1897–98 Football League

The 1897–98 season was the tenth season of The Football League.

The Football League
Season1897–98
ChampionsSheffield United
Relegatednone
New Club in LeagueLuton Town

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
Season1897–98
ChampionsSheffield United
1st English title
Matches played240
Goals scored724 (3.02 per match)
Top goalscorerFred Wheldon
(21 goals)
Biggest home winEverton 6–1 West Bromwich Albion
(27 November 1897)
Derby County 5–0 Nottingham Forest
(11 April 1898)
Wolverhampton Wanderers 5–0 The Wednesday
(16 April 1898)
Biggest away winLiverpool 0–4 Sheffield United
(5 February 1898)
Highest scoringThe Wednesday 3–6 Nottingham Forest
(1 January 1898)
Longest winning run7 matches
Sunderland
Longest unbeaten run14 matches
Sheffield United
Longest losing run5 matches
Stoke
Highest attendance50,000
Aston Villa 1–2 Sheffield United
(15 January 1898)
Lowest attendance1,000
West Bromwich Albion 2–1 Liverpool
(13 November 1897)
Average attendance9,396

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Relegation
1 Sheffield United (C) 30 17 8 5 56 31 1.806 42
2 Sunderland 30 16 5 9 43 30 1.433 37
3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 30 14 7 9 57 41 1.390 35
4 Everton 30 13 9 8 48 39 1.231 35
5 The Wednesday 30 15 3 12 51 42 1.214 33
6 Aston Villa 30 14 5 11 61 51 1.196 33
7 West Bromwich Albion 30 11 10 9 44 45 0.978 32
8 Nottingham Forest 30 11 9 10 47 49 0.959 31
9 Liverpool 30 11 6 13 48 45 1.067 28
10 Derby County 30 11 6 13 57 61 0.934 28
11 Bolton Wanderers 30 11 4 15 28 41 0.683 26
12 Preston North End 30 8 8 14 35 43 0.814 24
13 Notts County 30 8 8 14 36 46 0.783 24
14 Bury 30 8 8 14 39 51 0.765 24
15 Blackburn Rovers[lower-alpha 1] 30 7 10 13 39 54 0.722 24 Qualification for test matches
16 Stoke (O) 30 8 8 14 35 55 0.636 24
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners
Notes:
  1. Blackburn Rovers were initially relegated but were later reprieved due to the First Division expanding to 18 teams for the following season.

