1988–89 Aston Villa F.C. season

Aston Villa competed in the Football League First Division during the 1988–89 English football season, having earned a promotion back to the First Division under their manager Graham Taylor. Although the team saw a slump in performances towards the end of the season, Aston Villa narrowly avoided relegation in the 1988–89 season after a draw on the final day of the season.[1]

Aston Villa
1988–89 season
ChairmanEngland Doug Ellis
ManagerEngland Graham Taylor
StadiumVilla Park
First Division17th
FA CupFourth round
League CupFifth round
Second City Derby
44--32--26

The season saw three Second City derbies. Birmingham City were soon to be relegated to the Third Division for the first time in the club's history. Villa would keep a clean sheet in all three matches, putting 13 goals past their local rivals.[2] Drawn in the League Cup 2nd Round, Kevin Gage and Andy Gray would score in the 2–0 victory at St Andrews.[3] In the return leg Villa won 5–0 with goals by Derek Mountfield, Kevin Gage (2), Ian Olney, and Tony Daley.[4] In the 1988-89 Simod Cup 1st Round David Platt, Bernie Gallacher, Derek Mountfield, Alan McInally (2), and Allan Evans contributed to a 6–0 victory.[5]

Diary of the season

The start of the season saw Gordon Cowans rejoin Aston Villa in a £250,000 deal, following 3 years at Bari.[6][7] Striker, Warren Aspinall, left in a £315,000 deal, as Portsmouth manager, Alan Ball, aimed for an immediate return to the First Division.[8]

27 August 1988: Millwall began their First Division career with a 2–2 draw against Aston Villa at Villa Park.

2 October 1988: Aston Villa sold defender Neale Cooper to Rangers for £300,000.[9]

5 November 1988: Manchester United drew with Aston Villa at home with a score of 1–1. This was the Manchester United's fifth draw of the season.[10]

12 November 1988: After a 3–1 home win over Aston Villa, Southampton achieved their third win of the season.[11]

26 November 1988: Coventry's 2–1 home win over local rivals, Aston Villa, saw them jump to fifth place in the table.[12]

3 December 1988: Norwich City remained at the top of the First Division despite a 3–1 defeat to Aston Villa. However, Arsenal sat just three points behind them, with two games still to play.[13]

24 December 1988: Aston Villa sold striker Garry Thompson to Watford for £325,000.[14]

31 December 1988: After defeating Aston Villa 3–0, Arsenal replaced Norwich City at the top the First Division due to a higher goal difference.[15]

15 April 1989 – Everton beat Norwich City 1–0 in the FA Cup semi-finals at Villa Park. The other semi-final saw one of English football's greatest ever tragedies, with the death of 96 [16] Liverpool supporters, during a match against Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough.[17]

13 May 1989 – Middlesbrough joined already relegated Newcastle United, after losing a relegation showdown 1–0 away to Sheffield Wednesday, whilst Luton Town beat Norwich City 1–0. The result ensured Wednesday's survival. West Ham United, however, had to win their last two games to stay up—at the expense of Aston Villa.[18]

References
  1. "Aston Villa 1988–1989". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  2. "All Aston Villa's Matches". AVFC History. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  3. "Birmingham City 0-2 Aston Villa, 1988-89 League Cup 2nd Round, 27 Sep 1988". AVFC History. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  4. "Aston Villa 5-0 Birmingham City, 1988-89 League Cup 2nd Round, 12 Oct 1988". AVFC History. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  5. "Aston Villa 6-0 Birmingham City, 1988-89 Simod Cup 1st Round, 9 Nov 1988". AVFC History. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  6. Gordon Cowans: Career statistics. soccerbase. Retrieved 1 June 2013
  7. Pat Nevin: Career statistics. soccerbase. Retrieved 1 June 2013
  8. Warren Aspinall: Career statistics. soccerbase. Retrieved 13 June 2013
  9. Neale Cooper: Career statistics. soccerbase. Retrieved 14 June 2013
  10. "1988-11-05". www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk.
  11. "1988-11-12". www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk.
  12. "1988-11-26". www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk.
  13. "1988-12-03". www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk.
  14. Garry Thompson: Career statistics. soccerbase. Retrieved 1 June 2013
  15. "1988-12-31". www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk.
  16. "Hillsborough: Timeline of the 1989 stadium disaster". BBC News. 28 November 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  17. "1989: Football fans crushed at Hillsborough". BBC Home: On This Day 1950–2005. 15 April 1989.
  18. Smailes, Gordon (2000). The Breedon Book of Football Records. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 162. ISBN 1859832148.
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