# 1996–97 Wrexham F.C. season

During the 1996–97 English football season, Wrexham F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division.

## Season summary

In the 1996–97 season, Wrexham set off on another amazing run in the FA Cup and beating more top flight opposition. Following wins at Colwyn Bay and Scunthorpe United, they were drawn to play West Ham United at home, the game ending in a 1–1 draw on a snow-covered pitch after a well earned draw. The replay at Upton Park ended in a shock 1–0 win to Wrexham as Kevin Russell scored in the dying minutes to send Wrexham into the fourth round. After also beating Peterborough United and Birmingham City in the following rounds, they played Chesterfield in an all-Division-2 FA Cup quarter final, Wrexham narrowly losing to the Spireites 1–0.
The league campaign began very brightly for Wrexham as they lost only one from their first 17 league matches and were in the play-off places heading to Christmas but then a little decline in form with only seven wins in the second half of the campaign wasn't enough for a play-off position and finished 4 points off the top six.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 6 | Crewe Alexandra (O, P) | 46 | 22 | 7 | 17 | 56 | 47 | +9 | 73 | Qualification for the Second Division play-offs |
| 7 | Blackpool | 46 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 60 | 47 | +13 | 69 | |
| 8 | Wrexham | 46 | 17 | 18 | 11 | 55 | 50 | +5 | 69 | |
| 9 | Burnley | 46 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 71 | 55 | +16 | 68 | |
| 10 | Chesterfield | 46 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 42 | 39 | +3 | 68 | |

