Stevenage: 1996-7 Season Details
For missed opportunities, the 1996-7 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.
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…
Full 1996-7 Details:
Most Appearances: Mark Smith - 60
Top Goalscorer: Barry Hayles – 25
1996-7 Boro' Rollcall
| Name | Pld | Gls | YC | RC | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carl Adams | 12 (8) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Malcolm Allen | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Paul Barrowcliff | 53 (2) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marvin Bates | 1 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stuart Beevor | 45 (5) | 4 | 0 | 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 | 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 | 3 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Des Gallagher | 46 (0) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Dominic Gentle | 8 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dominic Grime | 4 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barry Hayles | 36 (7) | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dean Hooper | 29 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Noel Imber | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Ryan Kirby | 38 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michael Mison | 9 (0) | 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 | 0 |
| Efetobore Sodje | 55 (1) | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jason Soloman | 13 (0) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shaun Stevens | 0 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Neil Trebble | 13 (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 | 0 | 1 |
| Kenny Webster | 24 (0) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Richard Wilmot | 16 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
Key:
- Apps = Appearances (Substitute Appearances)
- Gls = Goals Scored
- YC = Yellow Cards
- RC = Red Cards
- US = Unused Subs
1996-7 GM Vauxhall Conference Table
| 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 |