The 1896–97 season was the third in the history of the Southern League. Southampton St.Mary's won the Division One championship. Millwall Athletic and

Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...

applied for election to

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...

. However, they were not elected so were allowed to play in the Southern League.

Division One

Division One featured seven teams from previous season and five new clubs: two promoted from Division Two and three newly elected members. Teams promoted from Division Two: * Wolverston L&NWR - champions, winners of testing matches * Sheppey United - runners-up, winners of testing matches Newly promoted teams: * Northfleet - Kent League champions * Gravesend United - Kent League members * Tottenham Hotspur

Division Two

Division Two featured five teams from previous season and eight new clubs, all of which were newly elected. Newly promoted teams: * Dartford - Kent League members * RETB Chatham - Kent League members * 1st Coldstream Guards * Freemantle * Southall * Warmley * West Herts * Wycombe Wanderers

Promotion-relegation test matches

At the end of the season, test matches were held between the bottom three clubs in Division One and the top three clubs in Division Two. Third-placed Freemantle were the only Division Two club to win, but withdrew from the league at the end of season, meaning their defeated opponents

Northfleet Northfleet is a town in the borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. It is located immediately west of Gravesend, and on the border with the Borough of Dartford. Northfleet has its own railway station on the North Kent Line, just east of Ebbsf ...

remained in Division One.

Football League elections

Only one Southern League club, Millwall Athletic, applied for election to Division Two of the Football League. However, they received only one vote and were not elected.A history of admission to the Football League
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References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Southern Football League, 1896-97 1896-97 1896–97 in English association football leagues