1896–97 Southern Football League

The 1896-97 season was the third in the history of the Southern League. Southampton St.Mary's won the Division One championship. Millwall Athletic applied for election to Football League. However, they were not elected.

Division One

Southern Football League Division One
Season 1896–97
Champions Southampton St.Mary's (1st title)
Promoted none
Relegated Royal Ordnance Factories
(resigned)
Matches played 110
Goals scored 429 (3.9 per match)

Division One featured seven teams from previous season and five new clubs: two promoted from Division Two and three newly elected members.

Teams promoted from Division Two:

Newly promoted teams:

PosClubPWDLGFGAGAv1Pts2Notes
1Southampton St.Mary's20155063183.535Changed name to Southampton at end of season
2Millwall Athletic20135263242.6331
3Chatham Town20131654291.8627
4Tottenham Hotspur2094743291.4822
5Gravesend United2094735341.0322
6Swindon Town2083933370.8919
7Reading2083931490.6319
8New Brompton20721132420.7616
9Northfleet20541124460.5214Relegation test matches
10Sheppey United20511434470.7211
11Wolverton L&NWR20201817740.234
12Royal Ordnance Factories00000000Resigned from league after seven matches, record expunged

1 The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976-77 season.

2 The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.

Division Two

Southern Football League Division Two
Season 1896–97
Champions Dartford
Promoted none
Relegated Freemantle (resigned)
1st Scots Guards
(resigned)
1st Coldstream Guards
(resigned)
Matches played 156
Goals scored 618 (3.96 per match)

Division Two featured five teams from previous season and eight new clubs, all of which were newly elected.

Newly promoted teams:

PosClubPWDLGFGAGAv1Pts2Notes
1Dartford24164483194.3736Promotion test matches
2RETB Chatham24119449371.3231
3Freemantle24124858401.4528Promotion test matches, left league at end of season
4Uxbridge24115862371.6827
5Wycombe Wanderers24106837540.6926
6Chesham241131041550.7525
7Southall2496955521.0624
81st Scots Guards2496949500.9824Left league at end of season
9West Herts241111241490.8423
10Warmley241031144431.0223
11Old St.Stephen's24571236520.6917
12Maidenhead24481233640.5216
131st Coldstream Guards24361530660.4512Left league at end of season

1 The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976-77 season.

2 The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.

Promotion-relegation test matches

At the end of the season, test matches were held between the bottom three clubs in Division One and the top three clubs in Division Two. Third-placed Freemantle were the only Division Two club to win, but withdrew from the league at the end of season, meaning their defeated opponents Northfleet remained in Division One.[1][2]


Division One clubs v Division Two clubs


Sheppey United 2 – 1 RETB Chatham


Northfleet 0 – 3 Freemantle

Football League elections

Only one Southern League club, Millwall Athletic, applied for election to Division Two of the Football League. However, they received only one vote and were not elected.[3]

ClubLeagueVotes
Lincoln CityFootball League21
Burton SwiftsFootball League15
Luton TownUnited League13
Burslem Port ValeMidland League11
Burton WanderersFootball League9
NelsonLancashire League7
Glossop North EndThe Combination5
FairfieldLancashire League3
Crewe AlexandraThe Combination2
Millwall AthleticSouthern League1

References

  1. Northfleet at the Football Club History Database
  2. Freemantle at the Football Club History Database
  3. A history of admission to the Football League

External links