1895–96 Football League

The 1895–96 season was the eighth season of The Football League.

The Football League
Season1895–96
ChampionsAston Villa
RelegatedCrewe Alexandra
Burslem Port Vale
Rotherham Town
New Club in LeagueLoughborough

Final league tables

Beginning in the 1894–95 season, clubs finishing level on points were separated according to goal average (goals scored divided by goals conceded). In case one or more teams had the same goal difference, this system favoured those teams who had scored fewer goals. The goal average system was eventually scrapped beginning with the 1976–77 season.

During the first six seasons of the league, (up to the 1893–94 season), re-election process concerned the clubs which finished in the bottom four of the league. From the 1894–95 season and until the 1920–21 season the re-election process was required of the clubs which finished in the bottom three of the league.

First Division
First Division
Season1895–96
ChampionsAston Villa
2nd title
RelegatedSmall Heath
Matches played240
Goals scored807 (3.36 per match)
Top goalscorerJohn Campbell
Steve Bloomer
(22 goals each)
Biggest home winDerby County 8–0 Small Heath
(30 November 1895)
Sheffield United 8–0 Bury
(6 April 1896)
Biggest away winThe Wednesday 0–4 Derby County
(28 December 1895)
Highest scoringAston Villa 7–3 Small Heath
(7 September 1895)
Longest winning run9 matches
Everton
Longest unbeaten run14 matches
Everton
Longest losing run6 matches
Burnley
Small Heath
Highest attendance30,000
Everton 2–0 Aston Villa
(21 December 1895)
Lowest attendance560
West Bromwich Albion 3–2 Blackburn Rovers
(29 April 1896)
Average attendance7,682

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Relegation
1 Aston Villa (C) 30 20 5 5 78 45 1.733 45
2 Derby County 30 17 7 6 68 35 1.943 41
3 Everton 30 16 7 7 66 43 1.535 39
4 Bolton Wanderers 30 16 5 9 49 37 1.324 37
5 Sunderland 30 15 7 8 52 41 1.268 37
6 Stoke 30 15 0 15 56 47 1.191 30
7 The Wednesday 30 12 5 13 44 53 0.830 29
8 Blackburn Rovers 30 12 5 13 40 50 0.800 29
9 Preston North End 30 11 6 13 44 48 0.917 28
10 Burnley 30 10 7 13 48 44 1.091 27
11 Bury 30 12 3 15 50 54 0.926 27
12 Sheffield United 30 10 6 14 40 50 0.800 26
13 Nottingham Forest 30 11 3 16 42 57 0.737 25
14 Wolverhampton Wanderers 30 10 1 19 61 65 0.938 21
15 Small Heath (R) 30 8 4 18 39 79 0.494 20 Qualification for test matches
16 West Bromwich Albion (O) 30 6 7 17 30 59 0.508 19
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated

Results
Home \ Away AST BLB BOL BUR BRY DER EVE NOT PNE SHU SMH STK SUN WED WBA WOL
Aston Villa 3–1 2–0 5–1 2–0 4–1 4–3 3–1 1–0 2–2 7–3 5–2 2–1 2–1 1–0 4–1
Blackburn Rovers 1–1 3–2 1–0 0–2 0–2 2–3 2–0 3–0 1–0 2–1 3–1 2–4 2–1 1–0 3–1
Bolton Wanderers 2–2 1–1 1–0 2–4 2–1 3–1 2–1 1–0 4–1 4–1 3–1 1–0 2–0 2–1 4–0
Burnley 3–4 6–0 1–2 3–0 2–2 1–1 0–0 1–0 5–0 1–1 2–0 0–0 2–0 3–0 3–1
Bury 5–3 2–0 0–3 3–4 1–2 1–1 1–0 1–2 1–0 4–5 0–1 1–2 6–1 3–0 3–0
Derby County 2–2 0–0 2–1 5–1 2–1 2–1 4–0 1–0 0–2 8–0 2–1 2–0 3–1 4–1 5–2
Everton 2–0 0–2 1–1 2–1 3–2 2–2 6–2 3–2 5–0 3–0 7–2 1–0 2–2 1–1 2–0
Nottingham Forest 0–2 4–2 0–0 2–1 5–0 2–5 2–1 0–1 3–1 3–0 4–0 3–1 1–0 2–0 3–2
Preston North End 4–3 1–1 1–0 1–1 1–1 1–0 1–1 6–0 4–3 3–2 0–1 4–1 0–1 0–0 4–3
Sheffield United 2–1 1–1 1–0 1–1 8–0 1–1 1–2 2–1 2–1 2–0 1–0 1–2 1–1 2–0 2–1
Small Heath 1–4 2–1 1–2 1–0 1–0 1–3 0–3 1–0 5–2 2–1 1–2 0–1 1–1 2–2 3–2
Stoke 1–2 3–0 2–0 2–1 0–2 2–1 1–2 1–0 4–0 4–0 6–1 5–0 5–0 3–1 4–1
Sunderland 2–1 2–1 1–0 3–1 0–0 2–2 3–0 1–1 4–1 1–1 2–1 4–1 2–1 7–1 2–2
The Wednesday 1–3 3–0 1–1 1–0 1–3 0–4 3–1 3–0 1–1 1–0 3–0 2–1 3–0 5–3 3–1
West Bromwich Albion 1–1 3–2 2–3 0–2 1–3 0–0 0–3 3–1 1–2 1–0 0–0 1–0 1–1 2–3 2–1
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–2 1–2 5–0 5–1 1–0 2–0 2–3 6–1 2–1 4–1 7–2 1–0 1–3 4–0 1–2
Source:
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Maps
Locations of the Football League First Division teams

