# 1996–97 Bristol Rovers F.C. season

During the 1996–97 English football season, Bristol Rovers F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division.

## Season summary

In the 1996–97 season, Holloway took over as manager with the club struggling both on and off the pitch. In his first season in charge of Bristol Rovers, he led the club to 17th place in Division Two.

## Final league table

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 15 | Preston North End | 46 | 18 | 7 | 21 | 49 | 55 | −6 | 61 |
| 16 | Bournemouth | 46 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 43 | 45 | −2 | 60 |
| 17 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 47 | 50 | −3 | 56 |
| 18 | Wycombe Wanderers | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 51 | 57 | −6 | 55 |
| 19 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 12 | 18 | 16 | 47 | 58 | −11 | 54 |

## Results

Bristol Rovers' score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Second Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 17 August 1996 | Peterborough United | H | 1–0 | 6,232 | Gurney |
| 24 August 1996 | Preston North End | A | 0–0 | 9,752 | |
| 31 August 1996 | Stockport County | H | 1–1 | 6,380 | Archer |
| 7 September 1996 | Millwall | A | 0–2 | 7,881 | |
| 10 September 1996 | Bournemouth | H | 3–2 | 4,170 | Tillson, Parmenter, Beadle |
| 14 September 1996 | Watford | H | 0–1 | 6,276 | |
| 17 September 1996 | Wrexham | A | 0–1 | 2,401 | |
| 21 September 1996 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 1–0 | 8,879 | Archer |
| 28 September 1996 | Chesterfield | H | 2–0 | 5,008 | Cureton (2) |
| 1 October 1996 | York City | A | 2–2 | 3,714 | Cureton, Beadle |
| 4 October 1996 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 2–0 | 6,211 | Cureton, Gurney |
| 12 October 1996 | Notts County | A | 1–1 | 4,558 | Beadle |
| 15 October 1996 | Rotherham United | A | 0–0 | 2,490 | |
| 19 October 1996 | Blackpool | H | 0–0 | 5,823 | |
| 26 October 1996 | Bury | A | 1–2 | 4,082 | Miller |
| 29 October 1996 | Brentford | H | 2–1 | 5,163 | Cureton, Browning |
| 2 November 1996 | Gillingham | H | 0–0 | 5,530 | |
| 12 November 1996 | Shrewsbury Town | A | 0–2 | 2,331 | |
| 19 November 1996 | Burnley | H | 1–2 | 4,123 | Beadle |
| 23 November 1996 | Luton Town | A | 1–2 | 5,315 | Harris |
| 30 November 1996 | Bury | H | 4–3 | 4,496 | Beadle (3), Clark |
| 3 December 1996 | Walsall | A | 0–1 | 4,084 | |
| 15 December 1996 | Bristol City | A | 1–1 | 18,674 | Beadle |
| 21 December 1996 | Wycombe Wanderers | H | 3–4 | 4,465 | Cureton, Harris, Lockwood |
| 26 December 1996 | Bournemouth | A | 0–1 | 5,036 | |
| 11 January 1997 | Chesterfield | A | 0–1 | 3,305 | |
| 18 January 1997 | York City | H | 1–1 | 4,470 | Beadle |
| 21 January 1997 | Brentford | A | 0–0 | 4,191 | |
| 1 February 1997 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 2–0 | 4,924 | Browning, Beadle |
| 8 February 1997 | Gillingham | A | 0–1 | 6,900 | |
| 15 February 1997 | Luton Town | H | 3–2 | 5,612 | Miller, Tillson, Holloway |
| 22 February 1997 | Burnley | A | 2–2 | 8,847 | Cureton, Alsop |
| 25 February 1997 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 2–0 | 6,005 | Cureton (2) |
| 1 March 1997 | Walsall | H | 0–1 | 5,891 | |
| 8 March 1997 | Wycombe Wanderers | A | 0–2 | 5,386 | |
| 16 March 1997 | Bristol City | H | 1–2 | 8,078 | Alsop |
| 18 March 1997 | Watford | A | 0–1 | 6,139 | |
| 23 March 1997 | Preston North End | H | 1–0 | 6,405 | Cureton |
| 29 March 1997 | Peterborough United | A | 2–1 | 6,132 | Alsop, Beadle |
| 31 March 1997 | Wrexham | H | 2–0 | 6,225 | Skinner, Beadle |
| 5 April 1997 | Stockport County | A | 0–1 | 5,689 | |
| 8 April 1997 | Millwall | H | 1–0 | 5,324 | Skinner |
| 12 April 1997 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 0–1 | 4,281 | |
| 20 April 1997 | Notts County | H | 1–0 | 6,309 | Bennett |
| 26 April 1997 | Blackpool | A | 2–3 | 6,673 | Cureton, Parmenter |
| 3 May 1997 | Rotherham United | H | 1–2 | 5,950 | Monington (own goal) |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 | 16 November 1996 | Exeter City | H | 1–2 | 5,841 | Parmenter |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 1st Leg | 20 August 1996 | Luton Town | A | 0–3 | 2,643 | |
| R1 2nd Leg | 4 September 1996 | Luton Town | H | 2–1 (lost 2–4 on agg) | 2,320 | Gurney, Archer |

### Football League Trophy

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| SR1 | 10 December 1996 | Brentford | H | 1–2 | 2,752 | |

## 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 Collett |
| — | GK | ENG | Shane Higgs |
| — | DF | ENG | Jamie Clapham (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur) |
| — | DF | ENG | Billy Clark |
| — | DF | ENG | Brian Gayle |
| — | DF | ENG | Andy Gurney |
| — | DF | ENG | Matt Lockwood |
| — | DF | ENG | Lee Martin |
| — | DF | ENG | Graeme Power |
| — | DF | WAL | David Pritchard |
| — | DF | ENG | Andy Tillson |
| — | DF | ENG | Tom White |
| — | MF | ENG | Lee Archer |
| — | MF | ENG | Steve Bowey |
| — | MF | WAL | Marcus Browning |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Jon French |
| — | MF | ENG | Matt Hayfield |
| — | MF | ENG | Ian Holloway (player-manager) |
| — | MF | WAL | Josh Low |
| — | MF | ENG | Paul Miller |
| — | MF | ENG | Ryan Morgan |
| — | MF | WAL | Tom Ramasut |
| — | MF | ENG | Justin Skinner |
| — | MF | ENG | Lee Zabek |
| — | FW | ENG | Julian Alsop |
| — | FW | ENG | Peter Beadle |
| — | FW | ENG | Frankie Bennett |
| — | FW | ENG | Jamie Cureton |
| — | FW | ENG | Jason Harris (on loan from Crystal Palace) |
| — | FW | ENG | Steve Parmenter |