Roy Evans and his team with a UEFA Cup place as scant consolation for a season which had promised much.

In the cups there was more disappointment. Liverpool's UEFA Cup Winners' Cup campaign ended in the semi-finals with a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Paris St Germain. In the FA Cup they lost 4-2 to eventual winners Chelsea in the fourth round, having led 2-0 at half-time and squandered chances to extend their lead. Liverpool were knocked out in the Coca-Cola Cup quarter-finals by eventual finalists Middlesbrough.

The side were nevertheless praised for their attractive attacking style of football. Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler continued to excel for the club, and Fowler continued his prolific strike partnership with Stan Collymore, scoring 47 goals between them. Fowler's suspension for the final four games was a big blow and effectively ended any lingering hopes of title glory. Fowler also received a UEFA Fair Play award, for protesting that he had not been fouled by Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman when the referee awarded a penalty kick. The season also saw the debut of teenage prodigy Michael Owen.

Former defender Mark Wright stated in an interview that this was the season in the 1990s that the Liverpool team truly had the talent and opportunity to win the title but threw it away:^[5] "We did come close to winning the league a few times and we finished fourth one season when we were the best team. We were better than Manchester United, better than everyone, and we finished joint second but ended up fourth because of goal difference. That was the season we should have won the title and we all know that. I remember some of the games we lost and the way we dropped points against certain sides. David James dropped a few clangers and I remember them because in certain games he didn't have anything to do, then all of a sudden he thinks he's got to be involved in the game. He would come rushing out and all of a sudden you would be 1-0 down", he said.

Final league table

Pos	Team	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1.	Manchester United	38	21	12	5	76	44	75
2.	Newcastle United	38	19	11	8	73	40	68
3.	Arsenal	38	19	11	8	62	32	68
4.	Liverpool	38	19	11	8	62	37	68
5.	Aston Villa	38	17	10	11	47	34	61
6.	Chelsea	38	16	11	11	58	55	59
7.	Sheffield Wednesday	38	14	15	9	50	51	57
8.	Wimbledon	38	15	11	12	49	46	56
9.	Leicester City	38	12	11	15	46	54	47
10.	Tottenham Hotspur	38	13	7	18	44	51	46
11.	Leeds United	38	11	13	14	28	38	46
12.	Derby County	38	11	13	14	45	58	46
13.	Blackburn Rovers	38	9	15	14	42	43	42
14.	West Ham United	38	10	12	16	39	48	42
15.	Everton	38	10	12	16	44	57	42
16.	Southampton	38	10	11	17	50	56	41
17.	Coventry City	38	9	14	15	38	54	41
18.	Sunderland	38	10	10	18	35	53	40
19.	Middlesbrough ***	38	10	12	16	51	60	39
20.	Nottingham Forest	38	6	16	16	31	59	34

Note: Middlesbrough deducted 3 points for failing to fulfil a fixture.

Key
Qualified for the Champions League
Qualified for the UEFA Cup
Qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup
Relegated to Division One

First-team squad

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

No.	Position	Player
1	GK	David James
2	DF	Rob Jones
3	DF	John Scales
3	DF	Bjorn Kvarme
4	DF	Jason McAteer
5	DF	Mark Wright
6	DF	Phil Babb
7	MF	Steve McManaman
8	FW	Stan Collymore
9	FW	Robbie Fowler
10	MF	John Barnes
11	MF	Jamie Redknapp
12	DF	Steve Harkness

No.	Position	Player
13	GK	Tony Warner
14	DF	Neil Ruddock
15	MF	Patrik Berger
16	MF	Michael Thomas
18	FW	Michael Owen
19	DF	Mark Kennedy
20	DF	Stig Inge Bjørnebye
21	DF	Dominic Matteo
22	MF	Jamie Cassidy
23	DF	Jamie Carragher
24	FW	Lee Jones
25	MF	David Thompson
26	GK	Jørgen Nielsen

Transfers

In

#	Pos	Player	From	Fee	Date
15	MF	Patrik Berger	Borussia Dortmund	£3,250,000	1 August 1996
28	MF	Nick Rizzo	Sydney Olympic	Free	1 September 1996
3	DF	Bjørn Tore Kvarme	Rosenborg	Free	10 January 1997

Out

#	Pos	Player	To	Fee	Date
27	GK	Stephen Pears	Hartlepool United	Free	1 June 1996
18	MF	Phil Charnock	Crewe Alexandra	Free	6 December 1996
3	DF	John Scales	Tottenham Hotspur	£2,600,000	11 December 1996

