| Club: | Newton Heath |
| Season: | 1896–97 |
| Manager: | A. H. Albut |
| Mgrtitle: | Secretary |
| Stadium: | Bank Street |
| League: | Second Division |
| League Result: | 2nd |
| Cup1: | FA Cup |
| Cup1 Result: | Third round |
| League Topscorer: | Joe Cassidy (17) |
| Season Topscorer: | Joe Cassidy (25) |
| Highest Attendance: | 18,000 vs Manchester City (25 December 1896) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 3,000 vs Burton Swifts (9 January 1897) 3,000 vs Darwen (2 March 1897) 3,000 vs Woolwich Arsenal (22 March 1897) |
| Average Attendance: | 6,636 |
| Pattern B1: | _collar |
| Leftarm1: | FFFFFF |
| Body1: | FFFFFF |
| Rightarm1: | FFFFFF |
| Shorts1: | 000066 |
| Socks1: | 000066 |
| Pattern La2: | _goldstripes |
| Pattern B2: | _goldstripes_thin2 |
| Pattern Ra2: | _goldstripes |
| Leftarm2: | 006600 |
| Body2: | 006600 |
| Rightarm2: | 006600 |
| Shorts2: | 000066 |
| Socks2: | 000066 |
| Prevseason: | 1895–96 |
| Nextseason: | 1897–98 |
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.
| 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 |
| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 April 1897 | Burnley | A | 0–2 | 10,000 | ||
| 21 April 1897 | Burnley | H | 2–0 | Boyd, Jenkyns | 7,000 | |
| 24 April 1897 | Sunderland | H | 1–1 | Boyd | 18,000 | |
| 26 April 1897 | Sunderland | A | 0–2 | 6,000 |
| 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 |