# 1895–96 Manchester City F.C. season

The 1895–1896 season was Manchester City F.C.'s fifth season of league football and fourth season in the Football League.

## Football League Second Division

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Liverpool (C, O, P) | 30 | 22 | 2 | 6 | 106 | 32 | 3.313 | 46 | Qualification for test matches |
| 2 | Manchester City | 30 | 21 | 4 | 5 | 63 | 38 | 1.658 | 46 | Qualification for test matches |
| 3 | Grimsby Town | 30 | 20 | 2 | 8 | 82 | 38 | 2.158 | 42 | |
| 4 | Burton Wanderers | 30 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 69 | 40 | 1.725 | 42 | |
| 5 | Newcastle United | 30 | 16 | 2 | 12 | 73 | 50 | 1.460 | 34 | |

### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
| 30 | 21 | 4 | 5 | 63 | 38 | 1.658 | 46 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 37 | 9 | 27 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 26 | 29 | 19 |
Source: rsssf.com

### Reports

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Venue | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 7 September 1895 | Woolwich Arsenal | A | Manor Ground | 1–0 | Meredith | 8,000 |
| 9 September 1895 | Rotherham Town | H | Hyde Road | 2–0 | Clifford, Little | 3,000 |
| 14 September 1895 | Leicester Fosse | H | Hyde Road | 2–0 | Finnerhan, Rowan | 9,000 |
| 21 September 1895 | Grimsby Town | A | Abbey Park | 0–5 | | 3,000 |
| 28 September 1895 | Woolwich Arsenal | H | Hyde Road | 1–0 | Sharples | 9,000 |
| 5 October 1895 | Newton Heath | A | Bank Street | 1–1 | Rowan | 10,000 |
| 12 October 1895 | Darwen | H | Hyde Road | 4–1 | Rowan (2), Sharples, Chapman | 10,000 |
| 19 October 1895 | Crewe Alexandra | A | Alexandra Recreation Ground | 2–0 | Meredith, Finnerhan | 3,000 |
| 26 October 1895 | Grimsby Town | H | Hyde Road | 2–1 | Rowan, Little | 14,000 |
| 2 November 1895 | Darwen | A | Barley Bank | 3–2 | Meredith, Finnerhan, McReddie | 4,000 |
| 4 November 1895 | Rotherham Town | A | Clifton Lane | 3–2 | McReddie (2), Rowan | 5,000 |
| 16 November 1895 | Burton Wanderers | A | Derby Turn | 1–4 | Meredith | 3,000 |
| 23 November 1895 | Burton Wanderers | H | Hyde Road | 1–1 | Meredith | 12,000 |
| 30 November 1895 | Burton Swifts | A | Peel Croft | 4–1 | Rowan (2), Morris (2) | 3,000 |
| 7 December 1895 | Newton Heath | H | Hyde Road | 2–1 | Meredith, Hill | 20,000 |
| 14 December 1895 | Burslem Port Vale | H | Hyde Road | Abandoned at half-time 1 – 0 | McBride | 2,000 |
| 21 December 1895 | Burslem Port Vale | A | Athletic Ground | Abandoned after 65 minutes 0 – 0 | | 2,000 |
| 1 January 1896 | Liverpool | A | Anfield | 1–3 | Rowan | 15,000 |
| 4 January 1896 | Newcastle United | H | Hyde Road | 5–2 | Morris (2), Hill (2), Finnerhan | 10,000 |
| 11 January 1896 | Lincoln City | A | Sincil Bank | 2–1 | Chapman, Meredith | 2,000 |
| 1 February 1896 | Loughborough | A | Athletic Ground | 4–2 | Finnerhan (2), Davies, Hill | 2,000 |
| 10 February 1896 | Burslem Port Vale | A | Athletic Ground | 1–0 | Davies | 3,000 |
| 15 February 1896 | Crewe Alexandra | H | Hyde Road | 4–0 | Rowan (2), Meredith, Finnerhan | 4,000 |
| 17 February 1896 | Burslem Port Vale | H | Hyde Road | 1–0 | Finnerhan | 3,000 |
| 24 February 1896 | Loughborough | H | Hyde Road | 5–1 | Morris (2), Davies, Meredith, Chapman | 2,000 |
| 29 February 1896 | Notts County | A | Trent Bridge | 0–3 | | 4,000 |
| 7 March 1896 | Burton Swifts | H | Hyde Road | 1–1 | Robertson | 9,000 |
| 14 March 1896 | Lincoln City | H | Hyde Road | 4–0 | Robertson, Meredith, Morris, Finnerhan | 9,000 |
| 21 March 1896 | Newcastle United | A | St James' Park | 1–4 | Davies | 12,000 |
| 3 April 1896 | Liverpool | H | Hyde Road | 1–1 | Morris | 30,000 |
| 4 April 1896 | Leicester Fosse | A | Filbert Street | 2–1 | Meredith, Robson | 4,000 |
| 8 April 1896 | Notts County | H | Hyde Road | 2–0 | Meredith, Morris | 6,000 |

### Test matches

As Manchester City finished second in the league, they were entitled to play test matches to compete for promotion to the Football League's First Division. Though they played both teams bottom of the First Division for the 1895–86 season, they lost both matches on aggregate and thus failed in their promotion bid, remaining in the Second Division for the following season.
| Date | Opponents | H / A | Venue | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 18 April 1896 | West Bromwich Albion | H | Hyde Road | 1–1 | Rowan | 6,000 |
| 20 April 1896 | West Bromwich Albion | A | The Hawthorns | 1–6 | McBride | 8,000 |
| 25 April 1896 | Small Heath | H | Hyde Road | 3–0 | Meredith, Davies, Rowan | 9,500 |
| 27 April 1896 | Small Heath | A | Muntz Street | 0–8 | | 2,000 |

## Squad statistics
### Squad

Appearances for competitive matches only
| Pos. | Name | League | League | Test Matches | Test Matches | Abandoned | Abandoned | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Charlie Williams | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| DF | Hughie Clifford | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| DF | Thomas Porteous | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| DF | David Robson | 30 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 1 |
| MF | James McBride | 25 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 31 | 2 |
| MF | Willie Maley | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Walter Bowman | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| FW | Jock Espie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Pat Finnerhan | 30 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 9 |
| FW | Wally McReddie | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 |
| FW | Billy Meredith | 29 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 13 |
| FW | Bob Milarvie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Hugh Morris | 16 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 9 |
| -- | Tommy Chapman | 26 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 3 |
| -- | Davies | 11 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 5 |
| -- | John Ditchfield | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| -- | Frank Dyer | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| -- | Alec Gillies | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| -- | James Harper | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| -- | Robert Hill | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 4 |
| -- | Tommy Little | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| -- | McCabe | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| -- | George Mann | 23 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| -- | Miller | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| -- | Bobby Moffatt | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| -- | Thomas Read | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| -- | J. Robertson | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| -- | Sandy Rowan | 21 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 13 |
| -- | James Sharples | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 |