| Continentalcup1: | New Clubs in League |
| Nextseason: | 1899–1900 |
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.
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.
| Competition: | First Division |
| Season: | 1898–99 |
| Winners: | Aston Villa 4th English title |
| Relegated: | Bolton Wanderers The Wednesday |
| League Topscorer: | Steve Bloomer (23 goals) |
| Biggest Home Win: | (21 January 1899) |
| Biggest Away Win: | (15 October 1898) (26 November 1898) (31 December 1898) |
| Highest Scoring: | (15 October 1898) |
| Matches: | 306 |
| Total Goals: | 868 |
| Longest Wins: | 8 matches Aston Villa |
| Longest Unbeaten: | 17 matches Liverpool |
| Longest Losses: | 4 matches Everton Sheffield United Sunderland The Wednesday Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| Highest Attendance: | 41,000 (29 April 1899) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 1,000 (22 October 1898) (24 December 1898) (21 January 1899) |
| Average Attendance: | 10,004 |
| Prevseason: | 1897–98 |
| Nextseason: | 1899–1900 |
| Competition: | Second Division |
| Season: | 1898–99 |
| Winners: | Manchester City |
| Promoted: | Manchester City Glossop North End |
| Relegated: | Blackpool Darwen |
| League Topscorer: | Walter Abbott (33 goals)[1] |
| Biggest Home Win: | (18 February 1899) (4 March 1899) (1 April 1899) |
| Biggest Away Win: | (14 January 1899) (8 April 1899) |
| Highest Scoring: | (15 April 1899) |
| Matches: | 306 |
| Total Goals: | 1103 |
| Longest Wins: | 7 matches Glossop North End New Brighton Tower |
| Longest Unbeaten: | 13 matches Manchester City |
| Longest Losses: | 18 matches Darwen |
| Prevseason: | 1897–98 |
| Nextseason: | 1899–1900 |