The 1896–97 Northern Football League season was the eighth in the history of the Northern Football League, a football competition in Northern England.
| Competition: | Northern League |
| Season: | 1896–97 |
| Winners: | Middlesbrough |
| Matches: | 72 |
| Total Goals: | 299 |
| Prevseason: | 1895–96 |
| Nextseason: | 1897–98 |
The league featured 7 clubs which competed in the last season, along with three new clubs: