FIRST DIVISION (Tier 1) - 1889-90
| SEASON END TABLE | Home | Away | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Result |
| 1 | Preston North End | 22 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 71 | 30 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 41 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 18 | 2.36667 | 33 | Champions |
| 2 | Everton | 22 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 65 | 40 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 40 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 25 | 25 | 1.62500 | 31 | |
| 3 | Blackburn Rovers | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 78 | 41 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 59 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 19 | 23 | 1.90244 | 27 | FA Cup Winners |
| 4 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 51 | 38 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 28 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 23 | 24 | 1.34211 | 25 | |
| 5 | West Bromwich Albion | 22 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 47 | 50 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 37 | 20 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 30 | .94000 | 25 | |
| 6 | Accrington Stanley | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 53 | 56 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 33 | 25 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 20 | 31 | .94643 | 24 | |
| 7 | Derby County | 22 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 43 | 55 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 32 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 11 | 42 | .78182 | 21 | |
| 8 | Aston Villa | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 43 | 51 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 30 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 36 | .84314 | 19 | Equal on points; League agreed that neither would face re-election |
| 9 | Bolton Wanderers | 22 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 54 | 65 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 37 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 17 | 41 | .83077 | 19 | Equal on points; League agreed that neither would face re-election |
| 10 | Notts County | 22 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 43 | 51 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 20 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 23 | 32 | .84314 | 17 | Re-elected |
| 11 | Burnley | 22 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 36 | 65 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 20 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 16 | 44 | .55385 | 13 | Re-elected |
| 12 | Stoke City | 22 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 27 | 69 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 18 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 49 | .39130 | 10 | Failed re-election and joined the Football Alliance |
FOOTBALL ALLIANCE (Tier 2) - 1889-90
| SEASON END TABLE | Home | Away | Results | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Result | Home | Away | |
| 1 | The Wednesday | 22 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 70 | 40 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 48 | 19 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 21 | 1.75000 | 31 | Remained in Football Alliance | 1-3 | 1-3 | |
| 2 | Bootle | 22 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 66 | 39 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 31 | 1.69231 | 28 | Football League application rejected | 2-2 | 0-2 | |
| 3 | Sunderland Albion | 22 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 72 | 47 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 43 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 29 | 34 | 1.53191 | 28 | Football League application rejected | 3-1 | 0-4 | |
| 4 | Grimsby Town | 22 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 58 | 47 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 42 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 16 | 30 | 1.23404 | 26 | Football League application rejected | 1-2 | 0-4 | |
| 5 | Crewe Alexandra | 22 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 68 | 59 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 42 | 27 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 26 | 32 | 1.15254 | 24 | 2-5 | 1-1 | ||
| 6 | Birmingham St George's | 22 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 71 | 58 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 40 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 31 | 30 | 1.22414 | 22 | Football League application rejected | 2-2 | 3-1 | |
| 7 | Darwen | 22 | 10 | 2 | 10 | 70 | 75 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 46 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 24 | 47 | .93333 | 22 | 3-1 | 0-9 | ||
| 8 | Newton Heath LYR | 22 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 40 | 45 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 27 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 34 | .88889 | 20 | Football League application rejected | 1-3 | 1-0 | |
| 9 | Walsall Town Swifts | 22 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 45 | 59 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 27 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 18 | 40 | .76271 | 19 | 3-0 | 3-1 | ||
| 10 | Nottingham Forest | 22 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 31 | 51 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 19 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 31 | .60784 | 17 | ||||
| 11 | Small Heath | 22 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 33 | 67 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 22 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 49 | .49254 | 17 | 0-0 | 0-12 | ||
| 12 | Long Eaton Rangers | 22 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 36 | 73 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 19 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 17 | 45 | .49315 | 10 | Dropped out of Football Alliance | 1-1 | 3-5 | |