# 1996–97 Bradford City A.F.C. season

During the 1996–97 English football season, Bradford City A.F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.

## Season summary

Kamara used 42 players in 1996–97 when Bradford avoided relegation with a 3–0 victory in the final game against Queens Park Rangers.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 19 | Swindon Town | 46 | 15 | 9 | 22 | 52 | 71 | −19 | 54 | |
| 20 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 48 | 61 | −13 | 54 | |
| 21 | Bradford City | 46 | 12 | 12 | 22 | 47 | 72 | −25 | 48 | |
| 22 | Grimsby Town (R) | 46 | 11 | 13 | 22 | 59 | 81 | −22 | 46 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 23 | Oldham Athletic (R) | 46 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 51 | 66 | −15 | 43 | Relegation to the Second Division |

## Results

Bradford City's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 17 August 1996 | Portsmouth | H | 3–1 | 10,007 | Regtop (pen), Duxbury, Stallard |
| 24 August 1996 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0–1 | 24,171 | |
| 28 August 1996 | Stoke City | A | 0–1 | 11,918 | |
| 31 August 1996 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 1–0 | 10,080 | Duxbury |
| 7 September 1996 | Norwich City | H | 0–2 | 10,054 | |
| 10 September 1996 | Sheffield United | A | 0–3 | 12,591 | |
| 14 September 1996 | Oxford United | A | 0–2 | 6,334 | |
| 21 September 1996 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 2–4 | 12,034 | Liburd, Sas |
| 29 September 1996 | Port Vale | A | 1–1 | 4,706 | Jacobs |
| 2 October 1996 | Swindon Town | H | 2–1 | 9,249 | Sas (pen), Shutt |
| 5 October 1996 | Southend United | H | 0–0 | 10,156 | |
| 12 October 1996 | Birmingham City | A | 0–3 | 25,157 | |
| 16 October 1996 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 0–1 | 7,776 | |
| 19 October 1996 | Barnsley | H | 2–2 | 11,477 | Waddle, Kiwomya |
| 26 October 1996 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 0–0 | 14,249 | |
| 29 October 1996 | Crystal Palace | H | 0–4 | 10,091 | |
| 2 November 1996 | Oldham Athletic | H | 0–3 | 10,855 | |
| 8 November 1996 | Huddersfield Town | A | 3–3 | 14,126 | Waddle, Dreyer, Steiner |
| 16 November 1996 | Ipswich Town | H | 2–1 | 10,504 | Sundgot (2) |
| 23 November 1996 | Charlton Athletic | A | 2–0 | 12,256 | Steiner, Waddle |
| 30 November 1996 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 1–1 | 12,003 | Sas |
| 7 December 1996 | Manchester City | A | 2–3 | 25,035 | Steiner (2) |
| 17 December 1996 | Reading | H | 0–0 | 10,077 | |
| 21 December 1996 | Grimsby Town | A | 1–1 | 5,766 | Duxbury |
| 26 December 1996 | Sheffield United | H | 1–2 | 17,475 | Jacobs |
| 28 December 1996 | Norwich City | A | 0–2 | 13,473 | |
| 1 January 1997 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 1–2 | 16,192 | Shutt |
| 11 January 1997 | Oxford United | H | 2–0 | 13,275 | O'Brien, Shutt |
| 18 January 1997 | Swindon Town | A | 1–1 | 7,851 | Jacobs |
| 28 January 1997 | Port Vale | H | 1–0 | 15,186 | Watson |
| 1 February 1997 | Huddersfield Town | H | 1–1 | 17,373 | Waddle |
| 8 February 1997 | Crystal Palace | A | 1–3 | 14,844 | Waddle |
| 22 February 1997 | Oldham Athletic | A | 2–1 | 9,524 | Sundgot, Edinho |
| 1 March 1997 | Manchester City | H | 1–3 | 17,609 | Edinho (pen) |
| 4 March 1997 | Ipswich Town | A | 2–3 | 9,367 | Sundgot (2) |
| 8 March 1997 | Grimsby Town | H | 3–4 | 15,219 | Sundgot, Edinho, O'Brien |
| 15 March 1997 | Reading | A | 0–0 | 8,435 | |
| 22 March 1997 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2–1 | 15,351 | Edinho, Pepper |
| 29 March 1997 | Portsmouth | A | 1–3 | 12,340 | Murray |
| 31 March 1997 | Stoke City | H | 1–0 | 13,579 | Pepper |
| 4 April 1997 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 0–3 | 8,531 | |
| 12 April 1997 | Southend United | A | 1–1 | 6,697 | Edinho |
| 19 April 1997 | Birmingham City | H | 0–2 | 15,123 | |
| 26 April 1997 | Barnsley | A | 0–2 | 18,605 | |
| 1 May 1997 | Charlton Athletic | H | 1–0 | 15,780 | Pepper |
| 4 May 1997 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 3–0 | 14,723 | Pepper (2), Wright |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 5 January 1997 | Wycombe Wanderers | A | 2–0 | 5,173 | Dreyer (2) |
| R4 | 25 January 1997 | Everton | A | 3–2 | 30,007 | Dreyer, Waddle, Steiner |
| R5 | 16 February 1997 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 0–1 | 17,830 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 First Leg | 20 August 1996 | Sheffield United | A | 0–3 | 7,575 | |
| R1 Second Leg | 3 September 1996 | Sheffield United | H | 1–2 | 3,593 | Stallard |

## First-team squad

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 | SCO | Jonathan Gould |
| — | GK | NIR | Aidan Davison |
| — | GK | RSA | Paul Evans |
| — | GK | AUS | Mark Schwarzer |
| — | DF | ENG | David Brightwell |
| — | DF | ENG | John Dreyer |
| — | DF | ENG | Wayne Jacobs |
| — | DF | ENG | Richard Liburd |
| — | DF | ENG | Graham Mitchell |
| — | DF | ENG | Nicky Mohan |
| — | DF | ENG | Andy O'Brien |
| — | DF | ENG | Christian Sansam |
| — | DF | ENG | Chris Wilder |
| — | DF | NED | Marco Sas |
| — | DF | POR | Raúl Oliveira (on loan from Farense) |
| — | MF | ENG | Robbie Blake |
| — | MF | ENG | Gordon Cowans |
| — | MF | ENG | Lee Duxbury |
| — | MF | ENG | Des Hamilton |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Richard Huxford |
| — | MF | ENG | Shaun Murray |
| — | MF | ENG | Nigel Pepper |
| — | MF | ENG | Matthew Smithard |
| — | MF | POR | Sérgio Pinto |
| — | MF | AUS | George Kulcsar |
| — | FW | ENG | Andy Kiwomya |
| — | FW | ENG | Craig Midgley |
| — | FW | ENG | Ian Ormondroyd |
| — | FW | ENG | Carl Shutt |
| — | FW | ENG | Mark Stallard |
| — | FW | ENG | Chris Waddle |
| — | FW | ENG | Gordon Watson |
| — | FW | SCO | Tommy Wright |
| — | FW | NED | Erik Regtop |
| — | FW | NOR | Ole Bjørn Sundgot |
| — | FW | SWE | Robert Steiner |
| — | FW | FIN | Jari Vanhala |
| — | FW | BRA | Edinho |

### Left club during 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 | Eric Nixon (on loan from Tranmere Rovers) |
| — | GK | ENG | Ben Roberts (on loan from Middlesbrough) |
| — | MF | SWE | Magnus Pehrsson (on loan from Djurgårdens IF) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | FW | ENG | Ian Moore (on loan from Tranmere Rovers) |
| — | FW | ENG | Mike Newell (on loan from Birmingham City) |