BRADFORD BREEZE TO PROMOTION AT FIRST ATTEMPT
Just 12 months after their promotion from the Yorkshire & Humberside League to the Northern Division of the FA Women’s Premier League, Bradford City lifted themselves up to the the top flight after a near-perfect debut season.
The Bantams lost only once, going down 3-1 at Wolverhampton Wanderers in their second fixture of the campaign after opening with a 5-1 win against Blyth Spartans Kestrels.
The response to their defeat by Wolves was dynamic – all 14 of the following matches that completed the season were won, most notably 8-0 both home and away against Notts County.
Notts finished bottom of the table with just four points, but they were spared relegation due to the November withdrawal of Bronte from the League and the decision to restore the division to 10 teams with the addition of Bloxwich Town for the 1997-98 season.
Bronte’s departure and subsequent dissolution came six years after they had been founder members of the then Women’s Football Association National League.
They won the Northern Division in its opening campaign but were relegated 12 months later and finished bottom of the Northern Division’s 1995-96 season before their slide out of existence.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bradford City | 16 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 56 | 13 | 45 | +43 | ||||||||||
| 2 | Aston Villa | 16 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 50 | 15 | 37 | +35 | ||||||||||
| 3 | Blyth Spartans Kestrels | 16 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 40 | 25 | 29 | +15 | ||||||||||
| 4 | Huddersfield Town | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 37 | 32 | 27 | +5 | ||||||||||
| 5 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 16 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 30 | 29 | 22 | +1 | ||||||||||
| 6 | Sheffield Wednesday | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 25 | 36 | 16 | -11 | ||||||||||
| 7 | Garswood Saints | 16 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 26 | 29 | 14 | -3 | ||||||||||
| 8 | Stourport Swifts | 16 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 22 | 60 | 11 | -38 | ||||||||||
| 9 | Notts County | 16 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 21 | 68 | 4 | -47 | ||||||||||
Bronte withdrew in November – record expunged
FA WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE NORTHERN DIVISION 1996-97 RESULTS
1/9/1996
Bradford City 5-1 Blyth Spartans Kestrels
Garswood Saints 3-0 Bronte
Huddersfield Town 7-2 Notts County
Sheffield Wednesday 3-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Stourport Swifts 1-7 Aston Villa
8/9/1996
Aston Villa 2-1 Garswood Saints
Blyth Spartans Kestrels 3-3 Huddersfield Town
Notts County 2-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 Bradford City
15/9/1996
Bradford City 4-0 Stourport Swifts
Bronte 1-5 Huddersfield Town
Sheffield Wednesday 0-4 Aston Villa
Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-3 Notts County
22/9/1996
Aston Villa 3-3 Blyth Spartans Kestrels
Bronte 1-4 Bradford City
Notts County 2-2 Garswood Saints
Stourport Swifts 1-3 Sheffield Wednesday
Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 Huddersfield Town
29/9/1996
Aston Villa 3-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Blyth Spartans Kestrels 8-0 Bronte
Bradford City 8-0 Notts County
Garswood Saints 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday
Huddersfield Town 4-2 Stourport Swifts
6/10/1996
Aston Villa 0-1 Bradford City
Bronte 0-2 Notts County
Huddersfield Town 2-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Stourport Swifts 0-5 Garswood Saints
Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 Blyth Spartans Kestrels
13/10/1996
Blyth Spartans Kestrels 5-0 Stourport Swifts
Notts County 2-4 Aston Villa
Sheffield Wednesday 9-1 Bronte
20/10/1996
Aston Villa 1-2 Huddersfield Town
Bradford City 4-2 Garswood Saints
Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 Blyth Spartans Kestrels
Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-0 Bronte
10/11/1996
Blyth Spartans Kestrels 4-2 Notts County
Stourport Swifts 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
17/11/1996
Bradford City 3-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Huddersfield Town 0-1 Blyth Spartans Kestrels
8/12/1996
Sheffield Wednesday 5-2 Stourport Swifts
15/12/1996
Blyth Spartans Kestrels 0-1 Sheffield Wednesday
Notts County 0-3 Huddersfield Town
19/1/1997
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-4 Stourport Swifts
26/1/1997
Notts County 0-8 Bradford City
Sheffield Wednesday 2-2 Garswood Saints
Stourport Swifts 1-6 Huddersfield Town
2/2/1997
Blyth Spartans Kestrels 3-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Garswood Saints 4-1 Stourport Swifts
Sheffield Wednesday 7-2 Notts County
9/2/1997
Blyth Spartans Kestrels 0-2 Bradford City
Huddersfield Town 1-1 Garswood Saints
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday
16/2/1997
Blyth Spartans Kestrels 3-1 Garswood Saints
23/2/1997
Huddersfield Town 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Stourport Swifts 0-6 Blyth Spartans Kestrels
2/3/1997
Notts County 0-5 Wolverhampton Wanderers
9/3/1997
Notts County 0-1 Blyth Spartans Kestrels
Sheffield Wednesday 3-4 Huddersfield Town
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Garswood Saints
16/3/1997
Bradford City 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday
Garswood Saints 0-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
23/3/1997
Aston Villa 3-0 Stourport Swifts
Garswood Saints 1-2 Bradford City
30/3/1997
Huddersfield Town 0-6 Aston Villa
Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Bradford City
4/4/1997
Stourport Swifts 1-6 Bradford City
6/4/1997
Garswood Saint 0-1 Huddersfield Town
13/4/1997
Aston Villa 5-0 Sheffield Wednesday
Garswood Saints 2-5 Blyth Spartans Kestrels
20/4/1997
Bradford City 2-1 Aston Villa
Garswood Saints 2-2 Notts County
22/4/1997
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-3 Aston Villa
24/4/1997
Aston Villa 5-2 Notts County
27/4/1997
Blyth Spartans Kestrels 0-1 Aston Villa
5/5/1997
Garswood Saints 1-2 Aston Villa
Dates not known
Bradford City 4-1 Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town 1-3 Bradford City
