1996–97 Queens Park Rangers F.C. season

Queens Park Rangers
1996–97 season
Chairman	Chris Wright
Manager	Ray Wilkins (until September); Stewart Houston (from September)
Stadium	Loftus Road
First Division	9th
FA Cup	Fifth round
League Cup	Second round
Top goalscorer	League: ; John Spencer (17); All: ; John Spencer (18)
Highest home attendance	17,376 (vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers, 31 March)
Lowest home attendance	7,354 (vs. Stoke City, 2 November)
Average home league attendance	12,554
Biggest win	4-0 Vs Southend United (14 December 1996)
Biggest defeat	1-4 Vs West Bromwich Albion (28 December 1996)
Home colours	Away colours
	← 1995–96 1997–98 →

During the 1996–97 English football season, Queens Park Rangers competed in the Football League First Division.

Season summary

In August 1996, media tycoon Chris Wright, a QPR fan for 20 years, bought the club and also stated his plans for London Wasps to distribute the stadium.

Wright later suggested forming a new Loftus Road plc, including both QPR and London Wasps, on the Alternative Investment Market. A month later, Ray Wilkins left the club by mutual consent after a board meeting when he wanted money in an attempt to sign 34-year-old Ghana skipper Abedi Pele as well as being pushed to retire from his playing career.^[1] Ex-Arsenal caretaker manager Stewart Houston took over the reins with former Arsenal manager Bruce Rioch as his assistant.

Houston's first signing for QPR broke the club's previous transfer record when Scottish international striker John Spencer was signed from Chelsea for £2.35 million in November 1996.^[2] A month later, his ex-Chelsea teammate and former QPR player Gavin Peacock rejoined the club for a second spell. Northern Ireland international Steve Morrow also joined from Arsenal.

Ultimately, QPR's poor home form during the season cost them a chance of a play-off place and they finished 9th, five points outside the play-off places.

Kit

View From remained as QPR's kit manufacturers. Telecommunications giant Ericsson replaced Compaq as kit sponsors.

Final league table

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
7	Portsmouth	46	20	8	18	59	53	+6	68
8	Port Vale	46	17	16	13	58	55	+3	67
9	Queens Park Rangers	46	18	12	16	64	60	+4	66
10	Birmingham City	46	17	15	14	52	48	+4	66
11	Tranmere Rovers	46	17	14	15	63	56	+7	65

Source: ^[3]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goals scored; 3) Goal difference

Results

Queens Park Rangers' score comes first

Legend

Win	Draw	Loss

Football League First Division

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Scorers	Attendance	Position
17 August 1996	Oxford United	H	2–1	Gallen, Dichio	14,703	9
23 August 1996	Portsmouth	A	2–1	Gallen (2)	7,501	1
28 August 1996	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	1–1	Dichio	25,767	6
1 September 1996	Bolton Wanderers	H	1–2	McDonald	11,225	7
7 September 1996	West Bromwich Albion	H	0–2		12,886	10
11 September 1996	Norwich City	A	1–1	Impey	14,000	10
14 September 1996	Barnsley	A	3–1	Barker, Perry, Dichio	13,003	6
21 September 1996	Swindon Town	H	1–1	Murray	13,662	9
28 September 1996	Birmingham City	A	0–0		17,430	12
2 October 1996	Port Vale	H	1–2	Barker	8,727	13
5 October 1996	Grimsby Town	A	0–2		5,472	13
12 October 1996	Manchester City	H	2–2	Sinclair, Murray	16,265	14
16 October 1996	Bradford City	H	1–0	Brazier	7,776	11
20 October 1996	Tranmere Rovers	A	3–2	Slade, McDonald, Charles	7,025	8
26 October 1996	Sheffield United	A	1–1	Slade	17,096	9
30 October 1996	Ipswich Town	H	0–1		10,562	9
2 November 1996	Stoke City	H	1–1	Sinclair	7,354	11
10 November 1996	Crystal Palace	A	0–3		15,324	12
16 November 1996	Charlton Athletic	H	1–2	Sinclair	12,360	14
23 November 1996	Reading	A	1–2	Spencer	12,847	20
30 November 1996	Sheffield United	H	1–0	Barker (pen)	11,891	14
7 December 1996	Oldham Athletic	A	2–0	Peacock, Spencer	5,590	14
14 December 1996	Southend United	H	4–0	Barker (pen), Harris (own goal), Spencer, Peacock	11,117	11
21 December 1996	Huddersfield Town	A	2–1	Dichio, Brazier	10,718	8
26 December 1996	Norwich City	H	3–2	Peacock, Dichio, McDermott	15,699	7
28 December 1996	West Bromwich Albion	A	1–4	Spencer	19,061	9
11 January 1997	Barnsley	H	3–1	Spencer (3)	12,058	6
19 January 1997	Port Vale	A	4–4	Holwyn (own goal), Impey, Murray, Spencer	5,736	7
29 January 1997	Birmingham City	H	1–1	Spencer	12,138	9
1 February 1997	Crystal Palace	H	0–1		16,467	10
5 February 1997	Swindon Town	A	1–1	Hateley	10,830	9
8 February 1997	Ipswich Town	A	0–2		12,983	12
22 February 1997	Stoke City	A	0–0		13,121	12
1 March 1997	Oldham Athletic	H	0–1		10,180	13
4 March 1997	Charlton Athletic	A	1–2	Dichio	10,610	13
8 March 1997	Huddersfield Town	H	2–0	McDermott, Spencer	9,789	13
12 March 1997	Reading	H	0–2		10,316	13
15 March 1997	Southend United	A	1–0	Roget (own goal)	6,747	13
22 March 1997	Portsmouth	H	2–1	Murray, Spencer	15,746	12
29 March 1997	Oxford United	A	3–2	Yates, Spencer, Peacock	8,365	12
31 March 1997	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	2–2	Spencer, Peacock	17,376	10
5 April 1997	Bolton Wanderers	A	1–2	Morrow	19,198	12
12 April 1997	Grimsby Town	H	3–0	Spencer, Murray, Slade	10,765	11
19 April 1997	Manchester City	A	3–0	Spencer (2), Slade	27,580	9
26 April 1997	Tranmere Rovers	H	2–0	Dichio, Spencer	14,859	7
4 May 1997	Bradford City	A	0–3		14,723	9

