| Pos | Team | P | Home | Away | Total | Pts | GA | GD | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | ||||||
| 1 | Aston Villa | 30 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 36 | 16 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 37 | 22 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 73 | 38 | 47 | 1.921 | 35 |
| 2 | Sheffield United | 30 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 22 | 16 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 42 | 29 | 36 | 1.448 | 13 |
| 3 | Derby County | 30 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 45 | 22 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 25 | 28 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 70 | 50 | 36 | 1.400 | 20 |
| 4 | Preston North End | 30 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 35 | 21 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 20 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 55 | 40 | 34 | 1.375 | 15 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 30 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 25 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 21 | 28 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 46 | 38 | 33 | 1.210 | 8 |
| 6 | Sheffield Wednesday | 30 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 29 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 26 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 42 | 37 | 31 | 1.135 | 5 |
| 7 | Everton | 30 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 42 | 29 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 20 | 28 | 14 | 3 | 13 | 62 | 57 | 31 | 1.087 | 5 |
| 8 | Bolton Wanderers | 30 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 22 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 40 | 43 | 30 | .930 | -3 |
| 9 | Bury | 30 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 25 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 14 | 29 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 | 44 | 30 | .886 | -5 |
| 10 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 30 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 26 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 45 | 41 | 28 | 1.097 | 4 |
| 11 | Nottingham Forest | 30 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 30 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 33 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 44 | 49 | 26 | .897 | -5 |
| 12 | West Bromwich Albion | 30 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 18 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 40 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 33 | 56 | 26 | .589 | -23 |
| 13 | Stoke City | 30 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 30 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 18 | 41 | 11 | 3 | 16 | 48 | 59 | 25 | .813 | -11 |
| 14 | Blackburn Rovers | 30 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 27 | 25 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 37 | 11 | 3 | 16 | 35 | 62 | 25 | .564 | -27 |
| 15 | Sunderland | 30 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 21 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 13 | 26 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 34 | 47 | 23 | .723 | -13 |
| 16 | Burnley | 30 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 25 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 18 | 36 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 43 | 61 | 19 | .704 | -18 |
| T | ||||
| Sat 17 Apr 1897 | Sunderland v Notts County | 0โ0 | aet | Newcastle Road ยท 7,000 |
| Sat 17 Apr 1897 | Notts County v Sunderland | 1โ0 | aet | Trent Bridge ยท 7,000 |
| Mon 19 Apr 1897 | Burnley v Manchester United | 2โ0 | aet | Turf Moor ยท 10,000 |
| Wed 21 Apr 1897 | Manchester United v Burnley | 2โ0 | aet | Bank Street ยท 7,000 |
| Sat 24 Apr 1897 | Manchester United v Sunderland | 1โ1 | aet | Bank Street ยท 18,000 |
| Sat 24 Apr 1897 | Notts County v Burnley | 1โ1 | aet | Trent Bridge ยท 15,000 |
| Mon 26 Apr 1897 | Burnley v Notts County | 0โ1 | aet | Turf Moor ยท 11,000 |
| Mon 26 Apr 1897 | Sunderland v Manchester United | 2โ0 | aet | Newcastle Road ยท 8,000 |
| Pos | Team | P | Home | Away | Total | Pts | GA | GD | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | ||||||
| 1 | Notts County | 30 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 60 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 32 | 25 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 92 | 43 | 42 | 2.139 | 49 |
| 2 | Manchester United | 30 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 37 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 19 | 24 | 17 | 5 | 8 | 56 | 34 | 39 | 1.647 | 22 |
| 3 | Grimsby Town | 30 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 44 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 22 | 30 | 17 | 4 | 9 | 66 | 45 | 38 | 1.466 | 21 |
| 4 | Birmingham City | 30 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 23 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 33 | 24 | 16 | 5 | 9 | 69 | 47 | 37 | 1.468 | 22 |
| 5 | Newcastle United | 30 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 14 | 39 | 17 | 1 | 12 | 56 | 52 | 35 | 1.076 | 4 |
| 6 | Manchester City | 30 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 39 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 19 | 35 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 58 | 50 | 32 | 1.160 | 8 |
| 7 | Gainsborough Trinity | 30 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 35 | 16 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 31 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 50 | 47 | 31 | 1.063 | 3 |
| 8 | Blackpool | 30 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 39 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 20 | 40 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 59 | 56 | 31 | 1.053 | 3 |
| 9 | Leicester City | 30 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 44 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 15 | 37 | 13 | 4 | 13 | 59 | 57 | 30 | 1.035 | 2 |
| 10 | Arsenal | 30 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 42 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 26 | 50 | 13 | 4 | 13 | 68 | 70 | 30 | .971 | -2 |
| 11 | Darwen | 30 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 54 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 13 | 45 | 14 | 0 | 16 | 67 | 61 | 28 | 1.098 | 6 |
| 12 | Walsall | 30 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 37 | 25 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 17 | 44 | 11 | 4 | 15 | 54 | 69 | 26 | .768 | -15 |
| 13 | Loughborough | 30 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 37 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 50 | 12 | 1 | 17 | 50 | 64 | 25 | .781 | -14 |
| 14 | Burton Swifts | 30 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 33 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 41 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 46 | 61 | 24 | .754 | -15 |
| 15 | Burton Wanderers | 30 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 22 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 9 | 45 | 9 | 2 | 19 | 31 | 67 | 20 | .462 | -36 |
| 16 | Lincoln City | 30 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 17 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 58 | 5 | 2 | 23 | 27 | 85 | 12 | .317 | -58 |