1889–90 Aston Villa F.C. season
The 1889–90 English football season saw Aston Villa's 2nd season in the Football League. They started with an unbeaten opening three games including a win over champions Preston, but suffered several defeats after Christmas, winning only one of their six remaining league games to finish 8th.
Preston's "Invincibles" were unbeaten from the previous season. They had now won their first league match to stretch their unbeaten league run to 23 games but faced a Villa team who would inflict their first-ever league defeat with a 5–3 victory. In the former top tear of English football, home and away Christmas Day fixtures were often played allowing many working people their only chance to watch a game guaranteeing football clubs large crowds. Champions Preston North End faced Aston Villa on Christmas Day 1889. Christmas fixtures were recorded as late as the 1957-58 Football League season.
Scottish centre back, Jimmy Cowan, made his debut, coming from Vale of Leven FC. He would go on to make 357 appearances for Villa, his last win seeing Small Heath knocked out of the 1901 FA Cup Quarter-final replay.
A benefit match was held for Small Heath player, Chris Charsley, ahead of his retirement; despite the admission charge being increased for the occasion, around 6,000 spectators turned up to watch a schoolboys' match followed by the main attraction. In an encounter described by the Birmingham Daily Post as "perhaps the closest and most exciting ever played on the field", Aston Villa, featuring new signing Tom McKnight, drew 2–2 with a Small Heath eleven. A substantial sum was raised.
There were debuts for Albert Aldridge, Tom Clarkson, Jimmy Cowan, Billy Dickson, Sammy Gray, George Davis, Ike Moore, Arthur Hickton, James Connor, Jack Graham, Lewis Campbell, Bill Dickie and Jim Paton.
League
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Notes | Scorers |
| 7 Sep 89 | Burnley | Wellington Road | 2–2 | — | Dennis Hodgetts |
| 14 Sep 89 | Notts County | Wellington Road | 1–1 | — | Dennis Hodgetts |
| 21 Sep 89 | Preston | Wellington Road | 5–3 | — | Jimmy Cowan, Billy Dickson, Albert Brown, Albert Allen |
| 28 Sep 89 | Albion | Stoney Lane | 0–3 | — | — |
| 5 Oct 89 | Burnley | Turf Moor | 6–2 | — | Albert Allen, Archie Hunter, Dennis Hodgetts |
| 12 Oct 89 | Derby | Wellington Road | 7–1 | — | Albert Allen, Billy Dickson, Dennis Hodgetts, Unknown |
| 19 Oct 89 | Blackburn | Leamington Road | 0–7 | — | — |
| 26 Oct 89 | Albion | Wellington Road | 1–0 | — | Albert Brown |
| 2 Nov 89 | Wolves | Wellington Road | 2–1 | — | Ike Moore |
| 9 Nov 89 | Notts County | Trent Bridge | 1–1 | — | Billy Dickson |
| 16 Nov 89 | Bolton | Pike's Lane | 0–2 | — | — |
| 23 Nov 89 | Everton | Wellington Road | 1–2 | — | Albert Brown |
| 30 Nov 89 | Accrington | Thorneyholme Road | 2–4 | — | Jimmy Cowan, Albert Allen |
| 7 Dec 89 | Stoke | Wellington Road | 6–1 | — | Billy Dickson, Batty Garvey, Albert Allen |
| 21 Dec 89 | Wolves | Molineux | 1–1 | — | Dennis Hodgetts |
| 25 Dec 89 | Preston | Deepdale | 2–3 | Until 1965 home and away Christmas Day and Boxing Day double headers were often played guaranteeing football clubs large crowds by allowing many working people their only chance to watch a game. | Ike Moore, Billy Dickson |
| 26 Dec 89 | Accrington | Wellington Road | 1–2 | — | Batty Garvey |
| 28 Dec 89 | Derby | Racecourse Ground | 0–5 | — | — |
| 4 Jan 90 | Everton | Anfield | 0–7 | — | — |
| 25 Jan 90 | Bolton | Wellington Road | 1–2 | — | Albert Brown |
| 17 Mar 90 | Stoke | Victoria Ground | 1–1 | — | Albert Allen |
| 31 Mar 90 | Blackburn | Wellington Road | 3–0 | — | Lewis Campbell, Dennis Hodgetts, Albert Brown |
FA Cup
- 1st Round, 18 January 1890, South Shore, Away, Won 4–2
- 2nd Round, 1 February 1890, Notts County, Away, Lost 1–4