1990–91 in English football

The 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.

Overview

First Division

Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager Kenny Dalglish. Ronny Moran was appointed caretaker manager, but was unable to bring a major trophy to Anfield. Third place in the league went to Crystal Palace, who occupied their highest-ever finish, but were denied qualification for the UEFA Cup due to Liverpool being readmitted to European competition a year earlier than anticipated.

Newly promoted Leeds United had a good season back in the First Division as they finished fourth but never really looked like challenging for the title. They did, however, reach the semi-finals of the League Cup, where they lost to Manchester United.

Down at the bottom end of the table, Derby County went down in bottom place with just five wins all season despite the 17 league goals of Welsh striker Dean Saunders, who was then sold to Liverpool. The final relegation place went to Sunderland on the last day of the season.

On 1 November, Everton had sacked manager Colin Harvey after three-and-a-half years at the helm. Manchester City's Howard Kendall returned to Everton for his second spell as manager, with Harvey returning as assistant.

15 November saw two First Division clubs appoint player-managers. Peter Reid, 34, stepped up to the manager's seat at Manchester City. Terry Butcher, still only 31, was recruited from Rangers to take over from John Sillett at Coventry City, making him the youngest manager in the Football League.

Bobby Campbell quit his managerial duties at Chelsea at the end of his fourth season in charge, becoming personal assistant to chairman Ken Bates and handing over managerial duties to Ian Porterfield.

Jimmy Ryan was sacked by Luton Town just after achieving a second successive last-day escape from relegation. He was replaced by David Pleat, who had previously been at Kenilworth Road from 1978 to 1986.

Jozef Venglos left Aston Villa after one season to be succeeded by Sheffield Wednesday's Ron Atkinson, who himself was succeeded by Trevor Francis. Villa struggled in the league and were able to finish in 17th place; in the UEFA Cup, they were eliminated by eventual winners Inter Milan in the second round.

Queen's Park Rangers sacked Don Howe at the end of the season, replacing him with Gerry Francis from Bristol Rovers.

Southampton's Chris Nicholl was dismissed at the end of his sixth season with the club, being replaced by Crystal Palace coach Ian Branfoot.

Second Division

Joe Royle's cavalier Oldham Athletic side dramatically won the Second Division championship – an injury-time penalty completing a 3–2 come-from-behind win against Sheffield Wednesday in their final game, edging them the title from previous leaders West Ham United, who would be promoted as runners-up. Joining them were League Cup winners Sheffield Wednesday, who finished in third place. Neil Warnock guided Notts County to a second successive victory in the promotion playoffs.

Hull City struggled throughout the 1990–91 season and not even the appointment of new manager Terry Dolan could save their Second Division status. They were joined on the last day of the season by West Bromwich Albion, who went down to the Third Division for the first time in their history. Leicester City were saved from suffering the same humiliation by winning their final game of the season. Albion had sacked player-manager Brian Talbot in January following an FA Cup exit at the hands of non-league Woking, but his successor Bobby Gould was unable to save Albion from the dreaded drop.

Newly promoted Bristol Rovers attained their highest league finish in years, finishing 13th. But manager Gerry Francis then resigned to take over at Queen's Park Rangers, handing over the reins to Martin Dobson, who was just weeks into his job as Northwich Victoria manager.

Jim Smith left Newcastle United in March after more than two years at the helm, making a swift return to management with Portsmouth as successor to Frank Burrows, while Ossie Ardiles was the new man in charge on Tyneside after leaving Swindon Town. 33-year-old Glenn Hoddle was named as Swindon's new manager.

Colin Todd departed from Middlesbrough after their failure to succeed in the playoffs, being replaced by Lennie Lawrence who called time on nine years with Charlton Athletic, who appointed Alan Curbishley and Steve Gritt as joint player-managers.

David Pleat was sacked by Leicester City in February, with Gordon Lee taking charge until the end of the season and being replaced by Brian Little.

Third Division

Champions Cambridge United, runners-up Southend United and third-placed Grimsby Town occupied the automatic promotion places and all achieved second successive promotions. The fourth promotion place went to playoff winners Tranmere Rovers, who ended a 53-year absence from the Second Division and made it clear they were prepared to stay there when they signed ex-Liverpool striker John Aldridge.

Going down to the Fourth Division were Crewe Alexandra, Rotherham United and Mansfield Town.

Dave Mackay was sacked by Birmingham City in January, with Lou Macari taking over until the end of the season before replacing Alan Ball at Stoke City. Birmingham then turned to Exeter's Terry Cooper, who replaced him with Alan Ball.

Reading sacked Ian Porterfield after 18 months in charge, and signed Newcastle striker Mark McGhee as player-manager.

Leyton Orient manager Frank Clark stepped up to the role of Managing Director at the end of the season, with Peter Eustace being appointed Head Coach.

Fourth Division

Brian Little's Darlington won the Fourth Division championship to earn a second successive promotion, while the other four promotion places went to Stockport County, Hartlepool United, Peterborough United and Torquay United. Torquay were the eventual winners, beating Blackpool in a penalty shootout, the first time the system had been used in the Football League.

