1996–97 Hartlepool United F.C. season

Hartlepool United 1996–97 football season

Hartlepool United1996–97 season

Chairman| Harold Hornsey
Manager| Keith Houchen (player-manager until 4 November)
Mick Tait (player-manager from 4 November)
Stadium| Victoria Park
Third Division| 20th
FA Cup| First round
League Cup| First round
Football League Trophy| First round
Top goalscorer| League: Allon/Cooper (9)
All: Allon (11)
Average home league attendance| 2,107

Home colours

<- 1995–96

1997–98 ->

During the 1996–97 English football season, Hartlepool United F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division.

## Season summary[edit]

In the 1996–97 season, Hartlepool started the campaign with wins over Colchester United and Fulham, but Houchen's playing career came to an end after the fifth game of the season, against Wigan Athletic, when he retired due to a persistent knee injury.[1] Houchen continued to bemoan referring decisions which seemed to consistently go against Hartlepool.[2] This in turn led to continued punishments from the FA over his use of foul language towards officials.[3] With Hartlepool on a poor run of results at the foot of the table, he left the club by mutual consent on 4 November 1996.[4] His assistant Mick Tait led the club to a 20th-place finish, and organised a benefit match for Houchen against Middlesbrough, which raised £23,000.[5]

There was also a change of ownership in 1997, when Harold Hornsey sold the club to an oil company called IOR.[citation needed]

## Final league table[edit]

Main article: 1996–97 Football League

Pos | Team

* v
* t
* e

| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

18  | Darlington | 46  | 14  | 10  | 22  | 64  | 78  | −14  | 52
19  | Doncaster Rovers | 46  | 14  | 10  | 22  | 52  | 66  | −14  | 52
20  | Hartlepool United | 46  | 14  | 9  | 23  | 53  | 66  | −13  | 51
21  | Torquay United | 46  | 13  | 11  | 22  | 46  | 62  | −16  | 50
22  | Exeter City | 46  | 12  | 12  | 22  | 48  | 73  | −25  | 48

Source: [6]
Rules for classification: In the Football League goals scored (GF) takes precedence over goal difference (GD).

## Results[edit]

Hartlepool United's score comes first[7]

### Legend[edit]

Win | Draw | Loss

|
|

### Football League Third Division[edit]

Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers

|
|
|
|
|

17 August 1996 | Colchester United | A | 2–0 | 2,942 | Allon, McAuley
24 August 1996 | Fulham | H | 2–1 | 2,457 | Cooper, Davies
27 August 1996 | Mansfield Town | H | 2–2 | 2,750 | Cooper, Ingram
31 August 1996 | Leyton Orient | A | 0–2 | 4,342 |
7 September 1996 | Hereford United | A | 1–0 | 2,729 | Halliday
10 September 1996 | Carlisle United | H | 1–2 | 3,077 | Cooper
14 September 1996 | Wigan Athletic | H | 1–1 | 2,433 | Cooper
21 September 1996 | Hull City | A | 0–1 | 3,886 |
28 September 1996 | Chester City | H | 2–0 | 2,042 | Allon, Cooper (pen)
1 October 1996 | Doncaster Rovers | A | 1–2 | 1,471 | Beech
5 October 1996 | Cambridge United | A | 0–1 | 3,406 |
12 October 1996 | Darlington | H | 1–2 | 3,799 | Halliday
15 October 1996 | Swansea City | H | 1–1 | 1,310 | Halliday
19 October 1996 | Barnet | A | 0–1 | 2,265 |
26 October 1996 | Exeter City | A | 0–2 | 3,043 |
29 October 1996 | Northampton Town | H | 0–2 | 1,254 |
2 November 1996 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 2–3 | 1,683 | Mike, Cooper
9 November 1996 | Scarborough | A | 4–2 | 3,157 | Howard, Clegg, Halliday (2)
23 November 1996 | Torquay United | A | 1–0 | 1,856 | Allon
30 November 1996 | Exeter City | H | 1–1 | 1,419 | Irvine
3 December 1996 | Scunthorpe United | A | 1–2 | 1,778 | Clegg
14 December 1996 | Rochdale | A | 3–1 | 1,618 | Beech, Howard, Allon
21 December 1996 | Lincoln City | H | 2–1 | 1,344 | Cooper (pen), Sunderland
26 December 1996 | Carlisle United | A | 0–1 | 6,947 |
28 December 1996 | Hereford United | H | 2–1 | 1,923 | Allon, Howard
1 January 1997 | Hull City | H | 1–1 | 1,944 | Beech
11 January 1997 | Chester City | A | 0–0 | 1,885 |
18 January 1997 | Doncaster Rovers | H | 2–4 | 1,708 | Howard, Cooper (pen)
25 January 1997 | Northampton Town | A | 0–3 | 5,039 |
1 February 1997 | Scarborough | H | 1–0 | 1,843 | Cooper
8 February 1997 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 0–5 | 8,412 |
11 February 1997 | Cardiff City | H | 2–3 | 1,120 | Beech (2)
15 February 1997 | Torquay United | H | 1–1 | 1,548 | Beech
22 February 1997 | Cardiff City | A | 0–2 | 2,971 |
1 March 1997 | Scunthorpe United | H | 0–1 | 1,300 |
4 March 1997 | Wigan Athletic | A | 2–2 | 3,229 | Halliday, Howard
8 March 1997 | Lincoln City | A | 1–2 | 2,915 | Allon
15 March 1997 | Rochdale | H | 1–2 | 1,448 | Beech
22 March 1997 | Fulham | A | 0–1 | 7,222 |
29 March 1997 | Colchester United | H | 1–0 | 2,725 | Beech
31 March 1997 | Mansfield Town | A | 0–1 | 2,229 |
5 April 1997 | Leyton Orient | H | 3–1 | 2,576 | Bradley, Baker, Halliday
12 April 1997 | Cambridge United | H | 0–2 | 3,186 |
19 April 1997 | Darlington | A | 2–1 | 4,662 | Brown, Allon
26 April 1997 | Barnet | H | 4–0 | 3,070 | Allon (2), Baker, Halliday
3 May 1997 | Swansea City | A | 2–2 | 5,423 | Howard (2)