## Results

Wrexham's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Second Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 17 August 1996 | Millwall | A | 1–1 | 9,371 | Watkin |
| 24 August 1996 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 4–4 | 3,920 | Phillips (2), Connolly (2) |
| 7 September 1996 | Peterborough United | H | 1–1 | 3,222 | Connolly |
| 10 September 1996 | Stockport County | A | 2–0 | 4,244 | Watkin, Skinner |
| 14 September 1996 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 1–3 | 4,469 | Ward |
| 17 September 1996 | Bristol Rovers | H | 1–0 | 2,401 | Cross |
| 21 September 1996 | Preston North End | H | 1–0 | 5,299 | Phillips |
| 24 September 1996 | Walsall | A | 1–0 | 2,832 | Cross |
| 28 September 1996 | Notts County | A | 0–0 | 4,216 | |
| 8 October 1996 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 2–1 | 5,031 | Watkin, Brace |
| 12 October 1996 | Watford | A | 1–1 | 8,441 | Humes |
| 15 October 1996 | Blackpool | A | 3–3 | 4,014 | Brammer, Phillips, Chalk (pen) |
| 19 October 1996 | Bournemouth | H | 2–0 | 3,945 | Skinner, Connolly |
| 26 October 1996 | Wycombe Wanderers | A | 0–0 | 5,548 | |
| 29 October 1996 | Bury | H | 1–1 | 3,895 | Hughes |
| 2 November 1996 | Chesterfield | H | 3–2 | 4,160 | Connolly, Morris, Owen |
| 9 November 1996 | Gillingham | A | 2–1 | 5,094 | Morris, Connolly |
| 23 November 1996 | Brentford | A | 0–2 | 4,885 | |
| 30 November 1996 | Wycombe Wanderers | H | 1–0 | 3,280 | Skinner |
| 3 December 1996 | Burnley | A | 0–2 | 8,587 | |
| 14 December 1996 | York City | A | 0–1 | 2,600 | |
| 21 December 1996 | Bristol City | H | 2–1 | 4,488 | Watkin (pen), Hughes |
| 26 December 1996 | Stockport County | H | 2–3 | 6,736 | Watkin, Morris |
| 11 January 1997 | Notts County | H | 3–3 | 3,267 | Connolly (2), Watkin |
| 18 January 1997 | Luton Town | A | 0–0 | 5,734 | |
| 1 February 1997 | Gillingham | H | 1–1 | 3,193 | Connolly |
| 8 February 1997 | Chesterfield | A | 0–0 | 6,738 | |
| 11 February 1997 | Peterborough United | A | 1–0 | 2,975 | Hughes |
| 22 February 1997 | Rotherham United | A | 0–0 | 2,539 | |
| 25 February 1997 | Bury | A | 0–0 | 3,419 | |
| 1 March 1997 | Burnley | H | 0–0 | 6,947 | |
| 12 March 1997 | Luton Town | H | 2–1 | 3,342 | Bennett (2, 1 pen) |
| 15 March 1997 | York City | H | 0–0 | 3,874 | |
| 18 March 1997 | Preston North End | A | 1–2 | 8,271 | Bennett |
| 22 March 1997 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 1–0 | 5,468 | Humes |
| 25 March 1997 | Brentford | H | 0–2 | 4,053 | |
| 28 March 1997 | Millwall | H | 3–3 | 4,684 | Humes, Phillips, Bennett |
| 31 March 1997 | Bristol Rovers | A | 0–2 | 6,225 | |
| 5 April 1997 | Walsall | H | 1–2 | 3,266 | Connolly (pen) |
| 8 April 1997 | Rotherham United | H | 1–0 | 2,002 | Connolly |
| 12 April 1997 | Shrewsbury Town | A | 1–0 | 4,553 | Bennett |
| 15 April 1997 | Bristol City | A | 1–2 | 9,817 | Morris |
| 19 April 1997 | York City | H | 2–1 | 6,654 | Bennett, Angell |
| 22 April 1997 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 1–1 | 4,643 | McGregor |
| 26 April 1997 | Bournemouth | A | 1–2 | 4,805 | Connolly |
| 3 May 1997 | Blackpool | H | 2–1 | 5,664 | Watkin, Humes |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 | 16 November 1996 | Colwyn Bay | A | 1–1 | 4,679 | Hughes |
| R1R | 26 November 1996 | Colwyn Bay | H | 2–0 | 4,106 | Hughes (2) |
| R2 | 7 December 1996 | Scunthorpe United | H | 2–2 | 3,780 | Morris, Watkin |
| R2R | 17 December 1996 | Scunthorpe United | A | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | 3,976 | Hughes, Morris, Watkin (pen) |
| R3 | 4 January 1997 | West Ham United | H | 1–1 | 9,747 | Hughes |
| R3R | 25 January 1997 | West Ham United | A | 1–0 | 16,763 | Russell |
| R4 | 4 February 1997 | Peterborough United | A | 4–2 | 8,734 | Ward, Watkin, Russell (2) |
| R5 | 15 February 1997 | Birmingham City | A | 3–1 | 21,511 | Hughes, Humes, Connolly |
| QF | 9 March 1997 | Chesterfield | A | 0–1 | 8,735 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 1st Leg | 20 August 1996 | Huddersfield Town | A | 0–3 | 5,178 | |
| R1 2nd Leg | 3 September 1996 | Huddersfield Town | H | 1–2 (lost 1–5 on agg) | 1,776 | Skinner |

### Football League Trophy

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| NR2 | 28 January 1997 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 0–1 | 2,216 | |

## Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | ENG | Mark Cartwright |
| — | GK | WAL | Andy Marriott |
| — | DF | WAL | Deryn Brace |
| — | DF | IRL | Brian Carey |
| — | DF | ENG | Jonathan Cross |
| — | DF | IRL | Phil Hardy |
| — | DF | ENG | Tony Humes |
| — | DF | ENG | Barry Jones |
| — | DF | ENG | Paul Jones |
| — | DF | ENG | Mark McGregor |
| — | DF | ENG | David Ridler |
| — | DF | ENG | Jason Soloman |
| — | DF | ENG | Andy Thomas |
| — | DF | WAL | Scott Williams |
| — | MF | ENG | Dave Brammer |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Martyn Chalk |
| — | MF | ENG | Bryan Hughes |
| — | MF | WAL | Gareth Owen |
| — | MF | WAL | Wayne Phillips |
| — | MF | ENG | Craig Skinner |
| — | MF | ENG | Neil Wainwright |
| — | MF | ENG | Peter Ward |
| — | FW | ENG | Gary Bennett |
| — | FW | ENG | Karl Connolly |
| — | FW | WAL | Lee Jones |
| — | FW | ENG | Steve Morris |
| — | FW | WAL | Paul Roberts |
| — | FW | ENG | Kevin Russell |
| — | FW | WAL | Steve Watkin |