During the 1996–97 English football season, Wimbledon competed in the Premier League. The season marked 20 years since Wimbledon's election to the Football League and was their eleventh successive season of top division football. It was one of the most successful of the club's history as they finished eighth in the Premier League and reached the semi-finals of both domestic cups.
Season summary The opening day of the season saw Wimbledon lose 3–0 at home to Manchester United in a game mostly remembered for David Beckham's late goal from inside his own half. The Dons also lost their next two games, but then went on a 19-match unbeaten run, including seven league wins in a row. A 1–0 over Blackburn Rovers in December left them 3rd in the table, one point behind leaders Arsenal. The team's form tailed off in the second half of the season and they missed out on the chance of European qualification, finishing 8th.
Wimbledon also reached the semi-finals of both domestic cups. Their FA Cup run saw them knock out holders Manchester United but they lost 3–0 to the eventual winners Chelsea at Highbury. In the League Cup they were eliminated on away goals by Leicester City, who also went on to win the trophy. The sale of Øyvind Leonhardsen to Liverpool at the end of the season left manager Joe Kinnear with a big hole to fill in a squad which had, so far, achieved so much on a shoestring budget.
Final league table
Results summary
Results by round
Results Wimbledon's score comes first
Legend WinDrawLoss
FA Premier League DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 17 August 1996 Manchester UnitedH0–325,786 21 August 1996 Newcastle UnitedA0–236,385 26 August 1996 Leeds UnitedA0–125,860 4 September 1996 Tottenham HotspurH1–017,506Earle 7 September 1996 EvertonH4–013,684Ardley, Gayle, Earle, Ekoku 14 September 1996 West Ham UnitedA2–021,294Clarke, Ekoku 23 September 1996 SouthamptonH3–18,572Gayle, Ekoku (2) 28 September 1996 Derby CountyA2–017,022Earle, Gayle 12 October 1996 Sheffield WednesdayH4–210,512Ekoku, Earle, Leonhardsen, Jones 19 October 1996 ChelseaA4–228,020Earle, Ardley, Gayle, Ekoku 26 October 1996 MiddlesbroughA0–029,758 2 November 1996 ArsenalH2–225,521Jones, Gayle 16 November 1996 Coventry CityH2–210,307Earle, Gayle 23 November 1996 LiverpoolA1–139,027Leonhardsen 30 November 1996 Nottingham ForestH1–012,608Earle 7 December 1996 SunderlandA3–119,672Ekoku (2), Holdsworth 14 December 1996 Blackburn RoversH1–013,246Holdsworth 22 December 1996 Aston VillaA0–528,875 28 December 1996 EvertonA3–136,733Ekoku, Leonhardsen, Gayle 11 January 1997 Derby CountyH1–111,467Gayle 18 January 1997 Leicester CityA0–118,927 29 January 1997 Manchester UnitedA1–255,314Perry 1 February 1997 MiddlesbroughH1–115,046Cox (own goal) 23 February 1997 ArsenalA1–037,854Jones 26 February 1997 SouthamptonA0–014,418 1 March 1997 Leicester CityH1–311,487Holdsworth 3 March 1997 Coventry CityA1–115,273Ekoku 15 March 1997 Blackburn RoversA1–323,333Ekoku 18 March 1997 West Ham UnitedH1–115,771Harford 23 March 1997 Newcastle UnitedH1–123,175Leonhardsen 5 April 1997 Tottenham HotspurA0–132,654 9 April 1997 Aston VillaH0–29,015 16 April 1997 Leeds UnitedH2–07,979Holdsworth, Castledine 19 April 1997 Sheffield WednesdayA1–326,957Goodman 22 April 1997 ChelseaH0–114,601 3 May 1997 Nottingham ForestA1–119,865Leonhardsen 6 May 1997 LiverpoolH2–120,016Euell, Holdsworth 11 May 1997 SunderlandH1–021,338Euell
FA Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR314 January 1997 Crewe AlexandraA1–15,011PerryR3R21 January 1997 Crewe AlexandraH2–04,951Earle, HoldsworthR425 January 1997 Manchester UnitedA1–153,342EarleR4R4 February 1997 Manchester UnitedH1–025,601GayleR515 February 1997 Queens Park RangersH2–122,395Gayle, EarleQF9 March 1997 Sheffield WednesdayA2–025,032Earle, HoldsworthSF13 April 1997 ChelseaN0–332,674
League Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR2 1st Leg18 September 1996 PortsmouthH1–03,811HoldsworthR2 2nd Leg25 September 1996 PortsmouthA1–1 (won 2–1 on agg)4,006GayleR322 October 1996 Luton TownH1–15,043HoldsworthR3R12 November 1996 Luton TownA2–18,076Castledine, FearR426 November 1996 Aston VillaH1–07,573GayleQF8 January 1997 Bolton WanderersA2–016,968Ekoku, LeonhardsenSF 1st Leg18 February 1997 Leicester CityA0–016,021SF 2nd Leg11 March 1997 Leicester CityH1–1 (lost on away goals)17,810Gayle Players First-team squad Squad at end of season
Left club during season
Reserve squad The following players did not appear for the first-team this season.
Transfers
In Date Pos. Name From Fee1 July 1996DFDuncan JuppFulham£200,0005 July 1996DFBen ThatcherMillwall£1,700,000
Out Date Pos. Name To Fee22 July 1996MFLenny PiperGillingham£40,00025 July 1996MFSteve TalboysWatfordFree transfer16 September 1996DFAndy ThornHeartsNon-contract18 September 1996DFGary ElkinsSwindon Town£100,000
Transfers in: £1,900,000 Transfers out: £140,000 Total spending: £1,760,000
Statistics
Appearances and goals
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Goalkeepers
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Defenders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Midfielders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Forwards
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Players who left the club during the season
References
Notes