| Season | 1889–90 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Preston North End 2ndEnglish title |
| Matches | 132 |
| Goals | 611 (4.63 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Jimmy Ross (24 goals)[1] |
| Biggest home win | Preston North End 10–0Stoke (14 September 1889) |
| Biggest away win | Accrington 1–8Notts County (12 October 1889) |
| Highest scoring | Preston North End 10–0Stoke (14 September 1889) Blackburn Rovers 9–1Notts County (16 November 1889) Wolverhampton Wanderers 9–1Burnley (7 December 1889) |
| Longest winning run | 6 matches Everton Preston North End |
| Longest unbeaten run | 7 matches Accrington Blackburn Rovers Preston North End |
| Longest losing run | 10 matches Stoke |
| Average attendance | 5,466 |
1890–91 → | |
The1889–90 Football League was the second season of English leaguefootball, withPreston North End being crowned as the champions for the second successive season. The clubs competing were the 12 original clubs which were the founders of the league the previous year. Unlike the modern system, two points were awarded for a win, with one for a draw and no points for a loss; this system remained until three points for a win were awarded beginning with the1981–82 season.
During the first five seasons of the league (until the1893–94 season), the re-election process concerned the clubs which finished in the bottom four of the league.[2]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Preston North End(C) | 22 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 71 | 30 | 2.367 | 33 | |
| 2 | Everton | 22 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 65 | 40 | 1.625 | 31 | |
| 3 | Blackburn Rovers | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 78 | 41 | 1.902 | 27 | |
| 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 | |
| 12 | Stoke(R) | 22 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 27 | 69 | 0.391 | 10 | Failed re-election and demoted to theFootball Alliance |
| Home \ Away | ACC | AST | BLB | BOL | BUR | DER | EVE | NTC | PNE | STK | WBA | WOL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accrington | 4–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 6–1 | 5–3 | 1–8 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 6–3 | |
| Aston Villa | 1–2 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 7–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 5–3 | 6–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 3–2 | 7–0 | 7–1 | 7–1 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 9–1 | 3–4 | 8–0 | 5–0 | 4–3 | |
| Bolton Wanderers | 2–4 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 7–1 | 3–4 | 0–4 | 2–6 | 5–0 | 7–0 | 4–1 | |
| Burnley | 2–2 | 2–6 | 1–2 | 7–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 1–2 | |
| Derby County | 2–3 | 5–0 | 4–0 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 3–3 | |
| Everton | 2–2 | 7–0 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 5–3 | 1–5 | 8–0 | 5–1 | 1–1 | |
| Notts County | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–5 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 4–3 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | |
| Preston North End | 3–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 6–0 | 5–0 | 1–2 | 4–3 | 10–0 | 5–0 | 0–2 | |
| Stoke | 7–1 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 3–4 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–1 | |
| West Bromwich Albion | 4–1 | 3–0 | 3–2 | 6–3 | 6–1 | 2–3 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–4 | |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 9–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 |
At the Football League election meeting no vote was taken, and it was agreed thatBurnley andNotts County were re-elected and thatSunderland was elected in place ofStoke, who played in theFootball Alliance the following season but returned to the Football League after a year's absence.
The applications ofFootball Alliance sidesBootle,Darwen,Grimsby Town,Newton Heath andSunderland Albion were rejected.[4]
Everton FC drew the highest average home attendance in the second edition of the Football League.
| # | Football club | Home games | Average attendance[5] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everton FC | 11 | 10,110 |
| 2 | Preston North End | 11 | 7,650 |
| 3 | Blackburn Rovers | 11 | 7,205 |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 11 | 5,870 |
| 5 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 11 | 5,530 |
| 6 | Burnley FC | 11 | 5,400 |
| 7 | Bolton Wanderers | 11 | 5,325 |
| 8 | West Bromwich Albion | 11 | 4,870 |
| 9 | Derby County | 11 | 3,900 |
| 10 | Notts County | 11 | 3,400 |
| 11 | Stoke City | 11 | 3,275 |
| 12 | Accrington FC | 11 | 3,055 |