# 1996–97 Charlton Athletic F.C. season

During the 1996–97 English football season, Charlton Athletic F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.

## Season summary

After missing out on promotion to the Premier League the season before in the play-offs, Alan Curbishley was looking to steer Charlton to automatic promotion the following season but it turned out to be a disappointing season for the Addicks, finishing in 15th place.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 13 | Norwich City | 46 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 63 | 68 | −5 | 63 |
| 14 | Manchester City | 46 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 59 | 60 | −1 | 61 |
| 15 | Charlton Athletic | 46 | 16 | 11 | 19 | 52 | 66 | −14 | 59 |
| 16 | West Bromwich Albion | 46 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 68 | 72 | −4 | 57 |
| 17 | Oxford United | 46 | 16 | 9 | 21 | 64 | 68 | −4 | 57 |

## Results

Charlton Athletic's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 17 August 1996 | Huddersfield Town | A | 0–2 | 11,858 | |
| 24 August 1996 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 1–1 | 9,642 | Leaburn |
| 3 September 1996 | Manchester City | A | 1–2 | 25,963 | Newton |
| 6 September 1996 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0–1 | 21,072 | |
| 10 September 1996 | Southend United | H | 2–0 | 8,497 | Stuart, Mortimer |
| 14 September 1996 | Reading | H | 1–0 | 10,831 | Leaburn |
| 20 September 1996 | Ipswich Town | A | 1–2 | 10,558 | Allen |
| 28 September 1996 | Oldham Athletic | H | 1–0 | 12,178 | Whyte |
| 12 October 1996 | Portsmouth | A | 0–2 | 6,641 | |
| 15 October 1996 | Sheffield United | A | 0–3 | 14,080 | |
| 19 October 1996 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 3–3 | 11,091 | Whyte (2), Chapple |
| 26 October 1996 | Oxford United | H | 2–0 | 10,626 | Kinsella, Leaburn |
| 29 October 1996 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 0–4 | 5,527 | |
| 2 November 1996 | Norwich City | A | 2–1 | 14,145 | Allen, Kinsella |
| 16 November 1996 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 2–1 | 12,360 | Poole, Allen |
| 20 November 1996 | Birmingham City | H | 2–1 | 8,574 | Allen, O'Connell |
| 23 November 1996 | Bradford City | H | 0–2 | 12,256 | |
| 26 November 1996 | Grimsby Town | H | 1–3 | 14,412 | Whyte |
| 30 November 1996 | Oxford United | A | 2–0 | 7,080 | Barness, Whyte |
| 4 December 1996 | Stoke City | A | 0–1 | 7,456 | |
| 7 December 1996 | Swindon Town | H | 2–0 | 10,565 | Leaburn, Whyte |
| 14 December 1996 | Port Vale | H | 1–3 | 10,003 | Chapple |
| 21 December 1996 | Crystal Palace | A | 0–1 | 16,279 | |
| 26 December 1996 | Southend United | A | 2–0 | 7,508 | Kinsella, Robinson |
| 28 December 1996 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 0–0 | 12,259 | |
| 1 January 1997 | Ipswich Town | H | 1–1 | 10,186 | Robson |
| 11 January 1997 | Reading | A | 2–2 | 7,614 | Lisbie, Whyte |
| 18 January 1997 | Stoke City | H | 1–2 | 9,901 | Barness |
| 1 February 1997 | Grimsby Town | A | 0–2 | 4,139 | |
| 7 February 1997 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 3–1 | 11,283 | Kinsella, Leaburn, Robson (pen) |
| 15 February 1997 | Barnsley | H | 2–2 | 15,301 | Nicholls, Lee |
| 22 February 1997 | Norwich City | H | 4–4 | 12,405 | Kinsella, Robson, Lee, Leaburn |
| 1 March 1997 | Swindon Town | A | 0–1 | 9,256 | |
| 4 March 1997 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 2–1 | 10,610 | Leaburn, Balmer |
| 8 March 1997 | Crystal Palace | H | 2–1 | 15,000 | Lee, Robinson |
| 15 March 1997 | Port Vale | A | 0–2 | 5,905 | |
| 18 March 1997 | Oldham Athletic | A | 1–1 | 4,969 | O'Connell |
| 22 March 1997 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 2–1 | 17,378 | Robinson, Balmer |
| 31 March 1997 | Birmingham City | A | 0–0 | 14,525 | |
| 5 April 1997 | Manchester City | H | 1–1 | 15,000 | Leaburn |
| 9 April 1997 | Huddersfield Town | H | 2–1 | 11,032 | Newton (2) |
| 12 April 1997 | Barnsley | A | 0–4 | 11,701 | |
| 19 April 1997 | Portsmouth | H | 2–1 | 12,342 | Bright (2) |
| 25 April 1997 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 1–4 | 21,880 | Kinsella |
| 1 May 1997 | Bradford City | A | 0–1 | 15,780 | |
| 4 May 1997 | Sheffield United | H | 0–0 | 12,589 | |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 5 January 1997 | Newcastle United | H | 1–1 | 15,000 | Kinsella |
| R3R | 15 January 1997 | Newcastle United | A | 1–2 | 36,398 | Robson |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R2 First Leg | 17 September 1996 | Burnley | H | 4–1 | 4,874 | Leaburn, Robinson (2), Allen |
| R2 Second Leg | 24 September 1996 | Burnley | A | 2–1 (won 6–2 on agg) | 2,281 | Allen, Whyte |
| R3 | 23 October 1996 | Liverpool | H | 1–1 | 15,000 | Whyte |
| R3R | 13 November 1996 | Liverpool | A | 1–4 | 20,714 | Newton |

## First-team squad

    Squad at end of 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 | Mike Salmon |
| — | GK | AUS | Andy Petterson |
| — | DF | ENG | Anthony Barness |
| — | DF | ENG | Steve Brown |
| — | DF | ENG | Dean Chandler |
| — | DF | ENG | Phil Chapple |
| — | DF | ENG | Gary Poole |
| — | DF | ENG | Richard Rufus |
| — | DF | ENG | Kevin Scott (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur) |
| — | DF | ENG | Jamie Stuart |
| — | DF | ENG | Paul Sturgess |
| — | DF | SCO | Stuart Balmer |
| — | MF | ENG | Keith Jones |
| — | MF | ENG | Paul Mortimer |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Shaun Newton |
| — | MF | ENG | Kevin Nicholls |
| — | MF | ENG | Brendan O'Connell |
| — | MF | ENG | Ricky Otto (on loan from Birmingham City) |
| — | MF | ENG | Mark Robson |
| — | MF | WAL | John Robinson |
| — | MF | IRL | Mark Kinsella |
| — | FW | ENG | Bradley Allen |
| — | FW | ENG | Mark Bright |
| — | FW | ENG | Steve Jones |
| — | FW | ENG | Carl Leaburn |
| — | FW | ENG | Jason Lee (on loan from Nottingham Forest) |
| — | FW | ENG | Kevin Lisbie |
| — | FW | ENG | David Whyte |