1930–31 Aston Villa F.C. season
Aston Villa played the 1930–31 English football season in the Football League First Division. Villa started the season with four successive league wins, a record not matched until the 2020–21 season.[1] Villa scored 128 league goals in 42 matches, a First Division record.[2] Villa's Pongo Waring finished as the leagues top scorer with 49 goals,[3] overshadowing Eric Houghton who scored 30 goals.[4] As of 2023, this remains the Villa record season for goals scored.[5]
1930–31 season | |
---|---|
Manager | Billy Smith |
Stadium | Villa Park |
First Division | 2nd |
FA Cup | Third round |
18--10--11 | |
Other notable statistics included inflicting a 7-0 victory over Manchester United, the joint-heaviest competitive defeat for that club[6] In the Second City derby, following a 1-1 home draw,[7] Villa beat Birmingham 4-0 at St Andrews with goals by Joe Beresford, Eric Houghton, Jack Mandley and Joe Tate.[8]
Richard York played just four times in the 1930–31 campaign, as Villa finished second in the league.[9]
After a trial with Villa in October 1930, goalkeeper, Harry Morton was signed as an amateur and made his club debut for the reserves in a Central League game against Everton Reserves on 22 November 1930. He went on to sign as a professional in March 1931.
Diary of season
- 8 Nov 1930 Aston Villa lost 5–2 at Arsenal Stadium in front of a crowd of 56,417.
- 14th Mar 1931: Villa stopped Arsenal in their tracks with a 5–1 victory at Villa Park.[10]
League table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Arsenal (C) | 42 | 28 | 10 | 4 | 127 | 59 | 2.153 | 66 |
2 | Aston Villa | 42 | 25 | 9 | 8 | 128 | 78 | 1.641 | 59 |
3 | Sheffield Wednesday | 42 | 22 | 8 | 12 | 102 | 75 | 1.360 | 52 |
4 | Portsmouth | 42 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 84 | 67 | 1.254 | 49 |
5 | Huddersfield Town | 42 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 81 | 65 | 1.246 | 48 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Everton (C, P) | 42 | 28 | 5 | 9 | 121 | 66 | 1.833 | 61 | Promotion to the First Division |
2 | West Bromwich Albion (P) | 42 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 83 | 49 | 1.694 | 54 | |
3 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 22 | 7 | 13 | 88 | 55 | 1.600 | 51 | |
4 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 42 | 21 | 5 | 16 | 84 | 67 | 1.254 | 47 | |
5 | Port Vale | 42 | 21 | 5 | 16 | 67 | 61 | 1.098 | 47 | |
6 | Bradford Park Avenue | 42 | 18 | 10 | 14 | 97 | 66 | 1.470 | 46 | |
7 | Preston North End | 42 | 17 | 11 | 14 | 83 | 64 | 1.297 | 45 | |
8 | Burnley | 42 | 17 | 11 | 14 | 81 | 77 | 1.052 | 45 | |
9 | Southampton | 42 | 19 | 6 | 17 | 74 | 62 | 1.194 | 44 | |
10 | Bradford City | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 61 | 63 | 0.968 | 44 | |
11 | Stoke City | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 64 | 71 | 0.901 | 44 | |
12 | Oldham Athletic | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 61 | 72 | 0.847 | 42 | |
13 | Bury | 42 | 19 | 3 | 20 | 75 | 82 | 0.915 | 41 | |
14 | Millwall | 42 | 16 | 7 | 19 | 71 | 80 | 0.888 | 39 | |
15 | Charlton Athletic | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 59 | 86 | 0.686 | 39 | |
16 | Bristol City | 42 | 15 | 8 | 19 | 54 | 82 | 0.659 | 38 | |
17 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 80 | 85 | 0.941 | 37 | |
18 | Plymouth Argyle | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 76 | 84 | 0.905 | 36 | |
19 | Barnsley | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 59 | 79 | 0.747 | 35 | |
20 | Swansea Town | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 51 | 74 | 0.689 | 34 | |
21 | Reading (R) | 42 | 12 | 6 | 24 | 72 | 96 | 0.750 | 30 | Relegation to the Third Division South |
22 | Cardiff City (R) | 42 | 8 | 9 | 25 | 47 | 87 | 0.540 | 25 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
References
- BBC, Aston Villa v Leeds United 23 Oct 2020 Premier League
- Groot, Lucas Franciscus Michaël, Economics, Uncertainty and European Football: Trends in Competitive Balance; pp. 34-35 ISBN 178100823X
- "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
- AVFC History: 1930-31
- Goodyear, David; Matthews, Tony, p.161
- "Man Utd 'eaten alive' & Fernandes a 'disgrace'". Retrieved 6 August 2023 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- "Aston Villa 1-1 Birmingham, 1930-31 Division One, 18 Oct 1930". AVFC History. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
- "Birmingham 0-4 Aston Villa, 1930-31 Division One, 21 Feb 1931". AVFC History. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
- "Detailed bio". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
- James, Andrew & Kelly, Arsenal: The Complete Record. p160