SEASON
1996-97
GM Vauxhall Conference · 3rd
Updated
For missed opportunities, the 1996-97 campaign could well be seen as ‘the one’ for reigning GM Vauxhall Conference champions Stevenage Borough. After the off-field distraction that was the unsuccessful court case against the Football League, Boro’ had to win the title all over again to gain promotion. But it didn’t happen.
Long runs in the FA Cup and FA Trophy were enjoyable enough at the time. Games in hand, however, were piling up for Cloughie’s side as we went into the home straight. It was us, Macclesfield and Kidderminster vying for top spot. It was also a unique group; three sides each denied promotion. So, all were looking to right some archaic League wrongs.
Boro’ and Kiddy, as it goes, had already set a new Conference record. At that time, you couldn’t imagine 6,500 cramming in for a league match. Yet, that’s how it was. A home howler against Macclesfield, however, was the fatal blow to Boro’s title challenge. Two goals up and a man to the good, the Silkmen stormed back to win 3-2.
We had to settle for third. To add insult to injury too, Woking dumped us out of the FA Trophy after the two-legged semi-final inexplicably had to go to a replay. At Watford.
Did we not like that…
Season at a Glance
Season Story
Biggest Win
Halifax Town 6–0 H · 17 Aug 1996Filter by Competition
Filter by Venue
Saturday 10 August 1996
Saturday 17 August 1996
Monday 19 August 1996
Saturday 24 August 1996
Monday 26 August 1996
Saturday 31 August 1996
Monday 02 September 1996
Saturday 07 September 1996
Monday 09 September 1996
Saturday 14 September 1996
Monday 16 September 1996
Saturday 21 September 1996
Tuesday 24 September 1996
Saturday 28 September 1996
Wednesday 02 October 1996
Saturday 05 October 1996
Monday 07 October 1996
Saturday 12 October 1996
Tuesday 15 October 1996
Saturday 19 October 1996
Saturday 26 October 1996
Saturday 02 November 1996
Saturday 09 November 1996
Saturday 16 November 1996
Tuesday 19 November 1996
Saturday 23 November 1996
Tuesday 26 November 1996
Saturday 30 November 1996
Saturday 07 December 1996
Saturday 14 December 1996
Saturday 21 December 1996
Thursday 26 December 1996
Wednesday 01 January 1997
Saturday 04 January 1997
Saturday 11 January 1997
Saturday 18 January 1997
Monday 20 January 1997
Saturday 25 January 1997
Saturday 01 February 1997
Saturday 08 February 1997
Saturday 15 February 1997
Monday 17 February 1997
Saturday 22 February 1997
Saturday 01 March 1997
Saturday 08 March 1997
Saturday 15 March 1997
Monday 17 March 1997
Saturday 22 March 1997
Tuesday 25 March 1997
Saturday 29 March 1997
Monday 31 March 1997
Saturday 05 April 1997
Tuesday 08 April 1997
Saturday 12 April 1997
Monday 14 April 1997
Wednesday 16 April 1997
Saturday 19 April 1997
Monday 21 April 1997
Wednesday 23 April 1997
Saturday 26 April 1997
Tuesday 29 April 1997
Saturday 03 May 1997
Squad Leaders
Full Squad Rollcall
A complete breakdown of every player used during the 1996-97 season.
| Name | Pld | Gls | YC | RC | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carl Adams | 12 (8) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Malcolm Allen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Paul Barrowcliff | 53 (2) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marvin Bates | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stuart Beevor | 45 (5) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Mike Bignall | 10 (4) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Corey Browne | 40 (14) | 19 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Steve Butler | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Neil Catlin | 35 (3) | 11 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Gary Crawshaw | 32 (12) | 17 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Scott Cretton | 9 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Lee Endersby | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Des Gallagher | 46 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Dominic Gentle | 8 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dominic Grime | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barry Hayles | 36 (7) | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dean Hooper | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Noel Imber | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Ryan Kirby | 38 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michael Mison | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbie Mutchell | 50 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Alan Paris | 14 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mark Smith | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Efetobore Sodje | 55 (1) | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jason Soloman | 13 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Shaun Stevens | 0 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Neil Trebble | 14 (19) | 8 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| John Ugbah | 10 (10) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dave Venables | 15 (7) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt Vier | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kenny Webster | 24 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Richard Wilmot | 16 (1) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23 |
League Table
Final GM Vauxhall Conference standings for the 1996-97 season.
| Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Macclesfield Town | 42 | 27 | 9 | 6 | 80 | 30 | 50 | 90 |
| 2 | Kidderminster Harriers | 42 | 26 | 7 | 9 | 84 | 42 | 42 | 85 |
| 3 | Stevenage Borough | 42 | 24 | 10 | 8 | 87 | 53 | 34 | 82 |
| 4 | Morecambe | 42 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 69 | 56 | 13 | 66 |
| 5 | Woking | 42 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 71 | 63 | 8 | 64 |
| 6 | Northwich Victoria | 42 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 61 | 54 | 7 | 63 |
| 7 | Farnborough | 42 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 58 | 53 | 5 | 61 |
| 8 | Hednesford Town | 42 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 52 | 50 | 2 | 60 |
| 9 | Telford United | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 46 | 56 | -10 | 58 |
| 10 | Gateshead | 42 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 59 | 63 | -4 | 56 |
| 11 | Southport | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 51 | 61 | -10 | 55 |
| 12 | Rushden & Diamonds | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 61 | 63 | -2 | 53 |
| 13 | Stalybridge Celtic | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 53 | 58 | -5 | 52 |
| 14 | Kettering Town | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 53 | 62 | -9 | 51 |
| 15 | Hayes | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 62 | 65 | -3 | 50 |
| 16 | Slough Town | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 57 | 68 | -11 | 50 |
| 17 | Dover Athletic | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 55 | 73 | -18 | 50 |
| 18 | Welling United | 42 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 53 | 55 | -2 | 49 |
| 19 | Halifax Town | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 50 | 60 | -10 | 48 |
| 20 | Bath City | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 53 | 80 | -27 | 47 |
| 21 | Bromsgrove Rovers | 42 | 12 | 5 | 25 | 41 | 67 | -26 | 41 |
| 22 | Altrincham | 42 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 49 | 73 | -24 | 39 |
Points Per Game Progression
How Boro's cumulative league points-per-game changed across the 1996-97 season.