The
1896
Events
January
* January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end as Jameson surrenders to the Boers.
* January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state.
* January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports Wilhelm Röntgen's dis ...
–
97 season was the ninth season of
The Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in the world, and was the top-level football league in England from ...
.
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
Results
Maps
Second Division
Results
Maps
Test Matches
The
Football League test matches
Football League test matches were a series of post-season association football, football playoffs, play-off matches organised by the English Football League, Football League, to determine the membership of each division, between the worst finishers ...
were a set of play-offs, in which the bottom First Division teams faced the top Second Division teams. Each First Division team plays both Second Division teams in a mini league format, the top two finishers would then be considered for election for First Division membership whilst the bottom two finishers would be invited to play in the Second Division.
The First Division teams, if finishing in the top two, would retain their places in the division. If a Second Division team does so, it would be considered for First Division membership through an election process. Bottom-two Second Division teams would stay in the Second Division.
First round
Second round
Test match summary
Reference works, such ''Encyclopedia of British Football'' and ''Association Football'',
[A. H. Fabian & Green, Geoffrey: ''Association Football'', Volume Two, p. 236. The Caxton Publishing Company Ltd., London, 1960.] present the following table with the heading given above.
Test match consequences
It is likely that the league decided on re-election to the First Division and on promotion and relegation on the basis of the summary table above.
*
Notts County
Notts County Football Club is a professional association football, football club in Nottingham, England, which competes in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of Football in England, English football, following promotion and relegation, promotion ...
won both fixtures and were elected to play in the 1st Division the following season.
*Coming from the 2nd Division,
Newton Heath
Newton Heath is an area of Manchester, England, north-east of Manchester city centre and with a population of 9,883.
Historically part of Lancashire, Newton was formerly a farming area, but adopted the factory system following the Industrial ...
apparently would have needed a win in order to advance. It appears that in this case, a draw, the preference was given to
Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
, who came to the test matches from a higher division.
*
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
salvaged through re-elections its position in the 1st Division, having won in the second round of the test matches. It was the fate of
Newton Heath
Newton Heath is an area of Manchester, England, north-east of Manchester city centre and with a population of 9,883.
Historically part of Lancashire, Newton was formerly a farming area, but adopted the factory system following the Industrial ...
to remain in the 2nd Division.
See also
*
1896–97 in English football
The 1896–97 season was the 26th season of competitive football in England.
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 wou ...
*
1896 in association football
The following are the association football events of the year 1896 throughout the world.
Events
*March 16 - England defeat Wales 9-1 at Cardiff
Clubs founded in 1896
* Basingstoke Town F.C.
* Bracknell Town F.C.
*CS Constantine
* Ciclista Li ...
*
1897 in association football
The following are the association football events of the year 1897 throughout the world.
Events
February
*Jules Rimet
Jules Rimet (; 14 October 1873 – 16 October 1956) was a French football administrator who was the 3rd President o ...
References
External links
*Ian Laschke: ''Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79''. Macdonald and Jane's, London & Sydney, 1980.
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1896-97
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