# 1996–97 League of Wales

The 1996–97 League of Wales was the fifth season of the League of Wales since its establishment in 1992. The league was won for the second consecutive season by Barry Town, who accrued a record total of 105 points. Their total of 129 goals scored was also a record until they broke it by five goals the following year.
For the first time, the League champions competed in the subsequent Champions League.

## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Barry Town (C) | 40 | 33 | 6 | 1 | 129 | 26 | +103 | 105 | Qualification for Champions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | Inter Cardiff | 40 | 26 | 6 | 8 | 80 | 32 | +48 | 84 | Qualification for UEFA Cup first qualifying round |
| 3 | Ebbw Vale | 40 | 23 | 9 | 8 | 87 | 40 | +47 | 78 | Qualification for Intertoto Cup group stage |
| 4 | Caernarfon Town | 40 | 23 | 9 | 8 | 81 | 58 | +23 | 78 | |
| 5 | Newtown | 40 | 22 | 5 | 13 | 74 | 49 | +25 | 71 | |
| 6 | TNS Llansantffraid | 40 | 19 | 12 | 9 | 78 | 54 | +24 | 69 | |
| 7 | Conwy United | 40 | 20 | 8 | 12 | 66 | 44 | +22 | 68 | |
| 8 | Bangor City | 40 | 20 | 5 | 15 | 82 | 62 | +20 | 65 | |
| 9 | Cwmbran Town | 40 | 19 | 8 | 13 | 71 | 61 | +10 | 65 | Qualification for Cup Winners' Cup qualifying round |
| 10 | Porthmadog | 40 | 18 | 8 | 14 | 64 | 60 | +4 | 62 | |
| 11 | Connah's Quay Nomads | 40 | 16 | 9 | 15 | 62 | 64 | −2 | 57 | |
| 12 | Cemaes Bay | 40 | 13 | 10 | 17 | 62 | 72 | −10 | 49 | |
| 13 | Aberystwyth Town | 40 | 13 | 8 | 19 | 67 | 82 | −15 | 47 | |
| 14 | Caersws | 40 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 53 | 77 | −24 | 42 | |
| 15 | Flint Town United | 40 | 11 | 8 | 21 | 48 | 76 | −28 | 41 | |
| 16 | Carmarthen Town | 40 | 11 | 7 | 22 | 41 | 79 | −38 | 40 | |
| 17 | Welshpool Town | 40 | 10 | 9 | 21 | 50 | 80 | −30 | 39 | |
| 18 | Ton Pentre (R) | 40 | 12 | 3 | 25 | 59 | 99 | −40 | 39 | Relegation to Welsh Division One |
| 19 | Rhyl | 40 | 10 | 8 | 22 | 51 | 71 | −20 | 38 | |
| 20 | Holywell Town (R) | 40 | 7 | 8 | 25 | 52 | 81 | −29 | 29 | Relegation to Cymru Alliance |
| 21 | Briton Ferry Athletic (R) | 40 | 5 | 1 | 34 | 39 | 129 | −90 | 16 | Relegation to Welsh Division One |
* ↑ As 1996–97 Welsh Cup runners-up
* ↑ Although they finished outside the relegation zone, Ton Pentre resigned from the League of Wales to play in Division 2 South

## Results

| Home \ Away | ABE | BAN | BAR | BRI | CAE | CWS | CMR | CEM | CQN | CON | CWM | EBB | FTU | HOL | INC | NTW | POR | RHY | TNS | TON | WEL |
| Aberystwyth Town | | 1–2 | 1–4 | 3–1 | 4–5 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 6–2 | 3–3 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 2–2 |
| Bangor City | 5–1 | | 0–4 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 4–2 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 0–2 | 8–1 | 4–0 |
| Barry Town | 8–1 | 0–0 | | 4–0 | 5–2 | 4–0 | 6–0 | 4–3 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 3–0 | 7–3 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 6–1 | 3–3 | 7–1 | 4–0 |
| Briton Ferry Athletic | 1–3 | 3–2 | 0–4 | | 2–5 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 4–3 | 1–4 | 2–5 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 1–8 | 0–2 | 1–2 |
| Caernarfon Town | 2–2 | 1–4 | 1–3 | 6–2 | | 3–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| Caersws | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 1–2 | | 1–4 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 2–6 | 3–1 | 0–5 | 1–5 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 2–0 |
| Carmarthen Town | 0–4 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 2–3 | | 2–4 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–4 | 2–3 |
| Cemaes Bay | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–3 | | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 5–1 | 1–0 |
| Connah's Quay Nomads | 4–1 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 5–3 | | 0–3 | 1–5 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 4–0 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 |
| Conwy United | 4–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 6–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 |
| Cwmbran Town | 6–0 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 3–1 | | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 4–4 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 |
| Ebbw Vale | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 3–0 | | 0–1 | 5–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 4–0 |
| Flint Town United | 0–1 | 3–4 | 0–8 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 2–4 | 0–1 | | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 |
| Holywell Town | 3–3 | 0–4 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–4 | 1–4 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | | 0–3 | 1–3 | 5–0 | 2–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–3 |
| Inter Cardiff | 1–0 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 7–0 | 6–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–4 |
| Newtown | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 6–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | | 3–0 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 0–3 | 1–0 |
| Porthmadog | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 0–4 | | 6–0 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 |
| Rhyl | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | | 1–3 | 2–1 | 0–1 |
| TNS Llansantffraid | 3–2 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 0–1 | | 4–2 | 2–0 |
| Ton Pentre | 1–1 | 4–3 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 4–3 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 1–7 | 3–4 | 1–3 | 1–2 | | 4–3 |
| Welshpool Town | 0–0 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 4–0 | 0–3 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 6–1 | |