Football League Second Division 1895/96
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts | Notes |
| 1st |  Liverpool |
30 | 22 | 2 | 6 | 106 | 32 | 3.313 | 46 | ♦▲Champions |
| 2nd | Manchester
City |
30 | 21 | 4 | 5 | 63 | 38 | 1.658 | 46 | ♦►Remained |
| 3rd |
Grimsby
Town |
30 | 20 | 2 | 8 | 82 | 38 | 2.158 | 42 | - |
| 4th |
Burton
Wanderers |
30 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 69 | 40 | 1.725 | 42 | - |
| 5th |
Newcastle
United |
30 | 16 | 2 | 12 | 73 | 50 | 1.460 | 34 | - |
| 6th |
Newton
Heath |
30 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 66 | 57 | 1.158 | 33 | - |
| 7th |
Woolwich
Arsenal |
30 | 14 | 4 | 12 | 58 | 42 | 1.405 | 32 | - |
| 8th |
Leicester
Fosse |
30 | 14 | 4 | 12 | 57 | 44 | 1.295 | 32 | - |
| 9th |
Darwen |
30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 72 | 67 | 1.075 | 30 | - |
| 10th |
Notts
County |
30 | 12 | 2 | 16 | 57 | 54 | 1.056 | 26 | - |
| 11th |
Burton
Swifts |
30 | 10 | 4 | 16 | 39 | 69 | 0.565 | 24 | - |
| 12th |
Loughborough |
30 | 9 | 5 | 16 | 40 | 66 | 0.597 | 23 | - |
| 13th |
Lincoln
City |
30 | 9 | 4 | 17 | 53 | 75 | 0.707 | 22 | - |
| 14th |
Burslem
Port Vale |
30 | 7 | 4 | 19 | 43 | 78 | 0.551 | 18 | ▼Not Re Elected |
| 15th |
Rotherham
Town |
30 | 7 | 3 | 20 | 34 | 97 | 0.351 | 17 | ▼Resigned |
| 16th |
Crewe
Alexandra |
30 | 5 | 3 | 22 | 30 | 95 | 0.316 | 13 | ▼Not Re Elected |
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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 |
| 18/04/1896 | Liverpool | 4-0 | Small Heath |
| 18/04/1896 | Manchester City | 1-1 | West Bromwich Albion |
| 20/04/1896 | Small Heath | 0-0 | Liverpool |
| 20/04/1896 | West Bromwich Albion | 6-1 | Manchester City |
| 25/04/1896 | Liverpool | 2-0 | West Bromwich Albion |
| 25/04/1896 | Manchester City | 3-0 | Small Heath |
| 27/04/1896 | Small Heath | 8-0 | Manchester City |
| 27/04/1896 | West Bromwich Albion | 2-0 | Liverpool |
Football League Test Match Series Standings
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Outcome |
| 1st | Liverpool | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 5 | ♦▲Promoted |
| 2nd | West Bromwich Albion | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 5 | ♦►Retained |
| 3rd | Small Heath | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 3 | ▼Relegated |
| 4th | Manchester City | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 3 | ♦►Remained |
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|
Election for League Membership |
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| Rotherham Town did not seek Re-Election so other two bottom clubs were required to seek re-election to the League. They were joined in the vote for League membership by 7 non-league clubs. | ||
| Votes | Club | End Result |
| 19 | Blackpool | ▲Elected to the League |
| 16 | Walsall | ▲Elected to the League |
| 15 | Gainsborough Trinity | ▲Elected to the League |
| 10 | Burslem Port Vale | ▼Not Re-Elected to the League |
| 10 | Luton Town | Not Elected to the League |
| 4 | Crewe Alexandra | ▼Not Re-Elected to the League |
| 3 | Fairfield Athletic | Not Elected to the League |
| 3 | Glossop North End | Not Elected to the League |
| 2 | Macclesfield | Not Elected to the League |
| 2 | Tottenham Hotspur | Not Elected to the League |
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End of Season Notes |
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♦▼Small Heath were Relegated from the Football League First Division |
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♦▲Liverpool were Promoted to the Football League First Division |
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▼Burslem Port Vale were Not Re-Elected to the Football League |
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▼Rotherham Town Resigned from the Football League |
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▼Crewe Alexandra were Not Re-Elected to the Football League |
|
▲Blackpool were Elected to the Football League |
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▲Walsall were Elected to the Football League |
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▲Gainsborough Trinity were Elected to the Football League |