The English Football Belt · season
The 1897–98 season
28 belt games · 7 title changesAston Villa carried the belt into the 1897–98 season. It changed hands 7 times among 7 franchises, and Stoke City finished the season with it. Most defenses: Sheffield United, 7.
Who held it, in order
Aston VillaBlackburnSheffield UtdStokeSheffield WedForestEvertonStoke
Every belt game
| Belt game | Date | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 247 | Sep 1, 1897 | Aston Villa beat Sheffield Wednesday 5–2 | Defense |
| 248 | Sep 4, 1897 | Aston Villa beat West Bromwich Albion 4–3 | Defense |
| 249 | Sep 11, 1897 | Aston Villa beat Notts County 3–2 | Defense |
| 250 | Sep 18, 1897 | Aston Villa beat Bury 3–1 | Defense |
| 251 | Sep 25, 1897 | Blackburn Rovers beat Aston Villa 4–3 | Title change |
| 252 | Oct 2, 1897 | Blackburn Rovers and Everton tied 1–1 | Tie · defense |
| 253 | Oct 4, 1897 | Sheffield United beat Blackburn Rovers 5–2 | Title change |
| 254 | Oct 9, 1897 | Sheffield United beat Bury 5–2 | Defense |
| 255 | Oct 16, 1897 | Sheffield United beat Sheffield Wednesday 1–0 | Defense |
| 256 | Oct 23, 1897 | Sheffield United beat Preston North End 2–1 | Defense |
| 257 | Oct 30, 1897 | Sheffield United beat Everton 4–1 | Defense |
| 258 | Nov 13, 1897 | Sheffield United and Derby County tied 1–1 | Tie · defense |
| 259 | Nov 20, 1897 | Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers tied 1–1 | Tie · defense |
| 260 | Dec 4, 1897 | Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest tied 1–1 | Tie · defense |
| 261 | Dec 11, 1897 | Stoke City beat Sheffield United 2–1 | Title change |
| 262 | Dec 18, 1897 | Stoke City and Aston Villa tied 0–0 | Tie · defense |
| 263 | Dec 25, 1897 | Sheffield Wednesday beat Stoke City 4–0 | Title change |
| 264 | Dec 27, 1897 | Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United tied 1–1 | Tie · defense |
| 265 | Jan 1, 1898 | Nottingham Forest beat Sheffield Wednesday 6–3 | Title change |
| 266 | Jan 8, 1898 | Nottingham Forest beat Bolton Wanderers 2–0 | Defense |
| 267 | Jan 15, 1898 | Nottingham Forest and Blackburn Rovers tied 1–1 | Tie · defense |
| 268 | Jan 22, 1898 | Nottingham Forest beat Sheffield Wednesday 1–0 | Defense |
| 269 | Feb 19, 1898 | Nottingham Forest beat Stoke City 3–1 | Defense |
| 270 | Mar 12, 1898 | Nottingham Forest and Everton tied 2–2 | Tie · defense |
| 271 | Mar 26, 1898 | Nottingham Forest beat Aston Villa 3–1 | Defense |
| 272 | Apr 2, 1898 | Everton beat Nottingham Forest 2–0 | Title change |
| 273 | Apr 8, 1898 | Everton beat Derby County 3–0 | Defense |
| 274 | Apr 9, 1898 | Stoke City beat Everton 2–0 | Title change |