189697 FC Basel season

The FC Basel 1896–97 season marked their fourth year since the club's founding on 15 November 1893. Emanuel Schiess stepped down as chairman at the AGM, and Charlie Volderauer was elected as the new chairman, making him the third in the club's history after Roland Geldner (1893–1896) and Schiess. The team played their home games at the Landhof in Kleinbasel.

The Swiss national championships had not yet been established during this season. The club organized seven friendly matches for their first team, with four held in Basel, one at the Landhof, two on the Schützenmatte, and one location uncertain. Two of these matches were played in Mulhouse against Strassburger FV (lost 3–4) and FC Mulhouse (lost 2–3). The remaining three games took place between November/December and March/June. Overall, the team won two matches, drew two, and suffered three defeats, scoring 16 goals and conceding nine.

The players' nationalities were flagged according to FIFA rules, though some exceptions applied. However, detailed information about their births or deaths was incomplete due to historical records' limitations.