A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| Season | 1896–97 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Aston Villa |
| Relegated | Burton Wanderers |
| New club in league | Blackpool, Gainsborough Trinity, Walsall |
← 1895–96 1897–98 → | |
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
| Season | 1896–97 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Aston Villa 3rd English title |
| Relegated | Burnley |
| Matches played | 240 |
| Goals scored | 751 (3.13 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Steve Bloomer (24 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Derby County 8–1 West Bromwich Albion (25 December 1896) Sheffield United 7–0 Blackburn Rovers (9 January 1897) |
| Biggest away win | Blackburn Rovers 1–5 Aston Villa (28 November 1896) |
| Highest scoring | Derby County 7–2 Bury (26 September 1896) Derby County 8–1 West Bromwich Albion (25 December 1896) Everton 6–3 West Bromwich Albion (17 April 1897) |
| Longest winning run | 6 matches Everton |
| Longest unbeaten run | 12 matches Aston Villa |
| Longest losing run | 6 matches Everton |
| Highest attendance | 40,000 Everton 2–1 Liverpool (3 October 1896) |
| Lowest attendance | 1,000 Nottingham Forest 4–1 Burnley (24 October 1896) Sheffield United 7–0 Blackburn Rovers (9 January 1897) |
| Average attendance | 7,734 |
← 1895–96 1897–98 → | |
| 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 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated