Football League First Division 1896/97
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts | Notes |
| 1st | 
Aston
Villa |
30 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 73 | 38 | 1.921 | 47 | Champions |
| 2nd |
Sheffield
United |
30 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 42 | 29 | 1.448 | 36 | Runners Up |
| 3rd | Derby
County |
30 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 70 | 50 | 1.400 | 36 | - |
| 4th | Preston
North End |
30 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 55 | 40 | 1.375 | 34 | - |
| 5th | Liverpool |
30 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 46 | 36 | 1.211 | 33 | - |
| 6th | The
Wednesday |
30 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 42 | 37 | 1.135 | 31 | - |
| 7th | Everton |
30 | 14 | 3 | 13 | 62 | 57 | 1.088 | 31 | - |
| 8th | Bolton
Wanderers |
30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 40 | 43 | 0.930 | 30 | - |
| 9th | Bury |
30 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 | 44 | 0.886 | 30 | - |
| 10th | Wolverhampton
Wanderers |
30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 45 | 41 | 1.098 | 28 | - |
| 11th | Nottingham
Forest |
30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 44 | 49 | 0.898 | 26 | - |
| 12th | West
Bromwich Albion |
30 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 33 | 56 | 0.589 | 26 | - |
| 13th | Stoke |
30 | 11 | 3 | 16 | 48 | 59 | 0.814 | 25 | - |
| 14th | Blackburn
Rovers |
30 | 11 | 3 | 16 | 35 | 62 | 0.565 | 25 | - |
| 15th |
Sunderland |
30 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 34 | 47 | 0.723 | 23 | ♦►Retained |
| 16th |
Burnley |
30 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 43 | 61 | 0.705 | 19 | ♦▼Relegated |
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Football League Test Match Series |
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Promotion and relegation between the two divisions was again decided by a series of Test Matches. As in the previous season the top two clubs in the Second Division and the bottom two in the First Division met in a mini-league. Each club played four matches - home and 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 the First Division and the third and fourth sides in Second Division. |
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| Date | Home | Score | Away |
| 17/04/1897 | Notts County | 1-0 | Sunderland |
| 19/04/1897 | Burnley | 2-0 | Newton Heath |
| 19/04/1897 | Sunderland | 0-0 | Notts County |
| 21/04/1897 | Newton Heath | 2-0 | Burnley |
| 24/04/1897 | Newton Heath | 1-1 | Sunderland |
| 24/04/1897 | Notts County | 1-1 | Burnley |
| 26/04/1897 | Burnley | 0-1 | Notts County |
| 26/04/1897 | Sunderland | 2-0 | Newton Heath |
Football League Test Match Series Standings
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Outcome |
| 1st | Notts County | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | ♦▲Promoted |
| 2nd | Sunderland | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | ♦►Retained |
| 3rd | Burnley | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | ♦▼Relegated |
| 4th | Newton Heath | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | ♦►Remained |
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End of Season Notes |
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♦ Aston Villa finished as Football League First Division Champions (3rd Time) |
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♦ Sheffield United finished as Football League First Division Runners Up |
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♦► Sunderland Retained their Football League First Division Place after finishing second in the Test Match Playoffs |
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♦▼Burnley were Relegated to the Football League Second Division after finishing in the bottom two places in the Test Match Playoffs |
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♦▲Notts County were Promoted from the Football League Second Division after finishing top in the Test Match Playoffs |