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1995-96 in English football
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The 1995-1996 season was the 116th season of competitive football in England.
astle United were 12 points clear at the top of Manchester United, but Alex Ferguson's relatively young and inexperienced side overhauled them during the second half of the season to win the title.
Manchester United were England's entrants for the European Cup, while Newcastle United were joined in the UEFA Cup by Liverpool, Aston Villa (League Cup winners) and Arsenal.
Going down were Manchester City, Queens Park Rangers and Bolton Wanderers.
lass="link1" onMouseover='showByLink("m6331130",this)' onMouseout='hide("m6331130")'href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Sunderland_A.F.C.">Sunderland A.F.C. and Derby County both returned to the Premiership after a five-year exile, joined by Division One playoff winners Leicester City.
Watford F.C. and Luton Town, who had both been established top division sides a decade earlier, were relegated to the league's third tier after enduring a terrible season.
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Encyclopedia
The 1995-1996 season was the 116th season of competitive football in England.
Overview
Premiership
Newcastle United were 12 points clear at the top of Manchester United, but Alex Ferguson's relatively young and inexperienced side overhauled them during the second half of the season to win the title.
Manchester United were England's entrants for the European Cup, while Newcastle United were joined in the UEFA Cup by Liverpool, Aston Villa (League Cup winners) and Arsenal.
Going down were Manchester City, Queens Park Rangers and Bolton Wanderers.
Division One
Sunderland A.F.C. and Derby County both returned to the Premiership after a five-year exile, joined by Division One playoff winners Leicester City.
Watford F.C. and Luton Town, who had both been established top division sides a decade earlier, were relegated to the league's third tier after enduring a terrible season. On the last day of the season they were joined by Millwall, who had been top of the division five months earlier but slumped dramatically after Mick McCarthy's departure for the Republic of Ireland manager's job.
Division Two
Swindon Town returned to Division One at the first attempt after lifting the Division Two championship trophy. They were joined by runners-up Oxford United, who were enjoying their first successful season since the mid 1980s, and playoff winners Bradford City.
Going down were Carlisle United, Swansea City (who got through five managers in a season), Brighton & Hove Albion (sinking further into a financial crisis) and Hull City.
Division Three
Preston North End, Gillingham, Bury F.C. and playoff winners Plymouth Argyle won promotion to Division Two.
Torquay United finished bottom of Division Three, having won just five games all season, but were saved from demotion because Conference champions Stevenage Borough did not meet the league's required minimum stadium capacity.
Successful managers
Alex Ferguson guided Manchester United to a unique second double of the league title and FA Cup.
Brian Little completed his impressive rebuilding of Aston Villa by guiding them to glory in the League Cup as well as a fourth place finish in the Premiership.
Peter Reid brought some long-awaited success to Sunderland A.F.C. as they finished champions of Division One and won promotion to the Premiership.
Experienced manager Jim Smith achieved another managerial success by winning promotion to the Premiership with Derby County.
Martin O'Neill achieved his third promotion in four seasons by winning promotion to the Premiership with Leicester City.
Steve McMahon succeeded in getting Swindon Town back into Division One at the first attempt as they were crowned champions of Division Two.
Dennis Smith built on the success he achieved earlier in his career (with York City and later Sunderland A.F.C.) by gaining promotion to Division One with Oxford United.
Gary Peters had a dream start to his reign as Preston North End manager as they were crowned champions of Division Three.
Stan Ternent finally enjoyed some success in his long management and coaching career by winning promotion to Division Two with Bury.
Neil Warnock achieved the fifth promotion of his managerial career (and his fourth via the playoffs) by winning the Division Three playoffs with Plymouth Argyle.
Succesful Players
Alan Shearer topped the Premiership scoring charts with the highest number of goals in the league charted at the time, with 31. Shearer was followed closely by Robbie Fowler on 28, Ian Wright and Dwight Yorke.
Steve McManaman led the assists chart with 25 assists this season, also a new record for the league.
Eric Cantona was awarded the Football Writers' Player of the Year, the PFA Player of the Year for his comeback and galvanising influence over a successful young Manchester United side.