Wrexham finished bottom of the league but they avoided relegation into the Conference.

FA Cup

Tottenham Hotspur compensated for a slump in form during the second half of the 1990–91 league campaign by beating Nottingham Forest 2–1 in the F.A Cup final, although their triumph was overshadowed by a knee injury to star midfielder Paul Gascoigne in the opening 15 minutes. In the previous round at Wembley against arch-rivals Arsenal, Gascoigne had scored a tremendous free-kick in a surprise 3–1 win against the champions elect.

League Cup

Ron Atkinson's Sheffield Wednesday earned a shock 1–0 victory over his old club Manchester United thanks to a goal from John Sheridan – a self-confessed Manchester City supporter.

Biggest rise

Oldham Athletic won the Second Division championship to return to the First Division after a 68-year absence.

Biggest fall

West Bromwich Albion fell into the Third Division for the very first time, 11 years after reaching the UEFA Cup quarter finals and 12 years after missing the league championship by just two places.

League Tables

First Division

Pos	Team	Pld		W	D	L	GF	GA		W	D	L	GF	GA		GF	GA	GD	Pts	Notes
1	Arsenal	38		15	4	0	51	10		9	9	1	23	8		74	18	+ 56	83	European Cup 1991–92 First round
2	Liverpool	38		14	3	2	42	13		9	4	6	35	27		77	40	+ 37	76	UEFA Cup 1991–92 First round
3	Crystal Palace	38		11	6	2	26	17		9	3	7	24	24		50	41	+ 9	69
4	Leeds United	38		12	2	5	46	23		7	5	7	19	24		65	47	+ 18	64
5	Manchester City	38		12	3	4	35	25		5	8	6	29	28		64	53	+ 11	62
6	Manchester United	38		11	4	4	34	17		5	8	6	24	28		58	45	+ 13	59	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1991–92 First round
7	Wimbledon	38		8	6	5	28	22		6	8	5	25	24		53	46	+ 7	56
8	Nottingham Forest	38		11	4	4	42	21		3	8	8	23	29		65	50	+ 15	54
9	Everton	38		9	5	5	26	15		4	7	8	24	31		50	46	+ 4	51
10	Tottenham Hotspur	38		8	9	2	35	22		3	7	9	16	28		51	50	+ 1	49	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1991–92 Qualifying round
11	Chelsea	38		10	6	3	33	25		3	4	12	25	44		58	69	– 11	49
12	Queens Park Rangers	38		8	5	6	27	22		4	5	10	17	31		44	53	– 9	46
13	Sheffield United	38		9	3	7	23	23		4	4	11	13	32		36	55	– 19	46
14	Southampton	38		9	6	4	33	22		3	3	13	25	47		58	69	– 11	45
15	Norwich City	38		9	3	7	27	32		4	3	12	14	32		43	64	– 21	45
16	Coventry City	38		10	6	3	30	16		1	5	13	12	33		42	49	– 7	44
17	Aston Villa	38		7	9	3	29	25		2	5	12	17	33		46	58	– 12	41
18	Luton Town	38		7	5	7	22	18		3	2	14	20	43		42	61	– 19	37
19	Sunderland	38		6	6	7	15	16		2	4	13	23	44		38	60	– 22	34
20	Derby County	38		3	8	8	25	36		2	1	16	12	39		37	75	– 38	24

Note: Arsenal deducted two points for on-field brawl and Manchester United deducted one point also for on-field brawl.

Key
Qualified for European Cup
Qualified for UEFA Cup
Qualified for Cup Winners' Cup
Relegated to Division Two

Second Division

Pos	Team	Pld		W	D	L	GF	GA		W	D	L	GF	GA		GF	GA	GD	Pts	Notes
1	Oldham Athletic	46		17	5	1	55	21		8	8	7	28	32		83	53	+ 30	88
2	West Ham United	46		15	6	2	41	18		9	9	5	19	16		60	34	+ 26	87
3	Sheffield Wednesday	46		12	10	1	43	23		10	6	7	37	28		80	51	+ 29	82
4	Notts County	46		14	4	5	45	28		9	7	7	31	27		76	55	+ 21	80
5	Millwall	46		11	6	6	43	28		9	7	7	27	23		70	51	+ 19	73
6	Brighton & Hove Albion	46		12	4	7	37	31		9	3	11	26	38		63	69	– 6	70
7	Middlesbrough	46		12	4	7	36	17		8	5	10	30	30		66	47	+ 13	69
8	Barnsley	46		13	7	3	39	16		6	5	12	24	32		63	48	+ 15	69
9	Bristol City	46		14	5	4	44	28		6	2	15	24	43		68	71	– 3	67
10	Oxford United	46		10	9	4	41	29		4	10	9	28	37		69	66	+ 3	61
11	Newcastle United	46		8	10	5	24	22		6	7	10	25	34		49	56	– 7	59
12	Wolverhampton Wanderers	46		11	6	6	45	35		2	13	8	18	28		63	63	± 0	58
13	Bristol Rovers	46		11	7	5	29	20		4	6	13	27	39		56	59	– 3	58
14	Ipswich Town	46		9	8	6	32	28		4	10	9	28	40		60	68	– 8	57
15	Port Vale	46		10	4	9	32	24		5	8	10	24	40		56	64	– 8	57
16	Charlton Athletic	46		8	7	8	27	25		5	10	8	30	36		57	61	– 4	56
17	Portsmouth	46		10	6	7	34	27		4	5	14	24	43		58	70	– 12	53
18	Plymouth Argyle	46		10	10	3	36	20		2	7	14	18	48		54	78	– 24	53
19	Blackburn Rovers	46		8	6	9	26	27		6	4	13	25	39		51	66	– 15	52
20	Watford	46		5	8	10	24	32		7	7	9	21	27		45	59	– 14	51
21	Swindon Town	46		8	6	9	31	30		4	8	11	34	43		65	73	– 7	50
22	Leicester City	46		12	4	7	41	33		2	4	17	19	50		60	83	– 23	50
23	West Bromwich Albion	46		7	11	5	26	21		3	7	13	26	40		52	61	– 9	48
24	Hull City	46		6	10	7	35	32		4	5	14	22	53		57	85	– 28	45

