1996–97 Bradford City A.F.C. season

During the 1996–97 English football season, Bradford City A.F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.

Bradford City A.F.C.

1996–97 season
Chairman	Geoffrey Richmond
Manager	Chris Kamara
Stadium	Valley Parade
First Division	21st
FA Cup	Fifth round
League Cup	First round
Top goalscorer	League: Ole Sundgot (6) All: Ole Sundgot Chris Waddle (6)
Highest home attendance	17,830 vs Sheffield Wednesday FA Cup, 16 February 1997
Lowest home attendance	3,593 vs Sheffield United Football League Cup, 3 September 1996
Average home league attendance	12,925

Season summary

Kamara used 42 players in 1996–97 when Bradford avoided relegation with a 3–0 victory in the final game against Queens Park Rangers.

Final league table

Main article: 1996–97 Football League § First Division

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
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 (R)	46	11	13	22	59	81	−22	46	Relegation to the Second Division
23	Oldham Athletic (R)	46	10	13	23	51	66	−15	43

Source:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goals scored; 3) Goal difference
(R) Relegated

Results

Bradford City's score comes first

Legend

Win

Draw

Loss

Football League First Division

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
17 August 1996	Portsmouth	H	3–1	10,007	Regtop (pen), Duxbury, Stallard
24 August 1996	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	0–1	24,171
28 August 1996	Stoke City	A	0–1	11,918
31 August 1996	Tranmere Rovers	H	1–0	10,080	Duxbury
7 September 1996	Norwich City	H	0–2	10,054
10 September 1996	Sheffield United	A	0–3	12,591
14 September 1996	Oxford United	A	0–2	6,334
21 September 1996	Bolton Wanderers	H	2–4	12,034	Liburd, Sas
29 September 1996	Port Vale	A	1–1	4,706	Jacobs
2 October 1996	Swindon Town	H	2–1	9,249	Sas (pen), Shutt
5 October 1996	Southend United	H	0–0	10,156
12 October 1996	Birmingham City	A	0–3	25,157
16 October 1996	Queens Park Rangers	A	0–1	7,776
19 October 1996	Barnsley	H	2–2	11,477	Waddle, Kiwomya
26 October 1996	West Bromwich Albion	A	0–0	14,249
29 October 1996	Crystal Palace	H	0–4	10,091
2 November 1996	Oldham Athletic	H	0–3	10,855
8 November 1996	Huddersfield Town	A	3–3	14,126	Waddle, Dreyer, Steiner
16 November 1996	Ipswich Town	H	2–1	10,504	Sundgot (2)
23 November 1996	Charlton Athletic	A	2–0	12,256	Steiner, Waddle
30 November 1996	West Bromwich Albion	H	1–1	12,003	Sas
7 December 1996	Manchester City	A	2–3	25,035	Steiner (2)
17 December 1996	Reading	H	0–0	10,077
21 December 1996	Grimsby Town	A	1–1	5,766	Duxbury
26 December 1996	Sheffield United	H	1–2	17,475	Jacobs
28 December 1996	Norwich City	A	0–2	13,473
1 January 1997	Bolton Wanderers	A	1–2	16,192	Shutt
11 January 1997	Oxford United	H	2–0	13,275	O'Brien, Shutt
18 January 1997	Swindon Town	A	1–1	7,851	Jacobs
28 January 1997	Port Vale	H	1–0	15,186	Watson
1 February 1997	Huddersfield Town	H	1–1	17,373	Waddle
8 February 1997	Crystal Palace	A	1–3	14,844	Waddle
22 February 1997	Oldham Athletic	A	2–1	9,524	Sundgot, Edinho
1 March 1997	Manchester City	H	1–3	17,609	Edinho (pen)
4 March 1997	Ipswich Town	A	2–3	9,367	Sundgot (2)
8 March 1997	Grimsby Town	H	3–4	15,219	Sundgot, Edinho, O'Brien
15 March 1997	Reading	A	0–0	8,435
22 March 1997	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	2–1	15,351	Edinho, Pepper
29 March 1997	Portsmouth	A	1–3	12,340	Murray
31 March 1997	Stoke City	H	1–0	13,579	Pepper
4 April 1997	Tranmere Rovers	A	0–3	8,531
12 April 1997	Southend United	A	1–1	6,697	Edinho
19 April 1997	Birmingham City	H	0–2	15,123
26 April 1997	Barnsley	A	0–2	18,605
1 May 1997	Charlton Athletic	H	1–0	15,780	Pepper
4 May 1997	Queens Park Rangers	H	3–0	14,723	Pepper (2), Wright

FA Cup

Main article: 1996–97 FA Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R3	5 January 1997	Wycombe Wanderers	A	2–0	5,173	Dreyer (2)
R4	25 January 1997	Everton	A	3–2	30,007	Dreyer, Waddle, Steiner
R5	16 February 1997	Sheffield Wednesday	H	0–1	17,830

League Cup

Main article: 1996–97 Football League Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R1 First Leg	20 August 1996	Sheffield United	A	0–3	7,575
R1 Second Leg	3 September 1996	Sheffield United	H	1–2	3,593	Stallard

First-team squad

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

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	GK	SCO	Jonathan Gould
—	GK	NIR	Aidan Davison
—	GK	RSA	Paul Evans
—	GK	AUS	Mark Schwarzer
—	DF	ENG	David Brightwell
—	DF	ENG	John Dreyer
—	DF	ENG	Wayne Jacobs
—	DF	ENG	Richard Liburd
—	DF	ENG	Graham Mitchell
—	DF	ENG	Nicky Mohan
—	DF	ENG	Andy O'Brien
—	DF	ENG	Christian Sansam
—	DF	ENG	Chris Wilder
—	DF	NED	Marco Sas
—	DF	POR	Raúl Oliveira (on loan from Farense)
—	MF	ENG	Robbie Blake
—	MF	ENG	Gordon Cowans
—	MF	ENG	Lee Duxbury
—	MF	ENG	Des Hamilton

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	MF	ENG	Richard Huxford
—	MF	ENG	Shaun Murray
—	MF	ENG	Nigel Pepper
—	MF	ENG	Matthew Smithard
—	MF	POR	Sérgio Pinto
—	MF	AUS	George Kulcsar
—	FW	ENG	Andy Kiwomya
—	FW	ENG	Craig Midgley
—	FW	ENG	Ian Ormondroyd
—	FW	ENG	Carl Shutt
—	FW	ENG	Mark Stallard
—	FW	ENG	Chris Waddle
—	FW	ENG	Gordon Watson
—	FW	SCO	Tommy Wright
—	FW	NED	Erik Regtop
—	FW	NOR	Ole Bjørn Sundgot
—	FW	SWE	Robert Steiner
—	FW	FIN	Jari Vanhala
—	FW	BRA	Edinho

Left club during season

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

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	GK	ENG	Eric Nixon (on loan from Tranmere Rovers)
—	GK	ENG	Ben Roberts (on loan from Middlesbrough)
—	MF	SWE	Magnus Pehrsson (on loan from Djurgårdens IF)

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	FW	ENG	Ian Moore (on loan from Tranmere Rovers)
—	FW	ENG	Mike Newell (on loan from Birmingham City)