1896–97 Newton Heath F.C. season
14th season in existence of Newton Heath F.C.
Newton Heath 1896–97 football season
The 1896–97 season was Newton Heath 's fifth season in the Football League and their third in the Second Division .[ 1] They finished second in the league, which earned them a chance for promotion back to the First Division . United played two Test matches against each of the bottom two teams from the First Division , but although they beat Burnley at Bank Street , they were unable to overcome Sunderland and remained in the Second Division. In the FA Cup , the Heathens managed to reach the third round, before losing 2–0 to Derby County for the second year in a row.
The club also entered teams in the Lancashire and Manchester Senior Cups in 1896–97. They were knocked out of the Lancashire Cup in the second round, losing 2–1 away to Burnley . In the Manchester Cup, they received a bye to the third round, where they beat Manchester City , before losing 2–0 to Bury in the semi-finals.
Second Division
Date
Opponents
H / A
Result F – A
Scorers
Attendance
1 September 1896
Gainsborough Trinity
H
2–0
McNaught (2)
4,000
5 September 1896
Burton Swifts
A
5–3
Brown , Bryant , Cassidy , Draycott , McNaught
3,000
7 September 1896
Walsall
H
2–0
Cassidy , Donaldson
7,000
12 September 1896
Lincoln City
H
3–1
Cassidy (2), Donaldson
2,000
19 September 1896
Grimsby Town
A
0–2
3,000
21 September 1896
Walsall
A
3–2
Brown , Draycott , McNaught
7,000
26 September 1896
Newcastle United
H
4–0
Cassidy (3), Donaldson
7,000
3 October 1896
Manchester City
A
0–0
20,000
10 October 1896
Small Heath
H
1–1
Draycott
7,000
17 October 1896
Blackpool
A
2–4
Bryant , Draycott
5,000
21 October 1896
Gainsborough Trinity
A
0–2
4,000
24 October 1896
Burton Wanderers
H
3–0
Cassidy (3)
4,000
7 November 1896
Grimsby Town
H
4–2
Cassidy (2), Donaldson , Jenkyns
5,000
28 November 1896
Small Heath
A
0–1
4,000
19 December 1896
Notts County
A
0–3
5,000
25 December 1896
Manchester City
H
2–1
Donaldson , Smith
18,000
26 December 1896
Blackpool
H
2–0
Cassidy (2)
9,000
28 December 1896
Leicester Fosse
A
0–1
8,000
1 January 1897
Newcastle United
A
0–2
17,000
9 January 1897
Burton Swifts
H
1–1
Donaldson
3,000
6 February 1897
Loughborough
H
6–0
Smith (2), Boyd , Donaldson , Draycott , Jenkyns
5,000
20 February 1897
Leicester Fosse
H
2–1
Boyd , Donaldson
8,000
2 March 1897
Darwen
H
3–1
Cassidy (2), Boyd
3,000
13 March 1897
Darwen
A
2–0
Cassidy , Gillespie
2,000
20 March 1897
Burton Wanderers
A
2–1
Gillespie , Lowe (o.g. )
3,000
22 March 1897
Woolwich Arsenal
H
1–1
Boyd
3,000
27 March 1897
Notts County
H
1–1
Bryant
10,000
1 April 1897
Lincoln City
A
3–1
Jenkyns (3)
1,000
3 April 1897
Woolwich Arsenal
A
2–0
Boyd , Donaldson
6,000
10 April 1897
Loughborough
A
0–2
3,000
Source:
[citation needed ] Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions;
(O) Play-off winners;
(P) Promoted;
(R) Relegated
Test matches
FA Cup
Date
Round
Opponents
H / A
Result F – A
Scorers
Attendance
12 December 1896
First round qualifying
West Manchester
H
7–0
Cassidy (2), Gillespie (2), Rothwell (2), Bryant
6,000
2 January 1897
Second round qualifying
Nelson
H
3–0
Cassidy , Donaldson , Gillespie
5,000
15 January 1897
Third round qualifying
Blackpool
H
2–2
Gillespie , Donaldson
1,500
20 January 1897
Third round qualifying replay
Blackpool
A
2–1
Cassidy , Boyd
1,500
30 January 1897
First round
Kettering Town
H
5–1
Cassidy (3), Donaldson (2)
5,000
13 February 1897
Second round
Southampton St. Mary's
A
1–1
Donaldson
8,000
17 February 1897
Second round replay
Southampton St. Mary's
H
3–1
Bryant (2), Cassidy
7,000
27 February 1897
Third round
Derby County
A
0–2
12,000
References