1889–90 Aston Villa F.C. season

The Football League
Season	1889–90
Champions	Preston North End, 2nd title
Top goalscorer	Jimmy Ross, 24
Biggest home win	Preston North End 10–0 Stoke; (14 September 1889)
Biggest away win	Accrington 1–8 Notts County; (12 October 1889)
Highest scoring	Preston North End 10–0 Stoke; (14 September 1889); Blackburn 9–1 Notts County; (16 November 1889); Wolves 9–1 Burnley; (7 December 1889)
Longest winning run	6, Everton, Preston
Longest unbeaten run	7, Accrington, Blackburn, Preston North End
Longest losing run	10 matches; Stoke
	← 1888–89 1890–91 →

Aston Villa
1889–90 season
Manager	George Ramsay
Ground	Wellington Road
Football League	8th
FA Cup	Round 2
Home colours	Away colours

The 1889–90 English football season saw Aston Villa's 2nd season in the Football League. They started with an unbeaten opening three games including a win over champions Preston, but suffered several defeats after Christmas, winning only one of their six remaining league games to finish 8th.

Preston's "Invincibles" were unbeaten from the previous season. They had now won their first league match to stretch their unbeaten league run to 23 games but faced a Villa team who would inflict their first-ever league defeat with a 5–3 victory.^[3] In the former top tear of English football, home and away Christmas Day fixtures were often played allowing many working people their only chance to watch a game guaranteeing football clubs large crowds.^[4] Champions Preston North End faced Aston Villa on Christmas Day 1889. Christmas fixtures were recorded as late as the 1957-58 Football League season.^[5]

Scottish centre back, Jimmy Cowan, made his debut, coming from Vale of Leven FC.^[6] He would go on to make 357 appearances for Villa, his last win seeing Small Heath knocked out of the 1901 FA Cup Quarter-final replay.^[7] There were also debuts for Albert Aldridge, Tom Clarkson, Billy Dickson, Sammy Gray,^[8] George Davis, Ike Moore, Arthur Hickton, James Connor, Jack Graham, Lewis Campbell, Bill Dickie ^[9] and Jim Paton.^[10]^[11]

A benefit match was held for Small Heath player, Chris Charsley, ahead of his retirement; despite the admission charge being increased for the occasion,^[12] around 6,000 spectators turned up to watch a schoolboys' match followed by the main attraction. In an encounter described by the Birmingham Daily Post as "perhaps the closest and most exciting ever played on the field", Aston Villa, featuring new signing Tom McKnight, drew 2–2 with a Small Heath eleven.^[13] A substantial sum was raised.^[14]

League

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAv	Pts	Relegation
6	Accrington	22	9	6	7	53	56	0.946	24
7	Derby County	22	9	3	10	43	55	0.782	21
8	Aston Villa	22	7	5	10	43	51	0.843	19
9	Bolton Wanderers	22	9	1	12	54	65	0.831	19
10	Notts County	22	6	5	11	43	51	0.843	17	Re-elected

Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Notes	Scorers
7 Sep 89	Burnley	Wellington Road	2–2	—	Dennis Hodgetts (1–0, 2–1) ^[15]
14 Sep 89	Notts County	Wellington Road	1–1	—	Dennis Hodgetts (87') ^[16]
21 Sep 89	Preston	Wellington Road	5–3	—	Jimmy Cowan (1–0, 5–1), Billy Dickson (2–1), Albert Brown (3–1), Albert Allen (4–1) ^[17]
28 Sep 89	Albion	Stoney Lane	0–3	—	— ^[18]
5 Oct 89	Burnley	Turf Moor	6–2	—	Albert Allen (10', 11', 50'), Archie Hunter (35'), Dennis Hodgetts (75') ^[19]
12 Oct 89	Derby	Wellington Road	7–1	—	Albert Allen (1–0, 2–0, 5–0), Billy Dickson (3–0, 4–0), Dennis Hodgetts (6–0), Unknown (7–1) ^[20]
19 Oct 89	Blackburn	Leamington Road	0–7	—	— ^[21]
26 Oct 89	Albion	Wellington Road	1–0	—	Albert Brown (30') ^[22]
2 Nov 89	Wolves	Wellington Road	2–1	—	Ike Moore (1–1, 87') ^[23]
9 Nov 89	Notts County	Trent Bridge	1–1	—	Billy Dickson (15') ^[24]
16 Nov 89	Bolton	Pike's Lane	0–2	—	— ^[25]
23 Nov 89	Everton	Wellington Road	1–2	—	Albert Brown (40') ^[26]
30 Nov 89	Accrington	Thorneyholme Road	2–4	—	Jimmy Cowan (1–1), Albert Allen (2–1) ^[27]
7 Dec 89	Stoke	Wellington Road	6–1	—	Billy Dickson (1–0, 3–1), Batty Garvey (2–0, 4–1, 5–1), Albert Allen (6–1) ^[28]
21 Dec 89	Wolves	Molineux	1–1	—	Dennis Hodgetts (40') ^[29]
25 Dec 89	Preston	Deepdale	2–3	Until 1965 home and away Christmas Day and Boxing Day double headers were often played guaranteeing football clubs large crowds by allowing many working people their only chance to watch a game.^[4]	Ike Moore (15'), Billy Dickson (2–1) ^[30]
26 Dec 89	Accrington	Wellington Road	1–2	—	Batty Garvey (45') ^[31]
28 Dec 89	Derby	Racecourse Ground	0–5	Viila start with 10 men, Billy Dickson absent.	— ^[32]
4 Jan 90	Everton	Anfield	0–7	With Villa down 0-4 at half-time, Villa's oldest player, 30-year-old Archie Hunter suffered a heart attack ending his career. No substitutes were allowed and Villa played the 2nd half with 10 men	— ^[33]
25 Jan 90	Bolton	Wellington Road	1–2	—	Albert Brown (1–0) ^[34]
17 Mar 90	Stoke	Victoria Ground	1–1	—	Albert Allen (1–1) ^[35]
31 Mar 90	Blackburn	Wellington Road	3–0	—	Lewis Campbell (1–0), Dennis Hodgetts (2–0), Albert Brown (3–0)^[36]