Second Division
Second Division
Season1895–96
ChampionsLiverpool
PromotedLiverpool
Matches played240
Goals scored943 (3.93 per match)
Top goalscorerGeorge Allan
(26 goals)
Biggest home winLiverpool 10–1 Rotherham Town
(18 February 1896)
Biggest away winBurton Swifts 0–7 Liverpool
(29 February 1896)
Crewe Alexandra 0–7 Liverpool
(28 March 1896)
Highest scoringDarwen 10–2 Rotherham Town
(13 January 1896)
Longest winning run10 matches
Liverpool
Longest unbeaten run10 matches
Burton Wanderers
Liverpool
Longest losing run6 matches
Lincoln City

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Liverpool (C, O, P) 30 22 2 6 106 32 3.313 46 Qualification for test matches
2 Manchester City 30 21 4 5 63 38 1.658 46
3 Grimsby Town 30 20 2 8 82 38 2.158 42
4 Burton Wanderers 30 19 4 7 69 40 1.725 42
5 Newcastle United 30 16 2 12 73 50 1.460 34
6 Newton Heath 30 15 3 12 66 57 1.158 33
7 Woolwich Arsenal 30 14 4 12 58 42 1.381 32
8 Leicester Fosse 30 14 4 12 57 44 1.295 32
9 Darwen 30 12 6 12 72 67 1.075 30
10 Notts County 30 12 2 16 57 54 1.056 26
11 Burton Swifts 30 10 4 16 39 69 0.565 24
12 Loughborough 30 9 5 16 40 66 0.606 23
13 Lincoln City 30 9 4 17 53 75 0.707 22
14 Burslem Port Vale 30 7 4 19 43 78 0.551 18 Resigned from league
15 Rotherham Town 30 7 3 20 34 97 0.351 17
16 Crewe Alexandra 30 5 3 22 30 95 0.316 13
Source:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted

Results
Home \ Away BPV BRS BRW CRE DRW GRI LEI LIN LIV LOU MCI NEW NWH NTC ROT WOO
Burslem Port Vale 1–0 2–2 2–1 3–3 1–4 1–1 0–1 5–4 1–1 0–1 2–0 3–0 0–4 4–0 0–2
Burton Swifts 2–1 0–2 1–1 1–2 2–1 0–2 4–0 0–7 1–2 1–4 3–1 4–1 0–0 2–0 3–2
Burton Wanderers 2–1 2–1 4–0 3–0 2–1 0–0 4–1 2–1 4–0 4–1 0–3 5–1 1–3 6–1 4–1
Crewe Alexandra 3–2 1–3 0–1 3–1 0–1 1–1 2–2 0–7 1–2 0–2 3–0 0–2 5–1 3–2 0–1
Darwen 8–2 3–0 3–0 6–1 3–3 4–1 5–0 0–4 1–1 2–3 4–4 3–0 2–0 10–2 1–1
Grimsby Town 6–1 3–0 2–1 2–0 5–0 7–1 4–2 1–0 2–0 5–0 2–1 4–2 3–0 4–0 1–1
Leicester Fosse 5–0 2–1 1–3 4–1 2–3 1–2 1–3 2–0 5–0 1–2 2–0 3–0 2–1 8–0 1–0
Lincoln City 4–2 1–2 1–2 6–2 1–0 2–5 2–3 0–1 4–1 1–2 4–0 2–0 2–3 5–0 1–1
Liverpool 5–1 6–1 4–1 6–1 0–0 3–1 3–1 6–1 1–0 3–1 5–1 7–1 3–0 10–1 3–0
Loughborough 3–0 2–2 1–1 4–1 4–1 0–1 1–4 3–0 2–4 2–4 1–0 3–3 1–3 3–0 2–1
Manchester City 1–0 1–1 1–1 4–0 4–1 2–1 2–0 4–0 1–1 5–1 5–2 2–1 2–0 2–0 1–0
Newcastle United 4–2 5–0 4–0 6–0 7–2 1–5 1–0 5–0 1–0 3–0 4–1 2–1 5–1 6–1 3–1
Newton Heath 2–1 5–0 1–2 5–0 4–0 3–2 2–0 5–5 5–2 2–0 1–1 2–1 3–0 3–0 5–1
Notts County 7–2 5–0 1–4 6–0 4–1 5–3 1–2 2–0 2–3 2–0 3–0 0–1 0–2 0–0 3–4
Rotherham Town 0–2 1–4 1–6 4–0 3–0 1–0 2–0 2–2 0–5 4–0 2–3 1–1 2–3 1–0 3–0
Woolwich Arsenal 2–1 5–0 3–0 7–0 1–3 3–1 1–1 4–0 0–2 6–0 0–1 2–1 2–1 2–0 5–0
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane’s, London & Sydney, 1980.
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Maps
Locations of the Football League Second Division teams

Test Matches

The Football League test matches were a set of play-offs, in which the bottom First Division teams faced the top Second Division teams.

The format had changed from previous seasons, with the number of participants has reduced from six to four (two from each division). Now, each First Division team plays both Second Division teams in a mini league format. The top two finishers would then be considered for election for First Division membership, whilst the bottom two finishers would be invited to play in the Second Division.

The First Division teams, if finishing in the top two, would retain their places in the division. If a Second Division team does so, it would be considered for First Division membership through an election process. Bottom-two Second Division teams would stay in the Second Division.

First round
Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
(2nd Div. Champions) Liverpool 4–0 Small Heath (1st Div. 15th) 4–0
Sat 18 Apr		 0–0
Mon 20 Apr
(2nd Div. 2nd) Manchester City 2–7 West Bromwich Albion (1st Div. 16th) 1–1
Sat 18 Apr		 1–6
Mon 20 Apr

Second round
Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
(2nd Div. Champions) Liverpool 2–2 West Bromwich Albion (1st Div. 16th) 2–0
Sat 25 Apr		 0–2
Mon 27 Apr
(2nd Div. 2nd) Manchester City 3–8 Small Heath (1st Div. 15th) 3–0
Sat 25 Apr		 0–8
Mon 27 Apr

Summary

Reference works, such Encyclopedia of British Football[1] and Association Football,[2] present the following table with the heading given above.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Liverpool 4 2 1 1 6 2 +4 5 Elected to play in First Division
2 West Bromwich Albion 4 2 1 1 9 4 +5 5
3 Small Heath 4 1 1 2 8 7 +1 3 Invited to play in Second Division
4 Manchester City 4 1 1 2 5 15 −10 3
Source:

Consequences

It is likely that the league decided on re-election to the First Division and on promotion and relegation on the basis of the summary table above. It is not clear why all the four teams did not play each other, since it would only have required two more matches for each of them. It seems those teams who had lost in the first round hardly had any chance of ending up among the top teams in this system, and the election outcome effectively seems to have confirmed the first round results.

  • Liverpool and West Bromwich Albion, winners of the first round matches, and appearing on the top of the summary table, were elected to play in the 1st Division the following season.
  • Small Heath and Manchester City, who lost in the first round, were not elected to play in 1st Division, but were invited to play in the 2nd Division.

See also

References
  1. Soar, Phil & Tyler, Martin: Encyclopedia of British Football, Willow Books, London. Fourth, updated and revised edition, 1984, p. 167.
  2. A. H. Fabian & Green, Geoffrey: Association Football, Volume Two, p. 235. The Caxton Publishing Company Ltd., London, 1960.
  • Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane's, London & Sydney, 1980.
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