1897 in sports Information & 1897 in sports Links at HealthHaven.com

1897 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

[edit] American football

College championship

College football national championship – Penn Quakers and Yale Bulldogs (shared)

[edit] Association football

England

The Football League – Aston Villa 47 points, Sheffield United 36, Derby County 36, Preston North End 34, Liverpool 33, Sheffield Wednesday 31
FA Cup final – Aston Villa 3–2 Everton at Crystal Palace, London.
Aston Villa becomes the second club to complete the double in English football

Scotland

Scottish Football League – Hearts
Scottish Cup final – Glasgow Rangers 5–1 Dumbarton at Hampden Park

[edit] Australian rules football

VFL Premiership

Formation of Victorian Football League (now Australian Football League) with initial clubs being Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, St Kilda and South Melbourne
Essendon wins the 1st VFL Premiership (under the finals system used this year only, no Grand Final is played)

[edit] Baseball

National championship

Boston Beaneaters wins the National League championship

Events

Temple Cup – Baltimore Orioles 4–1 Boston Beaneaters

[edit] Boxing

Events

17 March — Bob Fitzsimmons knocks out James J. Corbett in the 14th round to win the World Heavyweight Championship in the first championship fight ever captured on film.^[1]

Lineal world champions^[2]

World Heavyweight Championship – James J. Corbett → Bob Fitzsimmons
World Middleweight Championship – title vacant
World Welterweight Championship – Tommy Ryan
World Lightweight Championship – George "Kid" Lavigne
World Featherweight Championship – George Dixon → Solly Smith
World Bantamweight Championship – Jimmy Barry

[edit] Cricket

Events

Two English teams toured the West Indies under A A Priestley and Lord Hawke
A Philadelphian team toured England.

Honours – England

County Championship – Lancashire
Minor Counties Championship – Worcestershire
Most runs – Bobby Abel 2099 @ 44.65 (HS 250)
Most wickets – Tom Richardson 273 @ 14.45 (BB 8–49)
Wisden Five Cricketers of the Year – Frederick Bull, Willis Cuttell, Frank Druce, Gilbert Jessop, Jack Mason

Honours – Australia

Sheffield Shield – New South Wales
Most runs – Jack Lyons 404 @ 57.71 (HS 113)
Most wickets – Tom McKibbin 44 @ 14.88 (BB 8–74)

Honours – South Africa

Currie Cup – Western Province
Most runs – Albert Paine 253 @ 42.16 (HS 220)
Most wickets – George Lohmann 34 @ 12.26 (BB 5–44)

Honours – India

Bombay Presidency – Europeans
Most runs – John Greig 259 @ 129.50 (HS 98)
Most wickets – Reginald Sinclair 14 @ 10.14 (BB 5–40)

Honours – West Indies

Inter-Colonial Tournament – Barbados
Most runs – Andrew Stoddart 416 @ 27.73 (BB 143)
Most wickets – Clifford Goodman 57 @ 11.85 (BB 8–40)

[edit] Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships

World Men's Champion – Gustav Hügel (Austria)

[edit] Golf

Major tournaments

British Open – Harold Hilton
US Open – Joe Lloyd

Other tournaments

British Amateur – Jack Allan
US Amateur – H. J. Whigham

[edit] Horse racing

England

Grand National – Manifesto
1,000 Guineas Stakes – Chelandry
2,000 Guineas Stakes – Galtee More
Epsom Derby – Galtee More
Epsom Oaks – Limasol
St. Leger Stakes – Galtee More

Australia

Melbourne Cup – Gaulus

Canada

Queen's Plate – Ferdinand

Ireland

Irish Grand National – Breemount's Pride
Irish Derby Stakes – Wales

USA

Kentucky Derby – Typhoon II
Preakness Stakes – Paul Kauvar
Belmont Stakes – Scottish Chieftain

[edit] Ice hockey

Stanley Cup

Montreal Victorias win a 3rd Stanley Cup, defeating Ottawa.

[edit] Motor racing

Nice Speed Week

The first regular motor racing venue is Nice, France, where an annual "Speed Week" is established. To fill out the schedule, most types of racing event are invented here including the first hill climb, from Nice to La Turbie, and a sprint that has been called the forerunner of drag racing.