# 1898–99 Football League

The 1898–99 season was the 11th season of The Football League. Two teams were able to win the First Division title going into the final day of the season: Aston Villa and Liverpool; second-placed Liverpool travelled to Villa Park for the final match, needing a win to overtake Villa and win the title, but Villa won 5–0 to win their fourth First Division title.
Defending champions Sheffield United had the first poor title defence in English top flight history, finishing 16th out of 18, barely avoiding the two relegation places.

## Final league tables

Beginning in the 1894–95 season, clubs finishing level on points were separated according to goal average (goals scored divided by goals conceded). In case one or more teams had the same goal difference, this system favoured those teams who had scored fewer goals. The goal average system was eventually scrapped beginning with the 1976–77 season.
During the first six seasons of the league, (up to the 1893–94 season), re-election process concerned the clubs which finished in the bottom four of the league. From the 1894–95 season and until the 1920–21 season the re-election process was required of the clubs which finished in the bottom three of the league.

## First Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Relegation |
| 1 | Aston Villa (C) | 34 | 19 | 7 | 8 | 76 | 40 | 1.900 | 45 | |
| 2 | Liverpool | 34 | 19 | 5 | 10 | 49 | 33 | 1.485 | 43 | |
| 3 | Burnley | 34 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 45 | 47 | 0.957 | 39 | |
| 4 | Everton | 34 | 15 | 8 | 11 | 48 | 41 | 1.171 | 38 | |
| 5 | Notts County | 34 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 47 | 51 | 0.922 | 37 | |
| 6 | Blackburn Rovers | 34 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 60 | 52 | 1.154 | 36 | |
| 7 | Sunderland | 34 | 15 | 6 | 13 | 41 | 41 | 1.000 | 36 | |
| 8 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 34 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 54 | 48 | 1.125 | 35 | |
| 9 | Derby County | 34 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 62 | 57 | 1.088 | 35 | |
| 10 | Bury | 34 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 48 | 49 | 0.980 | 35 | |
| 11 | Nottingham Forest | 34 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 42 | 42 | 1.000 | 33 | |
| 12 | Stoke | 34 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 47 | 52 | 0.904 | 33 | |
| 13 | Newcastle United | 34 | 11 | 8 | 15 | 49 | 48 | 1.021 | 30 | |
| 14 | West Bromwich Albion | 34 | 12 | 6 | 16 | 42 | 57 | 0.737 | 30 | |
| 15 | Preston North End | 34 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 44 | 47 | 0.936 | 29 | |
| 16 | Sheffield United | 34 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 45 | 51 | 0.882 | 29 | |
| 17 | Bolton Wanderers (R) | 34 | 9 | 7 | 18 | 37 | 51 | 0.725 | 25 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 18 | The Wednesday (R) | 34 | 8 | 8 | 18 | 32 | 61 | 0.525 | 24 | Relegation to the Second Division |

### Results

| Home \ Away | AST | BLB | BOL | BUR | BRY | DER | EVE | LIV | NEW | NOT | NTC | PNE | SHU | STK | SUN | WED | WBA | WOL |
| Aston Villa | | 3–1 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 3–2 | 7–1 | 3–0 | 5–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 6–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 7–1 | 1–1 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 0–0 | | 4–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 2–2 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 0–0 | 0–2 | | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–4 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 0–2 | 6–1 | 0–0 | 3–3 | 2–1 |
| Burnley | 2–4 | 2–0 | 2–0 | | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
| Bury | 2–1 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | | 0–0 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 5–2 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 |
| Derby County | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | | 5–5 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 9–0 | 4–1 | 6–2 |
| Everton | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | | 1–2 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| Liverpool | 0–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2–0 | | 3–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 |
| Newcastle United | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 3–0 | | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 2–4 |
| Nottingham Forest | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 3–3 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 2–0 | | 0–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 |
| Notts County | 1–0 | 5–3 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 5–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 |
| Preston North End | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | | 1–0 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–1 |
| Sheffield United | 1–3 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 5–0 | 1–0 |
| Stoke | 3–0 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 | | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–4 |
| Sunderland | 4–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 |
| The Wednesday | 4–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–1 | | 1–2 | 3–0 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 0–1 | 6–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | | 1–2 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 4–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 5–1 | |

