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In 1890–91, Everton competed in the Football League's third season, and were crowned champions for the first time by two points over two-time defending champions Preston North End. They also competed in the FA Cup but lost in the first round to Sunderland.[1]
| 1890–91 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Dick Molyneux | |||
| Ground | Anfield | |||
| The Football League | Champions | |||
| FA Cup | 1st round | |||
| Top goalscorer | Fred Geary (20) | |||
| Highest home attendance | 16,000 vs Preston (10 January 1891) | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 8,000 vs Wolverhampton (13 September 1890) and Burnley (27 December 1890) | |||
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Regular Football League First team
editNote: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Other members of the title winning squad
editNote: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Having finished the previous season as runners up Everton made just one signing of note during the summer when William Campbell was brought from Bootle to fill the centre half role, which had remained unsettled since George Farmer had been dropped the previous November. Robert Smalley's position in goal was also under threat from an emerging twenty-year-old Scot named Jack Angus while David Kirkwood having lost the battle to secure the inside right birth to Alec Brady, now shared the centre back duties with Charlie Parry
This settled look ensured that there were just two new faces in the opening day 4–1 victory at West Bromwich Albion, Campbell, who scored and Angus who kept goal in the side listed above as the most settled team used that season. The team remained unchanged through the first four games of the campaign, which were all won, before Latta missed the fifth game. Everton still won to take their winning start to five games before being held to a 2–2 draw at Aston Villa. Everton remained unbeaten for their first seven games but their first choice eleven did not play again as a run of three straight defeats saw the return of Robert Smalley for one game in place of Jack Angus before David Jardine was signed in November from Bootle.
Everton completed all bar one of their fixtures before the end of January and had to wait while the nearest challengers for the title, Preston played a series of games to close the gap at the top to two points. Everton's final game of the season was at Burnley on Saturday 14 March 1891 when almost half the 10,000 attendance was made up of visiting Everton fans. The team of Jardine, McLean, Doyle, Lochhead, Holt, Parry, Latta, Brady, Geary, Chadwick and Milward required only a draw but failed, losing 3–2. Preston would themselves have claimed a third consecutive title has they won their fixture at Sunderland but Evertonians, returning to Liverpool by train from Burnley were met with a delighted crowd at the station who informed them that Preston had lost 0–3 and that Everton had won the title for the first time.
There was no official honour for individual players for being crowned champions so the Everton directors had a medal minted for every player The Football League took up the idea the following year and medals have been presented to every championship winning side since.
The Football League
edit| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result F–A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 September 1890 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 4–1 | Fred Geary (2), William Campbell, Alec Brady | 5,600 |
| 13 September 1890 | Wolverhampton | H | 5–0 | Fred Geary (2), Alf Milward (2), Edgar Chadwick | 8,000 |
| 20 September 1890 | Bolton | A | 5–0 | Fred Geary (2), Alf Milward (2), Alex Latta | 12,000 |
| 27 September 1890 | Accrington | A | 2–1 | Fred Geary, Alf Milward | 5,000 |
| 4 October 1890 | Derby | H | 7–0 | Fred Geary (2), Alf Milward (2), David Kirkwood, Alexander Brady, Edgar Chadwick | 12,000 |
| 11 October 1890 | Aston Villa | A | 2–2 | Fred Geary (2) | 5,000 |
| 18 October 1890 | Bolton | H | 2–0 | Alexander Brady (2) | 12,000 |
| 25 October 1890 | West Bromwich | H | 2–3 | Johnny Holt, Alex Latta | 9,200 |
| 1 November 1890 | Notts | A | 1–3 | Fred Geary | 13,000 |
| 8 November 1890 | Blackburn | A | 1–2 | Edgar Chadwick | 15,000 |
| 15 November 1890 | Sunderland | H | 1–0 | Hope Robertson | 12,000 |
| 22 November 1890 | Preston North End | A | 0–2 | 12,000 | |
| 29 November 1890 | Blackburn | H | 3–1 | Fred Geary (2), Alexander Brady | 11,000 |
| 6 December 1890 | Wolverhampton | A | 1–0 | Fred Geary | 6,500 |
| 13 December 1890 | Derby | A | 6–2 | THOMAS WYLIE (4), Fred Geary, Alexander Brady | 4,000 |
| 20 December 1890 | Sunderland | A | 0–1 | 6,500 | |
| 26 December 1890 | Accrington | H | 3–2 | Alf Milward (2), Edgar Chadwick | 14,000 |
| 27 December 1890 | Burnley | H | 7–3 | EDGAR CHADWICK (3), Alex Latta (2), Alexander Brady, Alf Milward | 8,000 |
| 1 January 1891 | Aston | H | 5–0 | Alexander Brady (2), Fred Geary, Edgar Chadwick, Alf Milward | 9,000 |
| 3 January 1891 | Notts | H | 4–2 | Edgar Chadwick (2), Alf Milward, Fred Geary | 12,000 |
| 10 January 1891 | Preston | H | 0–1 | 16,000 | |
| 14 March 1891 | Burnley | A | 2–3 | Fred Geary (2) | 10,000 |
Football Association Challenge Cup
edit| Date | Round | Opponents | Venue | Result F–A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 January 1891 | First | Sunderland | A | 0–1 | 21,000 |
Final league table
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everton | 22 | 14 | 1 | 7 | 63 | 29 | 2.172 | 29 | League Champions |
| 2 | Preston North End | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 44 | 23 | 1.913 | 27 | |
| 3 | Notts County | 22 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 52 | 35 | 1.486 | 26 | |
| 4 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 22 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 39 | 50 | 0.780 | 26 | |
| 5 | Bolton Wanderers | 22 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 47 | 34 | 1.382 | 25 |
Achievements
editDespite being crowned champions the 1890/91 team actually picked up fewer points than the side who missed out on the title the previous season. Their title triumph came despite a record losing and winless away run in the middle of the season. The 1891 title side also equalled or set the following club records.
- English Football League Champions for the first time
- Equalled most home points = 18 with 1889–90 team
- Equalled most wins = 14 with 1889–90 team
- Most home wins in a season = 9
- Fewest goals conceded in a season = 29
- Fewest goals conceded at home in a season = 12
- Fewest goals conceded away from home in a season = 17
- Record away League victory = 6–2 at Derby County, 13 December 1890
- Most goals in a single game = 4 by Thomas Wylie at Derby County, 13 December 1890
- Equalled most team hat-tricks in a season = 2 with 1889–90 team
- Hat-tricks = 2 Fred Geary & Thomas Wylie
- Record Everton career League hat-tricks = 2 by Fred Geary 1890 & 1891
- Fewest players used in a season = 20
- Longest home winning sequence = 6 games
- Longest unbeaten sequence = 7 games
- Equalled Longest home unbeaten run = 6 games with 1889–90 team
- Longest sequence of away draws = 1 (with all previous Everton League teams)
- Fewest drawn games in a season = 1
- None of Everton's eleven home games were drawn, matching the 1888–89 team
- Equalled fewest away draws in a season = 1 with the 1889–90 team
- Equalled longest home losing sequence = 1 (with all previous Everton League teams)
- Longest losing sequence away from home = 3
- Equalled longest winless away run = 4 with the 1888–89 team