1996–97 Queens Park Rangers F.C. season

Queens Park Rangers

1996–97 season
Chairman	Chris Wright
Manager	Ray Wilkins (until September) Stewart Houston (from September)
Stadium	Loftus Road
First Division	9th
FA Cup	Fifth round
League Cup	Second round
Top goalscorer	League: John Spencer (17) All: John Spencer (18)
Highest home attendance	17,376 (vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers, 31 March)
Lowest home attendance	7,354 (vs. Stoke City, 2 November)
Average home league attendance	12,554
← 1995–96 1997–98 →

During the 1996–97 English football season, Queens Park Rangers competed in the Football League First Division.

Season summary

In August 1996, media tycoon Chris Wright, a QPR fan for 20 years, bought the club and also stated his plans for London Wasps to distribute the stadium.

Wright later suggested forming a new Loftus Road plc, including both QPR and London Wasps, on the Alternative Investment Market. A month later, Ray Wilkins left the club by mutual consent after a board meeting when he wanted money in an attempt to sign 34-year-old Ghana skipper Abedi Pele as well as being pushed to retire from his playing career.^[1] Ex-Arsenal caretaker manager Stewart Houston took over the reins with former Arsenal manager Bruce Rioch as his assistant.

Houston's first signing for QPR broke the club's previous transfer record when Scottish international striker John Spencer was signed from Chelsea for £2.35 million in November 1996.^[2] A month later, his ex-Chelsea team mate and former QPR player Gavin Peacock rejoined the club for a second spell. Northern Ireland international Steve Morrow also joined from Arsenal.

Ultimately, QPR's poor home form during the season cost them a chance of a play-off place and they finished 9th, five points outside the play-off places.

Final league table

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

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

Queens Park Rangers' score comes first

Legend

Win

Draw

Loss

Football League First Division

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
17 August 1996	Oxford United	H	2–1	14,703	Gallen, Dichio
23 August 1996	Portsmouth	A	2–1	7,501	Gallen (2)
28 August 1996	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	1–1	25,767	Dichio
1 September 1996	Bolton Wanderers	H	1–2	11,225	McDonald
7 September 1996	West Bromwich Albion	H	0–2	12,886
11 September 1996	Norwich City	A	1–1	14,000	Impey
14 September 1996	Barnsley	A	3–1	13,003	Barker, Perry, Dichio
21 September 1996	Swindon Town	H	1–1	13,662	Murray
28 September 1996	Birmingham City	A	0–0	17,430
2 October 1996	Port Vale	H	1–2	8,727	Barker
5 October 1996	Grimsby Town	A	0–2	5,472
12 October 1996	Manchester City	H	2–2	16,265	Sinclair, Murray
16 October 1996	Bradford City	H	1–0	7,776	Brazier
20 October 1996	Tranmere Rovers	A	3–2	7,025	Slade, McDonald, Charles
26 October 1996	Sheffield United	A	1–1	17,096	Slade
30 October 1996	Ipswich Town	H	0–1	10,562
2 November 1996	Stoke City	H	1–1	7,354	Sinclair
10 November 1996	Crystal Palace	A	0–3	15,324
16 November 1996	Charlton Athletic	H	1–2	12,360	Sinclair
23 November 1996	Reading	A	1–2	12,847	Spencer
30 November 1996	Sheffield United	H	1–0	11,891	Barker (pen)
7 December 1996	Oldham Athletic	A	2–0	5,590	Peacock, Spencer
14 December 1996	Southend United	H	4–0	11,117	Barker (pen), Harris (own goal), Spencer, Peacock
21 December 1996	Huddersfield Town	A	2–1	10,718	Dichio, Brazier
26 December 1996	Norwich City	H	3–2	15,699	Peacock, Dichio, McDermott
28 December 1996	West Bromwich Albion	A	1–4	19,061	Spencer
11 January 1997	Barnsley	H	3–1	12,058	Spencer (3)
19 January 1997	Port Vale	A	4–4	5,736	Holwyn (own goal), Impey, Murray, Spencer
29 January 1997	Birmingham City	H	1–1	12,138	Spencer
1 February 1997	Crystal Palace	H	0–1	16,467
5 February 1997	Swindon Town	A	1–1	10,830	Hateley
8 February 1997	Ipswich Town	A	0–2	12,983
22 February 1997	Stoke City	A	0–0	13,121
1 March 1997	Oldham Athletic	H	0–1	10,180
4 March 1997	Charlton Athletic	A	1–2	10,610	Dichio
8 March 1997	Huddersfield Town	H	2–0	9,789	McDermott, Spencer
12 March 1997	Reading	H	0–2	10,316
15 March 1997	Southend United	A	1–0	6,747	Roget (own goal)
22 March 1997	Portsmouth	H	2–1	15,746	Murray, Spencer
29 March 1997	Oxford United	A	3–2	8,365	Yates, Spencer, Peacock
31 March 1997	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	2–2	17,376	Spencer, Peacock
5 April 1997	Bolton Wanderers	A	1–2	19,198	Morrow
12 April 1997	Grimsby Town	H	3–0	10,765	Spencer, Murray, Slade
19 April 1997	Manchester City	A	3–0	27,580	Spencer (2), Slade
26 April 1997	Tranmere Rovers	H	2–0	14,859	Dichio, Spencer
4 May 1997	Bradford City	A	0–3	14,723

FA Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R3	4 January 1997	Huddersfield Town	H	1–1	11,776	Hateley
R3R	14 January 1997	Huddersfield Town	A	2–1	11,814	Peacock, McDonald
R4	25 January 1997	Barnsley	H	3–2	14,317	Peacock, Spencer, Sinclair
R5	15 February 1997	Wimbledon	A	1–2	22,395	Hateley

League Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R2 First Leg	18 September 1996	Swindon Town	A	2–1	7,843	Dichio, Impey
R2 Second Leg	25 September 1996	Swindon Town	H	1–3 (lost 3-4 on agg)	6,976	Brazier

Squad

Squad at end of season^[3]

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

No. Position Player GK Tony Roberts GK Sieb Dijkstra GK Juergen Sommer DF David Bardsley DF Rufus Brevett DF Trevor Challis DF Andy Impey DF Matt Jackson (on loan from Everton) DF Danny Maddix DF Mark Perry DF Chris Plummer DF Steve Yates DF Karl Ready DF Alan McDonald DF Steve Morrow DF Andy McDermott

No. Position Player MF Simon Barker MF Matt Brazier MF Michael Mahoney-Johnson MF Paul Murray MF Gavin Peacock MF Nigel Quashie MF Trevor Sinclair MF Ray Wilkins (player-manager until September) MF Mark Graham FW Lee Charles FW Danny Dichio FW Kevin Gallen FW Mark Hateley FW Steve Slade FW John Spencer

References

1. Stenson, Tony (5 September 1996). "Game over for Wilkins". The Free Library. The Mirror. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
2. Irwin, Mark (22 November 1996). "Spencer in £2.5m move from Chelsea to QPR". The Free Library. The Mirror. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
3. http://www.11v11.com/teams/queens-park-rangers/tab/players/season/1997