Key
Promoted to Division One
Qualified for the promotion playoff (not promoted)
Relegated to Division Three

Third Division

Pos	Team	Pld		W	D	L	GF	GA		W	D	L	GF	GA		GF	GA	GD	Pts	Notes
1	Cambridge United	46		14	5	4	42	22		11	6	6	33	28		75	50	+ 25	86
2	Southend United	46		13	6	4	34	23		13	1	9	33	28		67	51	+ 16	85
3	Grimsby Town	46		16	3	4	42	13		8	8	7	24	21		66	34	+ 32	83
4	Bolton Wanderers	46		14	5	4	33	18		10	6	7	31	32		64	50	+ 14	83
5	Tranmere Rovers	46		13	5	5	38	21		10	4	9	26	25		64	46	+ 18	78
6	Brentford	46		12	4	7	30	22		9	9	5	29	25		59	47	+ 12	76
7	Bury	46		12	4	8	31	21		9	9	4	28	26		59	47	+ 12	76
8	Bradford City	46		13	3	7	36	22		7	7	9	26	32		62	54	+ 8	70
9	Bournemouth	46		14	6	3	37	20		5	7	11	21	38		58	58	± 0	70
10	Wigan Athletic	46		14	3	6	40	20		6	6	11	31	34		61	54	+ 7	69
11	Huddersfield Town	46		13	3	7	37	23		5	10	8	20	28		57	51	+ 6	67
12	Birmingham City	46		8	9	6	21	21		8	8	7	24	28		45	49	– 4	65
13	Leyton Orient	46		15	2	6	35	19		3	8	12	20	39		55	58	– 3	64
14	Stoke City	46		9	7	7	36	29		7	5	11	19	30		55	59	– 4	60
15	Reading	46		11	5	7	34	28		6	3	14	19	38		53	66	– 13	59
16	Exeter City	46		12	6	5	35	16		4	3	16	23	36		58	52	+ 6	57
17	Preston North End	46		11	5	7	33	29		4	6	13	21	38		54	67	– 13	56
18	Shrewsbury Town	46		8	7	8	29	22		6	3	14	32	46		61	68	– 7	52
19	Chester City	46		10	3	10	27	27		4	6	13	19	31		46	58	– 14	51
20	Swansea City	46		8	6	9	31	33		5	3	15	18	39		49	72	– 23	48	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1991–92 First round
21	Fulham	46		8	8	7	27	22		2	8	13	14	34		41	56	– 15	46
22	Crewe Alexandra	46		6	9	8	35	35		5	2	16	27	45		62	80	– 8	44
23	Rotherham United	46		5	10	8	31	38		5	2	16	19	49		50	87	– 37	42
24	Mansfield Town	46		5	8	10	23	27		3	6	14	19	36		42	63	– 21	38

Key
Promoted to Division Two
Qualified for the promotion playoff (not promoted)
Relegated to Division Four
Qualified for Cup Winners' Cup as Welsh Cup winners

