Aston Villa F.C. season 1891-92

Aston Villa made a storming start to the 1891-92 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!

It was the FA Cup, however, which retained the most excitement for supporters. Villa dispatched Heanor Town, Darwen, local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sunderland to reach their second final at The Oval.

"Main Article": 1892 FA Cup Final

Villa were matched against their fierce Warwickshire rivals West Bromwich Albion in a repeat of Villa's triumphant 1887 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 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.

Full results:-

Football League (Division One)

1891

5th September Blackburn Rovers (H) W 5-1

12th Sep West Bromwich Albion (H) W 5-1

19th Sep Preston North End (A) W 1-0

28th Sep Sunderland (H) W 5-3

3rd October Derby County (A) L 2-4

10th Oct Bolton Wanderers (H) L 1-2

17th Oct Burnley (A) L 1-4

24th Oct Stoke City (A) W 3-2

31st Oct Darwen (A) W 5-1

7th November Notts County (H) W 5-1

14th Nov West Brom (A) W 3-0

21st Nov Stoke C (H) W 2-1

28th Nov Everton (A) L 1-5

5th December Burnley (H) W 6-1

19th Dec Wolves (A) L 0-2

26th Dec Darwen (H) W 7-0

28th Dec Everton (H) L 3-4

1892

2nd January Notts Co (A) L 2-5

4th Jan Accrington (A) L 2-3

12th March Accrington (H) W 12-2

26th Mar Sunderland (A) L 1-2

2nd April Bolton W (A) W 2-1

16th Apr Preston NE (H) W 3-1

18th Apr Wolves (H) L 3-6

Overall Performance:-

Played 26, Won 15, Drew 0, Lost 11, Goal Average (89/56) = 1.589, Points (2 for a win) 30, Position 4th.

FA Cup

1st Round 16th January Heanor Town (H) W 4-1

2nd Round 30th Jan Darwen (H) W 2-0

3rd Round 13th February Wolves (A) W 3-1

Semi-Final Sunderland (at Sheffield) W 4-1

Final 19th March (at The Oval) West Brom L 0-3