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Huddersfield Town

1996–97 season
Chairman	Malcolm Asquith
Manager	Brian Horton
Division One	20th
FA Cup	Third round (knocked out by Queens Park Rangers)
League Cup	Third round (knocked out by Middlesbrough)
Top goalscorer	League: Andy Payton (17) All: Andy Payton (19)
Highest home attendance	17,358 vs Manchester City (18 January 1997)
Lowest home attendance	5,094 vs Colchester United (19 September 1996)
Biggest win	3–0 vs Wrexham (20 August 1996) 3–0 vs Birmingham City (8 October 1996)
Biggest defeat	0–6 vs Swindon Town (16 October 19966)
← 1995–96 1997–98 →

The 1996–97 season for Huddersfield Town failed to carry on the good work of the previous and nearly saw Town relegated back to Division Two. Following the heavy spending on players in the closed season, much was expected of the Terriers in the 1996–97 season but, despite a bright start from new striker Marcus Stewart, Horton was unable to improve on the team's consistently poor away form that had ended the side's playoff bid the previous year. Long-term injuries to Stewart and Andy Morrison did little to help things and, with the previously strong home form becoming increasingly patchy, the Terriers struggled at the wrong end of the table. It was perhaps the least celebrated summer signing, Andy Payton, who notched an impressive tally of 20 goals and helped staved off the threat of relegation as the side scrambled to 20th, just 8 points and 2 places above the drop zone.

Injuries and illness forced Town to play 35 players during the season, then a record, which would actually be broken the following season. Brian Horton's job was seemingly under threat, although he wouldn't leave the McAlpine Stadium until October 1997.

Squad at the start of the season

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 Steve Francis -- GK  WAL Tony Norman -- DF  ENG Sam Collins -- DF  SCO Tom Cowan -- DF  ENG Jon Dyson -- DF  ENG Kevin Gray -- DF  IRL Thomas Heary -- DF  WAL Steve Jenkins -- DF  SCO Andy Morrison -- DF  IRL Robbie Ryan -- DF  ENG Lee Sinnott -- MF  ENG Simon Baldry -- MF  ENG Darren Bullock

No. Pos. Nation Player -- MF  ENG Simon Collins -- MF  ENG Gary Crosby -- MF  ENG Paul Dalton -- MF  ENG Rob Edwards -- MF  ENG Lee Makel -- MF  ENG Paul Reid -- FW  ENG Iain Dunn -- FW  GRN Delroy Facey -- FW  ENG Ian Lawson -- FW  ENG Michael Midwood -- FW  ENG Andy Payton -- FW  ENG Rodney Rowe -- FW  ENG Marcus Stewart

Review

Town made a promising start beating Charlton Athletic 2–0 in front of the highest home crowd for an opening day game for 24 years. This was followed up by wins over Ipswich Town, Oldham Athletic, Reading & Birmingham City, but then a spell of 9 games without a win including a 6–0 hiding at Swindon Town left manager Brian Horton in the lurch.

Form wasn't helped by the consistent injuries to top players such as Marcus Stewart and Andy Morrison, but Town slowly tried to recover, but their best run of the season came during the Christmas and New Year period when they went 5 games unbeaten, but they then went on a run of 1 win in 10, which propelled them into relegation territory.

By the end of the season, top scorer Andy Payton's goals were starting to dry up, but a win on the penultimate day of the season against already relegated Southend United made certain that Town would play Division 1 football the next season.

Squad at the end of the season

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 Steve Francis -- GK  WAL Tony Norman -- DF  ENG Sam Collins -- DF  SCO Tom Cowan -- DF  ENG Jon Dyson -- DF  ENG Darren Edmondson -- DF  ENG Kevin Gray -- DF  IRL Thomas Heary -- DF  WAL Steve Jenkins -- DF  SCO Andy Morrison -- DF  IRL Robbie Ryan -- DF  ENG Lee Sinnott -- MF  ENG Simon Baldry -- MF  ENG David Beresford -- MF  WAL Marcus Browning

No. Pos. Nation Player -- MF  ENG Wayne Burnett -- MF  ENG Gary Crosby -- MF  ENG Paul Dalton -- MF  ENG Rob Edwards -- MF  SCO Lee Glover (on loan from Rotherham United) -- MF  ENG Jeremy Illingworth -- MF  ENG Lee Makel -- FW  GRN Delroy Facey -- FW  ENG Peter Kaye -- FW  ENG Ian Lawson -- FW  ENG Michael Midwood -- FW  ENG Andy Payton -- FW  ENG Rodney Rowe -- FW  ENG Marcus Stewart

Results

Division One