# 1996–97 Burnley F.C. season

The 1996–97 season was Burnley's 2nd successive season in the third tier of English football. They were managed by Adrian Heath in his only full season since he replaced Jimmy Mullen in March 1996.

## Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Second Division | Second Division | League Cup | League Cup | FA Cup | FA Cup | FL Trophy | FL Trophy |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| | FW | ENG | Paul Barnes | 45 | 25 | 39+1 | 24 | 2+0 | 0 | 3+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | GK | ENG | Marlon Beresford | 48 | 0 | 40+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Chris Brass | 48 | 0 | 37+2 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Colin Carr-Lawton | 1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Andy Cooke | 38 | 14 | 19+12 | 13 | 1+2 | 1 | 1+2 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | David Eyres | 46 | 8 | 36+0 | 3 | 4+0 | 3 | 4+0 | 1 | 2+0 | 1 |
| | FW | ENG | Nigel Gleghorn | 43 | 5 | 32+1 | 4 | 4+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Steve Guinan (on loan) | 6 | 0 | 0+6 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Gerry Harrison | 42 | 0 | 32+3 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Adrian Heath | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | AUS | Doug Hodgson (on loan) | 1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Jamie Hoyland | 31 | 1 | 24+1 | 1 | 4+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Richard Huxford | 10 | 0 | 2+7 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Glen Little | 12 | 0 | 5+4 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Damian Matthew | 38 | 8 | 29+3 | 6 | 3+0 | 1 | 2+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | FW | WAL | Kurt Nogan | 38 | 13 | 30+1 | 10 | 4+0 | 2 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 1 |
| | DF | ENG | Vince Overson | 10 | 0 | 6+2 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Gary Parkinson | 52 | 1 | 43+0 | 1 | 4+0 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Liam Robinson | 11 | 0 | 3+5 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | GK | WAL | Wayne Russell | 8 | 0 | 6+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Paul Smith | 45 | 4 | 30+7 | 4 | 1+1 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Peter Swan | 21 | 2 | 16+1 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Steve Thompson | 23 | 1 | 14+5 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| | DF | ENG | Chris Vinnicombe | 8 | 0 | 6+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | ENG | Paul Weller | 39 | 2 | 22+9 | 2 | 1+1 | 0 | 2+2 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Mark Winstanley | 42 | 0 | 34+1 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |

## Transfers
### In

| Pos | Player | From | Fee | Date |
| MF | Damian Matthew | Crystal Palace | £65k | 23 July 1996 |
| DF | Vince Overson | Stoke City | Free | 1 August 1996 |
| MF | Nigel Gleghorn | Stoke City | Free | 15 August 1996 |
| FW | Paul Barnes | Birmingham City | £400k | 6 September 1996 |
| DF | Doug Hodgson | Sheffield United | Loan | 16 October 1996 |
| MF | Glen Little | Glentoran | £100k | 29 November 1996 |
| DF | Richard Huxford | Bradford City | Free | 21 January 1997 |
| FW | Steve Guinan | Nottingham Forest | Loan | 27 March 1997 |

### Out

| Pos | Player | To | Fee | Date |
| DF | Glen Davies | Hartlepool United | Free | 31 May 1996 |
| MF | Ted McMinn | Slough Town | Free | 31 May 1996 |
| DF | Alan Harper | Rotherham United | Free | 31 May 1996 |
| FW | Nathan Peel | Rotherham United | Released | 31 May 1996 |
| | Matthew Taylor | | Released | 31 May 1996 |
| FW | John Francis | Scunthorpe United | Free | 31 May 1996 |
| MF | Warren Joyce | Hull City | £30k | 10 July 1996 |
| DF | Wayne Dowell | Rochdale | Free | 25 July 1996 |
| MF | Derek Adams | Ross County | Free | 30 July 1996 |
| MF | John Borland | Scunthorpe United | Free | 16 August 1996 |
| FW | Ian Helliwell | Mansfield Town | Loan | 6 September 1996 |
| FW | Ian Helliwell | Chester City | Loan | 11 October 1996 |
| FW | Phil Eastwood | Leek Town | Loan | 1 November 1996 |
| FW | Kurt Nogan | Preston North End | £150k | 12 March 1997 |
| FW | Ian Duerden | Southport | Loan | 27 March 1997 |

## Matches
### Final league position

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

### League Cup
#### 1st round first leg

(384 away)

#### 2nd round second leg
### FA Cup
#### 3rd round

(7,000 away)