# 1996–97 Rochdale A.F.C. season

The 1996–97 season saw Rochdale compete in their 23rd consecutive season in the fourth tier of the English football league, named at the time as the Football League Third Division.

## Statistics

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Division 3 | Division 3 | F.A. Cup | F.A. Cup | League Cup | League Cup | League Trophy | League Trophy | Lancashire Cup | Lancashire Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| | GK | ENG | Ian Gray | 52 | 0 | 46+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Andy Fensome | 47 | 0 | 38+2 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Kevin Formby | 19 | 1 | 12+4 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Alan Johnson | 51 | 5 | 46+0 | 4 | 2+0 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Keith Hill | 50 | 3 | 43+0 | 3 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Andy Farrell | 46 | 2 | 37+3 | 2 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Alex Russell | 43 | 9 | 35+4 | 9 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | John Deary | 43 | 7 | 37+1 | 5 | 2+0 | 1 | 2+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Mark Leonard | 44 | 4 | 39+0 | 4 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Steve Whitehall | 41 | 11 | 27+8 | 9 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 |
| | MF | ENG | Mark Stuart | 36 | 7 | 28+3 | 7 | 1+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Mike Cecere | 8 | 1 | 2+2 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Dean Martin | 3 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | David Thompson | 32 | 1 | 9+19 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | David Bayliss | 28 | 0 | 22+2 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Dave Lancaster | 8 | 0 | 1+5 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Andy Gouck | 31 | 3 | 22+6 | 3 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Mickey Brown | 5 | 0 | 5+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Robbie Painter | 30 | 7 | 21+6 | 7 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Mark Bailey | 17 | 0 | 13+2 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Andy Thackeray | 22 | 2 | 17+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 1 |
| | DF | ENG | Wayne Dowell | 9 | 0 | 6+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Glen Robson | 3 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Jamie Taylor | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | GK | ENG | Kevin Gray | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |

## Final League Table

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | HW | HD | HL | HGF | HGA | AW | AD | AL | AGF | AGA | GD | Pts |
| 12 | Scarborough | 46 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 36 | 31 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 30 | 38 | −3 | 63 |
| 13 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 36 | 33 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 23 | 29 | −3 | 63 |
| 14 | Rochdale | 46 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 34 | 24 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 24 | 34 | 0 | 58 |
| 15 | Barnet | 46 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 32 | 23 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 28 | −5 | 58 |
| 16 | Leyton Orient | 46 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 28 | 20 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 22 | 38 | −8 | 57 |