# 1889–90 Aston Villa F.C. season

Aston Villa had a disappointing 1889–90, their 2nd season in the Football League, having finished second in the previous season. 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.
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. 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. Champions Preston North End faced Aston Villa on Christmas Day 1889. Christmas fixtures were recorded as late as the 1957-58 Football League season.
Scottish centre back, Jimmy Cowan, made his debut, coming from Vale of Leven FC. 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.
A benefit match was held for Small Heath player, Chris Charsley, ahead of his retirement; despite the admission charge being increased for the occasion, 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. A substantial sum was raised.
There were debuts for Albert Aldridge, Tom Clarkson, Jimmy Cowan, Billy Dickson, Sammy Gray, George Davis, Ike Moore, Arthur Hickton, James Connor, Jack Graham, Lewis Campbell, Bill Dickie and Jim Paton.

## Results
### League

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Relegation |
| 1 | Preston North End | 22 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 71 | 30 | 2.367 | 33 | League Champions |
| 2 | Everton | 22 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 65 | 40 | 1.625 | 31 | |
| 3 | Blackburn Rovers | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 78 | 41 | 1.902 | 27 | FA Cup Winners |
| 4 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 51 | 38 | 1.342 | 25 | |
| 5 | West Bromwich Albion | 22 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 47 | 50 | 0.940 | 25 | |
| 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 |
| 11 | Burnley | 22 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 36 | 65 | 0.554 | 13 | Re-elected |
| 12 | Stoke | 22 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 27 | 69 | 0.391 | 10 | Not re-elected |
The table below lists all the results of Aston Villa in the Football League for the 1889–90 season
| Date | Team | Venue | Win/Draw/Lose | Score |
| 7 September 1899 | Burnley | Home | Draw | 2–2 |
| 14 September 1899 | Notts County | Home | Draw | 1–1 |
| 21 September 1899 | Preston North End | Home | Win | 5–3 |
| 28 September 1899 | West Bromwich Albion | Away | Lost | 0–3 |
| 5 October 1899 | Burnley | Away | Won | 6–2 |
| 12 October 1899 | Derby County | Home | Won | 7–1 |
| 19 October 1899 | Blackburn Rovers | Away | Lost | 0–7 |
| 26 October 1899 | West Bromwich Albion | Home | Won | 1–0 |
| 2 November 1899 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Home | Won | 2–1 |
| 9 November 1899 | Notts County | Away | Draw | 1–1 |
| 16 November 1899 | Bolton Wanderers | Away | Lost | 0–2 |
| 23 November 1899 | Everton | Home | Lost | 1–2 |
| 30 November 1899 | Accrington | Away | Lost | 2–4 |
| 7 December 1899 | Stoke City | Home | Won | 6–1 |
| 14 December 1899 | Blackburn | Home | Match Abandoned | Match Abandoned |
| 21 December 1899 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Away | Draw | 1–1 |
| 25 December 1899 | Preston North End | Away | Lost | 2–3 |
| 26 December 1899 | Accrington | Home | Lost | 1–2 |
| 28 December 1899 | Derby | Away | Lost | 0–5 |
| 4 January 1890 | Everton | Away | Lost | 0–7 |
| 25 January 1890 | Bolton | Home | Lost | 1–2 |
| 17 March 1890 | Stoke | Away | Draw | 1–1 |
| 31 March 1890 | Blackburn | Home | Won | 3–0 |

### 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