# 1896–97 Everton F.C. season

The 1896-97 Football League season was the ninth in Football League history with Everton having been an ever present in the top division. The club played thirty-five games in England's two major competitions, winning eighteen, drawing three and losing fourteen. The club finished the season in seventh place, eight points clear of the test match relegation place, and reached their second FA Cup final but again lost, this time 2–3 against Aston Villa.

## Season review

In each of the previous two seasons Everton had started the calendar year on top of the League, only to falter in the second half of the season. In their bid to strengthen the forward line they brought in Jack Taylor from his hometown club St Mirren, slotting into the role vacated by Tom McInnes who had departed during the summer for Luton Town to join the forward line of Bell, Chadwick, Milward and Hartley.
Elsewhere the familiar half back line of Boyle, Holt & Stewart would line up in front of full back, Smart Arridge, who would be partnered in defence this year by David Storrier after James Adams had returned to his former club Hearts
On paper this side looked as good as any in the First Division but there was uncertainty over the ability of the inexperienced goalkeeper, Harry Briggs, who had stepped in to make just one appearance the previous season after the departure of Jack Hillman.
With the exception of the inclusion of John Cameron in place of Hartley, this was the team that won their opening game against The Wednesday, while Barker made his debut at the back, in place of Arridge in their second game, another victory over Wolves that took the Toffeemen joint top of the table with Bolton, albeit already having a game in hand on the Trotters. The Merseysiders went on to win four of their opening five games before embarking on a dreadful slump that provided just a solitary victory in their next nine games.
The change initially looked to have been a wise one as, shortly after Menham's arrival, Everton embarked on a run of seven consecutive League and Cup victories to put themselves right back into the title race, four points behind leaders, Aston Villa with ten games remaining.
The last of those victories was Everton's first round cup tie with Burton Wanderers and it seemed that the cup run once again affected their League form as they now went on a run of six consecutive League defeats which killed any lingering title ambitions.

## First team squad and appearances

| Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Harry Briggs | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| GK | Bob Menham | 18 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| GK | John Patrick | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| GK | John Palmer | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FB | David Storrier | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| FB | Smart Arridge | 23 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| FB | George Barker | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| FB | George Molyneux | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FB | Peter Meechan | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| HB | Dickie Boyle | 29 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 34 | 1 |
| HB | Johnny Holt | 25 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 30 | 2 |
| HB | Billy Stewart {Capt} | 29 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 33 | 3 |
| HB | Hugh Goldie | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| HB | John Robertson | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| HB | George Meiklejohn | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Jack Bell | 27 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 32 | 17 |
| FW | Jack Taylor | 30 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 35 | 15 |
| FW | John Cameron | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 5 |
| FW | Edgar Chadwick | 28 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 33 | 9 |
| FW | Alf Milward | 27 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 32 | 12 |
| FW | Abe Hartley | 14 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 19 | 9 |
| FW | William Campbell | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| FW | Alf Schofield | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | William Maley | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | William Williams | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Bert Banks | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| – | Own goals | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | 2 |

## Final league table

| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts |
| 1 | Aston Villa | 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 | 30 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 34 | 47 | 0.723 | 23 |
| 16 | Burnley | 30 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 43 | 61 | 0.705 | 19 |
Key: P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points

## The Football League

Everton home games were played at Goodison Park while away games were played at the venues stated
| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 5 September 1896 | Sheffield Wednesday | Goodison Park | 2–1 | John Cameron, Jack Taylor | 15,000 |
| 12 September 1896 | Nottingham Forest | Molineux | 1–0 | Tommy Dunn (own goal) | 5,500 |
| 19 September 1896 | Aston Villa | Goodison Park | 2–3 | Jack Taylor, Alf Milward | 20,000 |
| 26 September 1896 | Aston Villa | Wellington Road | 2–1 | James Welford (own goal), Edgar Chadwick | 20,000 |
| 3 October 1896 | Liverpool | Goodison Park | 2–1 | Alf Milward, Abe Hartley | 45,000 |
| 10 October 1896 | Burnley | Turf Moor | 1–2 | Billy Stewart | 9,000 |
| 17 October 1896 | Sheffield United | Goodison Park | 1–2 | William Foulke (own goal) | 15,000 |
| 24 October 1896 | Sheffield Wednesday | Olive Grove | 1–4 | Alf Milward | 6,000 |
| 31 October 1896 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Goodison Park | 0–0 | | 10,000 |
| 14 November 1896 | Bolton Wanderers | Goodison Park | 2–3 | Alf Milward, Edgar Chadwick | 12,000 |
| 21 November 1896 | Liverpool | Anfield | 0–0 | | 30,000 |
| 28 November 1896 | Burnley | Goodison Park | 6–0 | John Cameron (3), Edgar Chadwick, Alf Milward, Jack Bell | 10,000 |
| 7 December 1896 | Bolton Wanderers | Burnden Park | 0–2 | | 7,000 |
| 12 December 1896 | Sunderland | Newcastle Road | 1–1 | Johnny Holt | 4,000 |
| 19 December 1896 | Stoke City | Goodison Park | 4–2 | John Cameron, Jack Bell (2), Jack Taylor | 10,000 |
| 26 December 1896 | Sunderland | Goodison Park | 5–2 | Edgar Chadwick, Jack Bell (2), Alf Milward (pen), Abe Hartley | 35,000 |
| 1 January 1897 | Sheffield United | Goodison Park | 2–1 | Jack Taylor (2) | 10,000 |
| 2 January 1897 | Stoke City | Victoria Ground | 3–2 | Abe Hartley, Jack Taylor, Jack Bell | 8,000 |
| 9 January 1897 | Nottingham Forest | Goodison Park | 3–1 | Jack Taylor, Jack Bell (2) | 7,000 |
| 16 January 1897 | West Bromwich Albion | Stoney Lane | 4–1 | Jack Taylor (3), Jack Bell | 3,950 |
| 6 February 1897 | Preston North End | Stoney Lane | 3–4 | Jack Taylor, Abe Hartley, Edgar Chadwick | 25,000 |
| 2 March 1897 | Bury | Gigg Lane | 1–3 | Alf Milward | 7,000 |
| 6 March 1897 | Blackburn Rovers | Ewood Park | 2–4 | Jack Bell, Jack Taylor | 6,000 |
| 10 March 1897 | Nottingham Forest | Gregory Ground | 0–3 | | 2,000 |
| 13 March 1897 | Blackburn Rovers | Goodison Park | 0–3 | | 10,000 |
| 3 April 1897 | Preston North End | Deepdale | 1–4 | William Campbell | 2,000 |
| 16 April 1897 | Derby County | Goodison Park | 5–2 | Alf Milward, Edgar Chadwick (2), Abe Hartley, Jack Bell | 25,000 |
| 17 April 1897 | West Bromwich Albion | Goodison Park | 6–3 | Jack Bell (3), Jack Taylor, Alf Milward, Edgar Chadwick | 9,700 |
| 20 April 1897 | Derby County | Baseball Ground | 1–0 | Billy Stewart | 14,000 |
| 24 April 1897 | Bury | Goodison Park | 1–2 | Jack Bell | 10,000 |