Results

Premier League

17 August 1996 1	Middlesbrough	3–3	Liverpool	Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire
15:00	Ravanelli 26' (pen.), 36', 81'	Report	Bjørnebye 4' Barnes 29' Fowler 65'	Stadium: Riverside Stadium Attendance: 30,039

19 August 1996 2	Liverpool	2–0	Arsenal	Liverpool, Merseyside
20:00 BST	McManaman 68', 74'			Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 38,103 Referee: Gary Willard

24 August 1996 3	Liverpool	0–0	Sunderland	Liverpool, Merseyside
				Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,503

4 September 1996 4	Coventry City	0–1	Liverpool	Coventry, West Midlands
19:45			Babb 68'	Stadium: Highfield Road Attendance: 23,021

7 September 1996 5	Liverpool	2–1	Southampton	Liverpool, Merseyside
	Collymore 39' McManaman 89'		Magilton 68'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 39,189

15 September 1996 6	Leicester City	0–3	Liverpool	Leicester, Leicestershire
			Berger 58', 77' Thomas 61'	Stadium: Filbert Street Attendance: 20,987

21 September 1996 7	Liverpool	5–1	Chelsea	Liverpool, Merseyside
	Fowler 15' Berger 42', 49' Myers 45' (o.g.) Barnes 57'		Leboeuf 85'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,739

29 September 1996 8	West Ham United	1–2	Liverpool	Newham, London
	Bilić 15'		Collymore 3' Thomas 55'	Attendance: 25,064

12 October 1996 9	Manchester United	1–0	Liverpool	Trafford, Greater Manchester
	Beckham 23'			Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 55,128

27 October 1996 10	Liverpool	2–1	Derby County	Liverpool, Merseyside
	Fowler 47', 51'		A. Ward 89'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 39,515

3 November 1996 11	Blackburn Rovers	3–0	Liverpool	Blackburn, Lancashire
	Sutton 3' (pen.), 56' Wilcox 24'			Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 29,598

16 November 1996 12	Leeds United	0–2	Liverpool	Leeds, West Yorkshire
			Ruddock 13' McManaman 90'	Stadium: Elland Road Attendance: 39,981

20 November 1996 13	Liverpool	1–1	Everton	Liverpool, Merseyside
	Fowler 30'		Speed 82'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,751

23 November 1996 14	Liverpool	1–1	Wimbledon	Liverpool, Merseyside
	Collymore 1'		Leonhardsen 67'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 39,027

2 December 1996 15	Tottenham Hotspur	0–2	Liverpool	Haringey, London
			Thomas 45' McManaman 49'	Stadium: White Hart Lane

7 December 1996 16	Liverpool	0–1	Sheffield Wednesday	Liverpool, Merseyside
			Whittingham 21'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 39,507

14 December 1996 17	Liverpool	5–1	Middlesbrough	Liverpool, Merseyside
	Fowler 1', 28', 77', 85' Bjørnebye 45'		Fjørtoft 75'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 39,491

17 December 1996 18	Liverpool	4–2	Nottingham Forest	Liverpool, Merseyside
	Collymore 6', 63' Fowler 27' Lyttle 53' (o.g.)		Campbell 34' Pearce 60'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 36,126

23 December 1996 19	Newcastle United	1–1	Liverpool	Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear
	Shearer 28'		Fowler 45'	Stadium: St. James' Park Attendance: 36,570

26 December 1996 20	Liverpool	1–1	Leicester City	Liverpool, Merseyside
	Collymore 80'		Claridge 76'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,786

29 December 1996 21	Southampton	0–1	Liverpool	Southampton, Hampshire
			Barnes 76'	Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 15,222

1 January 1997 22	Chelsea	1–0	Liverpool	Fulham, London
	Di Matteo 43'			Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 28,329

11 January 1997 23	Liverpool	0–0	West Ham United	Liverpool, Merseyside
				Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,102

18 January 1997 24	Liverpool	3–0	Aston Villa	Liverpool, Merseyside
	Carragher 50' Collymore 58' Fowler 63'			Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,489

1 February 1997 25	Derby County	0–1	Liverpool	Derby, Derbyshire
			Collymore 75'	Stadium: Baseball Ground Attendance: 18,102

19 February 1997 26	Liverpool	4–0	Leeds United	Liverpool, Merseyside
	Fowler 21' Collymore 36', 37' Redknapp 87'			Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 38,957

22 February 1997 27	Liverpool	0–0	Blackburn Rovers	Liverpool, Merseyside
				Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,747

2 March 1997 28	Aston Villa	1–0	Liverpool	Birmingham, West Midlands
	Taylor 83'			Stadium: Villa Park Attendance: 39,339

10 March 1997 29	Liverpool	4–3	Newcastle United	Liverpool, Merseyside
	McManaman 29' Berger 30' Fowler 42', 90'		Gillespie 71' Asprilla 87' Barton 88'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,751

