With so many teams signing up to the new Northern Union, now in its second season, the league was split into county (Lancashire and Yorkshire) competitions. The Challenge Cup was also held for the first time in this season.

Wigan Final League Position: 11th in Lancashire Senior Competition
Lancashire League Champions: Broughton Rangers
Challenge Cup Winners: Batley (10-3 v St Helens)

1896-97 Northern Rugby Football Union - Lancashire Senior Competition CC = Challenge Cup

Date	Opposition	Venue	Resultl	Tries	Goals
Sat 5 Sept	Morecambe	Away	Won 06-03	Timoney	Walkden 1P
Sat 12 Sept	Stockport	Away	Lost 00-12	-	0
Sat 19 Sept	Runcorn	Home	Lost 00-03	-	-
Sat 3 Oct	Broughton Rangers	Home	Draw 00-00	-	-
Sat 10 Oct	Leigh	Away	Won 03-00	-	Walkden 1P
Sat 24 Oct	Oldham	Home	Lost 03-15	Dixon	-
Sat 31 Oct	Tyldesley	Home	Lost 00-03	-	-
Sat 7 Nov	Salford	Away	Lost 03-16	-	Walkden 1P
Sat 14 Nov	Swinton	Away	Won 13-00	Foster 2, B.Halliwell	Dixon 1DG
Sat 21 Nov	Rochdale Hornets	Away	Won 16-13	Rigby	Walkden 1P + 1C, Dixon 1DG + 1GM
Sat 28 Nov	Widnes	Away	Lost 00-11	-	0
Sat 5 Dec	Tyldesley	Away	Lost 00-08	-	-
Sat 12 Dec	Warrington	Home	Draw 00-00	-	-
Sat 19 Dec	Broughton Rangers	Away	Lost 00-03	-	0
Sat 26 Dec	Runcorn	Away	Draw 00-00	-	-
Fri 1 Jan	Salford	Home	Won 06-05	Collier, Benson	-
Sat 2 Jan	Warrington	Away	Draw 00-00	-	0
Sat 9 Jan	Leigh	Home	Draw 00-00	-	-
Sat 6 Feb	St Helens	Home	Won 04-00	-	Walkden 1DG
Sat 13 Feb	Oldham	Away	Lost 00-14	-	0
Sat 20 Feb	Morecambe	Home	Won 06-00	Foster, Dixon	-
Sat 27 Feb	Widnes	Home	Draw 00-00	-	-
Sat 6 Mar	Swinton	Home	Lost 05-09	Green	Winstanley 1C
Thu 11 Mar	St Helens	Away	Lost 00-03	-	-
Sat 13 Mar	Rochdale Hornets	Home	Won 08-00	Robinson	Green 1C + 1P
Wed 17 Mar	Stockport	Home	Draw 00-00	-	0
Sat 20 Mar	CC R1: Radcliffe	Home	Won 03-00	-	Winstanley 1P
Sat 27 Mar	CC R2: Manningham	Home	Won 07-00	Blackburn	Walkden 1DG
Sat 3 April	CC R3: St Helens	Away	Lost 00-11	-	-

Scoring: Try - 3 points. Conversion - 2 points. Drop Goal - 4 points. Penalty - 3 points. Goal from Mark - 4 points.

1896-1897 Team Sheets

aalaDatealaa

Opponent

Resultl

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Sat 5 Sept

More (A)

W06-03

JoelWinstanley

TimoneylT

Jago

Wilding

Dixon

WalkdenlP

Patterson

Perkins

Benson

Brown

Green

Yates

Walsh

Rigby

Catterall

Sat 12 Sept

Stock (A)

L00-12

JoelWinstanley

Timoney

Jago

Wilding

Flowers

Dixon

Patterson

Perkins

Benson

Brown

Green

Yates

Walsh

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 19 Sept

Runc (A)

L00-03

JoelWinstanley

Timoney

Jago

Dixon

Flowers

B.Halliwell

Foster

Perkins

Benson

Brown

Green

Catterall

Walsh

Rigby

Webster

Sat 3 Oct

Bro (H)

D00-00

JoelWinstanley

Flowers

Jago

Evans

Dixon

B.Halliwell

Walkden

Perkins

Benson

Brown

Green

Catterall

Walsh

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 10 Oct

Leigh (H)

W03-00

JoelWinstanley

Flowers

Wilding

Evans

Dixon

B.Halliwell

WalkdenlP

Perkins

Benson

Brown

Green

Webster

Walsh

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 24 Oct

Old (H)

L03-15

Timoney

Flowers

Wilding

Jago

DixonlT

B.Halliwell

Walkden

Perkins

Benson

Brown

Green

Catterall

Walsh

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 31 Oct

Tyld (A)

L00-03

J.Halliwell

Flowers

Wilding

Evans

Timoney

B.Halliwell

Walkden

Perkins

Benson

Brown

Green

Catterall

Walsh

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 7 Nov

Salf (A)

L03-16

J.Halliwell

Flowers

Wilding

Evans

Timoney

B.Halliwell

WalkdenlP

Perkins

Benson

Brown

Green

Catterall

Walsh

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 14 Nov

Swin (A)

W13-00

J.Halliwell

Flowers

Walkden

DixonlDG

Timoney

B.HalliwelllT

FosterlT2

Perkins

Benson

Brown

Green

Catterall

Walsh

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 21 Nov

Roch (H)

