It was another season of struggle for Stoke who finished bottom of the First Division on goal average level on points with five teams.

After this obvious exploitation of the rules the league scrapped the test match system in favour of automatic promotion and relegation.

[1] In September 1897 Horace Austerberry was appointed secretary-manager of Stoke in succession of Bill Rowley who became general secretary.

[1] It finished 0–0 after a farcical 90 minutes during which neither side put in a challenge or had a shot at goal and at one point a few fans in the crowd held on to the ball and refused to return it to the players.

[1] After this obvious exploit of the rules the league scrapped the test match system in favour of automatic promotion and relegation.