SUMMARY

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Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Ave Att:
28	19	7	2	7,787

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Chosen particularly as it is arguably the biggest game ever played at Edgeley Park – the semi final of a national competition in which all 92 senior clubs participated. The cover shows the match date as 19th February. Following a monsoon earlier that afternoon referee Elleray, (yes – him again!!), postponed the game which was played a week later on 26th February. The front cover features Brett Angell and Tom Bennett embracing Andy Mutch, after his late winner at The Dell in the quarter-final.

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FIVE MONTHS NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN

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The Nine in a Row team, in 2006/07, and the promotion season a year later provided huge entertainment. Ashley Williams, in a podcast published during the Covid-19 pandemic, was categoric that the team in those two years would have beaten that from 1996/97. A moot point of course, and one that will never ever be settled. You pays your money and takes your choice!!

Whatever the case, County fans aged from the late 20’s upwards will remember the first five months of 1997 with more than fond memories. It’s hard to believe that it all happened 23 years ago now – it’s still fresh in the mind.

It was a year of 28 home games. and I’m still glad to this day that I made it to every one. It was a special time, and one that was good to reflect on. Seeing teams like Southampton; Middlesbrough and of course Manchester City. Playing in the second tier of English football were fond memories when the opposition a decade and half later was a visitors guide to the highways and byways of regional football.

There were also 33 away games – I admit to missing two. The first was Bournemouth, (knowing that within 14 days we had to go there; Plymouth and Gillingham so financial reasons meant one had to be missed), and the second was at Middlesbrough just after Christmas, when a family gathering took precedence. It was a year for me of 59 games; a whole pile of cash expended; many, many miles but most importantly of all the sweet taste of success!!

1996 had gone out with a bang, with the League Cup win over West Ham, followed by a draw at Bury and a victory at Wrexham. Bad weather set in after the trip to the Racecourse on Boxing Day, and it was three weeks before we were back in action. The win at Stoke in the FA Cup was the first of 32 games in the space of 113 days.

Our success in various competitions produced a schedule of 2 games a week in that 16 week period. And looking at the line-ups over that period it was the sheer consistency, and very few changes, were were not only the key but also a real testament to the staying power of the players throughout. Taking aside the very occasional appearances in the Auto Windscreens Trophy of Neil Edwards; Martin Nash, Matthew Bound and Adie Mike, we got used to seeing a virtually unchanged team.

Dave Jones bolstered things for the run-in. Making his debut in the Auto Windscreens Trophy Northern Final second leg against Carlisle was Kevin Cooper, signed on loan from Derby. He was to make a permanent move in the summer, and played an integral part in the first couple of seasons in the second Tier. Coming off the bench in that game was Gordon Cowans, and the third incomer made his debut a few days later. It was our Wembley nemesis from 1992, Ken Charlery. The new blood gave us a second wind, and the last 12 league games saw 7 wins and 3 draws. I don’t think that anybody who watched that team is under any illusion that without the fixture pile up caused by progress in the cup competitions, we would have been champions.

Promotion was achieved on that memorable night at Chesterfield, more fully described in the piece on Saltergate. Going into the last day, away at Luton, we were level on points with Bury and in second place by virtue of an slightly inferior goal difference. We had to better Bury’s result to take the title, but as news came through that the Shakers were ahead against Millwall the anticipation of silverware was replaced by a celebration of promotion into Division 1, as the game against Luton petered out into a goalless draw. It was a good summer as we looked forward to competing in the second tier of English football for the first time in 71 years. It would be a completely new experience for all but a small handful of County followers.

The summer saw more than a few changes. Southampton had parted company with Graeme Souness after a pretty undistinguished season, brightened only by the Ali Dia episode. (Check the link – it’s quite unbelievable). The Saints must have been impressed with Dave Jones, (left), after the Hatters dumped them out of the League Cup, and moved swiftly to appoint him.

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He left after being in charge for 131 games, (63 of which were wins; 36 were draws and only 32 defeats); delivering us promotion and a run to the semi-final of the League Cup which captured the attention of the nation. It had been a tremendous period , and one that will never ever be forgotten by those who witnessed it. Sadly, for us anyway, Paul Jones and Lee Todd followed him, and it began the break up of that 1996/97 team as Chris Marsden left for Birmingham in the autumn, (later joining up with Jones at The Dell).

Gary Megson took Jones place, making the short trip from Blackpool. He brought some new players in – Ian Gray, the replacement for Jones came from Rochdale; Lee Richardson, (on loan from Oldham); and Vasilios Kalegeracos, purportedly a striker, from Australian football. None of these made any real impact, with only the other addition, Colin Woodthorpe, (from Aberdeen), having any sort of meaningful County career.

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I’VE WAITED ALL MY LIFE FOR THIS!! © Richard Harnwell!

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Expectation was high as we made the short trip to Valley Parade on the opening day. We were on holiday on the east coast that week, and I was dropped off on the return trip, and met up with Jeff Lawrenson and Arthur Brotherton in the ‘Rooley Moor’ just off the M606 turn off. It was a dismal start as we went down 2-1, following that with a defeat at Mansfield in the League Cup, a tie which was to see a quite remarkable return leg at EP, (check the video in the list below!).

