Division Two Table 1896/97

  P W D L F A GA Pts
TTest Match Position 1 Notts County 30 19 4 7 92 43 2.14 42
TTest Match Position 2 Newton HeathManchester United 30 17 5 8 56 34 1.65 39
  3 Grimsby Town 30 17 4 9 66 45 1.47 38
  4 Small HeathNow Birmingham City 30 16 5 9 69 47 1.47 37
  5 Newcastle United 30 17 1 12 56 52 1.08 35
  6 Manchester City 30 12 8 10 58 50 1.16 32
  7 Gainsborough Trinity 30 12 7 11 50 47 1.06 31
  8 Blackpool 30 13 5 12 59 56 1.05 31
  9 Leicester FosseLeicester City 30 13 4 13 59 57 1.03 30
  10 Woolwich ArsenalArsenal 30 13 4 13 68 70 0.97 30
  11 DarwenAFC Darwen 30 14 0 16 67 61 1.10 28
  12 Walsall 30 11 4 15 54 69 0.78 26
  13 LoughboroughClub folded in 1900 30 12 1 17 50 64 0.78 25
RRe-election Position 14 Burton SwiftsClub no longer exists 30 9 6 15 46 61 0.75 24
RRe-election Position 15 Burton WanderersClub no longer exists 30 9 2 19 31 67 0.46 20
RRe-election Position 16 Lincoln City 30 5 2 23 27 85 0.32 12

2 points for a win.
Goal Average (GA) applies if teams are level on points.
Goal average = number of goals scored divided by the number of goals conceded.

T = Test Match   R = Re-election

Promotion and relegation were decided by a series of Test Matches. The top two clubs in Division 2 and the bottom two in Division 1 met in a mini-league. Each club played four matches (home & away matches against the two sides from the other division).

At the conclusion of the matches the first and second sides in the league played in Division 1 and the third and fourth sides in Division 2.

The bottom three clubs had to apply for re-election into the league.

Burton Wanderers left the league.