# 1896–97 Football League

The 1896–97 season was the ninth season of The Football League.

## Final league tables

Beginning in the 1894–95 season, clubs finishing level on points were separated according to goal average (goals scored divided by goals conceded). In case one or more teams had the same goal difference, this system favoured those teams who had scored fewer goals. The goal average system was eventually scrapped beginning with the 1976–77 season.
During the first six seasons of the league, (up to the 1893–94 season), re-election process concerned the clubs which finished in the bottom four of the league. From the 1894–95 season and until the 1920–21 season the re-election process was required of the clubs which finished in the bottom three of the league.

## First Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Relegation |
| 1 | Aston Villa (C) | 30 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 73 | 38 | 1.921 | 47 | |
| 2 | Sheffield United | 30 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 42 | 29 | 1.448 | 36 | |
| 3 | Derby County | 30 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 70 | 50 | 1.400 | 36 | |
| 4 | Preston North End | 30 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 55 | 40 | 1.375 | 34 | |
| 5 | Liverpool | 30 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 46 | 38 | 1.211 | 33 | |
| 6 | The Wednesday | 30 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 42 | 37 | 1.135 | 31 | |
| 7 | Everton | 30 | 14 | 3 | 13 | 62 | 57 | 1.088 | 31 | |
| 8 | Bolton Wanderers | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 40 | 43 | 0.930 | 30 | |
| 9 | Bury | 30 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 | 44 | 0.886 | 30 | |
| 10 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 45 | 41 | 1.098 | 28 | |
| 11 | Nottingham Forest | 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 44 | 49 | 0.898 | 26 | |
| 12 | West Bromwich Albion | 30 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 33 | 56 | 0.589 | 26 | |
| 13 | Stoke | 30 | 11 | 3 | 16 | 48 | 59 | 0.814 | 25 | |
| 14 | Blackburn Rovers | 30 | 11 | 3 | 16 | 35 | 62 | 0.565 | 25 | |
| 15 | Sunderland (O) | 30 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 34 | 47 | 0.723 | 23 | Qualification for test matches |
| 16 | Burnley (R) | 30 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 43 | 61 | 0.705 | 19 | Qualification for test matches |

### Results

| Home \ Away | AST | BLB | BOL | BUR | BRY | DER | EVE | LIV | NOT | PNE | SHU | STK | SUN | WED | WBA | WOL |
| Aston Villa | | 3–0 | 6–2 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 5–0 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 1–5 | | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 5–2 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 1–2 | 0–0 | | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 |
| Burnley | 3–4 | 0–1 | 0–2 | | 1–0 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 0–3 |
| Bury | 0–2 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–2 |
| Derby County | 1–3 | 6–0 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 7–2 | | 0–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 5–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 8–1 | 4–3 |
| Everton | 2–3 | 0–3 | 2–3 | 6–0 | 1–2 | 5–2 | | 2–1 | 3–1 | 3–4 | 1–2 | 4–2 | 5–2 | 2–1 | 6–3 | 0–0 |
| Liverpool | 3–3 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | | 3–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 3–0 |
| Nottingham Forest | 2–4 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 2–0 | | 0–0 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–2 |
| Preston North End | 0–1 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 5–3 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | | 1–0 | 3–0 | 5–3 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 4–0 |
| Sheffield United | 0–0 | 7–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 0–2 | | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–3 |
| Stoke | 0–2 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 6–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 |
| Sunderland | 4–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 4–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 4–1 | | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–3 |
| The Wednesday | 1–3 | 6–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 4–3 | 0–0 | | 3–1 | 0–0 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 0–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 | | 1–0 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 6–1 | |

### Maps
## Second Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Notts County (C, O, P) | 30 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 92 | 43 | 2.140 | 42 | Qualification for test matches |
| 2 | Newton Heath | 30 | 17 | 5 | 8 | 56 | 34 | 1.647 | 39 | Qualification for test matches |
| 3 | Grimsby Town | 30 | 17 | 4 | 9 | 66 | 45 | 1.467 | 38 | |
| 4 | Small Heath | 30 | 16 | 5 | 9 | 69 | 47 | 1.468 | 37 | |
| 5 | Newcastle United | 30 | 17 | 1 | 12 | 56 | 52 | 1.077 | 35 | |
| 6 | Manchester City | 30 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 58 | 50 | 1.160 | 32 | |
| 7 | Gainsborough Trinity | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 50 | 47 | 1.064 | 31 | |
| 8 | Blackpool | 30 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 59 | 56 | 1.054 | 31 | |
| 9 | Leicester Fosse | 30 | 13 | 4 | 13 | 59 | 57 | 1.035 | 30 | |
| 10 | Woolwich Arsenal | 30 | 13 | 4 | 13 | 68 | 70 | 0.971 | 30 | |
| 11 | Darwen | 30 | 14 | 0 | 16 | 67 | 61 | 1.098 | 28 | |
| 12 | Walsall | 30 | 11 | 4 | 15 | 54 | 69 | 0.783 | 26 | |
| 13 | Loughborough | 30 | 12 | 1 | 17 | 50 | 64 | 0.781 | 25 | |
| 14 | Burton Swifts | 30 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 46 | 61 | 0.754 | 24 | Re-elected |
| 15 | Burton Wanderers (R) | 30 | 9 | 2 | 19 | 31 | 67 | 0.463 | 20 | Not re-elected |
| 16 | Lincoln City | 30 | 5 | 2 | 23 | 27 | 85 | 0.318 | 12 | Re-elected |