Results
Home \ Away AST BLB BOL BRY DER EVE LIV NOT NTC PNE SHU STK SUN WED WBA WOL
Aston Villa 5–1 3–2 3–1 4–1 3–0 3–1 2–0 4–2 4–0 1–2 1–1 4–3 5–2 4–3 1–2
Blackburn Rovers 4–3 1–3 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–1 1–1 0–1 1–0 1–1 1–1 2–1 1–1 1–3 2–3
Bolton Wanderers 2–0 1–2 0–0 3–3 1–0 0–2 2–0 1–0 1–0 0–1 2–1 1–0 0–3 2–0 2–1
Bury 1–2 1–0 2–1 4–0 0–1 0–2 2–2 0–0 1–0 2–5 3–3 1–0 3–0 3–2 2–1
Derby County 3–1 3–1 1–0 2–2 5–1 3–1 5–0 1–2 3–1 1–1 4–1 2–2 1–2 3–2 3–2
Everton 2–1 1–1 2–1 4–2 3–0 3–0 2–0 1–0 1–1 1–4 1–1 2–0 1–0 6–1 3–0
Liverpool 4–0 0–1 1–1 2–2 4–2 3–1 1–2 2–0 0–0 0–4 4–0 0–2 4–0 1–1 1–0
Nottingham Forest 3–1 3–1 2–0 3–1 3–4 2–2 2–3 1–1 4–1 1–1 3–1 1–1 1–0 0–1 1–1
Notts County 2–3 0–0 1–2 2–1 1–1 3–2 3–2 1–3 1–1 1–3 4–0 0–1 0–0 2–2 2–2
Preston North End 3–1 1–4 0–0 2–1 5–0 1–1 1–1 3–0 3–1 1–3 0–0 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–2
Sheffield United 1–0 5–2 4–0 1–1 2–1 0–0 1–2 1–1 0–1 2–1 4–3 1–0 1–1 2–0 2–1
Stoke 0–0 2–1 2–0 3–1 2–1 2–0 2–2 1–2 2–0 1–2 2–1 0–1 2–1 0–0 0–2
Sunderland 0–0 2–1 2–0 2–1 2–1 0–0 1–0 4–0 2–0 1–0 3–1 4–0 1–0 0–2 3–2
The Wednesday 3–0 4–1 3–0 3–0 3–1 2–1 4–2 3–6 3–1 2–1 0–1 4–0 0–1 3–0 2–0
West Bromwich Albion 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–0 3–1 2–2 2–1 2–0 0–3 3–1 2–0 2–0 2–2 0–2 2–2
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–1 3–2 2–0 3–0 2–0 2–3 2–1 0–0 3–1 3–0 1–1 4–2 4–2 5–0 1–1
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
Season1897–98
ChampionsBurnley
PromotedBurnley
Newcastle United
Matches played240
Goals scored860 (3.58 per match)
Top goalscorerHenry Boyd
(23 goals)[1]
Biggest home winManchester City 9–0 Burton Swifts
(16 April 1898)
Biggest away winLoughborough 0–5 Gainsborough Trinity
(5 February 1898)
Highest scoringLuton Town 9–3 Lincoln City
(18 December 1897)
Burnley 9–3 Loughborough
(28 March 1898)
Longest winning run7 matches
Manchester City
Longest unbeaten run16 matches
Burnley
Longest losing run11 matches
Darwen
Loughborough

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Burnley (C, O, P) 30 20 8 2 80 24 3.333 48 Qualification for test matches
2 Newcastle United (O, P) 30 21 3 6 64 32 2.000 45
3 Manchester City 30 15 9 6 66 36 1.833 39
4 Newton Heath 30 16 6 8 64 35 1.829 38
5 Woolwich Arsenal 30 16 5 9 69 49 1.408 37
6 Small Heath 30 16 4 10 58 50 1.160 36
7 Leicester Fosse 30 13 7 10 46 35 1.314 33
8 Luton Town 30 13 4 13 68 50 1.360 30
9 Gainsborough Trinity 30 12 6 12 50 54 0.926 30
10 Walsall 30 12 5 13 58 58 1.000 29
11 Blackpool 30 10 5 15 49 61 0.803 25
12 Grimsby Town 30 10 4 16 52 62 0.839 24
13 Burton Swifts 30 8 5 17 38 69 0.551 21
14 Lincoln City 30 6 5 19 43 82 0.524 17 Re-elected
15 Darwen 30 6 2 22 31 76 0.408 14
16 Loughborough 30 6 2 22 24 87 0.276 14
Source:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted

Results
Home \ Away BLP BUR BRS DRW GAI GRI LEI LIN LOU LUT MCI NEW NWH SMH WAL WOO
Blackpool 1–1 2–1 1–0 5–0 1–1 2–1 5–0 4–0 1–0 0–2 2–3 0–1 4–1 1–1 3–3
Burnley 5–1 2–0 6–1 1–1 6–0 4–0 2–1 9–3 4–0 3–1 3–0 6–3 4–1 4–1 5–0
Burton Swifts 2–1 0–2 2–0 1–1 4–0 2–3 1–1 3–0 2–1 0–0 3–1 0–4 1–3 3–2 1–2
Darwen 3–1 0–1 1–2 2–4 1–0 1–2 3–2 2–1 0–2 2–4 1–3 2–3 1–1 1–2 1–4
Gainsborough Trinity 4–1 0–0 3–2 3–1 2–0 1–0 4–0 4–0 3–3 1–0 1–3 2–1 0–0 1–1 1–0
Grimsby Town 3–0 2–1 7–2 5–0 4–2 0–0 4–2 7–0 1–3 3–4 2–0 1–3 3–1 1–2 1–4
Leicester Fosse 4–1 0–1 1–1 0–1 3–1 1–0 3–1 4–0 1–1 0–0 1–1 1–1 2–0 3–1 2–1
Lincoln City 3–2 1–1 3–0 2–2 2–1 1–1 1–4 2–3 4–2 2–1 2–3 1–0 1–2 0–2 2–3
Loughborough 0–2 0–2 3–2 0–1 0–5 2–1 1–1 4–2 2–0 0–3 0–1 0–0 0–2 2–1 1–3
Luton Town 3–1 2–0 1–1 3–0 4–0 6–0 0–1 9–3 7–0 3–0 3–1 2–2 1–2 6–0 0–2
Manchester City 3–3 1–1 9–0 5–0 3–0 3–0 2–1 3–1 3–0 2–1 1–1 0–1 3–3 3–2 4–1
Newcastle United 2–0 0–1 3–1 1–0 5–2 4–0 4–2 3–0 3–1 4–1 2–0 2–0 4–0 2–1 4–1
Newton Heath 4–0 0–0 4–0 3–2 1–0 2–1 2–0 5–0 5–1 1–2 1–1 0–1 3–1 6–0 5–1
Small Heath 2–3 2–2 2–1 5–1 4–3 0–2 2–1 4–0 1–0 4–2 0–1 1–0 2–1 6–0 2–1
Walsall 6–0 1–2 4–0 5–0 3–0 1–1 2–1 3–1 3–0 5–0 2–2 2–3 1–1 1–2 3–2
Woolwich Arsenal 2–1 1–1 3–0 3–1 4–0 4–1 0–3 2–2 4–0 3–0 2–2 0–0 5–1 4–2 4–0
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. 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
(1st Div. 15th) Blackburn Rovers 1–5 Burnley (2nd Div. Champions) 1–3
Thu 21 Apr		 0–2
Sat 23 Apr
(2nd Div. 2nd) Newcastle United 2–2 Stoke (1st Div. 16th) 2–1
Wed 20 Apr		 0–1
Sat 23 Apr

Second round
Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
(2nd Div. Champions) Burnley 0–2 Stoke (1st Div. 16th) 0–2
Tue 26 Apr		 0–0
Sat 30 Apr
(1st Div. 15th) Blackburn Rovers 4–7 Newcastle United (2nd Div. 2nd) 4–3
Thu 28 Apr		 0–4
Sat 30 Apr

Summary

Reference works, such Encyclopedia of British Football,[2] and Association Football[3] present the following table with the heading given above.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Stoke 4 2 1 1 4 2 +2 5 Elected to play in First Division
2 Burnley 4 2 1 1 5 3 +2 5
3 Newcastle United 4 2 0 2 9 6 +3 4 To remain in Second Division, eventually elected to First Division
4 Blackburn Rovers 4 1 0 3 5 12 −7 2
Source:

Consequences

Burnley and Stoke City entered the last match needing a draw for promotion (or in Stoke's case to retain their First Division place). A 0–0 draw ensued, reportedly 'The Match without a shot at goal' and the League immediately withdrew the Test Match system in favour of automatic promotion and relegation. Ironically, the League also decided to expand the top division to 18 teams after the Test Match series of 1897–98 and the other two teams, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United were elected into the top division for the following season,[4] negating the effect of Burnley and Stoke's reputed collusion. In the end, the test matches and their results seem to have served no particular purpose. After this season the test matches were scrapped in favour of direct promotion and relegation.

See also

References
  1. "English League Leading Goalscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  2. Soar, Phil & Tyler, Martin: Encyclopedia of British Football, Willow Books, London. Fourth, updated and revised edition, 1984, p. 168.
  3. A. H. Fabian & Green, Geoffrey: Association Football, Volume Two, p. 236. The Caxton Publishing Company Ltd., London, 1960.
  4. Andy Kelly. "Arsenal's 1919 Election – Tottenham's Final Argument Mythbusted". thearsenalhistory.com.

Notes
    • Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane's, London & Sydney, 1980.
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