FA Cup

1st Round, 18 January 1890, South Shore (Blackpool), Away, Won 4–2
2nd Round, 1 February 1890, Notts County, Away, Lost 1–4

References

^ "George Ramsey". Soccer Base. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
^ "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
^ "Preston North End match record: 1890". 11v11. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
^ ^a ^b "Why football at Christmas is a very British tradition". BBC Bitesize.
^ "The Last Time Football Was Played on Christmas Day in England". 25 December 2020.
^ avfchistory.co.uk 1889–90 season
^ 11v11 Jimmy Cowan
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/player/sammy-gray
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/player/bill-dickie
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/player/jim-paton
^ "Aston Villa's Seasons". AVFC History.
^ Notes on Sport. Birmingham Daily Post. p. 8. 21 April 1890.
^ Football. Aston Villa v. Small Heath. Birmingham Daily Post. p. 7. 6 May 1890.
^ Notes on Sport. Birmingham Daily Post. p. 7. 12 May 1890.
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/66
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/67
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/68
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/69
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/70
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/71
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/72
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/73
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/74
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/75
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/76
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/77
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/78
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/79
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/80
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/81
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/82
^ 🟥 28 Dec 1889, Villa 0-5 Derby, Racecourse Ground
^ 🟥 4 Jan 1890, Villa 0-7 Everton, Anfield
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/86
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/88
^ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/89

External links

avfchistory.co.uk The Matches

[1] "George Ramsey". Soccer Base. Retrieved 12 August 2012.

[2] "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 31 October 2010.

[3] "Preston North End match record: 1890". 11v11. Retrieved 11 August 2015.

[bbcbs-4] "Why football at Christmas is a very British tradition". BBC Bitesize.

[5] "The Last Time Football Was Played on Christmas Day in England". 25 December 2020.

[6] vfchistory.co.uk 1889–90 season

[7] 11v11 Jimmy Cowan

[8] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/player/sammy-gray

[9] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/player/bill-dickie

[10] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/player/jim-paton

[11] "Aston Villa's Seasons". AVFC History.

[12] Notes on Sport. Birmingham Daily Post. p. 8. 21 April 1890.

[CCBenefit-13] Football. Aston Villa v. Small Heath. Birmingham Daily Post. p. 7. 6 May 1890.

[CCTribute-14] Notes on Sport. Birmingham Daily Post. p. 7. 12 May 1890.

[15] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/66

[16] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/67

[17] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/68

[18] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/69

[19] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/70

[20] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/71

[21] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/72

[22] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/73

[23] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/74

[24] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/75

[25] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/76

[26] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/77

[27] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/78

[28] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/79

[29] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/80

[30] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/81

[31] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/82

[32] 🟥 28 Dec 1889, Villa 0-5 Derby, Racecourse Ground

[33] 🟥 4 Jan 1890, Villa 0-7 Everton, Anfield

[34] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/86

[35] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/88

[36] ttps://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/89

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Aston Villa F.C. seasons
1870s	1870–71 1871–72 1872–73 1873–74 1874–75 1875–76 1876–77 1877–78 1878–79 1879–80
1880s	1880–81 1881–82 1882–83 1883–84 1884–85 1885–86 1886–87 1887–88 1888–89 1889–90
1890s	1890–91 1891–92 1892–93 1893–94 1894–95 1895–96 1896–97 1897–98 1898–99 1899–1900
1900s	1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10
1910s	1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20
1920s	1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30
1930s	1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40
1940s	1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50
1950s	1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60
1960s	1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70
1970s	1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80
1980s	1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90
1990s	1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000
2000s	2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10
2010s	2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20
2020s	2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26

League

FA Cup

See also

References

External links