1891–92 Aston Villa F.C. season

Aston Villa made a storming start to the 1891–92 English Football League season, winning their first four games and scoring sixteen goals in the process. They eventually finished a much-improved fourth in The Football League and created history by defeating Accrington 12-2 (still a club record for a league game). Bizarrely, Villa didn't draw a single game all season!

Aston Villa
1891–92 season
Chairman
ManagerScotland George Ramsay
GroundWellington Road
Football League4th
FA CupRunners-up (1)
1892 FA Cup Final
Illustration of the match by Stephen Dadd
Event1891–92 FA Cup
West Bromwich Albion Aston Villa
3 0
Date19 March 1892
VenueKennington Oval, London
RefereeCharles Clegg
Attendance32,710
WeatherWarm, Sunny and cloudless

It was the FA Cup, however, which retained the most excitement for supporters. Villa dispatched Heanor Town F.C., Darwen, local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. and Sunderland to reach their second final at The Oval. Villa were matched against their fierce Warwickshire rivals West Bromwich Albion F.C. in a repeat of Villa's triumphant 1887 FA Cup Final. Unlike in 1887, however, Villa started as strong favourites. They had already comfortably beaten Albion home and away in the league.

It was with some consternation then that the large crowd assembled at Birmingham New Street station to hear the result learned that Villa had been defeated 3–0. After the game rumours circulated that Villa's goalkeeper, Jimmy Warner, had thrown the match. Every window in his pub in Spring Hill, Birmingham was smashed by an angry mob. Despite his probable innocence, Warner was scapegoated and never played for Villa again.

Despite the Cup final heart-break Villa had stumbled upon the nucleus of its most dominant side ever. With stars like James Cowan, Charlie Athersmith and John Devey, Villa were now in a much stronger position to challenge for supremacy of English football.

First Division
Main article: 1891–92 Football League

Pos Team Pld HW HD HL HGF HGA AW AD AL AGF AGA GAv Pts
2 Preston North End 26 12 0 1 42 8 6 1 6 19 23 1.968 37
3 Bolton Wanderers 26 9 2 2 29 14 8 0 5 22 23 1.378 36
4 Aston Villa 26 10 0 3 63 23 5 0 8 26 33 1.589 30
5 Everton 26 8 2 3 32 22 4 2 7 17 27 1.000 28
6 Wolverhampton Wanderers 26 8 2 3 34 15 3 2 8 25 31 1.283 26
Source:
1891
DateTeamVenueResultScore
5 SeptemberBlackburn RoversHW5-1
12 SeptemberWest Bromwich AlbionHW5-1
19 SeptemberPreston North EndAW1-0
28 SeptemberSunderlandHW5-3
3 OctoberDerby CountyAL2–4
10 OctoberBolton WanderersHL1–2
17 OctoberBurnleyAL1–4
24 OctoberStoke CityAW3-2
31 OctoberDarwenAW5-1
7 NovemberNotts CountyHW5-1
14 NovemberWest BromAW3-0
21 NovemberStoke CHW2-1
28 NovemberEvertonAL1–5
5 DecemberBurnleyHW6-1
19 DecemberWolvesAL0–2
26 DecemberDarwenHW7-0
28 DecemberEvertonHL3–4
1892
2 JanuaryNotts CoAL2–5
4 JanAccringtonAL2–3
12 MarchAccringtonHW12-2
26 MarchSunderlandAL1–2
2 AprilBolton WAW2-1
16 AprilPreston NEHW3-1
18 AprilWolvesHL3–6

FA Cup
Main article: 1892 FA Cup Final
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultScore
1st Round16 JanuaryHeanor TownHW4-1
2nd Round30 JanDarwenHW2-0
3rd Round13 FebruaryWolvesAW3-1
Semi-FinalSunderlandat SheffieldW4-1
Final19 MarchWest BromThe OvalL0–3
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