1896–97 Southern Football League

March 2026 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 and Tottenham Hotspur applied for election to Football League. However, they were not elected so were allowed to play in the Southern League. Division One Southern Football League Division One 1896–97 Southampton St.Mary's (1st title) none Royal Ordnance Factories (resigned) 110 429 1895–96 1897–98 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: Wolverston L&NWR - champions, winners of testing matches Sheppey United - runners-up, winners of testing matches Newly promoted teams: Northfleet - Kent League champions Gravesend United - Kent League members Tottenham Hotspur main WDL R 5 2 Division One y SOU Southampton St.Mary's MIL Millwall Athletic CHA Chatham Town TOT Tottenham Hotspur GRA Gravesend United SWI Swindon Town REA Reading NBR New Brompton NOR Northfleet SHE Sheppey United WOL Wolverton L&NWR ROF Royal Ordnance Factories 15 5 0 63 18 13 5 2 63 24 13 1 6 54 29 9 4 7 43 29 9 4 7 35 34 8 3 9 33 37 8 3 9 31 49 7 2 11 32 42 5 4 11 24 46 5 1 14 34 47 2 0 18 17 74 1 4 2 11 5 Changed name to Southampton at end of season #ccccff Relegation test matches RTM RTM RTM #ffcccc Resigned from league after seven matches, record expunged RES The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used until the 1976-77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing. complete Tottenham Hotspur The Official Illustrated History 1882-1995 Phil Soar Hamlyn 233 0-600-58706-1 Division Two Southern Football League Division Two 1896–97 Dartford none Freemantle (resigned)1st Scots Guards(resigned)1st Coldstream Guards(resigned) 156 618 1895–96 1897–98 Division Two featured five teams from previous season and eight new clubs, all of which were newly elected. Newly promoted teams: Dartford - Kent League members RETB Chatham - Kent League members 1st Coldstream Guards Freemantle Southall Warmley West Herts Wycombe Wanderers main WDL QR 2 y DAR Dartford CHA RETB Chatham FRE Freemantle UXB Uxbridge WYC Wycombe Wanderers CHE Chesham SOU Southall 1SG 1st Scots Guards WAR Warmley WHE West Herts OST Old St.Stephen's MAI Maidenhead 1CG 1st Coldstream Guards 16 4 4 83 19 11 9 4 49 37 12 4 8 58 40 11 5 8 62 37 10 6 8 37 54 11 3 10 41 55 9 6 9 55 52 9 6 9 49 50 10 3 11 44 43 11 1 12 41 49 5 7 12 36 52 4 8 12 33 64 3 6 15 30 66 #ccccff Promotion test matches PTM PTM #ccccff Promotion test matches, left league at end of season Freemantle resigned at the end of the season from the Southern Football League, creating a vacancy filled by Royal Artillery Portsmouth in the next 1897-98 seasonhttp://www.diandsaulbooks.co.uk/glory-gunners---the-history-of-royal-artillery-portsmouth-fc-by-kevin-smith-2264-p.asp Glory Gunners – The History of Royal Artillery (Portsmouth) FC Dian D Saul Books.co.uk PTML #ffcccc Left league at end of season L L The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used until the 1976-77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing. complete rsssf.com 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.NORTHFLE NorthfleetFREEMANT Freemantle Division One clubs Division Two clubs Wolverton LNWR 2 – 0 Dartford 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.http://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=3506; A history of admission to the Football League 2011-02-07 2018-09-26 https://web.archive.org/web/20180926224326/http://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=3506; dead ClubLeagueVotesLincoln CityFootball League21Burton SwiftsFootball League15Luton TownUnited League13Burslem Port ValeMidland League11Burton WanderersFootball League9NelsonLancashire League7Glossop North EndThe Combination5FairfieldLancashire League3Crewe AlexandraThe Combination2Millwall AthleticSouthern League1 References External links Southern League First Division Tables at RSSSF Southern League Second Division Tables at RSSSF 1896–97 Category:1896–97 in English men's football leagues