Fourth Division

Pos	Team	Pld		W	D	L	GF	GA		W	D	L	GF	GA		GF	GA	GD	Pts	Notes
1	Darlington	46		13	8	2	36	14		9	9	5	32	24		68	38	+ 30	83
2	Stockport County	46		16	6	1	54	19		7	7	9	30	28		84	47	+ 37	82
3	Hartlepool United	46		15	5	3	35	15		9	5	9	32	33		67	48	+ 19	82
4	Peterborough United	46		13	9	1	38	15		8	8	7	29	30		67	45	+ 22	80
5	Blackpool	46		17	3	3	55	17		6	7	10	23	30		78	47	+ 31	79
6	Burnley	46		17	5	1	46	16		6	5	12	24	35		70	51	+ 19	79
7	Torquay United	46		14	7	2	37	13		4	11	8	27	34		64	47	+ 17	72
8	Scunthorpe United	46		17	4	2	51	20		3	7	13	20	42		71	62	+ 9	71
9	Scarborough	46		13	5	5	36	21		6	7	10	23	35		59	56	+ 3	69
10	Northampton	46		14	5	4	34	21		4	8	11	23	37		57	58	– 1	67
11	Doncaster Rovers	46		12	5	6	36	22		5	9	9	20	24		56	46	+ 20	65
12	Rochdale	46		10	9	4	29	22		5	8	10	21	31		50	53	– 3	62
13	Cardiff City	46		10	6	7	26	23		5	9	9	17	31		43	54	– 11	60
14	Lincoln City	46		10	7	6	32	27		4	10	9	18	34		50	61	– 11	59
15	Gillingham	46		9	9	5	35	27		3	9	11	22	33		57	60	– 3	54
16	Walsall	46		7	12	4	25	17		5	5	13	23	34		48	51	– 3	53
17	Hereford United	46		9	10	4	32	19		4	4	15	21	39		53	58	– 5	53
18	Chesterfield	46		8	12	3	33	26		5	2	16	14	36		47	62	– 15	53
19	Maidstone United	46		9	5	9	42	34		4	7	12	24	37		66	71	– 5	51
20	Carlisle United	46		12	3	8	30	30		1	6	16	17	59		47	89	– 42	48
21	York City	46		8	6	9	21	23		3	7	13	24	34		45	57	– 12	46
22	Halifax Town	46		9	6	8	34	29		3	4	16	25	50		59	79	– 20	46
23	Aldershot	46		8	7	8	38	43		2	4	17	23	58		61	101	– 40	41
24	Wrexham	46		8	7	8	33	34		2	3	18	15	40		48	74	– 26	40

Key
Promoted to Division Three
Qualified for the promotion playoff (not promoted)

Successful players

The PFA Player of the Year was Manchester United striker Mark Hughes, whose prolific goalscoring included two goals in United's Cup Winners Cup triumph over Barcelona.

The FWA Player of the Year was experienced Leeds United midfielder Gordon Strachan, who helped his newly promoted side reach a creditable fourth place in the First Division.

The PFA Young Player of the Year was Manchester United's 19-year-old winger Lee Sharpe, who collected a Cup Winners Cup medal in his first season as a regular player.

Welsh striker Dean Saunders scored 24 league goals for Derby County but couldn't save them from relegation and was sold to Liverpool for a British record fee of nearly £3million.

Despite a succession of injuries, powerful Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini managed 12 goals in 28 games to earn himself a reputation as one of the league's top strikers, but couldn't save his side from relegation.

Halifax Town striker Steve Norris was the Football League's top goalscorer with 32 Fourth Division goals.

Successful managers

George Graham guided Arsenal to their second league title in three years after they lost just one out of 38 league games.

Alex Ferguson took Manchester United to glory in the European Cup Winners Cup in the first season back in Europe for English clubs after the Heysel Disaster.

Terry Venables ended Tottenham's seven-year trophy drought with an F.A Cup triumph at the expense of Nottingham Forest.

Joe Royle won the Second Division championship for Oldham Athletic to end their 68-year absence from the First Division.

Ron Atkinson took Sheffield Wednesday to glory in the League Cup and promotion to the First Division.

Brian Little achieved a second successive promotion with Darlington, who finished top of the Fourth Division a year after they had topped the Conference.

Neil Warnock guided Notts County to a unique second successive playoff triumph as they climbed from the Third Division to the First Division with back-to-back promotions.

John Beck completed back-to-back promotions with Cambridge United, who were Third Division champions and F.A Cup quarter finalists a year after being Fourth Division playoff winners.

Barry Fry took Barnet into the Football League as Conference champions.

John King guided Tranmere Rovers into the Second Division for the first time since the late 1930s.

Danny Bergara gained promotion to Division 3 with Stockport County and started their 90's success.

European qualifiers

League champions Arsenal were England's first post-Heysel entrants for the European Cup.

Runners-up Liverpool were England's representatives for the UEFA Cup 1991-92.

Holders Manchester United and FA Cup winners Tottenham Hotspur qualified for the 1991–92 European Cup Winners' Cup.

Significant Events

Dalglish cracks under the pressure

Kenny Dalglish resigned as Liverpool manager on 22 February 1991, blaming the pressures of the job on his decision to quit. He was replaced by interim manager Ronny Moran who was unable to stop Arsenal from beating Liverpool to the league title.

Arsenal and United penalised for brawl

Arsenal were deducted two points and Manchester United were deducted one point after a brawl between players on both sides in an October fixture at Old Trafford. But the blow didn't have much damage on either team, as Arsenal went on to win the league title and Manchester United won the Cup Winners Cup.

Graham's gunners grab title

Despite the two-point deduction imposed for the Old Trafford fracas, and the absence of captain Tony Adams for eight weeks in mid-season while he served a prison sentence for drink-driving, Arsenal cruised to the league title with a seven-point margin over runners-up Liverpool and just one defeat on the way.

