1930–31 Aston Villa F.C. season

Aston Villa played the 1930–31 English football season in the Football League First Division. Villa started the season with four successive league wins, a record not matched until the 2020–21 season.[1] Villa scored 128 league goals in 42 matches, a First Division record.[2] Villa's Pongo Waring finished as the leagues top scorer with 49 goals,[3] overshadowing Eric Houghton who scored 30 goals.[4] As of 2023, this remains the Villa record season for goals scored.[5]

Aston Villa
1930–31 season
ManagerBilly Smith
StadiumVilla Park
First Division2nd
FA CupThird round
Second City Derby
18--10--11

Other notable statistics included inflicting a 7-0 victory over Manchester United, the joint-heaviest competitive defeat for that club[6] In the Second City derby, following a 1-1 home draw,[7] Villa beat Birmingham 4-0 at St Andrews with goals by Joe Beresford, Eric Houghton, Jack Mandley and Joe Tate.[8]

Richard York played just four times in the 1930–31 campaign, as Villa finished second in the league.[9]

After a trial with Villa in October 1930, goalkeeper, Harry Morton was signed as an amateur and made his club debut for the reserves in a Central League game against Everton Reserves on 22 November 1930. He went on to sign as a professional in March 1931.

Diary of season

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1 Arsenal (C) 42 28 10 4 127 59 2.153 66
2 Aston Villa 42 25 9 8 128 78 1.641 59
3 Sheffield Wednesday 42 22 8 12 102 75 1.360 52
4 Portsmouth 42 18 13 11 84 67 1.254 49
5 Huddersfield Town 42 18 12 12 81 65 1.246 48
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Relegation
1 Everton (C, P) 42 28 5 9 121 66 1.833 61 Promotion to the First Division
2 West Bromwich Albion (P) 42 22 10 10 83 49 1.694 54
3 Tottenham Hotspur 42 22 7 13 88 55 1.600 51
4 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42 21 5 16 84 67 1.254 47
5 Port Vale 42 21 5 16 67 61 1.098 47
6 Bradford Park Avenue 42 18 10 14 97 66 1.470 46
7 Preston North End 42 17 11 14 83 64 1.297 45
8 Burnley 42 17 11 14 81 77 1.052 45
9 Southampton 42 19 6 17 74 62 1.194 44
10 Bradford City 42 17 10 15 61 63 0.968 44
11 Stoke City 42 17 10 15 64 71 0.901 44
12 Oldham Athletic 42 16 10 16 61 72 0.847 42
13 Bury 42 19 3 20 75 82 0.915 41
14 Millwall 42 16 7 19 71 80 0.888 39
15 Charlton Athletic 42 15 9 18 59 86 0.686 39
16 Bristol City 42 15 8 19 54 82 0.659 38
17 Nottingham Forest 42 14 9 19 80 85 0.941 37
18 Plymouth Argyle 42 14 8 20 76 84 0.905 36
19 Barnsley 42 13 9 20 59 79 0.747 35
20 Swansea Town 42 12 10 20 51 74 0.689 34
21 Reading (R) 42 12 6 24 72 96 0.750 30 Relegation to the Third Division South
22 Cardiff City (R) 42 8 9 25 47 87 0.540 25
Source:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

References
  1. BBC, Aston Villa v Leeds United 23 Oct 2020 Premier League
  2. Groot, Lucas Franciscus Michaël, Economics, Uncertainty and European Football: Trends in Competitive Balance; pp. 34-35 ISBN 178100823X
  3. "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  4. AVFC History: 1930-31
  5. Goodyear, David; Matthews, Tony, p.161
  6. "Man Utd 'eaten alive' & Fernandes a 'disgrace'". Retrieved 6 August 2023 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  7. "Aston Villa 1-1 Birmingham, 1930-31 Division One, 18 Oct 1930". AVFC History. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  8. "Birmingham 0-4 Aston Villa, 1930-31 Division One, 21 Feb 1931". AVFC History. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  9. "Detailed bio". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
  10. James, Andrew & Kelly, Arsenal: The Complete Record. p160


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