FA Cup


Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R3	4 January 1997	Huddersfield Town	H	1–1	11,776	Hateley
R3R	14 January 1997	Huddersfield Town	A	2–1	11,814	Peacock, McDonald
R4	25 January 1997	Barnsley	H	3–2	14,317	Peacock, Spencer, Sinclair
R5	15 February 1997	Wimbledon	A	1–2	22,395	Hateley

League Cup


Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R2 First Leg	18 September 1996	Swindon Town	A	2–1	7,843	Dichio, Impey
R2 Second Leg	25 September 1996	Swindon Town	H	1–3 (lost 3–4 on agg)	6,976	Brazier

Squad

Position	Nationality	Name	League Appearances	League Goals	Cup Appearances	League.Cup Goals	F.A.Cup Goals	Total Appearances	Total Goals
GK	USA	Juergen Sommer	33		3			36
GK	WAL	Tony Roberts	13		3			16
DF	ENG	Danny Maddix	18		2			27
DF	ENG	Trevor Challis	2					2
DF	WAL	Karl Ready	28		4			33
DF	NIR	Alan McDonald	38	2	5		1	44	3
DF	ENG	Rufus Brevett	44		6			50
DF	ENG	Matt Brazier	22	2	3	1		30	3
DF	ENG	Matt Jackson	7					7
DF	NIR	Steve Morrow	5	1				5	1
DF	ENG	Steve Yates	16	1	1			17	1
DF	ENG	Chris Plummer	4		2			7
MF	ENG	Ray Wilkins	4					4
MF	ENG	Paul Murray	26	5	5			37	5
MF	ENG	Andrew Impey	26	2	3	1		36	3
MF	ENG	Simon Barker	38	4	4			42	4
MF	ENG	Mark Perry	2	1				2	1
MF	ENG	Gavin Peacock	27	5	4		2	31	7
MF	ENG	Trevor Sinclair	39	3	7		1	46	4
MF	ENG	Mark Graham	16		4			22
FW	ENG	Mark Hateley	8	1	2		2	17	3
FW	ENG	Kevin Gallen	2	3				2	3
FW	ENG	Nigel Quashie	9					14
FW	ENG	Michael Mahoney-Johnson						2
FW	AUS	Andy McDermott	6	2				6	2
FW	SCO	John Spencer	25	17	4		1	29	18
FW	ENG	Steve Slade	11	3				16
FW	ENG	Lee Charles	6	1				13	1
FW	ENG	Danny Dichio	31	7	4	1		43	8

Transfers Out

Name	from	Date	Fee	Date	Club	Fee
Gregory Goodridge	Torquay United	9 August 1995	£100,000	August 1996	Bristol City	£50,000
Mark Hateley	Rangers	3 November 1995	£1,500,000	August 1996	Leeds United	Loan
Michael Mahoney-Johnson	Queens Park Rangers Juniors	April 1995		August 1996	Wycombe Wanderers	Loan
Ray Wilkins	Crystal Palace	November 1994		September 1996	Wycombe Wanderers	Free
Andy McDermott	Australian Institute of Sport	5 August 1995	£20,000	March 1997	West Bromwich Albion	£400,000
Mark Hateley	Rangers	3 November 1995	£1,500,000	July 1997	Rangers	£300,000
Alan McDonald	Queens Park Rangers Juniors	August 1981		July 1997	Swindon Town	Free
Danny Dichio	Queens Park Rangers Juniors	May 1993		July 1997	Sampdoria	Free

Transfers In

Name	from	Date	Fee
Matt Jackson	Everton	August 1996	Loan
John Spencer	Chelsea	November 1996	£2,500,000
Gavin Peacock	Chelsea	November 1996	£800,000
Richard Langley	Queens Park Rangers Juniors	December 1996
Steve Morrow	Arsenal	March 1997	£1,000,000
Matthew Rose	Arsenal	May 1997	£500,000
Lee Harper	Arsenal	July 1997	£125,000
Mike Sheron	Stoke City	July 1997	£2,350,000

References

^ Stenson, Tony (5 September 1996). "Game over for Wilkins". The Mirror. Retrieved 14 October 2011 – via The Free Library.
^ Irwin, Mark (22 November 1996). "Spencer in £2.5m move from Chelsea to QPR". The Mirror. Retrieved 14 October 2011 – via The Free Library.
^ "England 1996–97". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2010.

Notes

[1] Stenson, Tony (5 September 1996). "Game over for Wilkins". The Mirror. Retrieved 14 October 2011 – via The Free Library.

[2] Irwin, Mark (22 November 1996). "Spencer in £2.5m move from Chelsea to QPR". The Mirror. Retrieved 14 October 2011 – via The Free Library.

[3] "England 1996–97". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2010.

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