Gazza's injury agony sours Tottenham's joy

Paul Gascoigne suffered a serious knee injury in Tottenham's victorious F.A Cup final clash with Nottingham Forest, putting on hold a proposed transfer to Lazio of Italy. He was ruled out for the entire 1991–92 season.

Tottenham's cup triumph capped a great season for London clubs with Arsenal as league champions, Tottenham as F.A Cup winners, West Ham winning promotion to the First Division while Crystal Palace finished third in the top tier – their highest finish ever.

York plunged into mourning by Longhurst tragedy

York City striker David Longhurst, 24, collapsed and died on 8 September in a Fourth Division fixture at Bootham Crescent. The inquest revealed that he suffered from a rare heart condition.

Liverpool readmitted to Europe

Liverpool were re-admitted to European competition, having served an extra year after the ban on English clubs in Europe arising from the Heysel Disaster was lifted one year early – Crystal Palace were the club who lost out through this. They qualified for the UEFA Cup as league runners-up.

Butcher moves into management

On 15 November, a month before his 32nd birthday, Rangers and England defender Terry Butcher was appointed player-manager of Coventry City to replace John Sillett. On the same day, 34-year-old Peter Reid replaced Howard Kendall (who had returned to Everton) as manager of Manchester City.

Wednesday's trophy drought ends after 55 years

Sheffield Wednesday won the League Cup for the first time in their history with a 1–0 win over Manchester United – manager Ron Atkinson's old club. John Sheridan, the scorer of their winning goal, was a self-confessed Manchester United supporter. It was also Wednesday's first major trophy for 55 years. This is currently the last occasion any team out of the top flight has won a major English trophy and set Wednesday up for a fantastic few years.

Aldershot saved by 19-year-old investor

Aldershot were saved from closure in August 1990 after 19-year-old "property developer" Spencer Trethewy signed an affidavit for around £200,000 which saw off a winding-up order; however, other parties paid the money on his behalf, and within three months he was dismissed from the club's board of directors when he failed to repay the sums he had borrowed.

Albion sink to their lowest ebb

West Bromwich Albion were relegated to the Third Division for the first time in their history, little over a decade after they had almost won the league title. This disappointment came at the end of a season during which they had been knocked out of the F.A Cup by non-league Woking.

Sheringham tops the goalscoring charts

Millwall striker Teddy Sheringham was the leading goalscorer in England with 38 goals in all competitions, but was put on the transfer list after his club failed to navigate the Second Division playoffs. After the season was over, he joined Nottingham Forest in a £2 million deal.

Notable debutants

25 August 1990: David James, 20-year-old Watford goalkeeper, makes his debut in the opening game of the Second Division season as Watford lose 2–1 at home to Millwall.

28 August 1990: Roy Keane, 19-year-old Irish midfielder, makes his debut for Nottingham Forest in their 2–0 league defeat at Liverpool.

9 October 1990: Darren Anderton, 18-year-old Portsmouth winger, makes his debut for the club in their Football League Cup second round second leg tie against Cardiff City at Fratton Park.

15 December 1990: Steve McManaman, 18-year-old Liverpool midfielder who has already been capped by England at under-21 level, makes his debut for the club in their 2–0 league win over Sheffield United.

2 March 1991: Ryan Giggs, 17-year-old winger, makes his Manchester United debut in their 2–0 home defeat by Everton in the league.

23 April 1991: Gareth Southgate, 20-year-old midfielder, features in Crystal Palace's 3–0 league defeat by Liverpool.

4 May 1991: Chris Sutton, 18-year-old striker, makes his debut for Norwich City in their 1–0 home win over Queen's Park Rangers in the league.

11 May 1991: Andrei Kanchelskis, 22-year-old Soviet winger, makes his debut for Manchester United in their 3–0 league defeat at Crystal Palace.

Top goalscorers

First Division

• Alan Smith (Arsenal) – 22 goals

Second Division

• Teddy Sheringham (Millwall) – 38 goals

Third Division

• Brett Angell (Southend United)/Tony Philliskirk (Bolton Wanderers) – 26 goals

Fourth Division

• Steve Norris (Halifax Town) – 35 goals

Retirements

• Tommy Hutchison, 43-year-old midfielder with one of the highest appearance records of any player in English football, played his final game for Swansea City on 12 March 1991 against Southend United in the Third Division.
• Jim Beglin, 27-year-old Leeds United and Republic of Ireland left-back formerly with Liverpool, retires after failing to overcome a long-term knee injury.
• Alan Hansen, 35-year-old Liverpool captain and former Scotland international, retires after a year out of action with injury.
• Norman Whiteside, 26-year-old Everton and Northern Ireland attacking midfielder, formerly of Manchester United, due to a knee injury.

Diary of the season

14 June 1990 – John Lukic joins newly promoted Leeds United from Arsenal in a £1 million deal.

20 June 1990 – Manchester United sign Republic of Ireland defender Denis Irwin from Oldham Athletic for £625,000.

21 June 1990 – A Mark Wright goal gives England a 1–0 win over Egypt in their final group game and they go through to the last 16 of the World Cup.