The first seven games brought a meagre return of 3 points and there were more than a few wondering whether Megson was the right man, or alternatively that the second tier was a step too far. Megson rang the changes, signing experienced keeper Eric Nixon, unearthing a gem in Martin McIntosh, (£80,000 from Hamilton) and paying a then club record for midfielder Paul Cook from Tranmere. Things changed around on the field and the next 18 games up to the New Year saw 11 wins. We climbed the table, and the great day in all of this was on Saturday 29th November.

Games against Manchester City had been few and far between in County’s history. A League Cup game at Maine Road in 1960, and prior to that the previous game had been back in 1910 in the Second Division. Since 1960 City had played a few friendlies at EP, playing the part of the avuncular neighbour, and if some of their adherents are to be believed saving us from oblivion.

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Whatever the case when the fixtures were announced everybody was looking forward to their visit. And if anticipation was rife then it had changed to delirium 31 minutes into the game. One of the greatest moments in all of the time I have followed County. It was the first in a number of victories over them – all charted in “City, City What’s the Score”

The first half of the season had proved, after a rocky start, that we could compete at this level, and we ended the year at home with a 3-0 win over the Vale. Simon Travis came off the bench and scored twice, the only goals of his County career. We were 8th in the table, and looking forward to 1998 with anticipation.

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Back to 1996 Forward to 1998 Home Games Summary Page Away Games 1997

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THE HOME GAMES I SAW THIS YEAR

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Day	Date	Competition	Tier / Round	Opponents	Res	F	A	Crowd	Home Game
Sat	18/01/97 (Highlights)	Nationwide Football League – Division 2	Tier 3	Millwall	W	5	1	7,502	530
Wed	22/01/97 (Highlights)	Coca-Cola Cup	Quarter Final	Southampton	D	2	2	9,840	531
Sat	01/02/97	Nationwide Football League – Division 2	Tier 3	Brentford	L	1	2	8,650	532
Sat	15/02/97	Nationwide Football League – Division 2	Tier 3	Shrewsbury Town	W	3	1	6,712	533
Wed	26/02/97 (Highlights)	Coca-Cola Cup	Semi-Final (1st Leg)	Middlesbrough	L	0	2	11,778	534
Sat	01/03/97	Nationwide Football League – Division 2	Tier 3	Rotherham United	D	0	0	6,147	535
Sat	08/03/97 (Highlights)	Nationwide Football League – Division 2	Tier 3	Bury	W	2	1	8,170	536
Tue	25/03/97 (Highlights)	Auto Windscreens Trophy	Northern Final (2nd Leg)	Carlisle United	D	0	0	8,594	537
Sat	29/03/97	Nationwide Football League – Division 2	Tier 3	Crewe Alexandra	W	1	0	7,411	538
Sat	05/04/97	Nationwide Football League – Division 2	Tier 3	Bristol Rovers	W	1	0	5,689	539
Sat	12/04/97 (Highlights)	Nationwide Football League – Division 2	Tier 3	Burnley	W	1	0	9,187	540
Mon	14/04/97	Nationwide Football League – Division 2	Tier 3	Watford	W	1	0	7,164	541
Tue	22/04/97 (Highlights)	Nationwide Football League – Division 2	Tier 3	York City	W	2	1	6,654	542
Sat	26/04/97	Nationwide Football League – Division 2	Tier 3	Wycombe Wanderers	W	2	1	9,463	543
Sat	16/08/97	Nationwide Football League – Division 1	Tier 2	Bury	D	0	0	7,260	544
Tue	26/08/97 (Highlights)	Coca-Cola Cup	Round 1 (2nd Leg)	Mansfield Town	W	6	3	2,840	545
Fri	29/08/97	Nationwide Football League – Division 1	Tier 2	Birmingham City	D	2	2	6,260	546
Tue	02/09/97 (Highlights)	Nationwide Football League – Division 1	Tier 2	Middlesbrough	D	1	1	8,257	547
Sat	20/09/97 (Highlights)	Nationwide Football League – Division 1	Tier 2	Huddersfield Town	W	3	0	6,995	548
Tue	23/09/97	Coca-Cola Cup	Round 2 (2nd Leg)	Birmingham City	W	2	1	2,074	549
Sat	04/10/97	Nationwide Football League – Division 1	Tier 2	Portsmouth	W	3	1	7,824	550
Sat	11/10/97 (Highlights)	Nationwide Football League – Division 1	Tier 2	Oxford United	W	3	2	7,333	551
Sat	25/10/97 (Highlights)	Nationwide Football League – Division 1	Tier 2	Wolverhampton Wanderers	W	1	0	9,804	552
Sat	01/11/97	Nationwide Football League – Division 1	Tier 2	Sunderland	D	1	1	9,473	553
Sat	15/11/97 (Highlights)	Nationwide Football League – Division 1	Tier 2	Swindon Town	W	4	2	7,694	554
Sat	29/11/97 (Highlights)	Nationwide Football League – Division 1	Tier 2	Manchester City	W	3	1	11,351	555
Sat	13/12/97 (Highlights)	Nationwide Football League – Division 1	Tier 2	Tranmere Rovers	W	3	1	7,903	556
Fri	26/12/97 (Highlights)	Nationwide Football League – Division 1	Tier 2	Port Vale	W	3	0	10,003	557