The Football League Second Division 1895/96 was the fourth season of the Football League Second Division as the second highest English football league . The first game day took place on September 2, 1895 and the last "test games", which were decisive for promotion and relegation, on April 27, 1896.
Second division champions were Liverpool FC and in addition to Liverpool, the second-placed Manchester City also qualified for the “test matches” against the two first division clubs Small Heath and West Bromwich Albion, which are listed below . While Small Heath failed there, Liverpool FC secured participation in the elite league in the following season 1896/97. Burslem Port Vale , Rotherham Town and Crewe Alexandra then no longer took part in the Second Division. Instead of Liverpool FC, Burslem Port Vale, Rotherham Town and Crewe Alexandra, relegated Small Heath and newcomers Gainsborough Trinity , Blackpool FC and the former "Walsall Town Swifts" now appearing as Walsall FC took the vacancies.
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”. Participation in the game was also dependent on an election procedure of the league association, which had to decide whether a club might participate. Also in the season 1895/96 there were test matches between the two first division clubs Small Heath and West Bromwich Albion as well as the second division clubs Liverpool and Manchester City, from which Liverpool FC and West Bromwich Albion emerged as the sporting winners and then the majority of the votes of the League Association.
George Allan