26 June 1990 – David Platt scores in the final minute of extra time to give England a 1–0 win over Belgium in the World Cup second round.

1 July 1990 – England beat Cameroon 3–2 in extra time (Gary Lineker scoring twice and David Platt once) to reach the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1970.

3 July 1990 – Chelsea pay a club record £1.6 million for Wimbledon winger Dennis Wise.

4 July 1990 – Arsenal pay Norwich City £1.25 million for defender Andy Linighan. On the international scene, England's World Cup dream ends when they lose on penalties after a 1–1 draw. Paul Gascoigne famously weeps after receiving the booking that would have ruled him out of the final had England qualified, while Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle miss the crucial penalties for England.

7 July 1990 – England lose 2–1 to Italy in the World Cup third place playoff, David Platt scoring their only goal of their last game under Bobby Robson's management.

10 July 1990 -FIFA confirms that the behaviour of English fans at the World Cup was of a high enough standard for English teams to be re-admitted to European competitions after a five-year ban. Manchester United, last season's FA Cup winners, will enter the European Cup Winners' Cup. However, there will initially be just one UEFA Cup place for English clubs, this season going to league runners-up Aston Villa. There will be no English representation in the European Cup, however, as league champions Liverpool are set to serve an extra year of the ban as they were the team present at the Heysel Stadium disaster which led to the ban.

17 July 1990 – Everton pay £800,000 for Manchester City defender Andy Hinchcliffe, as Neil Pointon goes in the opposite direction for £700,000.

19 July 1990 – England striker Mark Hateley returns to the United Kingdom after six years overseas in a £500,000 move to Rangers F.C. from AS Monaco of France.

20 July 1990 – Manchester City pay a club record £1 million for Watford goalkeeper Tony Coton.

23 July 1990 – Graham Taylor accepts the Football Association's offer to take charge of the England national football team, with Czech national coach Jozef Venglos (the first foreign manager in the First Division) succeeding him at Aston Villa.

31 July 1990 – Aldershot are wound up in the High Court, condemned as "hopelessly insolvent" with debts of £495,000.

1 August 1990 – The Football League confirms that it will revert to a 22-club First Division for the 1991–92 season, while total league membership will be increased to 94 clubs for the 1992–93 season, with the Second, Third and Fourth Divisions all having 24 clubs each by then. Departing from the English league is Sheffield Wednesday striker Dalian Atkinson, who signs for Real Sociedad of Spain for £1.7 million.

6 August 1990 – Arsenal sign Sweden winger Anders Limpar from Italian side Cremonese for £1 million.

7 August 1990 – Aldershot are saved from closure by a £200,000 rescue package put together by 19-year-old property developer Spencer Trethewy.

15 August 1990 – Wimbledon and Wales defender Eric Young signs for Crystal Palace in an £850,000 deal.

19 August 1990 – Liverpool and Manchester United share the Charity Shield after a 1–1 draw at Wembley.

23 August 1990 – Oldham Athletic, preparing for a Second Division promotion challenge, pay a club record £460,000 for Nottingham Forest striker David Currie. Leeds United are warned that they could ultimately face expulsion from the Football League if measures aimed by the Football Association at curbing incidents of hooliganism involving the clubs fans fail.

24 August 1990 – Everton sign Irish midfielder Mike Milligan from Oldham Athletic for £1 million.

25 August 1990 – Walsall move into their new Bescot Stadium and draw 2–2 with Torquay United in the Fourth Division in their first competitive game at the new stadium.

27 August 1990: BBC Radio 5 (later known as BBC Radio 5 Live) came on air, greatly expanding coverage of football and sport in general with discussion programmes, features and phone-ins previously not heard on BBC Radio 2

31 August 1990 – The first month of the English league season ends with Liverpool as leaders after just two games. The Second Division leaders are Oldham Athletic.

1 September 1990 – Newly promoted First Division side Sunderland achieve a shock 2–1 league win over FA Cup holders Manchester United at Roker Park.

12 September 1990 – England win 1–0 against Hungary in a friendly at Wembley, the nation's first game under Graham Taylor's management.

13 September 1990 – Midfielder Vinny Jones moves from Leeds United to fellow newly promoted side Sheffield United for £700,000.

16 September 1990 – Peter Beardsley scores a hat-trick for Liverpool in their 4–0 league win over Manchester United at Anfield.

25 September 1990 – Ian Wright and Mark Bright both score hat-tricks for Crystal Palace in their 8–0 home win over Southend United in the League Cup second round first leg at Selhurst Park.

26 September 1990 – Paul Gascoigne scores four goals for Tottenham in their 5–0 win over Hartlepool United (managed by former Tottenham defender Cyril Knowles) in the second round first leg at White Hart Lane.

