title: 1996–97 Cardiff City F.C. season
text: # 1996–97 Cardiff City F.C. season
  
  The 1996–97 season was Cardiff City F.C.'s 70th season in the Football League. They competed in the 24-team Division Three, then the fourth tier of English football, finishing seventh, before being beaten 4–2 on aggregate by Northampton Town in the play-offs.
  
  The season saw Cardiff sack two managers during the course of the year. Phil Neal continued in his role from the previous season before leaving the club, taking the role of assistant manager at Manchester City, and was replaced by Russell Osman. However Osman himself lasted just five matches and was replaced by Kenny Hibbitt, the man who had made way for Phil Neal the previous season.
  
  ## Players
  
  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 | Tony Elliott |
  | -- | GK | WAL | Pat Mountain |
  | -- | GK | WAL | Steve Williams |
  | -- | DF | WAL | Lee Baddeley |
  | -- | DF | WAL | Gareth Davies |
  | -- | DF | ENG | Jeff Eckhardt |
  | -- | DF | ENG | Hayden Fleming |
  | -- | DF | WAL | Lee Jarman |
  | -- | DF | WAL | Kevin Lloyd |
  | -- | DF | WAL | Jason Perry |
  | -- | DF | WAL | Lee Phillips |
  | -- | DF | ENG | Ian Rodgerson |
  | -- | DF | ENG | Jimmy Rollo |
  | -- | DF | ENG | Andy Scott |
  | -- | DF | WAL | Scott Young |
  | -- | MF | ENG | Mickey Bennett |
  | No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
  | -- | MF | ENG | Stacy Coldicott |
  | -- | MF | ENG | Jason Fowler |
  | -- | MF | SCO | Jimmy Gardner |
  | -- | MF | SCO | Ray McStay |
  | -- | MF | WAL | Jamie Michael |
  | -- | MF | ENG | Craig Middleton |
  | -- | MF | EIR | Keith O'Halloran |
  | -- | MF | ENG | Gareth Stoker |
  | -- | MF | ENG | Paul Ware |
  | -- | FW | WAL | Carl Dale |
  | -- | FW | ENG | Steve Flack |
  | -- | FW | WAL | Simon Haworth |
  | -- | FW | ENG | Scott Partridge |
  | -- | FW | ENG | Tony Philliskirk |
  | -- | FW | ENG | Steve White |
  
  First team squad.
  
  ## League standings
  
  | Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 5 | Swansea City | 46 | 21 | 8 | 17 | 62 | 58 | +4 | 71 | Participated in play-offs |
  | 6 | Chester City | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 55 | 43 | +12 | 70 | Participated in play-offs |
  | 7 | Cardiff City | 46 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 57 | 55 | +2 | 69 | Participated in play-offs |
  | 8 | Colchester United | 46 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 62 | 51 | +11 | 68 | |
  | 9 | Lincoln City | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 70 | 69 | +1 | 66 | |
  
  ### Results by round
  
  | Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Ground | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | H | A | A | H | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A |
  | Result | D | W | L | W | W | L | W | D | L | L | W | W | W | D | D | W | L | W | W | L | L | L | W | L | L | L | L | W | W | L | W | D | W | W | W | L | D | L | W | D | D | W | D | L | W | L |
  | Position | ~ | 7 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
  
  ## Fixtures and results
  
  ### Third Division
  
  Source
  
  