1996–97 Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. season

During the 1996–97 English football season, Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division.

Brighton & Hove Albion
1996–97 season
ChairmanBill Archer
ManagerJimmy Case (until 4 December)
Steve Gritt (from 11 December)
StadiumGoldstone Ground
Third Division23rd
FA CupFirst round
League CupFirst round
Football League TrophySecond round
Top goalscorerLeague: Maskell (14)
All: Maskell (16)
Average home league attendance5,844

Season summary

In the 1996–97 season, Jimmy Case was sacked after a terrible start that saw Brighton stuck the bottom of the league by a considerable margin — they seemed certain to be relegated from the Football League just 14 years after they had almost won the FA Cup.[1] The club's directors appointed a relative unknown in Steve Gritt, the former joint manager of Charlton Athletic, in hope of performing a miracle survival.

Brighton's league form steadily improved under Gritt, although their improving chances of survival were put under further threat on 9 December by a two-point deduction from the Football League imposed as punishment for a pitch invasion by fans who were protesting against the sale of the Goldstone Ground in a league game against Lincoln City on 1 October 1996.[2] The club later appealed against the points deduction but their appeal was rejected.

The last game at The Goldstone was held on 26 April 1997, in which Brighton beat Doncaster Rovers 1–0. The result lifted Brighton off the bottom of Division Three and meant that a draw or win in their visit to Hereford United the following weekend would prevent relegation to the Conference and preserve their Football League status. Brighton went on to draw the game 1–1 and secure survival, as well as ending Hereford's 25-year stay in the Football League – thus avoiding becoming the first former members of the top flight or the first major cup finalists to be relegated to the Conference.

The sale of the Goldstone Ground went through in 1997 and this led to Brighton having to play some 70 miles away at Gillingham's Priestfield stadium.

Final league table
Main article: 1996–97 Football League § Third Division
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
20 Hartlepool United 46 14 9 23 53 66 −13 51
21 Torquay United 46 13 11 22 46 62 −16 50
22 Exeter City 46 12 12 22 48 73 −25 48
23 Brighton & Hove Albion 46 13 10 23 53 70 −17 47[lower-alpha 1]
24 Hereford United 46 11 14 21 50 65 −15 47 Relegated to Conference
Source:
Rules for classification: In the Football League goals scored (GF) takes precedence over goal difference (GD).
Notes:
  1. Brighton & Hove Albion had two points deducted for failure to control spectators.

Results

Brighton & Hove Albion's score comes first[3]

Legend
Win Draw Loss

Football League Third Division
DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
17 August 1996Chester CityH2–15,263Baird, Parris
24 August 1996Cardiff CityA0–13,463
27 August 1996BarnetA0–32,513
31 August 1996Scunthorpe UnitedH1–14,365Baird
7 September 1996ScarboroughH3–24,008Storer, Maskell (2)
10 September 1996Colchester UnitedA0–22,540
14 September 1996Exeter CityA1–22,886McDonald
21 September 1996Torquay UnitedH2–24,889Baird, Minton
28 September 1996Northampton TownA0–34,402
1 October 1996Lincoln CityH1–34,411Smith
5 October 1996Wigan AthleticA0–13,744
12 October 1996Cambridge UnitedH1–24,564Storer
15 October 1996Hereford UnitedH0–13,444
19 October 1996Doncaster RoversA0–31,787
26 October 1996FulhamH0–08,387
29 October 1996RochdaleA0–31,913
2 November 1996Hartlepool UnitedA3–21,683Mundee (pen), Minton, Morris
9 November 1996Mansfield TownH1–11,933Mundee (pen)
19 November 1996Swansea CityA0–12,692
23 November 1996Carlisle UnitedH1–34,155Baird
30 November 1996FulhamA0–28,279
3 December 1996DarlingtonH2–32,709Maskell, Baird
14 December 1996Hull CityH3–03,762McDonald, Storer, Maskell
22 December 1996Leyton OrientA0–27,944
26 December 1996Colchester UnitedH1–14,830Mundee (pen)
28 December 1996ScarboroughA1–12,252Storer
1 January 1997Torquay UnitedA1–22,588Andrews
18 January 1997Lincoln CityA1–23,056Storer
25 January 1997RochdaleH3–04,468Maskell (2), Baird
1 February 1997Mansfield TownA1–12,456Mundee
8 February 1997Hartlepool UnitedH5–08,412Baird, Maskell (3), Hobson
11 February 1997Exeter CityH1–05,835Baird
15 February 1997Carlisle UnitedA1–25,465Maskell
22 February 1997Swansea CityH3–26,645Baird (2), Maskell
1 March 1997DarlingtonA0–22,998
4 March 1997Northampton TownH2–14,943Reinelt, Peake
8 March 1997Leyton OrientH4–49,298Maskell (2), Baird, McDonald (pen)
15 March 1997Hull CityA0–33,373
22 March 1997Cardiff CityH2–09,293McDonald (pen), Baird
29 March 1997Chester CityA1–23,613Minton
1 April 1997BarnetH1–09,525Baird
5 April 1997Scunthorpe UnitedA0–12,925
12 April 1997Wigan AthleticH1–08,703Maskell
19 April 1997Cambridge UnitedA1–16,032Reinelt
26 April 1997Doncaster RoversH1–011,341Storer
3 May 1997Hereford UnitedA1–18,350Reinelt

FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R116 November 1996Sudbury TownA0–03,112
R1R26 November 1996Sudbury TownH1–1 (lost 3–4 on pens)3,902Maskell

League Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R1 1st Leg21 August 1996Birmingham CityH0–15,132
R1 2nd Leg4 September 1996Birmingham CityA0–2 (lost 0–3 on agg)20,050

Football League Trophy
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
SR117 December 1996FulhamH3–2 (a.e.t.)1,384Maskell, McDonald (pen), Virgo
SR214 January 1997Plymouth ArgyleA0–11,295

Squad

[4] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
GK Mark Ormerod
GK Nicky Rust
DF Derek Allan
DF Gary Hobson
DF John Humphrey
DF Ross Johnson
DF Kerry Mayo
DF Kevin McGarrigle
DF Mark Morris
DF Ashley Neal (on loan from Liverpool)
DF Peter Smith
DF Stuart Tuck
MF Mark Fox
MF Dave Martin (on loan from Northampton Town)
No. Position Player
MF Paul McDonald
MF Jeff Minton
MF Denny Mundee
MF George Parris
MF Jason Peake
MF Stuart Storer
MF James Virgo
MF Christer Warren (on loan from Southampton)
FW David Adekola
FW Phil Andrews
FW Ian Baird
FW Simon Fox
FW Craig Maskell
FW Robbie Reinelt

References
  1. Martin, Andrew (5 December 1996). "Case shut out at Brighton". The Independent. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  2. "Brighton have two points deducted". The Independent. London. 10 December 1996. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
  3. "League Results". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  4. "All Brighton and Hove Albion players: 1997". 11v11.com. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
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