30 September 1990 – Liverpool, with a 100% record after seven games, are First Division leaders for the end of September. The bottom two places are occupied by Sheffield United and Derby County, who have both yet to win a league game this season. In the Second Division, Oldham Athletic lead the way with 20 points from their opening eight games. The other two automatic promotion places are occupied by Sheffield Wednesday and Notts County, and the playoff zone is occupied by West Ham United, Bristol City (in contention for a second successive promotion), Swindon Town and Brighton.

3 October 1990 – Sheffield Wednesday sign American midfielder John Harkes from North Carolina University for £70,000.

5 October 1990 – Peter Taylor, former managerial partner of Brian Clough, dies in the Canary Islands aged 62 after a long illness.

6 October 1990 – In the biggest Second Division win of the season, West Ham United beat Hull City 7–1 at Upton Park.

12 October 1990 – West Ham United strengthen their promotion bid with a £600,000 move for Luton Town defender Tim Breacker.

17 October 1990 – England open their Euro 92 qualifying campaign with a 2–0 win over Poland at Wembley.

20 October 1990 – 21 of the 22 players on the pitch brawl in Arsenal's 1–0 league win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. In their ninth league game of the season, Liverpool drop points for the first time when Norwich City hold them to a 1–1 draw at Carrow Road.

27 October 1990 – The Manchester derby at Maine Road ends in a 3–3 draw between City and United.

31 October 1990 – Everton sack manager Colin Harvey after their worst start to a league season leaves them third from bottom in the First Division. Below them are Derby County (one win) and winless Sheffield United, while Liverpool remain top with nine wins from their opening 10 games. Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, Manchester City and Manchester United are their nearest contenders. The month also ends with Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace undefeated in the league. Three lower division clubs – Oldham Athletic, West Ham United and Torquay United have still yet to lose a league game. The Second Division promotion race is heating up, with Oldham Athletic still top of the table and West Ham United having crept up to second place. Sheffield Wednesday occupy the third and final automatic promotion place. Millwall, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Barnsley and Middlesbrough have all climbed into the relegation zone this month. Charlton Athletic's hopes of an immediate return to the First Division appear to be over as they occupy second from bottom place in the Second Division with eight defeats from their opening 13 games.

1 November 1990 – Spencer Trethewy is dismissed from the Aldershot board of directors just three months after saving the club from closure, after it is revealed that he was unable to pay back the £200,000 he borrowed to keep the Hampshire based club afloat.

7 November 1990 – Howard Kendall leaves Manchester City to begin his second spell as Everton manager. Colin Harvey, sacked as manager a week earlier, rejoins the club as Kendall's assistant in the manager-coach partnership that previously ran from 1981 to 1987. 34-year-old midfielder Peter Reid is put in temporary charge of Manchester City.

12 November 1990 – Arsenal are deducted two points and Manchester United lose one point as punishment for last month's player brawl. Notts County end talk of relocating to a new stadium by announcing that they will start rebuilding of Meadow Lane into an all-seater stadium next summer.

14 November 1990 – Coventry City sack manager John Sillett after four-and-a-half years in charge. On the same day, England draw 1–1 with Republic of Ireland at Lansdowne Road in their second Euro 92 qualifying game.

15 November 1990 – Manchester City appoint 34-year-old midfielder Peter Reid as their new player-manager. Coventry City agree a 350,000 deal with Rangers to appoint 31-year-old centre-back Terry Butcher as their new manager.

17 November 1990 – The first round of the FA Cup sees Scarborough and Reading both eliminated by non-league opposition (Leek Town and Colchester United respectively).

20 November 1990 – Cardiff City become the latest team to fall victim to non-league giant-killers when Hayes defeat them 1–0 in the first round replay.

28 November 1990 – 19-year-old winger Lee Sharpe scores a hat-trick for Manchester United in their 6–2 win at Arsenal in the fourth round of the League Cup final.

30 November 1990 – Liverpool remain unbeaten and top of the First Division as November draws to a close, four points ahead of an Arsenal side who are also unbeaten. Sheffield United, in contrast, are still looking for their first league win of the season after 14 games, while Derby County have climbed out of the relegation zone at the expense of Queens Park Rangers. In the Second Division, West Ham United have taken over from Oldham Athletic as Second Division leaders, while Sheffield Wednesday occupy third place. The playoff zone is occupied by Middlesbrough, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Millwall and Notts County. Newly promoted Bristol Rovers stand just two points outside the playoff zone in 10th place, sparking hopes that manager Gerry Francis could soon deliver First Division football to the club for the first time ever.

13 December 1990 – Southampton pay £1million for a player for the first time in their history by signing midfielder Alan McLoughlin from Swindon Town.

19 December 1990 – Arsenal captain Tony Adams is sentenced to four months in prison and banned from driving for two years after being found guilty of drink-driving relating to a road accident on 6 May this year.

22 December 1990 – Sheffield United finally win a First Division game at the 18th attempt, but remain bottom of the table.

