English Second Division 1896/1897
Historical league standings at 23rd 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 | 21 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 47 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 26 | 15 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 73 | 30 | 34 | 2.43 |
| 2 | Grimsby Town | 23 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 20 | 27 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 52 | 36 | 29 | 1.44 |
| 3 | Newcastle United | 20 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 41 | 34 | 25 | 1.21 |
| 4 | Newton Heath | 20 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 20 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 34 | 26 | 23 | 1.31 |
| 5 | Manchester City | 20 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 22 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 41 | 35 | 21 | 1.17 |
| 6 | Darwen | 19 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 41 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 28 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 51 | 37 | 20 | 1.38 |
| 7 | Leicester Fosse | 17 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 21 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 39 | 34 | 20 | 1.15 |
| 8 | Woolwich Arsenal | 19 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 19 | 39 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 47 | 50 | 19 | 0.94 |
| 9 | Small Heath | 19 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 18 | 18 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 39 | 32 | 18 | 1.22 |
| 10 | Gainsborough Trinity | 18 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 26 | 29 | 17 | 0.90 |
| 11 | Walsall | 20 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 37 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 38 | 58 | 17 | 0.66 |
| 12 | Burton Swifts | 18 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 22 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 30 | 39 | 16 | 0.77 |
| 13 | Blackpool | 16 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 23 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 32 | 34 | 15 | 0.94 |
| 14 | Burton Wanderers | 19 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 27 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 19 | 38 | 14 | 0.50 |
| 15 | Loughborough | 18 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 17 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 31 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 26 | 44 | 10 | 0.59 |
| 16 | Lincoln City | 17 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 10 | 37 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 19 | 51 | 6 | 0.37 |
