Sheffield United won the English championship for the first time in the club's history, five points ahead of Sunderland . Due to the league expansion from 16 to 18 teams in the following season 1898/99, no club had to relegate. Burnley FC and Newcastle United, both promoted to the second division, should also be added .
A total of 371 players were used, with The Wednesday with 19 the fewest and Liverpool FC with 29 the most players in league games. 158 newcomers opposed 108 footballers, who last came into play in the 1897/98 season. 21 players were able to play all 30 league games of their club.
The following list lists all the players who played in a league game for Sheffield United during the 1897/98 season. It must be noted that in English football a minimum number of games is usually required in order to receive the official championship medal. Since there was uncertainty about the specific regulation before the introduction of the Premier League, all players who presumably did not receive a championship medal due to their low contribution were marked with an asterisk (*). The number of missions and the goals scored are given in brackets.
Before the automatic promotion and relegation rule between the first-class First Division and the second-rate Second Division, which first came into effect at the end of the 1898/99 season, potential promoters from the Second Division had to prove themselves in play-off- like “test games”. Also in the 1897/98 season there were initially test matches between the two first division clubs Blackburn Rovers and FC Stoke and the second division clubs Burnley FC and Newcastle United. Since it was clear in the last clash between Stoke and Burnley that a draw would suffice for both of them to participate in the first division, the game turned into a farce and ended in a goalless draw. For this reason, it was decided in a subsequent league meeting to replace the "test matches" with an automatic relegation regulation and expand both leagues to 18 teams, so that Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers could also play the following season in the First Division.