15 March 1997 30	Nottingham Forest	1–1	Liverpool	Nottingham
	Woan 30'		Fowler 4'	Stadium: City Ground Attendance: 29,181

24 March 1997 31	Arsenal	1–2	Liverpool	Islington, London
20:00 GMT	Wright 78'		Collymore 50' McAteer 65'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,068 Referee: Gerald Ashby

6 April 1997 32	Liverpool	1–2	Coventry City	Liverpool, Merseyside
	Fowler 52'		Whelan 65' Dublin 90'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,079

13 April 1997 33	Sunderland	1–2	Liverpool	Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
	Stewart 53'		Fowler 33' McManaman 47'	Stadium: Roker Park Attendance: 21,938

16 April 1997 34	Everton	1–1	Liverpool	Liverpool, Merseyside
	Ferguson 65'		Redknapp 26'	Stadium: Goodison Park Attendance: 40,177

19 April 1997 35	Liverpool	1–3	Manchester United	Liverpool, Merseyside
	Barnes 19'		Pallister 13', 42' Cole 63'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 40,892

3 May 1997 36	Liverpool	2–1	Tottenham Hotspur	Liverpool, Merseyside
	Collymore 15' Berger 43'		Anderton 5'	Stadium: Anfield

6 May 1997 37	Wimbledon	2–1	Liverpool	Croydon, London
	Euell 43' Holdsworth 55'		Owen 74'	Stadium: Selhurst Park Attendance: 20,016

11 May 1997 38	Sheffield Wednesday	1–1	Liverpool	Sheffield
	Donaldson 75'		Redknapp 83'	Stadium: Hillsborough Attendance: 38,943

Top scorers

Premier League

References

Liverpool F.C. seasons

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Liverpool Football Club

Honours Managers Seasons Records and Statistics Reserves & Academy Current season

History	1892–1959 1959–85 1985–present Europe Founding Fathers of Merseyside Football

Home stadium	Anfield Stanley Park (proposed)

Training ground	Melwood

Players	100+ appearances 25–99 appearances 1–24 appearances

Rivalries	League record by opponent Merseyside derby Manchester United rivalry

Tragedies	Heysel disaster Hillsborough disaster

Supporters	Reclaim The Kop Respect 4 All Spirit of Shankly

Media	LFC TV Well Red magazine Being: Liverpool

Films	Fifteen Minutes That Shook the World One Night in Istanbul Will

Songs	You'll Never Walk Alone The Fields of Anfield Road Ring of Fire Anfield Rap

Related articles	2005–06 UEFA Champions League qualification A.F.C. Liverpool The Boot Room Fenway Sports Group Liverpool L.F.C. Player of the Season Spice Boys Spion Kop Superleague Formula team 1915 British football betting scandal

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1996–97 in English football

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FA competitions

Premier League and
Football League

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Related to national team

1998 FIFA World Cup (UEFA Qualification Group 2)

Glenn Hoddle

Club seasons

Premier League	Arsenal Aston Villa Blackburn Rovers Chelsea Coventry City Derby County Everton Leeds United Leicester City Liverpool Manchester United Middlesbrough Newcastle United Nottingham Forest Sheffield Wednesday Southampton Sunderland Tottenham Hotspur West Ham United Wimbledon

First Division	Barnsley Birmingham City Bolton Wanderers Bradford City Charlton Athletic Crystal Palace Grimsby Town Huddersfield Town Ipswich Town Manchester City Norwich City Oldham Athletic Oxford United Portsmouth Port Vale Queens Park Rangers Reading Sheffield United Southend United Stoke City Swindon Town Tranmere Rovers West Bromwich Albion Wolverhampton Wanderers

Second Division	Blackpool Bournemouth Brentford Bristol City Bristol Rovers Burnley Bury Chesterfield Crewe Alexandra Gillingham Luton Town Millwall Notts County Peterborough United Plymouth Argyle Preston North End Rotherham United Shrewsbury Town Stockport County Walsall Watford Wrexham Wycombe Wanderers York City

Third Division	Barnet Brighton & Hove Albion Cambridge United Cardiff City Carlisle United Chester City Colchester United Darlington Doncaster Rovers Exeter City Fulham Hartlepool United Hereford United Hull City Leyton Orient Lincoln City Mansfield Town Northampton Town Rochdale Scarborough Scunthorpe United Swansea City Torquay United Wigan Athletic

Others	Newport Woking

Summer 1996 transfers
Winter 1996–97 transfers

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