### Maps
## Second Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Manchester City (C, P) | 34 | 23 | 6 | 5 | 92 | 35 | 2.629 | 52 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 2 | Glossop North End (P) | 34 | 20 | 6 | 8 | 76 | 38 | 2.000 | 46 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 3 | Leicester Fosse | 34 | 18 | 9 | 7 | 64 | 42 | 1.524 | 45 | |
| 4 | Newton Heath | 34 | 19 | 5 | 10 | 67 | 43 | 1.558 | 43 | |
| 5 | New Brighton Tower | 34 | 18 | 7 | 9 | 71 | 52 | 1.365 | 43 | |
| 6 | Walsall | 34 | 15 | 12 | 7 | 79 | 36 | 2.194 | 42 | |
| 7 | Woolwich Arsenal | 34 | 18 | 5 | 11 | 72 | 41 | 1.756 | 41 | |
| 8 | Small Heath | 34 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 85 | 50 | 1.700 | 41 | |
| 9 | Burslem Port Vale | 34 | 17 | 5 | 12 | 56 | 34 | 1.647 | 39 | |
| 10 | Grimsby Town | 34 | 15 | 5 | 14 | 71 | 60 | 1.183 | 35 | |
| 11 | Barnsley | 34 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 52 | 56 | 0.929 | 31 | |
| 12 | Lincoln City | 34 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 51 | 56 | 0.911 | 31 | |
| 13 | Burton Swifts | 34 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 51 | 70 | 0.729 | 28 | |
| 14 | Gainsborough Trinity | 34 | 10 | 5 | 19 | 56 | 72 | 0.778 | 25 | |
| 15 | Luton Town | 34 | 10 | 3 | 21 | 51 | 95 | 0.537 | 23 | |
| 16 | Blackpool (R) | 34 | 8 | 4 | 22 | 49 | 90 | 0.544 | 20 | Not re-elected |
| 17 | Loughborough | 34 | 6 | 6 | 22 | 38 | 92 | 0.413 | 18 | Re-elected |
| 18 | Darwen (R) | 34 | 2 | 5 | 27 | 22 | 141 | 0.156 | 9 | Not re-elected |

### Results

| Home \ Away | BAR | BLP | BPV | BRS | DRW | GAI | GLP | GRI | LEI | LIN | LOU | LUT | MCI | NBR | NWH | SMH | WAL | WOO |
| Barnsley | | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–4 | 1–0 | 9–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 7–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 |
| Blackpool | 3–1 | | 0–4 | 3–0 | 6–0 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 3–6 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 |
| Burslem Port Vale | 2–0 | 6–1 | | 4–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 |
| Burton Swifts | 5–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | | 4–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–6 | 0–2 | 1–2 |
| Darwen | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | | 0–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 |
| Gainsborough Trinity | 2–0 | 7–0 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 2–2 | | 2–4 | 5–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 |
| Glossop | 1–0 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 5–0 | 5–0 | 5–1 | | 4–2 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 5–0 | 1–2 | 5–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 |
| Grimsby Town | 0–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 9–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | | 1–0 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 5–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 |
| Leicester Fosse | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 2–0 | | 3–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 |
| Lincoln City | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–6 | 3–1 | | 6–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 |
| Loughborough | 2–0 | 1–3 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 10–0 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–3 | 2–4 | | 4–1 | 1–3 | 6–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 |
| Luton Town | 4–1 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 8–1 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–6 | 2–0 | 2–2 | | 0–3 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 0–1 |
| Manchester City | 5–0 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 6–0 | 10–0 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 7–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 5–0 | 2–0 | | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 |
| New Brighton Tower | 2–1 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 7–0 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 0–1 | | 0–3 | 4–0 | 6–0 | 3–1 |
| Newton Heath | 0–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 9–0 | 6–1 | 3–0 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 6–1 | 5–0 | 3–0 | 1–2 | | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 |
| Small Heath | 3–1 | 5–0 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 8–0 | 6–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 4–1 | 6–0 | 9–0 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 4–1 | | 2–1 | 4–1 |
| Walsall | 1–1 | 6–0 | 1–1 | 7–1 | 10–0 | 6–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 7–0 | 6–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | | 4–1 |
| Woolwich Arsenal | 3–0 | 6–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 6–0 | 5–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 4–2 | 3–1 | 6–2 | 0–1 | 4–0 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | |

### Maps
## Attendances
### First Division

| # | Football club | Home games | Average attendance |
| 1 | Aston Villa | 17 | 23,045 |
| 2 | Newcastle United | 17 | 17,390 |
| 3 | Everton FC | 17 | 15,190 |
| 4 | Liverpool FC | 17 | 14,650 |
| 5 | Sunderland AFC | 17 | 12,540 |
| 6 | Notts County | 17 | 11,125 |
| 7 | Sheffield United | 17 | 9,870 |
| 8 | Blackburn Rovers | 17 | 8,920 |
| 9 | Nottingham Forest | 17 | 8,815 |
| 10 | The Wednesday | 17 | 8,150 |
| 11 | Stoke | 17 | 7,600 |
| 12 | Derby County | 17 | 7,110 |
| 13 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 17 | 7,085 |
| 14 | Bolton Wanderers | 17 | 7,075 |
| 15 | Burnley FC | 17 | 6,355 |
| 16 | Preston North End | 17 | 5,770 |
| 17 | Bury FC | 17 | 5,330 |
| 18 | West Bromwich Albion | 17 | 5,020 |