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1989-90 in English football
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The 1989-90 season was the 110th season of competitive football in England.
ish clubs were still banned from competing in European competitions following the Heysel Stadium disaster.
lass="link1" onMouseover='showByLink("m6228215",this)' onMouseout='hide("m6228215")'href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Liverpool_F.C.">Liverpool overhauled a greatly improved Aston Villa side to win their 18th league championship trophy and their fifth major trophy in as many seasons under Kenny Dalglish's management.
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Encyclopedia
The 1989-90 season was the 110th season of competitive football in England.
Overview
European competitions
English clubs were still banned from competing in European competitions following the Heysel Stadium disaster.
The Football League
First Division
Liverpool overhauled a greatly improved Aston Villa side to win their 18th league championship trophy and their fifth major trophy in as many seasons under Kenny Dalglish's management. To date, this remains their last league title. Gary Lineker's arrival at Tottenham Hotspur saw the North Londoners occupy third place after a season of improvement.
Luton Town stayed up on goal difference at the expense of Sheffield Wednesday, while Charlton's four-year spell in the First Division came to an end at the beginning of May. Millwall were rooted to the bottom of the division despite briefly topping the league in September.
Second Division
Leeds United finally returned to the top flight after an eight-year exile, as Howard Wilkinson's side lifted the Second Division championship trophy thanks to a superior goal difference over runners-up Sheffield United.
Swindon Town won the Second Division playoff final but Sunderland were promoted instead after the Swindon board admitted a series of financial irregularities. Swindon were initially demoted to the Third Division and replaced by Tranmere, the division's losing Play-Off finalists, but this decision was later reversed on appeal.
A.F.C. Bournemouth, Stoke City and Bradford City occupied the relegation places. Bournemouth have never returned to the top two division since.
Third Division
The city of Bristol was celebrating after Rovers were crowned champions and City finished runners-up in the Third Division to gain promotion. The third promotion spot was secured by playoff winners Notts County, who beat Leyland Daf Trophy winners Tranmere Rovers at Wembley.
Walsall suffered a second successive relegation and would be joined in the Fourth Division the following season by Blackpool, Cardiff City and Northampton Town.
Fourth Division
Exeter City were crowned Fourth Division champions and went up to the Third Division along with runners-up Grimsby Town, third-placed Southend United and playoff winners Cambridge United. Newly promoted Maidstone United almost ended their first league season with success, but their promotion hopes were ended by playoff failure.
Colchester United were relegated from the league and replaced by Conference champions Darlington, who regained their league status just one season after losing it.
Cup competitions and Charity Shield
Alex Ferguson silenced the critics who attacked him for a lack of progress in the league by guiding Manchester United to a 1-0 replay victory over Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final, which was achieved after a 3-3 draw. The pivotal game in his side's season had been in the televised third round tie at Nottingham Forest, when a Mark Robins goal gave relegation-threatened United a surprise win and triggered improved times for the club. They won the cup despite not playing a home game along the way.
The season produced arguably the most memorable combination of FA Cup semi-finals in history, as Crystal Palace surprisingly beat Liverpool 4-3 just a couple of hours before Manchester United and Oldham Athletic fought out a 3-3 draw, with United going on to win the replay 2-1.
Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest retained their League Cup by beating Oldham Athletic 1-0 at Wembley.
Meanwhile, Chelsea beat Middlesbrough 1-0 in the final of the Full Members Cup. It was the first of three Wembley finals between the pair in the 1990s.
New stadia
The season marked the beginning of the regular trend for clubs to leave their homes of many years and head for purpose built new stadia, following the bold move to Glanford Park by Scunthorpe United in 1988. Walsall and Chester City brought the curtain down on their many years at Fellows Park and Sealand Road respectively (both with games against Rotherham United). Walsall moved to the Bescot Stadium, while Chester began a groundshare with Macclesfield Town at Moss Rose until their new stadium was completed.
Meanwhile, Football Conference sides Wycombe Wanderers and Yeovil Town relocated to Adams Park and Huish Park respectively.
