Season | 1888–89 |
---|---|
Champions |
Preston North End (1st English title) |
Relegated | none |
FA Cup winners | Preston North End (1st FA Cup title) |
Matches played | 132 |
Goals scored | 586 (4.44 per match) |
Top goalscorer | John Goodall (Preston North End), 21 |
Biggest home win | Aston Villa – Notts County 9–1 (29 Sept 1888) |
Biggest away win | Notts County – Preston 0–7 (3 Nov 1888) |
Highest scoring | 10: Aston Villa – Notts County 9–1 (29 Sept 1888) Bolton – Notts County 7–3 (9 Mar 1889) Blackburn Rovers – Accrington 5–5 (15 Sept 1888) |
Longest winning run | 6 – Preston North End (8 Sep – 13 Oct 1888) |
Longest unbeaten run | 22 – Preston North End (8 Sep 1888 – 9 Feb 1889), the entire season |
Longest losing run | 8 – Derby County (29 Sep – 8 Dec 1888) |
Highest attendance | ? |
Lowest attendance | ? |
Average attendance | ? |
1889–90 →
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The 1888–1889 season was the 18th season of competitive association football in England.
A new competition, The Football League, started this season. The Football League was open to clubs all over the United Kingdom, but the first twelve entrants (Accrington, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, Derby County, Everton, Notts County, Preston North End, Stoke (now Stoke City), West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers) were all from the Midlands or North of England (in later years the competition became the de facto English league, though some clubs from outside England still compete in it). Each club in the League played each other twice (once at home and once away) and would be awarded two points for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss. From these points, a league table was drawn up. Preston North End were in first place at the end of the season and thus became the first ever Football League champions. They did not lose a match all season (a feat only accomplished once since, by Arsenal in 2003–04) and also won the FA Cup.