### Results

| Home \ Away | BLP | BRS | BRW | DRW | GAI | GRI | LEI | LIN | LOU | MCI | NEW | NWH | NTC | SMH | WAL | WOO |
| Blackpool | | 3–0 | 5–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
| Burton Swifts | 2–0 | | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 5–0 | 3–0 | 3–5 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–2 |
| Burton Wanderers | 3–1 | 1–0 | | 1–0 | 3–2 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 2–6 | 1–0 | 0–3 |
| Darwen | 2–3 | 5–1 | 3–0 | | 3–2 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 12–0 | 4–1 |
| Gainsborough Trinity | 2–0 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 2–4 | | 1–1 | 0–2 | 7–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 4–1 |
| Grimsby Town | 2–2 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | | 4–1 | 3–1 | 8–1 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 |
| Leicester Fosse | 2–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 4–2 | | 4–1 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 5–0 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 6–3 |
| Lincoln City | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 2–1 | | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 2–3 |
| Loughborough | 4–1 | 0–2 | 6–0 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 3–0 | | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 8–0 |
| Manchester City | 4–2 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–4 | 3–0 | 5–0 | 1–1 |
| Newcastle United | 4–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 5–1 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 3–0 | | 2–0 | 2–2 | 4–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 |
| Newton Heath | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 6–0 | 2–1 | 4–0 | | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 |
| Notts County | 3–1 | 6–1 | 5–0 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 6–0 | 8–0 | 3–1 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 3–0 | | 1–2 | 5–2 | 7–4 |
| Small Heath | 1–3 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 5–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | | 3–3 | 5–2 |
| Walsall | 2–2 | 5–2 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 1–3 | 1–6 | | 5–3 |
| Woolwich Arsenal | 4–2 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 6–1 | 4–2 | 2–1 | 6–2 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 1–1 | |

### Maps
## Test Matches

The Football League test matches were a set of play-offs, in which the bottom First Division teams faced the top Second Division teams. Each First Division team plays both Second Division teams in a mini league format, the top two finishers would then be considered for election for First Division membership whilst the bottom two finishers would be invited to play in the Second Division.
The First Division teams, if finishing in the top two, would retain their places in the division. If a Second Division team does so, it would be considered for First Division membership through an election process. Bottom-two Second Division teams would stay in the Second Division.

### First round

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| (2nd Div. Champions) Notts County | 1–0 | Sunderland (1st Div. 15th) | 1–0 Sat 17 Apr | 0–0 Mon 19 Apr |
| (1st Div. 16th) Burnley | 2–2 | Newton Heath (2nd Div. 2nd) | 2–0 Mon 19 Apr | 0–2 Wed 21 Apr |

### Second round

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| (1st Div. 16th) Burnley | 1–2 | Notts County (2nd Div. Champions) | 0–1 Sat 24 Apr | 1–1 Mon 26 Apr |
| (2nd Div. 2nd) Newton Heath | 1–3 | Sunderland (1st Div. 15th) | 1–1 Sat 24 Apr | 0–2 Mon 26 Apr |

### Test match summary

Reference works, such Encyclopedia of British Football and Association Football, present the following table with the heading given above.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Notts County | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 6 | Elected to play in First Division |
| 2 | Sunderland | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | Elected to play in First Division |
| 3 | Burnley | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 3 | Invited to play in Second Division |
| 4 | Newton Heath | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 3 | Invited to play in Second Division |

### Test match consequences

It is likely that the league decided on re-election to the First Division and on promotion and relegation on the basis of the summary table above.
* Notts County won both fixtures and were elected to play in the 1st Division the following season.
* Coming from the 2nd Division, Newton Heath apparently would have needed a win in order to advance. It appears that in this case, a draw, the preference was given to Burnley, who came to the test matches from a higher division.
* Sunderland salvaged through re-elections its position in the 1st Division, having won in the second round of the test matches. It was the fate of Newton Heath to remain in the 2nd Division.