During the 1996–97 English football season, Coventry City F.C. competed in the FA Premier League.
Season summary Manager Ron Atkinson stepped up to the role of Director of Football at struggling Coventry City in early November, with assistant Gordon Strachan stepping up to the manager's seat. Coventry climbed to 11th place in January, but then a decline set in and defeat in the penultimate game of the season made Coventry's 30-year stay in the top appear to be over. However, with a win over Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the season and losses for Sunderland and Middlesbrough, the Sky Blues pulled off a survival act to book themselves a 31st successive top flight campaign. The key player in the act was striker Dion Dublin, who scored 14 FA Premier League goals to attract attention from several larger clubs and encourage calls for an international call-up from many observers.
However, Coventry only ultimately avoided relegation due to the three-point deduction imposed upon Middlesbrough, who had been penalised in mid-season for cancelling a fixture at short notice.
Final league table
Results Coventry City's score comes first
Legend WinDrawLoss
FA Premier League DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 17 August 1996 Nottingham ForestH0–319,468 21 August 1996 West Ham UnitedA1–121,580McAllister 24 August 1996 ChelseaA0–225,024 4 September 1996 LiverpoolH0–123,021 7 September 1996 MiddlesbroughA0–429,811 14 September 1996 Leeds UnitedH2–117,297Salako, Whelan 21 September 1996 SunderlandA0–119,459 28 September 1996 Blackburn RoversH0–017,032 13 October 1996 SouthamptonH1–115,485Dublin 19 October 1996 ArsenalA0–038,140 26 October 1996 Sheffield WednesdayH0–017,267 4 November 1996 EvertonA1–131,477McAllister 16 November 1996 WimbledonA2–210,307Whelan, Dublin 23 November 1996 Aston VillaH1–221,340Dublin 30 November 1996 Derby CountyA1–218,042Dublin 7 December 1996 Tottenham HotspurH1–219,675Whelan 17 December 1996 Newcastle UnitedH2–121,538Huckerby, McAllister 21 December 1996 Leicester CityA2–020,038Dublin (2) 26 December 1996 Leeds UnitedA3–136,465Huckerby, Dublin, McAllister (pen) 28 December 1996 MiddlesbroughH3–020,617Huckerby, McAllister (pen), Liddle (own goal) 1 January 1997 SunderlandH2–217,700Dublin, Daish 11 January 1997 Blackburn RoversA0–424,055 18 January 1997 Manchester UnitedH0–223,085 29 January 1997 Nottingham ForestA1–022,619Huckerby 1 February 1997 Sheffield WednesdayA0–021,793 19 February 1997 Aston VillaA1–230,409Staunton (own goal) 22 February 1997 EvertonH0–019,497 1 March 1997 Manchester UnitedA1–355,230Huckerby 3 March 1997 WimbledonH1–115,273Dublin 8 March 1997 Leicester CityH0–019,220 15 March 1997 Newcastle UnitedA0–436,571 22 March 1997 West Ham UnitedH1–322,291Rieper (own goal) 6 April 1997 LiverpoolA2–140,079Whelan, Dublin 9 April 1997 ChelseaH3–119,917Dublin, Williams, Whelan 19 April 1997 SouthamptonA2–215,251Ndlovu, Whelan 21 April 1997 ArsenalH1–119,998Dublin 3 May 1997 Derby CountyH1–222,839McAllister (pen) 11 May 1997 Tottenham HotspurA2–133,029Dublin, Williams
FA Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR325 January 1997 WokingH1–116,040JessR3R4 February 1997 WokingA2–16,000Whelan, Foster (own goal)R415 February 1997 Blackburn RoversA2–121,123Jess, HuckerbyR526 February 1997 Derby CountyA2–318,003Huckerby, Whelan
League Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR2 1st Leg 18 September 1996 Birmingham CityH1–111,828DaishR2 2nd Leg 24 September 1996 Birmingham CityA1–015,281McAllisterR322 October 1996 GillinghamA2–210,603Telfer (2)R3R13 November 1996 GillinghamH0–112,639
First-team squad Squad at end of season
Left club during season
Reserve squad
Transfers
In Date Pos. Name From Fee26 July 1996MF Gary McAllister Leeds United£3,000,00010 August 1996DF Régis Genaux Standard Liège£750,00023 November 1996FW Darren Huckerby Newcastle United£1,000,00030 January 1997DF Gary Breen Birmingham City£2,500,00030 January 1997DF Oleksandr Yevtushok Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk£800,00021 May 1997FW Simon Haworth Cardiff City£500,00019 June 1997MF Trond Egil Soltvedt Rosenborg£500,0004 July 1997FW Kyle Lightbourne Walsall£500,0007 July 1997GK Magnus Hedman AIKFree9 July 1997MF Martin Johansen CopenhagenFree
Out Date Pos. Name To Fee5 August 1996DF David Rennie Northampton TownFree15 August 1996DF Ally Pickering Stoke City£280,00028 January 1997DF Régis Genaux Udinese£800,0001 July 1997MF Chris McMenamin Peterborough UnitedFree4 July 1997MF Eoin Jess Aberdeen£700,00014 July 1997FW Peter Ndlovu Birmingham City£1,600,00014 July 1997GK Neil Wypior West Bromwich AlbionUndisclosed Transfers in: £6,550,000 Transfers out: £3,380,000 Total spending: £3,170,000
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