League Tables
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|rowspan=3|Relegated to
Second Division
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P W D L F A W D L F A Pts
1. LEEDS UNITED (P)46 16 6 1 46 18 8 7 8 33 34 85
2. SHEFFIELD UNITED (P) 46 14 5 4 43 27 10 8 5 35 31 85
3. Newcastle United46 17 4 2 51 26 5 10 8 29 29 80
4. Swindon Town 46 12 6 5 49 29 8 8 7 30 30 74
5. Blackburn Rovers46 10 9 4 43 30 9 8 6 31 29 74
6. SUNDERLAND (P) 46 10 8 5 41 32 10 6 7 29 32 74
7. West Ham United 46 14 5 4 50 22 6 7 10 30 35 72
8. Oldham Athletic 46 15 7 1 50 23 4 7 12 20 34 71
9. Ipswich Town 46 13 7 3 38 22 6 5 12 29 44 69
10. Wolverhampton Wanderers 46 12 5 6 37 20 6 8 9 30 40 67
11. Port Vale 46 11 9 3 37 20 4 7 12 25 37 61
12. Portsmouth 46 9 8 6 40 34 6 8 9 22 31 61
13. Leicester City 46 10 8 5 34 29 5 6 12 33 50 59
14. Hull City 46 7 8 8 27 31 7 8 8 31 34 58
15. Watford 46 11 6 6 41 28 3 9 11 17 32 57
16. Plymouth Argyle 46 9 8 6 30 23 5 5 13 28 40 55
17. Oxford United 46 8 7 8 35 31 7 2 14 22 35 54
18. Brighton & Hove Albion 46 10 6 7 28 27 5 3 15 28 45 54
19. Barnsley46 7 9 7 22 23 6 6 11 27 48 54
20. West Bromwich Albion 46 6 8 9 35 37 6 7 10 32 34 51
21. Middlesbrough 46 10 3 10 33 29 3 8 12 19 34 50
22. BOURNEMOUTH (R) 46 8 6 9 30 31 4 6 13 27 45 48
23. BRADFORD CITY (R) 46 9 6 8 26 24 0 8 15 18 44 41
24. STOKE CITY (R) 46 4 11 8 20 24 2 8 13 15 39 37
P W D L F A W D L F A Pts
1. BRISTOL ROVERS (P) 46 15 8 0 43 14 11 7 5 28 21 93
2. BRISTOL CITY (P)46 15 5 3 40 16 12 5 6 36 24 91
3. NOTTS COUNTY (P)46 17 4 2 40 18 8 8 7 33 35 87
4. Tranmere Rovers 46 15 5 3 54 22 8 6 9 32 27 80
5. Bury 46 11 7 5 35 19 10 4 9 35 30 74
6. Bolton Wanderers46 12 7 4 32 19 6 8 9 27 29 69
7. Birmingham City 46 10 7 6 33 19 8 5 10 27 40 66
8. Huddersfield Town 46 11 5 7 30 23 6 9 8 31 39 65
9. Rotherham United46 12 6 5 48 28 5 7 11 23 34 64
10. Reading 46 10 9 4 33 21 5 10 8 24 32 64
11. Shrewsbury Town 46 10 9 4 38 24 6 6 11 21 30 63
12. Crewe Alexandra 46 10 8 5 32 24 5 9 9 24 29 62
13. Brentford 46 11 4 8 41 31 7 3 13 25 35 61
14. Leyton Orient 46 9 6 8 28 24 7 4 12 24 32 58
15. Mansfield Town 46 13 2 8 34 25 3 5 15 16 40 55
16. Chester City 46 11 7 5 30 23 2 8 13 13 32 54
17. Swansea City 46 10 6 7 25 27 4 6 13 20 36 54
18. Wigan Athletic 46 10 6 7 29 22 3 8 12 19 42 53
19. Preston North End 46 10 7 6 42 30 4 3 16 23 49 52
20. Fulham 46 8 8 7 33 27 4 7 12 22 39 51
21. CARDIFF CITY (R)46 6 9 8 30 35 6 5 12 21 35 50
22. NORTHAMPTON (R) 46 7 7 9 27 31 4 7 12 24 37 47
23. BLACKPOOL (R) 46 8 6 9 29 33 2 10 11 20 40 46
24. WALSALL (R) 46 6 8 9 23 30 3 6 14 17 42 41
P W D L F A W D L F A Pts
1. EXETER CITY (P) 46 20 3 0 50 14 8 2 13 33 34 89
2. GRIMSBY TOWN (P)46 14 4 5 41 20 8 9 6 29 27 79
3. SOUTHEND UNITED (P) 46 15 3 5 35 14 7 6 10 26 34 75
4. Stockport County46 13 6 4 45 27 8 5 10 23 35 74
5. Maidstone United46 14 4 5 49 21 8 3 12 28 40 73
6. CAMBRIDGE UNITED (P) 46 14 3 6 45 30 7 7 9 31 36 73
7. Chesterfield 46 12 9 2 41 19 7 5 11 22 31 71
8. Carlisle United 46 15 4 4 38 20 6 4 13 23 40 71
9. Peterborough United 46 10 8 5 35 23 7 9 7 24 23 68
10. Lincoln City 46 11 6 6 30 27 7 8 8 18 21 68
