FA Cup Top 25 Ranking as at 1896-97
| Pos |  |
Club | Div | Pld | Won | Draw | Lost | FG | AG | Diff | No of RD 1 | First | Last | 1896-97 | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | 0 | Blackburn Rovers | D 1 | 76 | 55 | 8 | 13 | 251 | 79 | 172 | 18 | 1879-80 | 1896-97 | Rd 3 |  |
| 2 | 0 | Aston Villa | D 1 | 70 | 46 | 10 | 14 | 225 | 115 | 110 | 18 | 1879-80 | 1896-97 | Winner | |
| 3 | 1 | West Bromwich Albion | D 1 | 58 | 40 | 6 | 12 | 140 | 59 | 81 | 14 | 1883-84 | 1896-97 | Rd 2 | |
| 4 | -1 | Old Etonians | NL | 58 | 39 | 9 | 10 | 161 | 76 | 85 | 12 | 1873-74 | 1887-88 | |
|
| 5 | 1 | Notts County | D 2 | 68 | 37 | 12 | 19 | 210 | 107 | 103 | 20 | 1877-78 | 1896-97 | Rd 2 | |
| 6 | -1 | The Wednesday | D 1 | 58 | 37 | 6 | 15 | 147 | 83 | 64 | 16 | 1880-81 | 1896-97 | Rd 1 | |
| 7 | 1 | Nottingham Forest | D 1 | 65 | 33 | 13 | 19 | 151 | 93 | 58 | 19 | 1878-79 | 1896-97 | Rd 3 | |
| 8 | -1 | Royal Engineers | NL | 56 | 33 | 7 | 16 | 144 | 67 | 77 | 17 | 1871-72 | 1887-88 | |
|
| 9 | 0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | D 1 | 53 | 31 | 9 | 13 | 133 | 69 | 64 | 14 | 1883-84 | 1896-97 | Rd 2 | |
| 10 | 0 | Swifts | NL | 53 | 30 | 8 | 15 | 123 | 76 | 47 | 16 | 1873-74 | 1889-90 | ||
| 11 | 2 | Preston North End | D 1 | 45 | 30 | 5 | 10 | 182 | 47 | 135 | 13 | 1883-84 | 1896-97 | Rd 3 | |
| 12 | -1 | Old Carthusians | NL | 39 | 29 | 0 | 10 | 135 | 52 | 83 | 11 | 1879-80 | 1889-90 | |
|
| 13 | -1 | Darwen | D 2 | 53 | 28 | 8 | 17 | 145 | 85 | 60 | 17 | 1877-78 | 1895-96 | ||
| 14 | 0 | Oxford University | NL | 41 | 27 | 7 | 7 | 99 | 33 | 66 | 8 | 1872-73 | 1879-80 | |
|
| 15 | 0 | Clapham Rovers | NL | 44 | 26 | 4 | 14 | 149 | 55 | 94 | 16 | 1871-72 | 1886-87 | |
|
| 16 | 0 | Bolton Wanderers | D 1 | 46 | 22 | 11 | 13 | 127 | 84 | 43 | 14 | 1881-82 | 1896-97 | Rd 2 | |
| 17 | 0 | Wanderers | NL | 30 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 94 | 22 | 72 | 9 | 1871-72 | 1879-80 | |
|
| 18 | 0 | Upton Park | NL | 39 | 19 | 5 | 15 | 92 | 68 | 24 | 16 | 1871-72 | 1886-87 | ||
| 19 | 0 | Marlow | NL | 38 | 18 | 3 | 17 | 79 | 53 | 26 | 18 | 1871-72 | 1892-93 | ||
| 20 | 0 | Sunderland | D 1 | 31 | 16 | 4 | 11 | 73 | 47 | 26 | 12 | 1884-85 | 1896-97 | Rd 2 | |
| 21 | 4 | Derby County | D 1 | 31 | 16 | 2 | 13 | 74 | 63 | 11 | 13 | 1884-85 | 1896-97 | SF | |
| 22 | 1 | Stoke | D 1 | 30 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 69 | 50 | 19 | 12 | 1883-84 | 1896-97 | Rd 2 | |
| 23 | -2 | Old Westminsters | NL | 27 | 15 | 3 | 9 | 74 | 44 | 30 | 9 | 1882-83 | 1891-92 | ||
| 24 | -2 | Maidenhead | NL | 33 | 15 | 2 | 16 | 46 | 60 | -14 | 16 | 1871-72 | 1887-88 | ||
| 25 | -1 | Grimsby Town | D 2 | 30 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 53 | 51 | 2 | 12 | 1882-83 | 1896-97 | Rd 1 | |
| 26 | 8 | Everton | D 1 | 26 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 59 | 37 | 22 | 9 | 1886-87 | 1896-97 | Final | |
