The 1996–97 English football season was Aston Villa's 5th season in the Premier League. The season was Aston Villa's 122nd professional season, their 86th season in the top flight and their 9th consecutive season in the top tier of English football (the fifth in the FA Premier League).

There was no silverware this season for last season's League Cup winners, but Brian Little's competent Villa side achieved UEFA Cup qualification for the second season running, but this time via the UEFA Respect Fair Play ranking.

The autumn of the season saw the departure of veteran defender Paul McGrath to Derby County, while the injured Gary Charles was replaced at right-back by the Portuguese Fernando Nelson. The end of the season saw the arrival of Liverpool striker Stan Collymore for a club record fee of £7 million. Club record signing Sasa Curcic, who had been disappointing after his £4million arrival in the summer of 1996, was then sold to Crystal Palace for £1million.

Long-serving defender Paul McGrath left in the autumn to sign for Derby County after more than seven years at Villa Park. Another Villa defender, Phil King, who had been restricted to just three league appearances in as many years at the club, was transferred to Swindon Town. Striker Tommy Johnson, whose first team chances were becoming increasingly limited, was sold to Celtic. Franz Carr left after just over a year at Villa Park to join Reggiana of Italy. Defender Carl Tiler was sold to Sheffield United for £500,000 after just 18 months at the club, having played just 12 league games due to injury.

Dwight Yorke was Villa's top scorer for the second season running, with 17 goals in the Premier League and 20 in all competitions.

FA Premier League

Matches Aston Villa's score comes first

WinDrawLoss

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 17 August 1996 Sheffield WednesdayA1–226,861Johnson 88' 21 August 1996 Blackburn RoversH1–032,457Southgate 64' 24 August 1996 Derby CountyH2–034,646Joachim 19', Johnson pen 47' 4 September 1996 EvertonA1–039,115Ehiogu 62' 7 September 1996 ArsenalH2–237,944Milošević 39', 63' 15 September 1996 ChelseaA1–127,729Townsend 18' 21 September 1996 Manchester UnitedH0–039,339 30 September 1996 Newcastle UnitedA3–436,400Yorke 4', 59', 70' 12 October 1996 Tottenham HotspurA0–132,847 19 October 1996 Leeds UnitedH2–039,051Yorke 58', Johnson 65' 26 October 1996 SunderlandA0–121,059 2 November 1996 Nottingham ForestH2–035,310Tiler 20', Yorke 65' 16 November 1996 Leicester CityH1–336,193Yorke 15' 23 November 1996 Coventry CityA2–121,340Joachim 29', Staunton 85' 30 November 1996 MiddlesbroughH1–039,053Yorke 39' (pen) 4 December 1996 West Ham UnitedA2–019,105Ehiogu 38', Yorke 74' 7 December 1996 SouthamptonA1–015,232Townsend 34' 22 December 1996 WimbledonH5–028,875Yorke 38', 86', Milošević 42', 75', Taylor 61' 26 December 1996 ChelseaH0–239,339 28 December 1996 ArsenalA2–238,130Milošević 68', Yorke 74' 1 January 1997 Manchester UnitedA0–055,133 11 January 1997 Newcastle UnitedH2–239,339Yorke 39', Milošević 52' 18 January 1997 LiverpoolA0–340,489 29 January 1997 Sheffield WednesdayH0–126,726 1 February 1997 SunderlandH1–032,491Milošević 37' 19 February 1997 Coventry CityH2–130,409Yorke 43', 75' 22 February 1997 Nottingham ForestA0–025,239 2 March 1997 LiverpoolH1–039,339Taylor 83' 5 March 1997 Leicester CityA0–120,626 15 March 1997 West Ham UnitedH0–035,992 22 March 1997 Blackburn RoversA2–024,274Johnson 64', Yorke 79' 5 April 1997 EvertonH3–139,339Milošević 41', Staunton 50', Yorke 54' 9 April 1997 WimbledonA2–09,015Milošević 26', Wright 78' 12 April 1997 Derby CountyA1–218,071Joachim 84' 19 April 1997 Tottenham HotspurH1–139,339Yorke 81' 22 April 1997 Leeds UnitedA0–026,897 3 May 1997 MiddlesbroughA2–330,074Ehiogu 58', Milošević 75' 11 May 1997 SouthamptonH1–039,339Dryden 12' (own goal)

Results by round

FA Cup

League Cup

UEFA Cup

Squad # Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth (age) Signed from Date signed Fee Apps Gls Goalkeepers 1 Mark Bosnich GK Liverpool Sydney Croatia 28 February 1992 Free transfer 145 0 13 Michael Oakes GK Northwich Academy 1 July 1991 1 0 30 Adam Rachel GK Birmingham Academy 1 July 1995 0 0 31 Stuart Brock GK West Bromwich Academy 1 July 1996 - - Defenders 2 Gary Charles RB Newham Derby County 6 January 1995 £1,450,000 63 1 3 Steve Staunton LB Dundalk Liverpool 7 August 1991 £1,100,000 190 13 4 Gareth Southgate CB Watford Crystal Palace 1 July 1995 £3,500,000 43 2 5 Paul McGrath CB Greenford Manchester United 3 August 1989 £400,000 306 10 14 Alan Wright LB Ashton-under-Lyne Blackburn Rovers 10 March 1995 £1,000,000 59 2 15 Fernando Nélson RB Porto Sporting 2 August 1996 £1,700,000 - - 16 Ugo Ehiogu CB Hackney West Bromwich Albion 12 July 1991 £40,000 131 6 18 Carl Tiler CB Sheffield Nottingham Forest 28 October 1995 £750,000 1 0 20 Riccardo Scimeca CB Leamington Spa Academy 1 July 1995 22 0 22 Phil King LB Bristol Sheffield Wednesday 1 August 1994 £200,000 23 0 27 David Hughes LB Wrexham Academy 1 July 1996 - - Midfielders 6 Andy Townsend (c) CM Maidstone Chelsea 26 July 1993 £2,100,000 131 9 7 Ian Taylor CM Birmingham Sheffield Wednesday 21 December 1994 £1,000,000 59 6 8 Mark Draper CM Long Eaton Leicester City 5 July 1995 £3,250,000 49 5 17 Lee Hendrie RM Solihull Academy 1 July 1995 3 0 19 Gareth Farrelly LM Dublin Academy 1 July 1995 6 0 24 Scott Murray RM Fraserburgh Academy 1 July 1995 3 0 26 Saša Ćurčić DM Belgrade Bolton Wanderers 1 July 1995 £4.000.000 - - Forwards 9 Savo Milošević CF Bijeljina Partizan 26 June 1995 £3,500,000 49 14 10 Dwight Yorke CF Canaan Signal Hill 19 July 1991 £120,000 194 62 11 Tommy Johnson CF Gateshead Derby County 6 January 1995 £1,450,000 46 12 12 Julian Joachim CF Peterborough Leicester City 24 February 1996 £1,890,000 11 1 23 Neil Davis CF Bloxwich Academy 1 July 1995 3 0 Franz Carr RW Preston Leicester City 10 February 1995 £250,000 4 1

Transferred in DatePosPlayerFromFee 2 August 1996 RB Fernando Nélson Sporting £1,700,000 23 August 1996DM Saša Ćurčić Bolton Wanderers £4,000,000£5,700,000

Loaned in DatePosPlayerFromLoan End

Transferred out DatePosPlayerToFee 3 July 1996 CB Paul Browne Raith Rovers£70,000 1 October 1996 CB Paul McGrath Derby County £100,000 1 October 1996 RW Franz Carr Reggiana Free transfer 26 March 1997 LB Phil King Swindon Town Free transfer 26 March 1997 CB Carl Tiler Sheffield United £650,000 27 March 1997 CF Tommy Johnson Celtic £2,300,000£3,120,000

Loaned out DatePosPlayerToLoan End 27 October 1996 CF Neil Davis Wycombe Wanderers 25 January 1997

Overall transfer activity

Expenditure £5,700,000

Income £3,120,000

Balance £2,580,000

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References

External links Aston Villa official website avfchistory.co.uk 1996–97 season