The 1996-97 season saw English professional football club Newcastle United participate in the Premier League for the fourth consecutive season since their promotion from the Football League First Division in 1993. After the disappointment of finishing runner-up to Manchester United in the previous campaign despite having at one stage held a 12-point lead over their rivals, the club responded by signing Alan Shearer from Blackburn Rovers in July 1996.

Shearer would go on to become the leading goalscorer in Newcastle United history but his career began inauspiciously – his debut came against Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in the 1996 FA Charity Shield in a game that the Magpies lost 4-0. Newcastle recovered quickly from that defeat and started the league camapign strongly, winning seven of their opening eight games. A 5-0 victory over Manchester United on 20 October 1996 at St James' Park seemed to confirm that a strong title challenge would again be mounted but a subsequent poor run of form, including a run of seven games without a win, saw the title challenge falter and ultimately culminated in the resignation of manager Kevin Keegan on 7 January 1997. Keegan's replacement, Kenny Dalglish, was appointed on 14 January 1997 and was in charge as United lost 4-3 at Anfield for the second successive year. However, a late season surge in form, including a crucial win at Highbury on 3 May 1997 and a 5-0 rout of Nottingham Forest on the final day of the season, saw the club overtake Liverpool and Arsenal to finish runner-up again to Manchester United and qualify for the Champions League.

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