11. Scunthorpe United 46 9 9 5 42 25 8 6 9 27 29 66
12. Rochdale46 11 4 8 28 23 9 2 12 24 32 66
13. York City 46 10 5 8 29 24 6 11 6 26 29 64
14. Gillingham 46 9 8 6 28 21 8 3 12 18 27 62
15. Torquay United 46 12 2 9 33 29 3 10 10 20 37 57
16. Burnley 46 6 10 7 19 18 8 4 11 26 37 56
17. Hereford United 46 7 4 12 31 32 8 6 9 25 30 55
18. Scarborough 46 10 5 8 35 28 5 5 13 25 45 55
19. Hartlepool United 46 12 4 7 45 33 3 6 14 21 55 55
20. Doncaster Rovers46 7 7 9 29 29 7 2 14 24 31 51
21. Wrexham 46 8 8 7 28 28 5 4 14 23 39 51
22. Aldershot 46 8 7 8 28 26 4 7 12 21 43 50
23. Halifax Town 46 5 9 9 31 29 7 4 12 26 36 49
24. COLCHESTER UNITED (R) 46 9 3 11 26 25 2 7 14 22 50 43
Successful players
- David Platt's frequent goalscoring from the Aston Villa midfield was not quite enough to earn his side the championship trophy, but it was enough for him to win the PFA Player of the Year award.
- Liverpool's John Barnes scored over 20 goals and helped his team win another league title and himself win the FWA Player of the Year award.
- Southampton's highly rated young Guernsey-born striker Matthew Le Tissier was credited with the PFA Young Player of the Year award for his exciting performances.
- Manchester United's Mark Hughes had another good season as he helped his side overcome disappointing league form and reach the FA Cup final where he scored twice in the first game before they won the replay.
- Oldham's Andy Ritchie scored 28 goals in all competitions as his side reached the F.A. Cup semi-final and League Cup final. His team-mate Frankie Bunn scored six times in his side's League Cup win over Scarborough.
- Newcastle striker Mick Quinn scored 32 times in the league and 36 in all competitions, but couldn't quite earn his side promotion to the First Division.
- Promising Sheffield Wednesday striker Dalian Atkinson emerged as a competent goalscorer, but his side's relegation to the Second Division saw him wanting top flight football, which he got in the form of a transfer to Spanish side Real Sociedad.
- Wolves striker Steve Bull had another excellent season, highlighted by scoring four goals against Newcastle in the Second Division on New Year's Day and being the only Second Division player to feature in England's World Cup squad.
Successful managers
- Kenny Dalglish brought another championship trophy to Liverpool after fighting off a late challenge from Aston Villa.
- Alex Ferguson finally guided Manchester United to a major trophy after four seasons of trying when they beat Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final replay.
- Graham Taylor took Aston Villa to the brink of championship glory just one season after they had been on the brink of relegation.
- Steve Coppell took Crystal Palace to their first ever FA Cup final, losing to Manchester United in a replay after beating League Champions Liverpool in the semi final.
- Dave Bassett took Sheffield United to a second successive promotion to bring top flight football to Bramall Lane for the first time since the 1970s.
- Howard Wilkinson led Leeds United back into the First Division after an eight-year exile.