W16-13

J.Halliwell

Flowers

WalkdenlClP

DixonlGMlDG

Timoney

B.Halliwell

Austin

Perkins

Benson

Collier

Green

Catterall

Walsh

RigbylT

Blackburn

Sat 28 Nov

Wid (H)

L00-11

J.Halliwell

Flowers

Walkden

Timoney

Dixon

B.Halliwell

Foster

Perkins

Benson

Brown

Green

Catterall

Walsh

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 5 Dec*

Tyld (A)

L00-08

J.Halliwell

Flowers

Walkden

Timoney

Dixon

B.Halliwell

Foster

Collier

Benson

Brown

Green

Catterall

Walsh

Rigby

-

Sat 12 Dec

Warr (A)

D00-00

J.Halliwell

Flowers

Walkden

Jago

Dixon

B.Halliwell

Dennett

Collier

Benson

Brown

Perkins

Catterall

Walsh

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 19 Dec

Bro (H)

L00-03

J.Halliwell

Flowers

Timoney

Jago

Dixon

B.Halliwell

Walkden

Collier

Benson

Brown

Perkins

Catterall

Green

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 26 Dec

Runc (H)

D00-00

JoelWinstanley

Flowers

Timoney

Jago

Knowles

B.Halliwell

Walkden

Collier

Benson

Brown

Perkins

Catterall

Green

Rigby

Blackburn

Fri 1 Jan

Salf (A)

W06-05

JoelWinstanley

Flowers

Walkden

Jago

Timoney

B.Halliwell

Dixon

CollierlT

BensonlT

Brown

Perkins

Catterall

Green

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 2 Jan

Warr (A)

D00-00

JoelWinstanley

Flowers

Dixon

Jago

Timoney

Walkden

Foster

Collier

Benson

Brown

Perkins

Catterall

Kearsley

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 9 Jan

Leigh (H)

D00-00

JoelWinstanley

Dixon

Knowles

Jago

Timoney

Walkden

B.Halliwell

Collier

Benson

Brown

Perkins

Catterall

Green

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 6 Feb

St H (H)

W04-00

JoelWinstanley

Wilding

Flowers

WalkdenlDG

Timoney

Dixon

Foster

Collier

Benson

Brown

Perkins

Catterall

Green

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 13 Feb

Old (H)

L00-14

JoelWinstanley

Knowles

Wilding

Walkden

Timoney

Dixon

Foster

Collier

Benson

Brown

Perkins

Catterall

Walsh

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 20 Feb

More (A)

W06-00

JoelWinstanley

Flowers

JohnlWinstanley

Knowles

Wilding

DixonlT

FosterlT

Collier

Benson

Brown

Perkins

Catterall

Walsh

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 27 Feb

Wid (H)

D00-00

Knowles

Flowers

JohnlWinstanley

Wilding

Timoney

Dixon

Foster

Collier

Benson

Brown

Perkins

Catterall

Walsh

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 6 Mar

Swin (H)

L05-09

JoelWinstanley

Knowles

Walkden

Robinson

JohnlWinstanleylC

Dixon

Foster

GreenlT

Benson

Brown

Perkins

Catterall

Walsh

Rigby

Blackburn

Thu 11 Mar

St H (A)

L00-03

JoelWinstanley

Flowers

Walkden

JohnlWinstanley

Robinson

Dixon

Foster

Green

(A.NlOther)

Brown

Perkins

Catterall

Walsh

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 13 Mar

Roch (A)

W08-00

JoelWinstanley

Flowers

Walkden

JohnlWinstanley

RobinsonlT

B.Halliwell

Foster

GreenlClP

Benson

Brown

Perkins

Collier

Walsh

Rigby

Blackburn

Wed 17 Mar

Stock (H)

D00-00

JoelWinstanley

Flowers

Walkden

Timoney

Robinson

B.Halliwell

JohnlWinstanley

Green

Benson

Brown

Perkins

Collier

Walsh

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 20 Mar

Radc (H)

W(CCR1)

JoelWinstanley

Webster

Walkden

JohnlWinstanleylP

Robinson

B.Halliwell

Foster

Green

Benson

Brown

Perkins

Collier

Walsh

Rigby

Blackburn

Sat 27 Mar

Mann (A)

W(CCR2)

JoelWinstanley

Flowers

WalkdenlDG

JohnlWinstanley

Robinson

B.Halliwell

Foster

Catterall

Benson

Brown

Perkins

Collier

Walsh

Rigby

BlackburnlT

Sat 3 April

St H (H)

L(CCQF)

JoelWinstanley

Flowers

Walkden

JohnlWinstanley

Robinson

B.Halliwell

Foster

Catterall

Benson

Brown

Perkins

Collier

Walsh

Rigby

Webster

*Played with 14 Men Only

Top Try Scorers

Player	Tries
F Foster	3
Jack Blackburn	1
Frank Dixon	2
W Benson	1
Rueben Collier	1
Green	1
Billy Halliwell	1
George Rigby	1
J Robinson	1
John Timoney	1

Top Conversion Goal Scorers

Player	Tries
Jimmy Walkden	1
P Green	1
John Winstanley	1

Top Drop Goal Scorers

Player	Tries
Jimmy Walkden	3
Frank Dixon	2

Top Penalty Goal Scorers

Player	Tries
Jimmy Walkden	4
P Green	1
John Winstanley	1

Top Goals from a Mark Scorers

Player	Tries
Frank Dixon	1

Eight new teams joined the League, and so it was split into two county leagues. The new teams were Bramley, Castleford, Heckmondwike, Holbeck, Leeds Parish Church, Morecambe, Swinton, and Salford.