title: 1996–97 Portsmouth F.C. season
text: # 1996–97 Portsmouth F.C. season
  
  During the 1996–97 English football season, Portsmouth F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.
  
  ## Season summary
  
  In the summer of 1996, Terry Venables arrived at Portsmouth as a consultant, later taking over as chairman after buying the club for £1. The team enjoyed a run to the FA Cup quarter-finals, beating Premiership side Leeds United en route, but finished just short of the qualifying places for the play-offs for promotion to the Premier League.
  
  ## Final league table
  
  | Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 5 | Sheffield United | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 75 | 52 | +23 | 73 | Qualification for the First Division play-offs |
  | 6 | Crystal Palace (O, P) | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 78 | 48 | +30 | 71 | Qualification for the First Division play-offs |
  | 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 | |
  
  ## Results
  
  Portsmouth's score comes first
  
  ### Legend
  
  | Win | Draw | Loss |
  | - | - | - |
  
  ### Football League First Division
  
  | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 17 August 1996 | Bradford City | A | 1–3 | 10,007 | Hall |
  | 23 August 1996 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 1–2 | 7,501 | Igoe |
  | 27 August 1996 | Southend United | H | 1–0 | 5,579 | Russell |
  | 31 August 1996 | Grimsby Town | A | 1–0 | 4,747 | Rees |
  | 7 September 1996 | Port Vale | H | 1–1 | 8,099 | Russell |
  | 11 September 1996 | Swindon Town | A | 1–0 | 8,685 | McLoughlin |
  | 14 September 1996 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 0–2 | 14,248 | |
  | 21 September 1996 | Norwich City | H | 0–1 | 7,511 | |
  | 28 September 1996 | Oxford United | A | 0–2 | 7,626 | |
  | 1 October 1996 | Crystal Palace | H | 2–2 | 7,212 | Hall, Bradbury |
  | 4 October 1996 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 3–4 | 5,001 | Bradbury, McLoughlin (pen), Perrett |
  | 12 October 1996 | Charlton Athletic | H | 2–0 | 6,641 | Durnin, Bradbury |
  | 15 October 1996 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 0–2 | 7,411 | |
  | 19 October 1996 | Ipswich Town | A | 1–1 | 10,514 | McLoughlin (pen) |
  | 26 October 1996 | Stoke City | A | 1–3 | 10,259 | Bradbury |
  | 29 October 1996 | Birmingham City | H | 1–1 | 6,334 | Bradbury |
  | 2 November 1996 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 4–0 | 7,354 | Bradbury, Simpson, Durnin, Turner |
  | 9 November 1996 | Oldham Athletic | A | 0–0 | 7,639 | |
  | 16 November 1996 | Manchester City | H | 2–1 | 12,841 | Bradbury, Simpson |
  | 23 November 1996 | Barnsley | A | 2–3 | 7,449 | Durnin (pen), Bradbury |
  | 30 November 1996 | Stoke City | H | 1–0 | 7,749 | Turner |
  | 7 December 1996 | Sheffield United | A | 0–1 | 16,333 | |
  | 14 December 1996 | Huddersfield Town | H | 3–1 | 6,954 | Simpson (pen), Svensson (2) |
  | 21 December 1996 | Reading | A | 0–0 | 8,520 | |
  | 26 December 1996 | Swindon Town | H | 0–1 | 10,605 | |
  | 28 December 1996 | Port Vale | A | 2–0 | 7,382 | Hall, Svensson |
  | 1 January 1997 | Norwich City | A | 0–1 | 11,946 | |
  | 11 January 1997 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 0–3 | 10,467 | |
  | 18 January 1997 | Crystal Palace | A | 2–1 | 15,498 | Bradbury, Thomson |
  | 28 January 1997 | Oxford United | H | 2–1 | 7,301 | Hall, Svensson |
  | 1 February 1997 | Oldham Athletic | H | 1–0 | 9,135 | Hall |
  | 8 February 1997 | Birmingham City | A | 3–0 | 15,897 | Svensson, Bradbury, McLoughlin (pen) |
  | 22 February 1997 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 2–0 | 15,800 | Hillier, Burton |
  | 1 March 1997 | Sheffield United | H | 1–1 | 12,715 | Hall |
  | 5 March 1997 | Manchester City | A | 1–1 | 11,276 | Simpson |
  | 15 March 1997 | Huddersfield Town | A | 3–1 | 10,512 | Igoe, Hall (2) |
  | 22 March 1997 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 1–2 | 15,746 | Bradbury |
  | 25 March 1997 | Reading | H | 1–0 | 9,248 | Hall |
  | 29 March 1997 | Bradford City | H | 3–1 | 12,340 | Bradbury, Hall, Svensson |
  | 31 March 1997 | Southend United | A | 1–2 | 6,107 | Hall |
  | 5 April 1997 | Grimsby Town | H | 1–0 | 9,854 | Carter |
  | 12 April 1997 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 1–3 | 12,004 | Hillier |
  | 19 April 1997 | Charlton Athletic | A | 1–2 | 12,342 | Hall |
  | 22 April 1997 | Barnsley | H | 4–2 | 8,328 | McLoughlin (pen), Bradbury (3) |
  | 25 April 1997 | Ipswich Town | H | 0–1 | 12,101 | |
  | 4 May 1997 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1–0 | 26,031 | Hall |
  
  ### FA Cup
  
  | Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | R3 | 4 January 1997 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 2–1 | 23,626 | McLoughlin, Hall |
  | R4 | 25 January 1997 | Reading | H | 3–0 | 15,003 | Hall, Bradbury, Hillier |
  | R5 | 15 February 1997 | Leeds United | A | 3–2 | 35,604 | McLoughlin, Svensson, Bradbury |
  | QF | 9 March 1997 | Chelsea | H | 1–4 | 15,701 | Burton |
  
  ### League Cup
  
  | Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | R1 First Leg | 20 August 1996 | Leyton Orient | H | 2–0 | 3,102 | Burton (2) |
  | R1 Second Leg | 4 September 1996 | Leyton Orient | A | 0–1 (won 2–1 on agg) | 3,177 | |
  | R2 First Leg | 18 September 1996 | Wimbledon | A | 0–1 | 3,811 | |
  | R2 Second Leg | 25 September 1996 | Wimbledon | H | 1–1 | 4,006 | Carter |
  
  ## 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 | Aaron Flahavan |
  | — | GK | ENG | Alan Knight |
  | — | DF | ENG | Andy Awford |
  | — | DF | ENG | Guy Butters |
  | — | DF | ENG | Andy Cook (on loan from Swansea City) |
  | — | DF | ENG | Tony Dobson |
  | — | DF | ENG | Danny Hinshelwood |
  | — | DF | ENG | Russell Perrett |
  | — | DF | ENG | Robbie Pethick |
  | — | DF | ENG | Lee Russell |
  | — | DF | ENG | Andy Thomson |
  | — | DF | ENG | Adrian Whitbread |
  | — | MF | ENG | Martin Allen |
  | — | MF | ENG | Jimmy Carter |
  | No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
  | — | MF | ENG | John Durnin |
  | — | MF | ENG | David Hillier |
  | — | MF | ENG | Jamie Howell |
  | — | MF | ENG | Sammy Igoe |
  | — | MF | ENG | Fitzroy Simpson |
  | — | MF | WAL | Jason Rees |
  | — | MF | IRL | Alan McLoughlin |
  | — | MF | NIR | Dave Waterman |
  | — | MF | JAM | Paul Hall |
  | — | FW | ENG | Lee Bradbury |
  | — | FW | IRL | Andy Turner |
  | — | FW | SWE | Mathias Svensson |
  | — | FW | JAM | Deon Burton |
  