The 1916–17 season was Manchester City F.C.'s twenty-sixth season of league football. Owing to World War I, once again Manchester City played non-competitive war league football. In the principal tournament they contested the Lancashire Section, which was expanded to 16 teams to give a more complete 30-game season. In the subsidiary tournament they contested Group D of the Lancashire Section, with the groups reduced to four teams in size to complement the increased playing season of the Principal Tournament.