# 1996–97 Chesterfield F.C. season

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

## Season summary

For much of the season Chesterfield were in the Second Division play-off race, but a late slump saw them fall off the pace before a resurgence at the end of the season took them up to tenth - five points off the play-offs. In the FA Cup, Chesterfield reached the semi-finals for the first time in their history, before being knocked out by Premier League side Middlesbrough.

## Final league table

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 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 |
| 11 | Gillingham | 46 | 19 | 10 | 17 | 60 | 59 | +1 | 67 |
| 12 | Walsall | 46 | 19 | 10 | 17 | 54 | 53 | +1 | 67 |

## Results

Chesterfield's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Second Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 17 August 1996 | Blackpool | A | 1–0 | 6,014 | Holland |
| 24 August 1996 | Bury | H | 1–2 | 3,763 | Law (pen) |
| 27 August 1996 | Walsall | H | 1–0 | 3,561 | Howard |
| 31 August 1996 | Gillingham | A | 1–0 | 5,934 | Howard |
| 7 September 1996 | Brentford | H | 0–2 | 3,643 | |
| 10 September 1996 | Rotherham United | A | 1–0 | 2,940 | Howard |
| 14 September 1996 | Luton Town | A | 1–0 | 4,763 | Curtis (pen) |
| 21 September 1996 | Burnley | H | 0–0 | 5,529 | |
| 28 September 1996 | Bristol Rovers | A | 0–2 | 5,008 | |
| 1 October 1996 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 2–1 | 3,299 | Williams, Lormor |
| 5 October 1996 | Bristol City | H | 1–1 | 4,438 | Lormor |
| 12 October 1996 | Millwall | A | 1–2 | 7,765 | Beaumont |
| 15 October 1996 | Notts County | A | 0–0 | 4,265 | |
| 19 October 1996 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 1–0 | 4,030 | Scott |
| 26 October 1996 | York City | H | 2–0 | 4,009 | Scott (2) |
| 29 October 1996 | Stockport County | A | 0–1 | 4,831 | |
| 2 November 1996 | Wrexham | A | 2–3 | 4,160 | Curtis (pen), Lormor |
| 9 November 1996 | Preston North End | H | 2–1 | 4,759 | Lormor (pen), Williams |
| 19 November 1996 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 3–0 | 4,237 | Lormor, Davies, Holland |
| 30 November 1996 | York City | A | 0–0 | 3,328 | |
| 3 December 1996 | Peterborough United | H | 2–1 | 2,805 | Holland, Howard |
| 14 December 1996 | Wycombe Wanderers | A | 0–1 | 4,610 | |
| 21 December 1996 | Bournemouth | H | 1–1 | 4,174 | Lormor |
| 11 January 1997 | Bristol Rovers | H | 1–0 | 3,305 | Lormor |
| 18 January 1997 | Shrewsbury Town | A | 0–2 | 2,659 | |
| 28 January 1997 | Burnley | A | 0–0 | 7,903 | |
| 1 February 1997 | Preston North End | A | 1–0 | 8,681 | Morris |
| 8 February 1997 | Wrexham | H | 0–0 | 6,738 | |
| 18 February 1997 | Rotherham United | H | 1–1 | 5,195 | Lormor |
| 22 February 1997 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 1–2 | 5,833 | Howard |
| 1 March 1997 | Peterborough United | A | 1–1 | 4,458 | Howard |
| 4 March 1997 | Luton Town | H | 1–1 | 3,731 | Davies |
| 11 March 1997 | Bournemouth | A | 0–3 | 3,368 | |
| 15 March 1997 | Wycombe Wanderers | H | 4–2 | 4,354 | Howard (2), Hewitt, Hanson |
| 22 March 1997 | Bury | A | 0–1 | 4,162 | |
| 29 March 1997 | Blackpool | H | 0–0 | 4,974 | |
| 1 April 1997 | Walsall | A | 1–1 | 3,784 | Morris |
| 5 April 1997 | Gillingham | H | 2–2 | 3,926 | Morris, Howard |
| 8 April 1997 | Watford | H | 0–0 | 4,258 | |
| 15 April 1997 | Brentford | A | 0–1 | 5,216 | |
| 19 April 1997 | Millwall | H | 1–0 | 5,935 | Curtis |
| 24 April 1997 | Watford | A | 2–0 | 6,411 | Davies, Page (own goal) |
| 26 April 1997 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 2–1 | 4,858 | Morris, Ebdon |
| 28 April 1997 | Stockport County | H | 0–1 | 8,690 | |
| 30 April 1997 | Bristol City | A | 0–2 | 16,195 | |
| 3 May 1997 | Notts County | H | 1–0 | 5,736 | Williams |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 | 16 November 1996 | Bury | H | 1–0 | 5,104 | Williams |
| R2 | 7 December 1996 | Scarborough | H | 2–0 | 4,475 | Davies, Lormor |
| R3 | 14 January 1997 | Bristol City | H | 2–0 | 5,193 | Howard (2) |
| R4 | 4 February 1997 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 3–2 | 10,854 | Davies (3) |
| R5 | 15 February 1997 | Nottingham Forest | H | 1–0 | 8,890 | Curtis (pen) |
| QF | 9 March 1997 | Wrexham | H | 1–0 | 8,735 | Beaumont |
| SF | 13 April 1997 | Middlesbrough | N | 3–3 (a.e.t.) | 49,640 | Morris, Dyche (pen), Hewitt |
| SFR | 22 April 1997 | Middlesbrough | N | 0–3 | 30,339 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 1st Leg | 20 August 1996 | Stockport County | A | 1–2 | 3,088 | Lormor |
| R1 2nd Leg | 3 September 1996 | Stockport County | H | 1–2 (lost 2–4 on agg) | 3,334 | Gaughan |

### Football League Trophy

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| NR1 | 9 December 1996 | Preston North End | H | 0–2 | 1,169 | |

## 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 | ENG | Andy Leaning |
| — | GK | ENG | Billy Mercer |
| — | DF | ENG | Neil Allison |
| — | DF | ENG | Darren Carr |
| — | DF | ENG | Sean Connelly |
| — | DF | ENG | Sean Dyche |
| — | DF | ENG | Jamie Hewitt |
| — | DF | ENG | Mark Jules |
| — | DF | ENG | Andrew Mitchell |
| — | DF | ENG | Lee Rogers |
| — | DF | ENG | Mark Williams |
| — | MF | ENG | Chris Beaumont |
| — | MF | ENG | Jason Bowater |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Tom Curtis |
| — | MF | ENG | Steven Gaughan |
| — | MF | ENG | Paul Holland |
| — | MF | ENG | Jamie Lomas |
| — | MF | ENG | Chris Perkins |
| — | MF | WAL | Marcus Ebdon |
| — | FW | ENG | Kevin Davies |
| — | FW | ENG | Dave Hanson (on loan from Leyton Orient) |
| — | FW | ENG | Jonathan Howard |
| — | FW | ENG | Tony Lormor |
| — | FW | ENG | Gary Lund |
| — | FW | ENG | Andy Mason |
| — | FW | ENG | Andy Morris |

### 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 | Phil Morgan (on loan from Stoke City) |
| — | DF | ENG | Nicky Law (to Hereford United) |
| — | MF | ENG | Gary Patterson (on loan from Wycombe Wanderers) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | FW | ENG | Iain Dunn (on loan from Huddersfield Town) |
| — | FW | ENG | Andy Scott (on loan from Sheffield United) |