Events
Double double delight for United
Manchester United made history as the first English club to repeat the double of the league title and FA Cup. The triumph was made all the more incredible by the fact that manager Alex Ferguson had sold key players Paul Ince, Mark Hughes and Andrei Kanchelskis before the start of the season, and not bought any new players. Instead he placed his faith in young players like Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, David Beckham, Gary Neville and Phil Neville, who fitted in well with a team still containing more experienced players like Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister and Eric Cantona.
United's title dreams looked dead come Christmas as they trailed Newcastle United by 12 points. On 27 December they beat Newcastle 2-0 to cut the gap to seven points, but a 1-0 win at St James's Park on 4 March cut the gap to a single point. A 1-1 draw at QPR the following weekend put United on top of the Premiership and they remained at the top for the rest of the season. On the final day of the season they confirmed their status as Premiership champions for the third time in four seasons thanks to a 3-0 away win over Middlesbrough F.C. - managed by former United captain Bryan Robson.
Eric Cantona, who returned from his suspension in style to spearhead United's chase for trophies, was voted FWA Player of the Year as the press who had vilified him for the previous season's Selhurst Park incident came to applaud him for his brilliance on the pitch.
On 11 May, United faced Liverpool in the FA Cup final at Wembley. A late goal from Eric Cantona saw United make history and lift the FA Cup as England's first 'double double' winners.
Venables out, Hoddle in
Terry Venables announced in January that he would not be continuing as England manager after the 1996 European Championships, so the F.A began their hunt for his successor. The likes of Alex Ferguson, Howard Kendall, Steve Coppell, Gerry Francis and Kevin Keegan were all linked with the job, but all quickly ruled themselves out either because of club commitments or a lack of experience.
In the end, Chelsea manager Glenn Hoddle (aged 39) agreed to take charge of the England team on a four-year contract. Hoddle's successor at Chelsea was the 33-year-old Dutch legend Ruud Gullit.
Euro 96: So close for England
England hosted the 1996 European Championships - for the first time in the history of the competition. They went through to the quarter finals after drawing with Switzerland and beating Scotland and Holland in the group stages. The score with Spain was 0-0 in the quarter finals but England went through on penalties. An Alan Shearer goal gave them an early lead over Germany in the semi finals, but the Germans pulled a goal back to force extra time and England's hopes of glory were ended when they lost the inevitable penalty shoot-out. Germany went on to beat Czech Republic 2-1 in the final.
Europe runs rings around England
English clubs endured a tough time in European competition during 1995-96. Manchester United, Liverpool and Leeds United suffered early exits from the UEFA Cup, while Blackburn Rovers were eliminated from the Champions League at the group stages and Everton were dumped out of the Cup Winners Cup in the Second Round. That left Nottingham Forest as the only English club still in Europe after Christmas.
Forest took on Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup quarter finals and lost 2-1 away and looking good on the return leg with an away goal in hand. However, Jürgen Klinsmann was the driving force in the German side's triumph as they trounced Forest 5-1 at the City ground and went on to win the competition.
Bosman ruling throws transfer market into chaos
A legal challenge in the European Court of Human Rights by little-known Belgian midfielder Jean-Marc Bosman gave out-of-contract players aged 23 or above the right to become free agents and move to other clubs for no fee. There was widespread controversy following the announcement, as many clubs feared that they would lose expensively signed players for nothing. The Bosman Ruling also saw an end to the three foreigner rule which restricted teams to fielding a maximum of three players born outside the country that they were employed in. In the Premiership, the limit of three foreigners in a match squad had covered Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish players. But the Bosman ruling allowed clubs in EU countries to field an unlimited number of players who were of EU nationalities, although they were still restricted to fielding 3 players of non-EU nationalities.
Bob Paisley dies
Bob Paisley, who won a record total of 21 trophies during his reign as Liverpool manager (1974 until 1983), died on 14 February at the age of 77. His success, which included six league titles and three European Cups, was all the more amazing because he had not originally wanted to take over as manager. On his promotion from the coaching staff to the manager's seat, Paisley (55 at the time) had tried to persuade his predecessor Bill Shankly to carry on. But Paisley eventually agreed to take over as manager and established himself as a world class manager. After retiring, he remained at the club as a director and later president.