- Bobby Campbell guided newly promoted Chelsea to fifth place in the First Division.
- Gerry Francis took Bristol Rovers to the Third Division championship.
- Neil Warnock ended Notts County's five-year spell in the Third Division by guiding them to success in the promotion playoffs.
- Alan Buckley rejuvenated Grimsby Town by guiding them to promotion success in the Fourth Division.
- Brian Little took Darlington back into the Football League at the first attempt by guiding them to the Conference title.
- Joe Royle guided Oldham to the League Cup final (their first ever Wembley appearance) and the F.A. Cup semi-final (their first appearance at that stage of the competition since 1913.
Diary of the season
5 July 1989 - Lou Macari departs from Swindon Town to succeed John Lyall as manager of West Ham United. He is only the sixth manager to have taken charge of West Ham (recently relegated to the Second Division) since their formation in 1900.
11 July 1989 - Aston Villa sign Kent Nielsen, the Denmark central defender, from Brondby in a £500,000 deal.
12 July 1989 - Glenn Hysen, the Swedish defender who had been expected to sign for Manchester United, is instead signed by Liverpool.
15 July 1989 - Laurie Cunningham, who played in Wimbledon's FA Cup final triumph 14 months ago and had a successful spell with West Bromwich Albion in the late 1970s, dies in a car crash in Spain. He was 33 years old and had been playing for Rayo Vallecano at the time of his death.
21 July 1989 - A tribunal orders Manchester United to pay £1.5million to Nottingham Forest for 26-year-old midfielder Neil Webb, who had been valued by Brian Clough at £2.2million - a fee that would have made him the most expensive signing by an English club.
18 August 1989 - Property tycoon Michael Knighton agrees to buy control of Manchester United in a deal which is believed to be worth around £20million.
19 August 1989 - Defending First Division champions Arsenal lose 4-1 away to Manchester United.
21 August 1989 - Luton Town pay a club record £650,000 for striker Lars Elstrup from Danish side OB Odense.
28 August 1989 - The British transfer record is broken for the third time in just over a year, when Manchester United sign Middlesbrough defender Gary Pallister for £2.3million.
31 August 1989 - The first month of the league season ends with Coventry City (yet to win a league title) as First Division leaders. Sheffield Wednesday prop up the table, followed by newly promoted Crystal Palace and Sheffield Wednesday. Defending champions Arsenal occupy a lowly 15th place, while Manchester United lie 14th after a draw and two defeats followed their impressive 4-1 win over Arsenal on the opening day of the season.
6 September 1989 - England draw 0-0 against Sweden in their fifth World Cup qualifier at Wembley.
23 September 1989 - Manchester United lose 5-1 away to neighbours Manchester City in the first Manchester derby since the 1986-87 season. They remain in the 14th place that they occupied at the end of last month, while Liverpool are now top of the First Division and facing unlikely competition from the likes of high-flying Chelsea and Millwall.
6 October 1989 - It is reported in the national media that Michael Knighton's takeover of Manchester United could be about to collapse.
11 October 1989 - England draw 0-0 with Poland in Chorzow to secure World Cup qualification.
31 October 1989 - October ends with Everton as First Division leaders, though Liverpool have two games in hand and are just two points behind them.
2 December 1989 - Trevor Francis, 35, is sacked after one year as player-manager of Queens Park Rangers. Coach Don Howe takes over, and his first signing is expected to be 33-year-old midfielder Ray Wilkins.
29 December 1989 - Liverpool chairman John Smith receives a knighthood.
31 December 1989 - The year and the decade ends with Liverpool as First Division leaders by a four-point margin and a game in hand. Aston Villa, who narrowly escaped relegation last season, are their prime contenders along with Arsenal, Southampton, Chelsea, Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur. Charlton Athletic prop up the table, while Millwall who briefly led the table in September are out of the relegation zone only on goal difference.
5 January 1990 - Swindon Town chairman Brian Hillier and former manager Lou Macari (now at West Ham United) are suspected of making an illegal bet against their own club in an FA Cup tie with Newcastle United in January 1988.