### FA Cup[edit]

Main article: 1996-97 FA Cup

Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers

|
|
|
|
|
|

R1 | 16 November 1996 | York City | H | 0–0 | 3,011 |
R1R | 26 November 1996 | York City | A | 0–3 | 3,257 |

### League Cup[edit]

Main article: 1996-97 Football League Cup

Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers

|
|
|
|
|
|

R1 1st Leg | 20 August 1996 | Lincoln City | H | 2–2 | 2,073 | Davies, Allon
R1 2nd Leg | 3 September 1996 | Lincoln City | A | 2–3 (lost 5–6 on agg) | 2,389 | Allon, Beech

### Football League Trophy[edit]

Main article: 1996-97 Football League Trophy

Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers

|
|
|
|
|
|

NR1 | 10 December 1996 | Burnley | H | 0–2 | 921 |

## Squad[edit]

[8] 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 | Paul O'Connor
-- | GK |  ENG | Stephen Pears
-- | DF |  ENG | Michael Barron (on loan from Middlesbrough)
-- | DF |  ENG | Russell Bradley (on loan from Scunthorpe United)
-- | DF |  ENG | Glen Davies
-- | DF |  ENG | Stephen Hutt
-- | DF |  ENG | Denny Ingram
-- | DF |  ENG | Darren Knowles
-- | DF |  ENG | Graeme Lee
-- | DF |  ENG | Sean McAuley
-- | DF |  ENG | Ian McGuckin
-- | MF |  ENG | Chris Beech
-- | MF |  ENG | Michael Brown (on loan from Manchester City)
-- | MF |  ENG | David Clegg
-- | MF |  ENG | Mark Cooper
-- | MF |  ENG | Jon Cullen
-- | MF |  ENG | Andy Elliott
| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

-- | MF |  ENG | Kona Hislop
-- | MF |  ENG | Chris Homer
-- | MF |  FRA | Alain Horace
-- | MF |  ENG | Richard Lucas
-- | MF |  SCO | Chris McDonald
-- | MF |  ENG | Mark Proctor
-- | MF |  ENG | Jon Sunderland
-- | MF |  ENG | Mick Tait
-- | MF |  ENG | Paul Walton
-- | MF |  ENG | Craig Winstanley
-- | FW |  ENG | Joe Allon
-- | FW |  ENG | Paul Baker
-- | FW |  ENG | Stephen Halliday
-- | FW |  ENG | Keith Houchen
-- | FW |  ENG | Steve Howard
-- | FW |  ENG | Stuart Irvine
-- | FW |  ENG | Adie Mike (on loan from Stockport County)

## References[edit]

1. ^ Strange 2006, p. 222
2. ^ Strange 2006, p. 224
3. ^ Strange 2006, p. 226
4. ^ Strange 2006, p. 232
5. ^ Strange 2006, p. 236
6. ^ "England 1996–97". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
7. ^ "Hartlepool United 1996-1997". Archived from the original on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
8. ^ "All Hartlepool United players: 1997". 11v11.com. Retrieved 22 July 2015.

## Sources[edit]

* Strange, Jonathan (2006). A Tenner and Box of Kippers: The Story of Keith Houchen. Stadia. ISBN 978-0-7524-3796-5.)

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* Summer 1996 transfers
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*[Pos]: Position
*[Pld]: Played
*[W]: Total won
*[D]: Total drawn
*[L]: Total lost
*[GF]: Total Goals for
*[GA]: Total Goals against
*[GD]: Goal difference
*[Pts]: Points
*[No.]: Number
*[Pos.]: Position
*[GK]: Goalkeeper
*[DF]: Defender
*[MF]: Midfielder
*[FW]: Forward
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template