Honours
English national team
League tables
FA Carling Premiership
A blend of experience and youth were the winning formula for Manchester United as they overhauled Newcastle United's lead during the second half of the season to clinch the Premiership title, and then they won the FA Cup to complete a unique repeat of the double. Aston Villa made huge progress by finishing fourth and winning the Coca-Cola Cup. Liverpool continued to show signs of a return to their former glory by attaining third spot in the Premiership and runners-up spot in the FA Cup. Arsenal built the foundations for a revival by finishing fifth and coming within a goal of reaching the Coca-Cola Cup final.
FA Cup winners Everton failed to retain their silverware but progressed well in the league and sixth place was just a narrow miss in their quest for a UEFA Cup place.
Blackburn Rovers never looked like retaining their league title, but excellent late-season form saw them climb to seventh and only their dismal start to the season deprived them of European qualification.
Nottingham Forest attained a respectable ninth place finish and were the only English side to progress to the last eight of any of the European competitions.
Bolton Wanderers, Queen's Park Rangers and Manchester City were the unlucky sides who could not escape relegation, while Coventry City and Southampton stayed up on goal difference.
| Key |
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| Qualified for the Champions League | | Qualified for the UEFA Cup | | Qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup | | Relegated to Division One |
Endsleigh League Division One
Sunderland gave their best performance in years by clinching the Division One title, and were joining among the elite by runners-up Derby County and playoff winners Leicester City. Crystal Palace fell victim to a last-minute Leicester winner at Wembley, and would have gone up automatically had it not been for their dismal first half of the season.
Luton Town, Watford and Millwall, who had all played in the top flight at some stage in the last nine seasons, went down to Division Two. Oldham Athletic narrowly avoided a second relegation in three seasons, while Wolverhampton Wanderers finished a disappointing 20th and the last safe place was secured by Portsmouth.
See also: Play-off results
| Key |
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| Promoted to the Premiership | | Qualified for the promotion playoff | | Relegated to Division Two |
NB In the Football League goals scored (F) takes precedence over goal difference
Endsleigh League Division Two
Swindon Town secured an immediate return to Division One by winning the Division Two title. They were joined by local rivals and runners-up Oxford United, while the final promotion place went to playoff winners Bradford City whose Wembley glory gave Chris Kamara a dream start in management.
Blackpool, who missed out on automatic promotion by one place, attained their highest league finish for more than 20 years but a playoff semi-final failure cost them a place in Division One and cost Sam Allardyce his job.
Carlisle United, Swansea City, Brighton & Hove Albion and Hull City were relegated to Division Three.
See also: Play-off results
| Key |
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| Promoted to Division One | | Qualified for the promotion playoff | | Relegated to Division Three |
NB In the Football League goals scored (F) takes precedence over goal difference
Endsleigh League Division Three
Preston North End got on the right path towards better days by sealing the Division Three title. Joining them in Division Two were runners-up Gillingham, third placed Bury and playoff winners Plymouth Argyle.
Torquay United finished bottom of the league by quite a margin, but avoided relegation because Conference champions Stevenage Borough did not meet the required Football League stadium capacity standards.
See also: Play-off results
| Key |
|---|
| Promoted to Division Two | | Qualified for the promotion playoff |
NB In the Football League goals scored (F) takes precedence over goal difference
Diary of the season
12 July 1995 - George Graham is banned from football for a year as punishment for accepting illegal payments, which cost him his job as Arsenal manager five months ago.
17 July 1995 - Mike Naylor, chairman and founder of Football League sponsors Endsleigh Insurance, dies in Southern France when his Bentley crashes into a tree.
24 July 1995 - Footballers Bruce Grobelaar, Hans Segers and John Fashanu are charged with being involved in match-fixing and bribery.
5 August 1995 - Middlesbrough, newly promoted to the Premier League, pay a club record £5.25million for Tottenham forward Nick Barmby.
8 August 1995 - Eric Cantona announces his intention to depart from English football, but Manchester United refuse to terminate his contract.
