See main article: History of Aston Villa F.C. (1874–1961).
| Season: | 1888–89 |
| Stdtitle: | Ground |
| League Result: | 2nd |
| Cup1 Result: | Round 3 |
| Season Topscorer: | Albert Allen (19) |
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| Pattern B1: | _villa1888 |
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| Nextseason: | 1889–90 |
The 1888–89 English football season saw the first season of the Football League. In the late 1880s, Birmingham and the surrounding region boasted many of the country's strongest football teams. Villa and several of the region's leading clubs joined the first two national leagues set up in England, the Football League and the Football Alliance.
Aston Villa were one of the new league's 12 founding members and finished as runners-up behind double winners Preston North End. The 'Invincibles' from Lancashire also ended Villa's bid to win every single home game, with a 2–0 win at Wellington Road in Villa's last home fixture.
Villa's cup season ended with an 8–1 defeat by Blackburn Rovers that remained a club record until 2012.
Local businessman, George Kynoch was appointed president of the club in 1888.[1]
On 1 October 1888 Archie Goodall signed for Aston Villa.[2] [3] [4] Goodall's move from Preston North End was the first transfer during a season to be approved by the Football League. Archie Goodall, playing at centre – half, made his Aston Villa debut on 13 October 1888, at Wellington Road, the then home of Aston Villa. Aston Villa defeated the visitors, Blackburn Rovers, 6 – 1 and Archie Goodall scored the second of Aston Villa’ six goals. Archie Goodall appeared in 14 of the 18 League matches played by Aston Villa from when Goodall joined the club and he scored seven League goals. Goodall played in defence, midfield and the forward–line for Aston Villa. Playing as a full–back/centre–half (four appearances) he was part of a defence-line that kept the opposition to one–League–goal–in–a–match once. Playing as a wing–half (five appearances) he was part of a midfield that achieved a big (three-League-goals-or-more) win once. As a forward (five appearances) he played in a front-line that scored three–League–goals–or–more on three separate occasions. Goodall' seven League goals for Aston Villa including two–League–goals–in–a–match twice. Goodall scored both Villa goals against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 2 – 1 win at Wellington Road on 24 November 1888. On 8 December 1888 Goodall scored the second and fourth goals as Villa defeated Notts County 4 – 2 at Trent Bridge, the then home of Notts County.In May 1889 Archie Goodall signed for Derby County.[5] [6] [7]
There were debuts for Batty Garvey, Arthur Dixon, Walter Ashmore, Archie Goodall, Archie Wollaston, Thomas Harrison and Bob Thomas.[8]
See main article: 1888–89 Football League.
Aston Villa's score comes first
| Win | Draw | Loss |
See main article: 1888–89 Football League.
| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 September 1888 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1 – 1 | 2,500 | Green | |
| 2 | 15 September 1888 | Stoke | H | 5 – 1 | 4,000 | Dixon, Brown, Green, Hunter, Allen | |
| 3 | 22 September 1888 | Everton | H | 2 – 1 | 4,000 | Hodgetts (2) | |
| 4 | 29 September 1888 | Notts County | H | 9 – 1 | 4,000 | Green (3), Allen (3), Hunter (2), Hodgetts | |
| 5 | 6 October 1888 | Everton | A | 0 – 2 | 10,000 | ||
| 6 | 13 October 1888 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 6 – 1 | 5,000 | Goodall, Green, Brown, Allen (2), Hunter | |
| 7 | 20 October 1888 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 3 – 2 | 8,000 | Hodgetts, Hunter, Allen | |
| 8 | 27 October 1888 | Accrington | H | 4 – 3 | 6,000 | Allen, Brown (2), Hodgetts | |
| 9 | 3 November 1888 | Stoke | A | 1 – 1 | 4,000 | Allen | |
| 10 | 10 November 1888 | Preston North End | A | 1 – 1 | 10,000 | Green | |
| 11 | 17 November 1888 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 1 – 5 | 9,500 | Allen | |
| 12 | 24 November 1888 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2 – 1 | 6,000 | Goodall (2) | |
| 13 | 8 December 1888 | Notts County | A | 4 – 2 | 2,000 | Goodall (2), Brown, Green | |
| 14 | 15 December 1888 | Accrington | A | 1 – 1 | 2,000 | Brown | |
| 15 | 22 December 1888 | Burnley | H | 4 – 2 | 2,000 | Green, Goodall, Allen, Hunter | |
| 16 | 29 December 1888 | Derby County | H | 4 – 2 | 4,000 | Green (2), Allen, Goodall | |
| 17 | 5 January 1889 | Burnley | A | 0 – 4 | 6,000 | ||
| 18 | 12 January 1889 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 6 – 2 | 2,000 | Brown, Allen, Hodgetts, Hunter, Green (2) | |
| 19 | 19 January 1889 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 2 – 0 | 10,000 | Allen, Hodgetts | |
| 20 | 26 January 1889 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 3 – 3 | 8,515 | Allen (2), Green | |
| 21 | 9 February 1889 | Preston North End | H | 0 – 2 | 10,000 | ||
| 22 | 9 March 1889 | Derby County | A | 2 – 5 | 3,000 | Allen (2) |
See main article: 1888–89 FA Cup.
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | 2 February 1889 | Witton | H | 3 – 2 | 1,500 | Allen, Hunter, Green | |
| R2 | 16 February 1889 | Derby County | H | 5 – 3 | 2,000 | Hunter (2), Hodgetts (2), Brown | |
| R3 | 2 March 1889 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 1 – 8 | 12,000 | Hodgetts |
| Pos. | Name | League | FA Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| FW | Albert Allen | 21 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 24 | 19 |
| GK | Walter Ashmore | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Arthur Brown | 22 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 8 |
| HB | John Burton | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| FB | Frank Coulton | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| FB | Gershom Cox | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| HB | Frankie Dawson | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| HB | Harry Devey | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| HB | Arthur Dixon | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| FW | Batty Garvey | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | Archie Goodall | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 |
| FW | Tommy Green | 22 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 16 |
| FW | Thomas Harrison | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Dennis Hodgetts | 17 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 10 |
| FW | Archie Hunter | 19 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 22 | 9 |
| GK | Jimmy Warner | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| HB | Arthur Wollaston | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| HB | Harry Yates | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 |