8 January 1990 - Manchester United beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 at the City Ground in the Third Round of the FA Cup, taking the pressure off under-fire manager Alex Ferguson. United are 15th in the First Division and for around two months there have been continued calls from fans for Ferguson to be sacked, but United chairman Martin Edwards (back in control after Michael Knighton withdrew his takeover deal) has denied that Ferguson's job is under threat.
9 January 1990 - Leeds United, the Second Division leaders, pay Nottingham Forest £400,000 for striker Lee Chapman.
14 January 1990 - The Football Association announce that they are investigating allegations of financial irregularities at Swindon Town.
31 January 1990 - Liverpool end January as First Division leaders on goal difference ahead of Aston Villa, but with a game in hand. Manchester United are now just one place above the relegation zone, but have progressed to the FA Cup fifth round to slightly lift the pressure on under-fire manager Alex Ferguson, whose job is very much safe according to club chairman Martin Edwards. Charlton Athletic remain bottom and facing an uphill task to beat the drop after losing all their league games this month.
22 January 1990 - Almost two months after being sacked as player-manager by Queen's Park Rangers, Trevor Francis signs for Sheffield Wednesday.
30 January 1990 - One of the biggest surprises of the FA Cup so far takes place in the fourth round replay at the Abbey Stadium, where Fourth Division Cambridge United beat First Division Millwall 1-0 three days after the first match at The Den ended in a 1-1 draw.
2 February 1990 - Former Liverpool manager Don Welsh dies aged 78.
12 February 1990 - Brian Hillier and Lou Macari are both fined after being found guilty of placing an illegal bet against Swindon Town. Hillier is also given a 6-month ban from football and is forced to resign as the club's chairman, while Macari steps down as West Ham United manager and is replaced by former player Billy Bonds.
27 February 1990 - Cambridge United reach the FA Cup quarter-finals (a rare performance for a Fourth Division club) after a second replay against Bristol City in the fifth round ended in a 5-1 home win.
28 February 1990 - Aston Villa finish February as First Division leaders in only their second season following promotion. Luton Town, Millwall and Charlton Athletic occupy the bottom three places, with the two Manchester clubs directly above them, but there are growing signs that United could be in for a successful season as they have reached the FA Cup quarter-finals.
12 March 1990 - Bristol City striker Dean Horrix, 28, is killed in a car crash a week after joining the club from Millwall.
14 March 1990 - First Division leaders Aston Villa suffer a shock 3-0 defeat at Oldham Athletic in the League Cup quarter-final, while Liverpool's double bid remains on course after a 1-0 replay win over Queens Park Rangers. Also in the semi-finals are Manchester United and Crystal Palace, with the latter ending Cambridge United's hopes of become the Fourth Division's first-ever FA Cup semi-finalists.
20 March 1990 - Chester City are taken over by Edinburgh based construction firm Morrison Construction in a deal which will see them leave Sealand Road at the end of this season and move to a new stadium in 1992.
31 March 1990 - Liverpool return to the top of the First Division for the end of the month, but lead the table only on goal difference with a game in hand ahead of Aston Villa. Manchester United are still 16th in the league, but will be in the FA Cup final if they beat Oldham Athletic in the semi-final next weekend.
8 April 1990 - Liverpool's hopes of a unique second double are ended when they lose 4-3 to Crystal Palace, the team they defeated 9-0 earlier in the season, in the semi-finals of the FA Cup at Villa Park. It will be the first time that Palace have played in an FA Cup final, while it is the third season running that Liverpool's double hopes have been ended during the final stages of the season. On the same day, Manchester United draw 3-3 with Oldham Athletic in the other semi-final at Maine Road.
11 April 1990 - Manchester United beat Oldham Athletic 2-1 after extra time in the FA Cup semi-final replay, booking them an FA Cup final clash with Crystal Palace (managed by former United winger Steve Coppell) and giving them their first chance of silverware in five years. The game is however marred by controversy after referee Joe Worrall fails to award Oldham an early goal after Nick Henry's shot clearly crosses the line.
28 April 1990 - Chester City play the final Football League game at their Sealand Road home of 84 years - a 2-0 win over Rotherham United.