10 August 1995 - Eric Cantona changes his mind and announces his intention to stay at Manchester United after a discussion with manager Alex Ferguson.
19 August 1995 - The FA Premier League season kicks off with Middlesbrough playing in the new Riverside Stadium (the first new top division stadium since 1923), while a Manchester United side predominantly made up of young players suffers a 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa.
24 August 1995 - Everton pay a club record £5million for Manchester United winger Andrei Kanchelskis, who agreed to join the club weeks ago but his transfer was delayed due to legal difficulties.
31 August 1995 - August draws to a close with Newcastle United top of the Premier League having won all three of their games so far, ahead of Leeds United and Manchester United on goal difference. Meanwhile, the three relegation places are currently occupied by winless Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur as well as pointless Southampton.
20 September 1995 - York City achieve a shock 3-0 away win over an under-strength Manchester United side in the League Cup second round second leg.
23 September 1995 - Long-serving Rangers striker Mark Hateley is transferred to FA Premier League strugglers Queens Park Rangers.
30 September 1995 - Newcastle United remain top of the Premier League with seven wins from their opening eight games, while Aston Villa are their nearest contenders but will be leapfrogged into second place if Manchester United beat Liverpool tomorrow in a much-anticipated game that sees the long-awaited return of Eric Cantona. Meanwhile, Manchester City prop up the top flight with just one point from their first eight games, while Southampton have climbed slightly to the highest relegation place and Bolton Wanderers have fallen to second from bottom after a reasonably good start to their first top flight campaign in 16 years.
1 October 1995 - Eric Cantona returns from his 8-month suspension and scores late equaliser in a 2-2 home draw with Liverpool.
11 October 1995 - Everton striker Duncan Ferguson is sentenced to 3 months in prison for assault over his headbutt on Raith Rovers player John McStay while playing for Glasgow Rangers 18 months ago. He is the first footballer in British history to be sent to prison for an on-field offence, an unwanted milestone which Eric Cantona escaped on appeal earlier this year.
15 October 1995 - Bryan Robson pulls off one of the biggest surprises of 1995 by signing Brazilian midfielder Juninho, currently one of the most sought-after talents in world football, in a £4.75million deal.
30 October 1995 - 31-year-old striker John McGinlay scores for struggling Bolton Wanderers as they achieve a surprise 1-0 home win over Arsenal.
31 October 1995 - October draws to a close with Newcastle United still top, but with a one-point and one-game advantage over their nearest contenders Manchester United who are continuing to impress with Eric Cantona back from his suspension and spearheading an exciting side featuring several talented young players. Blackburn Rovers, however, are still only 11th in the league and 13 points adrift of the top place that they need to gain if the Premier League trophy is to remain at Ewood Park. The relegation battle features Manchester City still bottom of the table and winless after 11 games, with Bolton Wanderers and Southampton also in the bottom three. FA Cup holders Everton are continuing to struggle in the league, being just two points and two places clear of the drop zone.
11 November 1995 - The first round of the FA Cup produces some memorable results. Northern Premier League side Marine go to Shrewsbury Town (Division Two) with hopes of performing a giant-killing feat, but end up on the receiving end of Shrewsbury's biggest-ever win of 11-2. Division Two crisis club Swansea City are thrashed 7-0 by Division Three Fulham at Craven Cottage. Another Division Two club, Bradford City, fight off a brave challenge from non-league Burton Albion to win 4-3 at Valley Parade. Hitchin Town pull off perhaps the biggest upset on the round by defeating Bristol Rovers 2-1 at Top Field. Dorchester Town's hopes of a giant-killing act against Oxford United at the Manor Ground are swiftly blown apart in a 9-1 defeat.
13 November 1995 - Former England manager Graham Taylor resigns after 20 months in charge of Wolverhampton Wanderers, who began the season as Division One promotion favourites but currently stand 19th in the table. High profile names including Steve Bruce, Kenny Dalglish and even Brian Clough are linked with the Molineux job.
