Due to the later league expansion for the 1898/99 season in both the first and second leagues from 16 to 18 participating teams, these were ultimately irrelevant from a sporting point of view, as everyone was granted access to the First Division. Lincoln City and Loughborough FC were re-elected, and Burslem Port Vale was elected to the league at the expense of Darwen FC . Due to the subsequently decided increase, FC Darwen also remained in the league, without opposing candidates, FC Glossop , New Brighton Tower and FC Barnsley were elected to the second division.
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.
Henry Boyd