Second Division Table 1896/97
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notts County | 30 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 92 | 43 | +49 | 42 |
| 2 | Manchester United | 30 | 17 | 5 | 8 | 56 | 34 | +22 | 39 |
| 3 | Grimsby Town | 30 | 17 | 4 | 9 | 66 | 45 | +21 | 38 |
| 4 | Birmingham City | 30 | 16 | 5 | 9 | 69 | 47 | +22 | 37 |
| 5 | Newcastle United | 30 | 17 | 1 | 12 | 56 | 52 | +4 | 35 |
| 6 | Manchester City | 30 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 58 | 50 | +8 | 32 |
| 7 | Gainsborough Trinity | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 50 | 47 | +3 | 31 |
| 8 | Blackpool | 30 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 59 | 56 | +3 | 31 |
| 9 | Leicester City | 30 | 13 | 4 | 13 | 59 | 56 | +3 | 30 |
| 10 | Arsenal | 30 | 13 | 4 | 13 | 68 | 70 | -2 | 30 |
| 11 | Darwen | 30 | 14 | 0 | 16 | 67 | 61 | +6 | 28 |
| 12 | Walsall | 30 | 11 | 4 | 15 | 53 | 69 | -16 | 26 |
| 13 | Loughborough | 30 | 12 | 1 | 17 | 50 | 64 | -14 | 25 |
| 14 | Burton United | 30 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 46 | 61 | -15 | 24 |
| 15 | Burton Wanderers | 30 | 9 | 2 | 19 | 31 | 67 | -36 | 20 |
| 16 | Lincoln City | 30 | 5 | 2 | 23 | 27 | 85 | -58 | 12 |