# 1996–97 Football Conference

The Football Conference season of 1996–97 was the eighteenth season of the Football Conference, also known as the Vauxhall Conference for sponsorship reasons.

## Overview

Macclesfield Town won their second Conference title in three years, and this time earned a promotion to the Football League – thanks to their upgraded stadium – at the expense of Hereford United.

## New teams in the league this season

* Hayes (promoted 1995–96)
* Rushden & Diamonds (promoted 1995–96)

## Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | HW | HD | HL | HGF | HGA | AW | AD | AL | AGF | AGA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Macclesfield Town | 42 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 41 | 11 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 39 | 19 | +50 | 90 | Football Conference Champions, promoted to Football League Third Division |
| 2 | Kidderminster Harriers | 42 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 48 | 18 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 36 | 24 | +42 | 85 | Conference League Cup winners |
| 3 | Stevenage Borough | 42 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 53 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 34 | 30 | +34 | 82 | |
| 4 | Morecambe | 42 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 34 | 23 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 35 | 33 | +13 | 66 | |
| 5 | Woking | 42 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 41 | 29 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 30 | 34 | +8 | 64 | FA Trophy winners |
| 6 | Northwich Victoria | 42 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 31 | 20 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 30 | 34 | +7 | 63 | |
| 7 | Farnborough Town | 42 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 35 | 29 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 23 | 24 | +5 | 61 | |
| 8 | Hednesford Town | 42 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 28 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 24 | 33 | +2 | 60 | |
| 9 | Telford United | 42 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 21 | 30 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 25 | 26 | −10 | 58 | |
| 10 | Gateshead | 42 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 32 | 27 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 27 | 36 | −4 | 56 | |
| 11 | Southport | 42 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 27 | 28 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 24 | 33 | −10 | 55 | |
| 12 | Rushden & Diamonds | 42 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 30 | 25 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 31 | 38 | −2 | 53 | |
| 13 | Stalybridge Celtic | 42 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 35 | 29 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 18 | 29 | −5 | 52 | |
| 14 | Kettering Town | 42 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 30 | 28 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 23 | 34 | −9 | 51 | |
| 15 | Hayes | 42 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 27 | 21 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 27 | 34 | −1 | 50 | |
| 16 | Slough Town | 42 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 42 | 32 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 20 | 33 | −3 | 50 | |
| 17 | Dover Athletic | 42 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 32 | 30 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 25 | 38 | −11 | 50 | |
| 18 | Welling United | 42 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 24 | 26 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 26 | 34 | −10 | 48 | |
| 19 | Halifax Town | 42 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 39 | 37 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 37 | −19 | 48 | |
| 20 | Bath City | 42 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 27 | 28 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 26 | 52 | −27 | 47 | Relegated to the Southern League |
| 21 | Bromsgrove Rovers | 42 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 29 | 30 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 12 | 37 | −26 | 41 | Relegated to the Southern League |
| 22 | Altrincham | 42 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 25 | 34 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 24 | 39 | −24 | 39 | Relegated to the Northern Premier League |
* 1 2 New club in the Conference

## Results

| Home \ Away | ALT | BAT | BRO | DOV | FAR | GAT | HAL | HAY | HED | KET | KID | MAC | MOR | NOR | R&D | SLO | SOU | STL | STB | TEL | WEL | WOK |
| Altrincham | | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–3 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 4–3 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Bath City | 1–2 | | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 |
| Bromsgrove Rovers | 4–0 | 2–1 | | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 2–3 | 0–5 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–3 |
| Dover Athletic | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 | | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 0–5 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 2–1 | 5–1 |
| Farnborough Town | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 2–3 | | 1–2 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 3–3 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 |
| Gateshead | 1–1 | 5–0 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 1–0 | | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 5–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 3–2 |
| Halifax Town | 1–1 | 4–5 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 3–0 | 2–0 | | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 0–4 |
| Hayes | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | | 4–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 |
| Hednesford Town | 2–2 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | | 0–0 | 1–4 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 2–0 |
| Kettering Town | 3–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | | 3–1 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–5 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 0–0 |
| Kidderminster Harriers | 1–1 | 6–0 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 4–0 | | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–0 |
| Macclesfield Town | 1–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 |
| Morecambe | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 2–4 | 2–2 | 5–2 | 2–3 | 1–0 | | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 |
| Northwich Victoria | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | | 1–2 | 0–1 | 5–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 |
| Rushden & Diamonds | 3–2 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | | 2–2 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 |
| Slough Town | 0–1 | 5–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 3–4 | 5–0 | | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–6 | 6–0 | 3–3 | 3–0 |
| Southport | 1–3 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–5 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | | 3–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 4–1 |
| Stalybridge Celtic | 1–0 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 2–5 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | | 0–3 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 |
| Stevenage Borough | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | | 3–0 | 2–1 | 0–3 |
| Telford United | 0–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–3 | | 2–0 | 1–2 |
| Welling United | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | | 1–1 |
| Woking | 7–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | |

## Promotion and relegation
### Promoted

* Macclesfield Town (to the Football League Third Division)
* Cheltenham Town (from the Southern Premier League)
* Leek Town (from the Northern Premier League)
* Yeovil Town (from the Isthmian League)

### Relegated

* Hereford United (from the Football League Third Division)
* Altrincham (to the Northern Premier League)
* Bath City (to the Southern Premier League)
* Bromsgrove Rovers (to the Southern Premier League)

## Top scorers in order of league goals

| Rank | Player | Club | League | FA Cup | FA Trophy | League Cup | Total |
| 1 | Lee Hughes | Kidderminster Harriers | 30 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 34 |
| 2 | Lennie Dennis | Welling United | 21 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 25 |
| 3 | Andy Whittaker | Southport | 19 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 27 |
| 4 | Gary Abbott | Slough Town | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 5 | Justin Jackson | Woking | 17 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 23 |
| 6 | Barry Hayles | Stevenage Borough | 16 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 21 |
| = | David Leworthy | Rushden & Diamonds | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| = | Lee Steele | Northwich Victoria | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 9 | Joe O'Connor | Hednesford | 15 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| = | Paul Thompson | Gateshead | 15 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 23 |
| = | Clive Walker | Woking | 15 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 19 |
| = | Steve Wood | Macclesfield Town | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| 13 | Mike Davis | Bath City | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| = | Neil Doherty | Kidderminster Harriers | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16 |
| = | Niell Hardy | Altrincham | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| = | Mickey Norbury | Halifax Town | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 17 | Carl Alford | Rushden & Diamonds | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| = | Ian Arnold | Stalybridge Celtic | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| = | Chris Boothe | Farnborough Town | 13 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 25 |
| = | Martin Randall | Hayes | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 17 |
| = | Phil Wingfield | Farnborough Town | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 16 |