1996–97 FA Women's Premier League

FA Women's Premier League
National Division
Season	1996–97
Champions	Arsenal; 3rd title
Relegated	Southampton Saints; Ilkeston Town
Matches played	90
Goals scored	318 (3.53 per match)
Top goalscorer	Joanne Broadhurst (21)
Biggest home win	Arsenal 7–0 Southampton Saints (3 November 1996)
Biggest away win	Southampton Saints 0–9 Arsenal (26 January 1997)
Highest scoring	Everton 7–3 Ilkeston Town; (13 April 1997)
Longest unbeaten run	Arsenal (17)
	← 1995–96 1997–98 →

FA Women's Premier League
Season	1996–97
	← 1995–96 1997–98 →

The 1996–97 FA Women's Premier League season was the 6th season of the FA Women's Premier League.^[1]^[2]^[3]

National Division

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Arsenal (C)	18	16	1	1	65	9	+56	49
2	Doncaster Belles	18	13	2	3	44	15	+29	41
3	Croydon	18	9	4	5	39	26	+13	31
4	Liverpool	18	9	3	6	30	16	+14	30
5	Millwall Lionesses	18	7	6	5	20	19	+1	27
6	Everton	18	8	3	7	36	36	0	27
7	Wembley	18	6	4	8	26	27	−1	22
8	Tranmere Rovers	18	3	3	12	23	48	−25	12
9	Southampton Saints (R)	18	3	0	15	16	61	−45	9	Relegation to the Southern Division
10	Ilkeston Town (R)	18	1	4	13	14	56	−42	7	Relegation to the Northern Division

Source: FA WPL
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated

Home \ Away	ARS	DON	CRO	LIV	MIL	EVE	WEM	TRA	SOU	ILK
Arsenal	—	3–2	2–1	3–0	6–0	4–1	3–0	4–2	7–0	4–0
Doncaster Belles	1–0	—	4–1	1–0	0–1	0–0	1–0	5–1	6–0	4–1
Croydon	0–2	5–2	—	1–0	2–1	2–2	2–3	3–3	2–0	6–0
Liverpool	0–2	1–2	4–1	—	0–0	2–0	3–1	1–0	1–0	0–0
Millwall Lionesses	0–4	0–0	0–0	0–2	—	3–0	1–1	5–0	2–1	0–0
Everton	1–5	0–4	1–1	3–1	1–0	—	1–3	4–0	4–1	7–3
Wembley	1–1	0–1	0–3	1–1	0–2	2–1	—	1–3	0–2	0–0
Tranmere Rovers	0–3	1–3	2–4	0–5	1–1	1–2	1–3	—	4–1	1–1
Southampton Saints	0–9	1–4	0–2	1–6	0–2	2–5	0–3	1–0	—	2–3
Ilkeston Town	0–3	0–4	0–3	0–3	1–2	2–3	1–7	1–3	1–4	—

Source: FA WPL
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Rank	Scorer	Club	Goals
1	Joanne Broadhurst	Arsenal	21
2	Karen Walker	Doncaster Belles	18
3	Kerry Davis	Croydon	13
4	Louise Thomas	Everton	12
5	Vicky Exley	Doncaster Belles	11
	Andrea McGrady	Everton	11
	Kelly Smith	Arsenal	11
6	Hope Powell	Croydon	10
6	Marieanne Spacey	Arsenal	10
7	Sue Smith	Tranmere Rovers	9
8	Karen Burke	Liverpool	8
8	Shirley Oakford	Liverpool	8
9	Kara Reynolds	Arsenal	7
9	Rachel Yankey	Arsenal	7

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Bradford City (C, P)	16	15	0	1	56	13	+43	45	Promotion to the National Division
2	Aston Villa	16	12	1	3	50	15	+35	37
3	Blyth Spartans Kestrels	16	9	2	5	40	25	+15	29
4	Huddersfield Town	16	8	3	5	37	32	+5	27
5	Wolverhampton Wanderers	16	7	1	8	30	29	+1	22
6	Sheffield Wednesday	16	4	4	8	25	36	−11	16
7	Garswood Saints	16	3	5	8	26	29	−3	14
8	Stourport Swifts	16	3	2	11	22	60	−38	11	Resigned from the league after the end of the season
9	Notts County	16	0	4	12	21	68	−47	4
10	Bronte (X)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Club dissolved in November. All results expunged for this season.

Source: WPL
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (X) ?

Bronte withdrew in November, all records from that season were expunged.

Home \ Away	BRC	ASV	BSK	HUT	WOW	SHW	GAS	STS	NOC
Bradford City	—	2–1	5–1	4–1	3–2	1–0	4–2	4–0	8–0
Aston Villa	0–1	—	3–3	1–2	3–0	5–0	2–1	3–0	5–2
Blyth Spartans Kestrels	0–2	0–1	—	3–3	3–2	0–1	3–1	5–0	4–2
Huddersfield Town	1–3	0–6	0–1	—	1–0	2–2	1–1	4–2	7–2
Wolverhampton Wanderers	3–1	0–3	3–1	3–1	—	1–0	2–1	2–4	4–3
Sheffield Wednesday	0–2	0–4	3–0	3–4	3–2	—	2–2	5–2	7–2
Garswood Saints	1–2	1–2	2–5	0–1	0–1	0–0	—	4–1	2–2
Stourport Swifts	1–6	1–7	0–6	1–6	1–1	1–3	0–5	—	1–1
Notts County	0–8	2–4	0–1	0–3	0–5	2–2	2–2	1–4	—

Source: WPL
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

FA Women's Premier League
Southern Division
Season	1996–97
Champions	Berkhamsted Town
Promoted	Berkhamsted Town
Relegated	Oxford United
Matches played	90
Goals scored	370 (4.11 per match)
Biggest home win	Wimbledon 8–0 Leyton Orient (23 February 1997)
Biggest away win	Oxford United 0–7 Berkhamsted Town (26 January 1997)
Highest scoring	Brighton & Hove Albion 9–2 Oxford United (8 September 1996)
← 1995–96 1997–98 →

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Berkhamsted Town (C, P)	18	14	2	2	57	16	+41	44	Promotion to the National Division
2	Brighton & Hove Albion	18	13	2	3	59	33	+26	41
3	Whitehawk	18	12	1	5	39	17	+22	37
4	Wimbledon	18	10	2	6	65	28	+37	32
5	Three Bridges	18	7	5	6	36	27	+9	26
6	Langford	18	7	5	6	28	33	−5	26
7	Ipswich Town	18	5	4	9	24	26	−2	19
8	Leyton Orient	18	3	4	11	27	50	−23	13
9	Town & County Diamonds	18	2	3	13	18	65	−47	9
10	Oxford United (R)	18	2	2	14	17	75	−58	8	Relegation

Source: FA WPL
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Home \ Away	BET	BHA	WHI	WIM	THB	LAN	IPT	LEO	TCD	OXU
Berkhamsted Town	—	1–0	4–0	4–2	4–0	3–0	2–0	3–1	6–1	5–0
Brighton & Hove Albion	5–3	—	2–3	2–1	1–1	3–0	4–2	4–3	6–2	9–2
Whitehawk	1–0	2–3	—	2–1	2–0	0–1	2–1	4–0	4–0	4–0
Wimbledon	3–4	7–0	1–0	—	3–3	2–3	1–1	8–0	3–1	6–2
Three Bridges	0–2	2–3	2–0	4–2	—	1–1	1–2	4–1	2–0	0–2
Langford	2–2	1–6	1–1	0–3	0–4	—	2–0	1–6	1–1	7–0
Ipswich Town	0–1	2–2	0–1	1–2	0–4	0–0	—	3–1	1–2	0–0
Leyton Orient	1–1	1–2	1–3	0–6	1–1	0–3	0–1	—	5–1	3–3
Town & County Diamonds	0–5	0–3	0–5	0–7	2–2	1–4	0–4	1–1	—	5–2
Oxford United	0–7	0–4	0–5	1–7	1–4	0–1	0–5	1–2	3–1	—

Source: FA WPL
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

^ Association, The Football. "FA Women's Premier League National Division 1996-97". www.thefa.com. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
^ Association, The Football. "FA Women's Premier League Northern Division 1996-97". www.thefa.com. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
^ Association, The Football. "FA Women's Premier League Southern Division 1996-97". www.thefa.com. Retrieved 2025-06-11.