English Second Division 1896/1897
Historical league standings at 12th December 1896
| Home | Away | Overall | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GA |
| 1 | Notts. County | 16 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 34 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 53 | 28 | 24 | 1.89 |
| 2 | Grimsby Town | 16 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 16 | 23 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 38 | 29 | 20 | 1.31 |
| 3 | Newton Heath | 14 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 29 | 18 | 18 | 1.61 |
| 4 | Newcastle United | 13 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 29 | 22 | 17 | 1.32 |
| 5 | Manchester City | 14 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 28 | 24 | 15 | 1.17 |
| 6 | Woolwich Arsenal | 13 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 28 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 34 | 35 | 14 | 0.97 |
| 7 | Walsall | 14 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 29 | 32 | 14 | 0.91 |
| 8 | Small Heath | 14 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 30 | 22 | 13 | 1.36 |
| 9 | Gainsborough Trinity | 12 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 0.94 |
| 10 | Blackpool | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 26 | 20 | 12 | 1.30 |
| 11 | Leicester Fosse | 11 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 25 | 25 | 12 | 1.00 |
| 12 | Burton Swifts | 12 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 21 | 28 | 12 | 0.75 |
| 13 | Darwen | 12 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 22 | 27 | 10 | 0.81 |
| 14 | Loughborough | 15 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 18 | 38 | 6 | 0.47 |
| 15 | Lincoln City | 10 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 12 | 25 | 4 | 0.48 |
| 16 | Burton Wanderers | 12 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 28 | 4 | 0.29 |
