During the 1996β97 English football season, Wimbledon competed in the Premier League. The season marked 20 years since Wimbledon's election to the Football League and was their eleventh successive season of top division football. It was one of the most successful of the club's history as they finished eighth in the Premier League and reached the semi-finals of both domestic cups.
Season summary
The opening day of the season saw Wimbledon lose 3β0 at home to
Manchester United in a game mostly remembered for
David Beckham's late goal from inside his own half. The Dons also lost their next two games, but then went on a 19-match unbeaten run, including seven league wins in a row. A 1β0 over
Blackburn Rovers in December left them 3rd in the table, one point behind leaders Arsenal. The team's form tailed off in the second half of the season and they missed out on the chance of European qualification, finishing 8th.
Wimbledon also reached the semi-finals of both domestic cups. Their FA Cup run saw them knock out holders Manchester United but they lost 3β0 to the eventual winners
Chelsea at
Highbury. In the League Cup they were eliminated on away goals by
Leicester City, who also went on to win the trophy. The sale of
Γyvind Leonhardsen to
Liverpool at the end of the season left manager
Joe Kinnear with a big hole to fill in a squad which had, so far, achieved so much on a shoestring budget.
^Sullivan was born in
Sutton,
England, but also qualified to represent
Scotland internationally and made his international debut for
Scotland in 1997.
^Jones was born in
Watford,
England, but also qualified to represent
Wales through his maternal grandfather and made his international debut for
Wales in December 1994.
^Thatcher was born in
Swindon,
England and represented them at
U-21 level, but also qualified to represent
Wales internationally through his grandmother and made his international debut for
Wales in March 2004.
^Earle was born in
Newcastle-under-Lyme,
England, and was called up for England without playing, but also qualified to represent
Jamaica internationally and made his international debut for Jamaica in 1997.
^Ekoku was born in
Cheetham,
England, but also qualified to represent
Nigeria internationally and made his international debut for
Nigeria in 1994.
^Gayle was born in
Hammersmith,
London, and represented them at
U-18 level, but also qualified to represent
Jamaica internationally through his father and would make his international debut for
Jamaica in 1998.
^Jupp was born in
Haslemere,
England, but also qualified to represent
Scotland internationally and represented them at
U-21 level.
^Euell was born in
Lambeth,
England, and represented them at
U-21 level, but also qualified to represent
Jamaica internationally through his father and would make his international debut for
Jamaica in November 2004.
^Cort was born in
Southwark,
England, but also qualified to represent
Guyana internationally and would make his international debut for
Guyana in 2011.
During the 1996β97 English football season, Wimbledon competed in the Premier League. The season marked 20 years since Wimbledon's election to the Football League and was their eleventh successive season of top division football. It was one of the most successful of the club's history as they finished eighth in the Premier League and reached the semi-finals of both domestic cups.
Season summary
The opening day of the season saw Wimbledon lose 3β0 at home to
Manchester United in a game mostly remembered for
David Beckham's late goal from inside his own half. The Dons also lost their next two games, but then went on a 19-match unbeaten run, including seven league wins in a row. A 1β0 over
Blackburn Rovers in December left them 3rd in the table, one point behind leaders Arsenal. The team's form tailed off in the second half of the season and they missed out on the chance of European qualification, finishing 8th.
Wimbledon also reached the semi-finals of both domestic cups. Their FA Cup run saw them knock out holders Manchester United but they lost 3β0 to the eventual winners
Chelsea at
Highbury. In the League Cup they were eliminated on away goals by
Leicester City, who also went on to win the trophy. The sale of
Γyvind Leonhardsen to
Liverpool at the end of the season left manager
Joe Kinnear with a big hole to fill in a squad which had, so far, achieved so much on a shoestring budget.
^Sullivan was born in
Sutton,
England, but also qualified to represent
Scotland internationally and made his international debut for
Scotland in 1997.
^Jones was born in
Watford,
England, but also qualified to represent
Wales through his maternal grandfather and made his international debut for
Wales in December 1994.
^Thatcher was born in
Swindon,
England and represented them at
U-21 level, but also qualified to represent
Wales internationally through his grandmother and made his international debut for
Wales in March 2004.
^Earle was born in
Newcastle-under-Lyme,
England, and was called up for England without playing, but also qualified to represent
Jamaica internationally and made his international debut for Jamaica in 1997.
^Ekoku was born in
Cheetham,
England, but also qualified to represent
Nigeria internationally and made his international debut for
Nigeria in 1994.
^Gayle was born in
Hammersmith,
London, and represented them at
U-18 level, but also qualified to represent
Jamaica internationally through his father and would make his international debut for
Jamaica in 1998.
^Jupp was born in
Haslemere,
England, but also qualified to represent
Scotland internationally and represented them at
U-21 level.
^Euell was born in
Lambeth,
England, and represented them at
U-21 level, but also qualified to represent
Jamaica internationally through his father and would make his international debut for
Jamaica in November 2004.
^Cort was born in
Southwark,
England, but also qualified to represent
Guyana internationally and would make his international debut for
Guyana in 2011.