1896–97 in English football
The 1896–97 season was the 26th season of competitive football in England.
Overview
Aston Villa became the second team (after Preston North End) to complete "the Double" of winning the Football League Championship and the FA Cup. No other team would complete the double for 64 years.
The Cup Final was played on 10 April 1897 between Aston Villa and Everton. At the start of the day, the top of the league table looked thus:[1]
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aston Villa | 27 | 18 | 5 | 4 | 64 | 38 | 1.684 | 41 |
| 2 | Derby County | 26 | 15 | 4 | 7 | 66 | 43 | 1.535 | 34 |
| 3 | Sheffield United | 28 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 40 | 27 | 1.481 | 34 |
| 4 | Preston North End | 26 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 55 | 37 | 1.486 | 32 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 29 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 46 | 38 | 1.211 | 32 |
Consequently, with a total of 30 league games to play in the season, only Derby County had any "mathematical" possibility of overtaking Aston Villa to take the title. To do so, they would have needed to take at least seven points from their remaining four games, with Aston Villa losing their remaining three games. In the event, Derby lost 1-0 at Bury and Aston Villa were thus confirmed as League Champions on the same day that they went on to win the Cup. As a result, Villa became the first, and so far, only team to date to achieve the league and cup "double" on the same day.
Events
Following the failure of Rotherham Town, Burslem Port Vale and Crewe Alexandra to be re-elected into the Football League, Blackpool and Gainsborough Trinity joined the Second Division. Walsall (formerly Walsall Town Swifts) also returned after a season away.
Honours
| Competition | Winner |
|---|---|
| First Division | Aston Villa |
| Second Division | Notts County |
| FA Cup | Aston Villa |
| Home Championship |  Scotland
|
League table
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aston Villa | 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 | 30 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 34 | 47 | 0.723 | 23 |
| 16 | Burnley[2] | 30 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 43 | 61 | 0.705 | 19 |
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notts County[3] | 30 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 92 | 43 | 2.140 | 42 |
| 2 | Newton Heath | 30 | 17 | 5 | 8 | 56 | 34 | 1.647 | 39 |
| 3 | Grimsby Town | 30 | 17 | 4 | 9 | 66 | 45 | 1.467 | 38 |
| 4 | Small Heath | 30 | 16 | 5 | 9 | 69 | 47 | 1.468 | 37 |
| 5 | Newcastle United | 30 | 17 | 1 | 12 | 56 | 52 | 1.077 | 35 |
| 6 | Manchester City | 30 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 58 | 50 | 1.160 | 32 |
| 7 | Gainsborough Trinity | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 50 | 47 | 1.064 | 31 |
| 8 | Blackpool | 30 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 59 | 56 | 1.054 | 31 |
| 9 | Leicester Fosse | 30 | 13 | 4 | 13 | 59 | 56 | 1.054 | 30 |
| 10 | Woolwich Arsenal | 30 | 13 | 4 | 13 | 68 | 70 | 0.971 | 30 |
| 11 | Darwen | 30 | 14 | 0 | 16 | 67 | 61 | 1.098 | 28 |
| 12 | Walsall | 30 | 11 | 4 | 15 | 53 | 69 | 0.768 | 26 |
| 13 | Loughborough | 30 | 12 | 1 | 17 | 50 | 64 | 0.781 | 25 |
| 14 | Burton Swifts | 30 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 46 | 61 | 0.754 | 24 |
| 15 | Burton Wanderers[4] | 30 | 9 | 2 | 19 | 31 | 67 | 0.463 | 20 |
| 16 | Lincoln City | 30 | 5 | 2 | 23 | 27 | 85 | 0.318 | 12 |
P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points
References
- ^ This table was extrapolated from the final table, after excluding the results from 10 April onwards as listed in the Table of Results.[1]
- ^ Not re-elected after losing 'Test Match.' Invited to join Second Division
- ^ Elected to First Division after winning 'Test Match.'
- ^ Failed to be re-elected to the Football League