| Season: | 1889–90 |
| League Result: | Runners up |
| League Topscorer: | Fred Geary (21) |
| Highest Attendance: | 16,000 vs Preston (16 November 1889) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 4,000 vs Wolverhampton (30 September 1889) |
| Prevseason: | 1888–89 |
| Nextseason: | 1890–91 |
| Pattern B1: | _everton1888 |
| Leftarm1: | FFFFFF |
| Body1: | FFFFFF |
| Rightarm1: | 00AEF0 |
| Shorts1: | 000080 |
| Socks1: | 000080 |
The 1889–90 season was Everton Football Club's second year in The Football League. The team's top goalscorer was Fred Geary.
Such was the transition at Everton over the summer that just four of the previous season's first choice eleven, Smalley, Farmer, Holt and Chadwick remained in place, the latter being the only player to play in every Everton League game since the formation of the competition. Twenty-five-year-old right back, Andrew Hannah was brought from Renton to replace the retired George Dobson. A disappointed Nick Ross returned to Preston having missed their double winning season and was replaced by the Bolton veteran left back, Dan Doyle. Charlie Parry arrived from Chester St Oswalds, pushing James Weir out of the side and striker Frank Sugg was also pushed out as Fred Geary was brought in from Notts County. Joe Davies returned to his hometown club Chirk to be replaced by Alex Latta from Dumbarton meaning that no less than five new signings made their debut on the opening day of the season with two of them, Geary and Parry both becoming instant heroes by scoring the goals in a 3–2 victory over Blackburn.
The loss of inside right Robert Watson to Gorton Villa during the summer left a gap that wasn't properly filled until November when Alec Brady arrived from Sunderland and also scored on his debut in the 8–0 mauling of Stoke.
His arrival completed what became the first choice eleven for the season but they only actually played as a team on one occasion when, in the formation listed above, they slumped to their worst result of the entire season, losing 1–5 at home to Preston on 16 November, despite leading at half time. Their second half display that day would ultimately cost Everton the title as the two points won by Preston proved to be the margin between the two sides at the end of the season. Centre Half, George Farmer was heavily criticised for the defeat and was the only change for the next game, which Everton won 4–2 at Blackburn Rovers. He never regained his place in the side and was released at the end of the season. Farmer's and Brady's Everton careers overlapped only three games, hence the solitary appearance of the first eleven, although the other nine, along with Farmer during the first half of the season and Brady during the latter half were almost a constant, with the result that five played all twenty-two games while Holt and Latta each missed just one.
Bob Cain (4 appearances at centre back), Walter Cox (4 apps in goal), Harry Hammond (1 app at left back), Jimmy Jamieson (1 app at centre forward), Charles Jolliffe (1 app in goal), Robert Jones (1 app at inside right), Daniel Kirkwood (11 apps at inside right), W Orr (1 app at centre forward), Frank Sugg (1 app at centre back), James Weir (3 apps at left back)
Sugg and Weir had both been first team regulars the previous season but were edged out by new faces, the former going on to achieve greater fame as a cricketer of the highest calibre. Harry Hammond made only this one appearance for Everton before going on to narrowly miss out on winning the title with Sheffield United
| Date | Opponents | Home/ Away | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 September 1889 | Blackburn | H | 3–2 | Fred Geary (2), Charlie Parry | 12,000 | |
| 14 September 1889 | Burnley | H | 2–1 | Charlie Parry, Fred Geary | 11,000 | |
| 16 September 1889 | Wolverhampton | A | 1–2 | Charlie Parry | 2,000 | |
| 21 September 1889 | Bolton | A | 4–3 | Fred Geary (2), Edgar Chadwick, Alf Milward | 4,500 | |
| 28 September 1889 | Bolton | H | 3–0 | Alex Latta, Fred Geary (2) | 10,000 | |
| 30 September 1889 | Wolverhampton | H | 1–1 | Edgar Chadwick | 4,000 | |
| 5 October 1889 | Derby | A | 2–2 | Edgar Chadwick, W Orr | 2,500 | |
| 19 October 1889 | Notts County | A | 3–4 | Fred Geary, Alf Milward (2) | 6,000 | |
| 26 October 1889 | Accrington | H | 2–2 | Fred Geary Edgar Chadwick | 8,000 | |
| 2 November 1889 | Stoke | H | 8–0 | Alex Latta (2), Alexander Brady (2), FRED GEARY (3) Alf Milward | 7,500 | |
| 9 November 1889 | Stoke | A | 2–1 | Alex Latta, Fred Geary | 1,500 | |
| 16 November 1889 | Preston North End | H | 1–5 | Fred Geary | 18,000 | |
| 23 November 1889 | Aston Villa | A | 2–1 | Fred Geary | 6,000 | |
| 7 December 1889 | Notts County | H | 5–3 | Charlie Parry, ALEX LATTA (3), Edgar Chadwick | 5,000 | |
| 21 December 1889 | Preston North End | A | 2–1 | Fred Geary, Alf Milward | 7,000 | |
| 28 December 1889 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 4–2 | Alex Latta, Alexander Brady, Alf Miward (2) | 12,000 | |
| 4 January 1890 | Aston Villa | H | 7–0 | Alex Latta, Fred Geary (2). Alexander Brady (2), Edgar Chadwick (2) | 10,000 | |
| 8 February 1890 | Burnley | A | 1–0 | Edgard Chadwick | 6,000 | |
| 22 February 1890 | Accrington | A | 3–5 | Alexander Brady (2), Fred Geary | 6,000 | |
| 8 March 1890 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 5–1 | Edgar Chadwick, Johnny Holt, Alexander Brady, Alf Milward (2) | 8,400 | |
| 15 March 1890 | Derby County | H | 3–0 | Alf Milward, Archibald Ferguson own goal, Albert Williamson own goal | 12,000 | |
| 23 March 1890 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–4 | Fred Geary | 4,000 |
| Date | Round | Opponents | Home/ Away | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 January 1890 | First | Derby County | H | 11–2 | Dan Doyle, David Kirkwood, ALEXANDER BRADY (3), FRED GEARY (3), ALF MILWARD (3) | 10,000 | |
| 3 February 1890 | Second | Stoke | A | 2–4 | Fred Geary, Alf Milward | 7,000 |
The 1889/90 team set the following club records in the League