# 1897–98 Western Football League

The 1897–98 season was the sixth in the history of the Western Football League.
For this season the league was restructured, with a new Professional Section being formed, taking five clubs from Division One and three new clubs joining. Division One and Division Two remained as the Amateur Section, with four clubs being promoted from Division Two to Division One, and several new clubs joining both divisions.
Bristol City were the champions of the new Professional Section, and also competed in the Southern League during this season, along with Swindon Town, Reading and Warmley. Division One of the Amateur Section was won by Bedminster, and the Division Two champions were newcomers Hanham. Many clubs left the Amateur Section at the end of the season, necessitating a merger of the two amateur divisions for the following season.

## Professional section

The three new clubs admitted to the league to play in this eight-club section were:
* Eastleigh Athletic
* Reading
* Swindon Town
* Bristol South End changed their name to Bristol City
* St George changed their name to Bristol St George
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Result |
| 1 | Bristol City | 14 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 51 | 16 | 3.188 | 23 | Left to concentrate on the Southern League Division One |
| 2 | Swindon Town | 14 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 32 | 15 | 2.133 | 19 | |
| 3 | Reading | 14 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29 | 25 | 1.160 | 16 | Left to concentrate on the Southern League Division One |
| 4 | Bristol St George | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 25 | 27 | 0.926 | 15 | |
| 5 | Eastville Rovers | 14 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 38 | 25 | 1.520 | 14 | |
| 6 | Warmley | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 36 | 27 | 1.333 | 13 | |
| 7 | Eastleigh Athletic | 14 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 22 | 55 | 0.400 | 8 | Joined Southern League Division One at the end of the season |
| 8 | Trowbridge Town | 14 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 15 | 58 | 0.259 | 4 | |

## Amateur Division One

This ten-club division was a continuation of the old Division One, with six new clubs:
* Barton Hill, promoted from the old Division Two
* Eastville Wanderers, promoted from the old Division Two
* Fishponds, promoted from the old Division Two
* Mangotsfield, promoted from the old Division Two
* Midsomer Norton, also playing in the Somerset Senior League
* Radstock, also playing in the Somerset Senior League
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Result |
| 1 | Bedminster (P) | 16 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 65 | 11 | 5.909 | 30 | Promoted to Professional Section |
| 2 | Staple Hill | 16 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 38 | 15 | 2.533 | 23 | |
| 3 | Fishponds | 16 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 26 | 30 | 0.867 | 18 | |
| 4 | Midsomer Norton | 16 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 23 | 33 | 0.697 | 16 | |
| 5 | Barton Hill | 16 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 25 | 29 | 0.862 | 14 | |
| 6 | Radstock | 16 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 17 | 28 | 0.607 | 14 | Left to concentrate on the Somerset Senior League |
| 7 | St Paul's | 16 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 28 | 0.536 | 11 | Left the league at the end of the season |
| 8 | Eastville Wanderers | 16 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 0.577 | 9 | Left the league at the end of the season |
| 9 | Mangotsfield | 16 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 29 | 0.172 | 9 | Left the league at the end of the season |
| 10 | Clifton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | Resigned, record expunged |
* ↑ Clifton resigned early in the season, and their record was expunged.

## Amateur Division Two

This eight-club division was a continuation of the old Division Two, with seven new clubs:
* Barton Hill Reserves
* Cotham
* Eastville Wanderers Reserves
* Fishponds Reserves
* Hanham
* Royal Artillery (Horfield) (not to be confused with Royal Artillery Portsmouth F.C.)
* St Paul's Reserves
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Result |
| 1 | Hanham | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 8 | 4.000 | 19 | |
| 2 | Cotham | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 32 | 16 | 2.000 | 16 | |
| 3 | Barton Hill Reserves | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 20 | 14 | 1.429 | 10 | Left the league at the end of the season |
| 4 | St Paul's Reserves | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 19 | 26 | 0.731 | 6 | Left the league at the end of the season |
| 5 | Fishponds Reserves | 10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 10 | 25 | 0.400 | 3 | Left the league at the end of the season |
| 6 | Bedminster Reserves | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 10 | 34 | 0.294 | 2 | Left the league at the end of the season |
| 7 | Eastville Wanderers Reserves | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | Resigned, record expunged |
| 8 | Royal Artillery (Horfield) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | Resigned, record expunged |
* ↑ The tables as published at the time contained errors, hence the totals do not balance in some columns.
* ↑ Eastville Wanderers Reserves and Royal Artillery (Horfield) resigned early in the season, and their records were expunged.