During the 1996–97 English football season, Ipswich Town competed in the Football League First Division.
Season summary In George Burley's second season in charge of Ipswich, the club reached the play-offs as they looked for a return to the Premier League at the second attempt. Ipswich were in the bottom half of the table for most of the first half of the season but their form in the new year saw Town go 10 games unbeaten and move into the play-off places. Jason Cundy was signed on loan in October to bolster the team and became permanent a month later but was diagnosed with testicular cancer in February and stopped playing. In January, Adam Tanner failed a drug test and was withdrawn from the squad and later suspended for three months.
In the play-offs, Ipswich faced Sheffield United in the semi-final. The first leg played at Bramall Lane finished 1–1. In the return leg, Niklas Gudmundsson gave Ipswich a 2–1 lead in the 73rd minute but their advantage lasted just four minutes until Andy Walker made it 2–2. With the aggregate scores level at 3–3, the game went into extra time but no further goals were scored, and Sheffield United advanced to the final as they had scored more away goals than Ipswich.
Ipswich also reached the quarter-finals of the Coca-Cola Cup, losing to Leicester City.
First-team squad
Left club during season
Competitions Football League First Division
League table
Legend WinDrawLoss Ipswich Town's score comes first
Matches DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 16 August 1996 Manchester CityA0–129,126 24 August 1996 ReadingH5–29,767Vaughan (2), Sedgley (pen), Taricco, Scowcroft 27 August 1996 Grimsby TownH1–19,762Mason 31 August 1996 Oldham AthleticA3–35,339Mathie (2), Stockwell 7 September 1996 Huddersfield TownH1–310,661Mason 10 September 1996 Crystal PalaceA0–012,520 14 September 1996 Sheffield UnitedA3–114,261Sedgley, Scowcroft (2) 20 September 1996 Charlton AthleticH2–110,558Sedgley, Mathie 28 September 1996 West Bromwich AlbionA0–015,606 1 October 1996 BarnsleyH1–19,041Mathie 11 October 1996 Norwich CityA1–320,256Sonner 15 October 1996 Birmingham CityA0–115,664 19 October 1996 PortsmouthH1–110,514Mason 26 October 1996 Tranmere RoversH0–211,003 30 October 1996 Queens Park RangersA1–010,562Mason 2 November 1996 Oxford UnitedA1–37,903Tanner 9 November 1996 Southend UnitedH1–110,146Stockwell 16 November 1996 Bradford CityA1–210,504Cundy 19 November 1996 Swindon TownH3–27,086Scowcroft, Creaney, Sedgley (pen) 23 November 1996 Port ValeH2–19,491Tanner, Mason 30 November 1996 Tranmere RoversA0–310,127 7 December 1996 Wolverhampton WanderersH0–012,048 14 December 1996 Bolton WanderersA2–113,314Scowcroft (2) 21 December 1996 Stoke CityH1–110,159Mason 26 December 1996 Crystal PalaceH3–116,020Tanner (pen), Mason, Naylor 28 December 1996 Huddersfield TownA0–211,467 1 January 1997 Charlton AthleticA1–110,186Tanner (pen) 18 January 1997 BarnsleyA2–19,872Mason, Cundy 25 January 1997 West Bromwich AlbionH5–09,381Holmes (own goal), Scowcroft, Stockwell, Naylor, Mason 1 February 1997 Southend UnitedA0–07,232 8 February 1997 Queens Park RangersH2–012,983Naylor, Gregory 15 February 1997 Port ValeA2–26,115Mason, Stockwell 22 February 1997 Oxford UnitedH2–111,483Naylor, Stockwell 1 March 1997 Wolverhampton WanderersA0–026,700 4 March 1997 Bradford CityH3–29,367Sedgley (pen), Sonner, Gregory 8 March 1997 Stoke CityA1–011,933Taricco 15 March 1997 Bolton WanderersH0–116,187 18 March 1997 Sheffield UnitedH3–110,374Gregory (3) 22 March 1997 ReadingA0–110,058 31 March 1997 Grimsby TownA1–26,268Mason 5 April 1997 Oldham AthleticH4–011,730Scowcroft, Williams, Stockwell, Gregory 12 April 1997 Swindon TownA4–08,591Swailes, Stockwell, Sedgley (pen), Gudmundsson 18 April 1997 Norwich CityH2–022,397Taricco, Mason 22 April 1997 Manchester CityH1–015,824Sedgley (pen) 25 April 1997 PortsmouthA1–012,101Scowcroft 4 May 1997 Birmingham CityH1–120,570Gudmundsson
First Division play-offs +RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersSF First Leg 10 May 1997 Sheffield UnitedA1–122,312StockwellSF Second Leg 14 May 1997 Sheffield UnitedH2–2 (lost on away goals)21,467Scowcroft, Gudmundsson
FA Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR34 January 1997 Nottingham ForestA0–314,681
League Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR1 First Leg 20 August 1996 BournemouthH2–16,163Marshall, MasonR1 Second Leg 3 September 1996 BournemouthA3–0 (won 5–1 on agg)4,119Scowcroft, Mathie, StockwellR2 First Leg 17 September 1996 FulhamA1–16,947MiltonR2 Second Leg 24 September 1996 FulhamH4–2 (won 5–3 on agg)6,825Sonner, Sedgley (pen), Mathie (2)R322 October 1996 Crystal PalaceH4–18,390Mason (2), Mathie (2)R426 November 1996 GillinghamH1–013,537NaylorR521 January 1997 Leicester CityH0–120,793
Transfers Transfers in DatePosNameFromFeeRef12 June 1996MF Danny Sonner Viktoria KölnFree transfer1 July 1996MF Bobby Petta FeyenoordFree transfer25 November 1996DF Jason Cundy Tottenham Hotspur£200,0006 December 1996FW Earl Jean FelgueirasFree transfer
Loans in Date fromPosNameFromDate untilRef9 October 1996GK Aidan Davison Bolton Wanderers9 November 199625 October 1996FW Gerry Creaney Manchester City30 June 199729 October 1996DF Jason Cundy Tottenham Hotspur24 November 199617 January 1997MF Bobby Howe Nottingham Forrest8 February 199720 March 1997MF Niklas Gudmundsson Blackburn Rovers30 June 1997
Transfers out DatePosNameToFeeRef31 May 1996GK Clive BakerRetired19 June 1996DF Leo Cotterell BournemouthFree transfer1 July 1996MF Lee Durrant Harwich & ParkestonFree transfer1 August 1996DF Neil Thompson BarnsleyFree transfer16 August 1996MF Richard Appleby Swansea CityFree transfer31 August 1996FW Ian Marshall Leicester City£800,0009 September 1996MF Stuart SlaterFree agentReleased16 January 1997DF Claus Thomsen Everton£900,00023 January 1997FW Earl Jean Rotherham UnitedFree transfer
Loans out Date fromPosNameFromDate untilRef22 November 1996FW Neil Gregory Torquay United21 December 199627 March 1997GK Craig Forrest Chelsea22 April 1997
Awards Player awards AwardPlayerPlayer of the Year Mauricio Taricco
References