English Second Division 1896/1897
Historical league standings at 1st January 1897
| Home | Away | Overall | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GA |
| 1 | Notts. County | 16 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 34 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 53 | 28 | 24 | 1.89 |
| 2 | Newton Heath | 18 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 17 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 33 | 22 | 22 | 1.50 |
| 3 | Grimsby Town | 19 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 17 | 27 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 42 | 35 | 22 | 1.20 |
| 4 | Newcastle United | 16 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 19 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 33 | 27 | 19 | 1.22 |
| 5 | Manchester City | 18 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 19 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 35 | 32 | 19 | 1.09 |
| 6 | Darwen | 16 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 38 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 23 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 46 | 31 | 18 | 1.48 |
| 7 | Woolwich Arsenal | 17 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 18 | 36 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 46 | 47 | 18 | 0.98 |
| 8 | Gainsborough Trinity | 15 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 23 | 21 | 17 | 1.10 |
| 9 | Leicester Fosse | 14 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 31 | 29 | 16 | 1.07 |
| 10 | Walsall | 16 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 31 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 32 | 47 | 15 | 0.68 |
| 11 | Blackpool | 13 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 29 | 26 | 14 | 1.12 |
| 12 | Small Heath | 17 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 33 | 30 | 14 | 1.10 |
| 13 | Burton Swifts | 14 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 26 | 29 | 14 | 0.90 |
| 14 | Burton Wanderers | 15 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 31 | 10 | 0.45 |
| 15 | Loughborough | 17 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 31 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 22 | 42 | 8 | 0.52 |
| 16 | Lincoln City | 13 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 38 | 4 | 0.45 |
