1888–89 Aston Villa F.C. season
The 1888–89 season was the first season of the Football League. Aston Villa were one of the new league's 12 founding members and finished as runners-up of the Football League, behind double winners Preston North End. The 'Invincibles' from Lancashire also ended Villa's bid to win every single home game, with a 2–0 win at Wellington Road in Villa's last home fixture.
Villa's cup season ended with an 8–1 defeat by Blackburn Rovers that remained a club record until 2012.
Final league table
Results
Aston Villa's score comes firstLegend
Football League
| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 | 8 September 1888 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1 – 1 | 2,500 | Green |
| 2 | 15 September 1888 | Stoke | H | 5 – 1 | 4,000 | Dixon, Brown, Green, Hunter, Allen |
| 3 | 22 September 1888 | Everton | H | 2 – 1 | 4,000 | Hodgetts |
| 4 | 29 September 1888 | Notts County | H | 9 – 1 | 4,000 | Green, Allen, Hunter, Hodgetts |
| 5 | 6 October 1888 | Everton | A | 0 – 2 | 10,000 | |
| 6 | 13 October 1888 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 6 – 1 | 5,000 | Goodall, Green, Brown, Allen, Hunter |
| 7 | 20 October 1888 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 3 – 2 | 8,000 | Hodgetts, Hunter, Allen |
| 8 | 27 October 1888 | Accrington | H | 4 – 3 | 6,000 | Allen, Brown, Hodgetts |
| 9 | 3 November 1888 | Stoke | A | 1 – 1 | 4,000 | Allen |
| 10 | 10 November 1888 | Preston North End | A | 1 – 1 | 10,000 | Green |
| 11 | 17 November 1888 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 1 – 5 | 9,500 | Allen |
| 12 | 24 November 1888 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2 – 1 | 6,000 | Goodall |
| 13 | 8 December 1888 | Notts County | A | 4 – 2 | 2,000 | Goodall, Brown, Green |
| 14 | 15 December 1888 | Accrington | A | 1 – 1 | 2,000 | Brown |
| 15 | 22 December 1888 | Burnley | H | 4 – 2 | 2,000 | Green, Goodall, Allen, Hunter |
| 16 | 29 December 1888 | Derby County | H | 4 – 2 | 4,000 | Green, Allen, Goodall |
| 17 | 5 January 1889 | Burnley | A | 0 – 4 | 6,000 | |
| 18 | 12 January 1889 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 6 – 2 | 2,000 | Brown, Allen, Hodgetts, Hunter, Green |
| 19 | 19 January 1889 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 2 – 0 | 10,000 | Allen, Hodgetts |
| 20 | 26 January 1889 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 3 – 3 | 8,515 | Allen, Green |
| 21 | 9 February 1889 | Preston North End | H | 0 – 2 | 10,000 | |
| 22 | 9 March 1889 | Derby County | A | 2 – 5 | 3,000 | Allen |
FA Cup
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R1 | 2 February 1889 | Witton | H | 3 – 2 | 1,500 | Allen, Hunter, Green |
| R2 | 16 February 1889 | Derby County | H | 5 – 3 | 2,000 | Hunter, Hodgetts, Brown |
| R3 | 2 March 1889 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 1 – 8 | 12,000 | Hodgetts |