30 April 1990 - The month ends with Liverpool confirmed as First Division champions for the 18th time in their history, while Aston Villa are sure of second place and the next four places are being contested between Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Everton and Chelsea. Meanwhile, Manchester United have assured their top flight survival and all the excitement is focused on their FA Cup final showdown in less than two weeks. Charlton Athletic and Millwall's relegation has been confirmed, while Luton Town need to win their last game of the season and hope that Sheffield Wednesday lose to avoid losing the top division place that has been theirs since 1982.
5 May 1990 - Sheffield Wednesday are relegated on goal difference behind a Luton Town side who performed the unthinkable and won their final game of the season while the Hillsborough club lost theirs.
12 May 1990 - Manchester United and Crystal Palace draw 3-3 in the FA Cup final first match, forcing a replay.
17 May 1990 - A Lee Martin goal gives Manchester United the FA Cup and wins them their first major trophy under the management of Alex Ferguson, marking an excellent end to a season which had seen United disappoint in the league and finish 13th. There had been much speculation that Ferguson was to be sacked, but the club's directors insisted that they had never considered removing Ferguson from his position.
1 May 1990 - Lou Macari and Brian Hillier are re-arrested after allegations of Inland Revenue offences. Swindon Town's chief accountant Vince Farrar and club captain Colin Calderwood are also arrested. Calderwood is quickly cleared of any involvement in the offences, while Macari, Hillier and Farrar are charged with tax offences and released on bail.
28 May 1990 - Swindon Town win the Second Division playoff final by beating Sunderland 1-0, but their place in the First Division remains in doubt over the alleged tax scandal.
1 June 1990 - The Football League votes to revert to a 22-club First Division for the 1991-92 season, while the Fourth Division will expand to 23 clubs in 1991-92 and 24 clubs in 1992-93, with no relegation to the GM Vauxhall Conference for the next two seasons.
6 June 1990 - Manchester United pay Oldham Athletic £625,000 for Irish full-back Denis Irwin.
7 June 1990 - Swindon Town are found guilty on 34 charges of financial irregularities at a Football League hearing. They are relegated to the Third Division as a punishment.
11 June 1990 - England open their World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Republic of Ireland.
16 June 1990 - England draw 0-0 with Holland in their second World Cup group game, leaving them needing to win the final group game against Egypt in five days to reach the Second Round.
21 June 1990 - Englad clinch qualification for the World Cup Second Round by beating Egypt 1-0 in their final group game.
26 June 1990 - England reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup with a second round 1-0 victory over Belgium.
1 July 1990 - England beat Cameroon 3-2 in the World Cup second round, securing qualification to the quarter finals for the first time since the 1970 tournament.
2 July 1990 - Swindon Town win an appeal against their relegation to the Third Division, but miss out on promotion to the First Division and remain in the Second Division. Their place in the First Division goes to Sunderland.
4 July 1990 - England's hopes of World Cup glory are ended after they lose penalties to West Germany in the semi-finals after a 1-1 draw. The game is symbolised when Paul Gascoigne cries after receiving a booking that would have ruled him out of the final had England qualified.
7 July 1990 - England lose 2-1 to host nation Italy in the World Cup third place play-off.
Deaths
- 15 July 1989 – Laurie Cunningham, 33, former England midfielder, was killed in a car crash in Spain. He played as a substitute for Wimbledon when they won the FA Cup in 1988. He also played for clubs including West Bromwich Albion, Real Madrid and Leicester City, and had a loan spell at Manchester United during the 1982-83 season.
- 1 September 1989 – Kazimierz Deyna, 41, former Polish international who had a spell with Manchester City in the late 1970s. Died in a car accident.
- 14 November 1989 – Jimmy Murphy, 81, assistant manager at Manchester United during the reign of Matt Busby. Took temporary charge of the team during the four months following the Munich Air Disaster while Busby recovered from his injuries.
- 11 March 1990 – Dean Horrix, 28, Bristol City striker, was killed in a car crash just over a week after he joined the club from Millwall.
- 30 June 1990 – Brian Tiler, 45, who played for Aston Villa during the 1970s and was a director for Bournemouth from the mid 1980s, was killed in a car crash in Italy. Bournemouth manager Harry Redknapp was travelling in the same car as Tiler but survived.
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