English First Division 1896/1897
Historical league standings at 26th 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 | Aston Villa | 17 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 12 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 39 | 21 | 26 | 1.86 |
| 2 | Bolton Wanderers | 16 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 28 | 15 | 22 | 1.87 |
| 3 | Derby County | 18 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 40 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 47 | 30 | 21 | 1.57 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 20 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 32 | 26 | 21 | 1.23 |
| 5 | Preston North End | 16 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 35 | 24 | 20 | 1.46 |
| 6 | West Bromwich Albion | 19 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 26 | 19 | 0.69 |
| 7 | Sheffield United | 14 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 21 | 13 | 18 | 1.62 |
| 8 | Everton | 16 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 24 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 30 | 24 | 17 | 1.25 |
| 9 | The Wednesday | 17 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 16 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 22 | 26 | 16 | 0.85 |
| 10 | Nottingham Forest | 17 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 21 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 27 | 30 | 15 | 0.90 |
| 11 | Bury | 16 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 18 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 22 | 27 | 15 | 0.81 |
| 12 | Blackburn Rovers | 18 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 32 | 15 | 0.53 |
| 13 | Wolverhampton W'drs. | 16 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 19 | 12 | 1.05 |
| 14 | Stoke | 17 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 13 | 32 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 26 | 43 | 12 | 0.60 |
| 15 | Sunderland | 18 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 22 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 16 | 32 | 11 | 0.50 |
| 16 | Burnley | 15 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 24 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 21 | 33 | 10 | 0.64 |
