| 1896–97 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Selection committee (overseen byFrank Watt) | ||
| Stadium | St James' Park | ||
| Football League Second Division | 5th | ||
| FA Cup | First Round | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Richard Smellie (15) All: Richard Smellie (15) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 17,000 (vs.Notts County) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 4,000 (vs.Burton Swifts) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 8,399 | ||
The1896–97 season wasNewcastle United's fourth season in theFootball League Second Division.
| Pos. | Name | League | FA Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| GK |  Charlie Watts | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| DF |  Robert Foyers | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| DF | Robert McDermid | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| DF | Thomas Stewart | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| DF | John White | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| MF | George Adams | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| MF | Andy Aitken | 30 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 11 |
| MF | John Auld | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 3 |
| MF | Jack Carr | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | William Graham | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| MF | William Miller | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| MF | Jack Ostler | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| FW | Thomas Blyth | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| FW | James Collins | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| FW | John Connell | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 3 |
| FW |  J Kinsella | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | Malcolm Lennox | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 4 |
| FW | David Smellie | 26 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 15 |
| FW | James Stott | 29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 3 |
| FW | Willie Thompson | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| FW | Willie Wardrope | 29 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 11 |
Win Draw Loss
| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | 1–3 | 4–3 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 5–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–5 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 0–3 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 0–3 | 1–5 |
| Position | 12th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 11th | 10th | 7th | 5th | 8th | 5th | 5th | 4th | 4th | 5th | 5th | 4th | 4th | 5th | 4th | 3rd | 3rd | 4th | 4th | 4th | 4th | 4th | 4th | 4th | 4th | 5th |
| Match | 1 |
|---|---|
| Result | 0–5 |
| Match | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 5–0 | 5–2 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 0–3 |
| 5 September 1896 | Small Heath | 3–1 | Newcastle United | Birmingham |
 | (Report) | Thompson | Stadium:Muntz Street Attendance: 4,000 |
| 12 September 1896 | Newcastle United | 4–3 | Small Heath | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Smellie Lennox | (Report) | | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 10,853 |
| 17 September 1896 | Notts County | 3–1 | Newcastle United | Nottingham |
| (Report) | Stott | Stadium:County Ground Attendance: 5,000 |
| 26 September 1896 | Newton Heath | 4–0 | Newcastle United | Manchester |
| Cassidy Donaldson | (Report) | Stadium:Bank Street Attendance: 7,000 |
| 3 October 1896 | Newcastle United | 5–1 | Darwen | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Wardrope Smellie | (Report) | | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 7,000 |
| 10 October 1896 | Newcastle United | 3–0 | Grimsby Town | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Aitken Stott | (Report) | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 5,000 |
| 17 October 1896 | Manchester City | 1–2 | Newcastle United | Manchester |
| Robinson | (Report) | Smellie Auld | Stadium:Hyde Road Attendance: 7,000 |
| 24 October 1896 | Lincoln City | 1–2 | Newcastle United | Lincoln |
| (Report) | Wardrope Connell | Stadium:Sincil Bank Attendance: 2,000 |
| 7 November 1896 | Darwen | 2–1 | Newcastle United | Darwen |
| (Report) | Miller | Stadium:Barley Bank |
| 14 November 1896 | Newcastle United | 3–1 | Leicester Fosse | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Wardrope Smellie | (Report) | | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 6,000 |
| 28 November 1896 | Newcastle United | 4–1 | Loughborough | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Wardrope Aitken Connell Lennox | (Report) | | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 7,000 |
| 5 December 1896 | Burton Wanderers | 0–1 | Newcastle United | Burton upon Trent |
| (Report) | Aitken | Stadium:Derby Turn |
| 12 December 1896 | Newcastle United | 2–2 | Notts County | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Wardrope Aitken | (Report) | | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 17,000 |
| 26 December 1896 | Grimsby Town | 3–2 | Newcastle United | Grimsby |
| (Report) | Wardrope Stott | Stadium:Abbey Park Attendance: 7,000 |
| 28 December 1896 | Gainsborough Trinity | 2–0 | Newcastle United | Gainsborough |
| (Report) | Stadium:The Northolme Attendance: 7,000 |
| 1 January 1897 | Newcastle United | 2–0 | Newton Heath | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Wardrope Aitken | (Report) | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 16,125 |
| 2 January 1897 | Newcastle United | 2–1 | Lincoln City | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Aitken Smellie | (Report) | | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 12,000 |
| 9 January 1987 | Leicester Fosse | 5–0 | Newcastle United | Leicester |
| (Report) | Stadium:Filbert Street Attendance: 3,000 |
| 16 January 1897 | Newcastle United | 4–1 | Blackpool | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Wardrope Smellie Collins Auld | (Report) | | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 8,000 |
| 23 January 1897 | Newcastle United | 2–0 | Woolwich Arsenal | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Aitken Auld | (Report) | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 6,000 |
| 6 February 1897 | Newcastle United | 3–0 | Manchester City | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Wardrope Aitken | (Report) | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 9,000 |
| 20 February 1897 | Loughborough | 3–0 | Newcastle United | Loughborough |
| (Report) | Stadium:Athletic Ground Attendance: 2,000 |
| 6 March 1897 | Newcastle United | 2–0 | Walsall | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Connell Ostler (pen.) | (Report) | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 6,000 |
| 13 March 1897 | Blackpool | 4–1 | Newcastle United | Blackpool |
| (Report) | Smellie | Stadium:Raikes Hall Attendance: 3,000 |
| 20 March 1897 | Newcastle United | 1–2 | Gainsborough Trinity | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Lennox | (Report) | | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 6,000 |
| 27 March 1897 | Newcastle United | 2–1 | Burton Swifts | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Blyth Lennox | (Report) | | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 4,000 |
| 3 April 1897 | Walsall | 0–2 | Newcastle United | Walsall |
| (Report) | Aitken Smellie | Stadium:Hillary Street Attendance: 4,000 |
| 10 April 1897 | Newcastle United | 3–0 | Burton Wanderers | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Aitken Smellie | (Report) | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 6,000 |
| 12 April 1897 | Burton Swifts | 3–0 | Newcastle United | Burton upon Trent |
| (Report) | Stadium:Peel Croft |
| 16 April 1897 | Woolwich Arsenal | 5–1 | Newcastle United | London |
| O'Brien Caldwell Boyle Brock | (Report) | Adams | Stadium:Manor Ground Attendance: 7,000 |
| 30 January 1897Round 1 | Aston Villa | 5–0 | Newcastle United | Birmingham |
| Wheldon Athersmith Smith (o.g.) | (Report) | Stadium:Villa Park Attendance: 7,000 |
| 1 September 1896 | Newcastle United | 1–1 | Hibernian | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Thompson | | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 5,000 |
| 2 September 1896 | Newcastle United | 2–2 | Sunderland | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Aitken | | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 8,000 |
| 7 September 1896 | Newcastle United | 0–3 | St Bernard's | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 4,500 |
| 23 September 1896 | Sunderland | 1–1 | Newcastle United | Sunderland |
| Wardrope | Stadium:Newcastle Road Attendance: 6,000 |
| 31 October 1896 | Newcastle United | 4–1 | Burnley | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Auld Wardrope Smellie | | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 5,000 |
| 16 November 1896 | Darlington | 2–1 | Newcastle United | Darlington |
| Wardrope | Stadium:Feethams Attendance: 2,000 |
| 21 November 1896 | Leith Athletic | 1–2 | Newcastle United | Edinburgh |
| Aitken Smellie | Stadium:Old Meadowbank Attendance: 1,200 |
| 25 December 1896 | Newcastle United | 3–1 | Dundee | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Wardrope Thompson Milne | | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 10,000 |
| 13 February 1897 | Newcastle United | 4–0 | Grimsby Town | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Aitken Connell Blyth | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 4,000 |
| 13 February 1897 | Newcastle United | 5–0 | Leith Athletic | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Connell Aitken Lennox | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 4,000 |
| 31 March 1897 | Newcastle United | 5–2 | Sunderland | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Lennox Aitken Thompson (pen.) | | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 3,000 |
| 17 April 1897 | Newcastle United | 3–0 | Heart of Midlothian | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Blyth Aitken | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 4,000 |
| 20 April 1897 | Newcastle United | 3–0 | St Mirren | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Stewart Smellie Aitken | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 2,000 |
| 24 April 1897 | Newcastle United | 3–1 | Rangers | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Connell Lennox Smellie | | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 7,000 |
| 26 April 1897 | Newcastle United | 1–0 | Third Lanark | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Aitken | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 1,000 |
| 28 April 1897 | Newcastle United | 3–0 | Sunderland | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Aitken Ostler | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 4,000 |
| 30 April 1897 | Newcastle United | 0–3 | Hibernian | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 3,000 |