24 November 1995 - The FA Premier League's foreign legion continues to expand with 26-year-old Swedish striker Tomas Brolin signing for Leeds United from Parma. On the same day, Everton striker Duncan Ferguson is released from prison after serving 44 days of his three-month sentence for assault.
30 November 1995 - November draws to a close with Newcastle United now leading by five points but Manchester United still pushing them hard after a generally good month which saw two comprehensive victories over Chelsea and Southampton. Manchester City have climbed off bottom place and out of the relegation zone with their first three wins of the season, while Bolton Wanderers, Coventry City and Queen's Park Rangers occupy the bottom three places. It is familiar ground for Coventry City, while a struggle is inevitable for Bolton Wanderers as it's their first top division campaign since 1979-80, but these are unfamiliar surroundings for a Queen's Park Rangers side who have never finished below ninth in their previous three top division campaigns but are now feeling the absence of Les Ferdinand who is now banging in goals at an impressive rate with top-of-the-table Newcastle United.
9 December 1995 - Defending Premier League champions Blackburn Rovers suffer a shock 5-0 defeat at Coventry City, while in Division One Sunderland go top after beating previous leaders Millwall 6-0 at Roker Park.
12 December 1995 - Dave Bassett, the fifth longest serving manager in the English league, resigns as manager of Division One strugglers Sheffield United. On the same day, one of the highest scoring competitive games of the season sees Walsall defeat Torquay United 8-4 in the FA Cup second round replay at Bescot Stadium that followed a 1-1 draw in the first match at Plainmoor 10 days ago.
17 December 1995 - Blackburn Rovers left-back Graeme Le Saux is ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a serious ankle fracture in a 1-0 home win over Middlesbrough in the FA Premier League.
24 December 1995 - Newcastle United maintain their 10-point lead at the top of the FA Premier League after the nearest contenders Manchester United lose 3-1 at Leeds United.
27 December 1995 - Manchester United cut the gap at the top of the FA Premier League to 7 points with a 2-0 home win over leaders Newcastle United.
30 December 1995 - Manchester United cut the gap at the top to 4 points with a 2-1 win over QPR.
31 December 1995 - 1995 ends with Newcastle United's lead cut from 10 points to four in the space of a week by a resurgent Manchester United, although Kevin Keegan's men still have a game in hand. Manchester City, Queen's Park Rangers and Bolton Wanderers occupy the three relegation places, with Southampton and Coventry City directly above them. Back at the top end of the table, Liverpool are proving the strongest threat to the top two, while Tottenham Hotspur's good run of form is starting to suggest that they might pose a threat in the title race. Also in contention are Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough.
1 January 1996 - Manchester United suffer their heaviest Premier League defeat yet when they lose 4-1 at Tottenham, four years to the day that they suffer a similar humiliation at home to QPR in the last season of the pre-Premiership First Division. The gap between themselves and Newcastle United is now seven points wide.
2 January 1996 - Roy McFarland is sacked as manager of Bolton Wanderers, bottom of the FA Premier League, who promote his assistant Colin Todd to the manager's seat.
6 January 1996 - Ian Rush breaks Denis Law's goalscoring record in the FA Cup with two goals for Liverpool in their 7-0 win over Rochdale in the third round, while an 80th minute goal from Eric Cantona forces a 2-2 draw for Sunderland in a scare for Manchester United against the Wearsiders at Old Trafford.
10 January 1996 - Terry Venables announces that he will quit as England manager after Euro 96.
15 January 1996 - Bryan Robson, Middlesbrough F.C. manager and England assistant manager, is rumoured by the media to be in line to succeed Terry Venables as England manager after Euro 96.
16 January 1996 - Sunderland's battle with Manchester United in the FA Cup third round ends in the replay at Roker Park after late goals from Nicky Butt and Andy Cole give United a 2-1 win.
17 January 1996 - One of the most surprising results of the FA Cup third round sees Sheffield United eliminate Arsenal with a 1-0 replay win at Bramall Lane in which out-of-favour Carl Veart is the unlikely hero with the winning goal.
27 January 1993 - Reading's hopes of achieving a giant-killing feat against Manchester United in the FA Cup third round are quickly blown apart when United win 3-0 at Elm Park. Among the scorers is Paul Parker, scoring only his second goal for the club and making a rare appearance as he has been displaced by Gary Neville as United's first choice right-back over the last two seasons.
31 January 1996 - January draws to a close with Newcastle United still top and with a nine-point lead over Manchester United as well as a game in hand. The threat from Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur is becoming increasingly distant, while Aston Villa have muscled in on the top five and are also making good progress in both of the cups. Manchester City, Queen's Park Rangers and Bolton Wanderers continue to prop up the rest of the Premier League while Middlesbrough's recent slip has seen alarm bells ringing in the direction of relegation when a month ago they were pushing for a top-five place.
8 February 1996 - The Department of Employment refuses to issue work permits to Marc Hottiger (who has agreed a deal to move from Newcastle United to Everton F.C.) and Ilie Dumitrescu (who has agreed a deal to move from Tottenham Hotspur to West Ham).
14 February 1996 - Former Liverpool manager Bob Paisley dies aged 77 four years after announcing that he had Alzheimer's disease. On the same day, Liverpool's neighbours Everton surrender their defence of the FA Cup with a fourth round replay shock defeat at the hands of Port Vale, while West Ham United's FA Cup dreams are ended with a 3-0 hammering at the hands of Division One underdogs Grimsby Town.
28 February 1996 - Swindon Town and Huddersfield Town, the last remaining non Premier League teams in the FA Cup, are defeated in fifth round replays, meaning that the quarter-finals will be a rare case of a top flight only affair.
29 February 1996 - February draws to a close with Newcastle United still top, but a few missed opportunities from them and a run of strong results from Manchester United has cut the gap at the top to just four points, and all eyes are on next week's showdown between the top two on Tyneside, which is billed by many as the "title decider". Meanwhile, Liverpool's good form has kept them in line with the top two. Bolton Wanderers are still bottom with a mere 16 points and a 6-0 destruction by Manchester United leaving their Premier League survival looking less and likely. Manchester City and Queen's Park Rangers are faring little better, while Southampton, Wimbledon and Coventry City are only clear of the drop zone because they have a better goal difference than Manchester City.
4 March 1996 - Manchester United cut Newcastle United's FA Premier League lead to a single point thanks to an Eric Cantona goal in a 1-0 win at St James's Park.
7 March 1996 - Marc Hottiger and Ilie Dumitrescu finally receive the necessary work permits to complete their long-awaited transfers.
11 March 1996 - Manchester United remain in line for a unique second double by defeating Southampton 2-0 in the FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford.
17 March 1996 - Manchester United go top of the FA Premier League with a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
24 March 1996 - Aston Villa defeat Leeds United 3-0 in the Football League Cup final.
31 March 1996 - March draws to a close with Manchester United as leaders with a three-point margin over Newcastle United who have two games in hand, while Liverpool - like Manchester United - are still in contention for a unique second double, though with a far steeper task ahead of them. Aston Villa's FA Cup semi-final defeat to Liverpool has put paid to any hopes they might have had of a unique domestic treble, but at least their boardroom already has the League Cup on display and they are still within a shout of the league title. Arsenal have edged their local rivals Tottenham Hotspur out of the top five, while at the other end of the table Bolton Wanderers and Queen's Park Rangers have recently enjoyed a slight improvement to keep their survival hopes alive (though they continue to prop up the rest of the top flight), while Manchester City have climbed out of the drop zone at the expense of Southampton.
4 April 1996 - Liverpool and Newcastle United play out the match of the season in a 4-3 thriller at Anfield.
12 April 1996 - John Aldridge, 37, is appointed player-manager of Tranmere Rovers after John King's nine-year reign as manager came to an end.
20 April 1996 - Sunderland win promotion to the Premier League, meaning they will be playing the top division against both Middlesbrough and Newcastle United next season - for the first time since the 1970s.
30 April 1996 - With most clubs just having one game left to play in the Premier League, April draws to a close with Manchester United firm favourites for the title with a six-point advantage over Newcastle United, who have two games in hand and are now the only team able to prevent them from winning the first half of a unique second double. Aston Villa are now assured of a top-five finish, with the final UEFA Cup place now down to Arsenal, Everton, Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur. Queen's Park Rangers and Bolton Wanderers have had their relegation confirmed, while the final place is down to Wimbledon, Sheffield Wednesday, Coventry City, Southampton and Manchester City.
1 May 1996 - Chelsea boss Glenn Hoddle agrees to become England manager on a four-year contract after the European Football Championships.
5 May 1996 - Manchester United clinch the FA Premier League title with a 3-0 away win over Middlesbrough on the final day of the season. They also clinch a place in the European Cup. The UEFA Cup places go to Newcastle United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa. Going down to Division One are Manchester City, Queens Park Rangers and Bolton Wanderers.
11 May 1996 - Manchester United become the first English team to repeat the 'double' (and do so with a similar squad to the 1994 side) when a late Eric Cantona goal gives them a 1-0 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup final. Ian Rush has to settle for an FA Cup runners-up medal in his final game as a Liverpool player, having collected winner's medals in 1986, 1989 and 1992.
1 June 1996 - Ian Rush leaves Liverpool after two spells (the first of which began in 1980, the second of which began in 1988) and joins Leeds United on a free transfer.
25 June 1996 - England bow out of Euro 96 in the semi-final, a Gareth Southgate penalty miss putting them out after a 1-1 draw with Germany.
30 June 1996 - Euro 96 is won by Germany, who beat Czech Republic 2-1 at Wembley with Oliver Bierhoff scoring both of his country's goals.
Transfer deals
For subsequent transfer deals see 1996-97 in English football.
Deaths
- August 1995 – Dennis Allen, 56, was a former player of Charlton Athletic, Reading and Portsmouth. He was a member of a strong footballing family, being the father of Martin Allen and the uncle of Paul Allen, Clive Allen and Bradley Allen.
- 23 August 1995 – Johnny Carey, 76, former Manchester United defender and Republic of Ireland international. Won the league in 1952, and the FA Cup in 1948. Later managed a number of clubs, including Blackburn Rovers, Everton, Leyton Orient and Nottingham Forest.
- 14 September 1995 – Harold Shepherdson, 76, longtime assistant coach for the England national team, a role he held during England's 1966 World Cup victory.
- 21 September 1995 – Michael Millett, 17, Wigan Athletic defender, died in a car crash one day before his 18th birthday. Had played three times for his club and was tipped by many to reach the highest level.
- 25 September 1995 – Dave Bowen, 67, former Arsenal and Northampton Town defender, who won 19 caps for Wales and represented his country at the 1958 World Cup. Later became Northampton's most successful manager of all time, guiding the Cobblers from the fourth to the first division in four seasons.
- 28 September 1995 – Albert Johanneson, 55, South African winger who played for Leeds United during the 1960s and played in their first league championship winning team in 1969. Moved to York City a year later. Died alone at his tower block flat in Leeds.
- 25 November 1995 – Alan Nicholls, 22, former Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper, was killed in a motorcycle crash near Peterborough which also claimed the life of the motorcyclist whose motorcycle he was a passenger on. At the time of his death, was playing for Stalybridge Celtic in the Conference after a brief spell at Gillingham.
- 13 January 1996 – Bobby Langton, 77, former Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End left-winger who also won 11 caps for England.
- 16 January 1996 – Harry Potts, 75, former Burnley player and manager. Played 165 league games for the Charets between 1946 and 1950, and was appointed manager in 1958, a post he held until 1970, winning the 1959-60 league title. He also had a second spell as Burnley manager between 1977 and 1979.
- 9 February 1996 – Neil Franklin, 74, an outstanding centre-half with Stoke City, winning 27 England caps. In 1950, he agreed to join Santa Fé of the non-FIFA sanctioned Colombian league where he would allegedly receive "ten times his English wages", but returned to England disillusioned and never played top-flight football again.
- 14 February 1996 – Bob Paisley, 77, legendary former Liverpool manager who won a total of 21 prizes between 1974 and 1983, and had previously been employed by the club as a player and later as a coach. At the time of his death he was still the most successful manager in English football.
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