31 December 1990–1990 draws to a close with Arsenal, still unbeaten, as First Division leaders ahead of a Liverpool side whose unbeaten run finally came to an end this month. Newly promoted Leeds United are looking like contenders for the title as they occupy third place and are just seven points off the top of the league, while Sheffield United have managed their first two league wins of the season but are still bottom of the table. West Ham United stand top of the Second Division, followed in second place by Oldham Athletic and in third place by Sheffield Wednesday. Middlesbrough, Notts County, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bristol City occupy the playoff zone. Newcastle United, who began the season among the favourites for promotion, occupy a lowly 16th place and are just four points above the relegation zone that threatens them with Third Division football for the first time.

4 January 1991 – Crystal Palace sign 20-year-old striker Stan Collymore from GM Vauxhall Conference side Stafford Rangers for £100,000.

9 January 1991 – West Bromwich Albion sack manager Brian Talbot after their 4–2 home defeat against non-league Woking in the FA Cup Third Round. Albion are also in danger of being relegated to the Third Division for the first time in their history.

10 January 1991 – Viv Anderson joins Second Division promotion chasers Sheffield Wednesday on a free transfer from Manchester United.

15 January 1991 – Chelsea are fined £105,000 by the Football Association for making illegal payments to players. On the same day, 17-year-old midfielder Jamie Redknapp joins Liverpool from AFC Bournemouth for £350,000.

17 January 1991 – Sheffield United continue to get their season back on track with a club record £450,000 for Crystal Palace midfielder Glyn Hodges.

23 January 1991 – Mark Hughes scores a hat-trick as Manchester United beat Southampton 3–2 in the League Cup quarter-final.

27 January 1991 – Woking's FA Cup dream comes to an end in the fourth round when they lose 1–0 to Everton at Goodison Park.

29 January 1991 – David Pleat is sacked after three years as manager of Leicester City, the Second Division strugglers. His assistant Gordon Lee, the former Everton manager, is placed in temporary charge.

31 January 1991 – Arsenal remain leaders of the First Division despite having been deducted two points (while fifth placed Manchester United have been deducted one) for a 21-player brawl at Old Trafford on 20 October. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace are emerging as contenders for a first-ever league title, while Sheffield United remain bottom with just three wins so far this season. West Ham United, Oldham Athletic and Sheffield Wednesday continue to occupy the top three places in the Second Division. Notts County, Middlesbrough, Brighton and Millwall occupy the playoff zone.

1 February 1991 – Paul Birch leaves Aston Villa after 10 years and joins Wolverhampton Wanderers for £400,000.

2 February 1991 – Arsenal suffer their first league defeat of the season in their 24th game, going down 2–1 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

7 February 1991 – Lou Macari, who quit as West Ham United manager last season to concentrate on clearing his name in connection with financial irregularities at Swindon Town, makes his return to football management with Birmingham City. He replaces Dave Mackay as manager of the mid table Third Division club, who were in the First Division just five years ago.

9 February 1991 – The Merseyside derby at Anfield sees David Speedie score his first two goals for Liverpool in their 3–1 win over Everton.

12 February 1991 – Aston Villa sign defender Neil Cox from Scunthorpe United for £400,000 – a record fee for a Fourth Division player.

15 February 1991 – Tony Adams is released from prison after serving half of his 4-month prison sentence for drink-driving offences.

20 February 1991 – Sheffield Wednesday sign 19-year-old striker Gordon Watson from Charlton Athletic for £250,000.

21 February 1991 – Wimbledon pay Conference leaders Barnet £250,000 for striker Andy Clarke, breaking the record fee for a non-league player.

22 February 1991 – Kenny Dalglish shocks the football world by announcing his resignation as Liverpool manager. Long-serving coach Ronnie Moran, 54, is appointed caretaker manager but insists that he does not want the job on a permanent basis.

28 February 1991 – February draws to a close with Arsenal now ahead of Liverpool at the top of the First Division on goal difference, while Crystal Palace have edged closer to them. At the other end of the table, Sheffield United are now six points clear of bottom-placed Derby County but remain in the other relegation place – bracketed together on goal difference with Coventry City, Sunderland and Queens Park Rangers. West Ham United, Oldham Athletic and Sheffield Wednesday continue to lead the way in the Second Division. Middlesbrough, Notts County, Brighton and Millwall occupy the playoff zone, with Bristol City continuing to turn up the heat on them in their bid for a second successive promotion.

1 March 1991 – Liverpool are reported to be interested in appointing their former player John Toshack as manager, on the same day that long serving club captain Alan Hansen announces his retirement after nearly a year out of action due to injury.

2 March 1991 – Ryan Giggs makes his professional debut for Manchester United in their 2–0 home defeat against Everton in the First Division.

8 March 1991 – Aston Villa, struggling in the First Division after finishing second last season, beef up their attack with a £1million move for Watford striker Gary Penrice. Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur manager Terry Venables denies media speculation that Paul Gascoigne is a transfer target for Lazio of Italy.

10 March 1991 – Tottenham Hotspur move closer a record eighth FA Cup triumph by beating Notts County 2–1 in the quarter-final at White Hart Lane. Everton's dream of silverware in Howard Kendall's "comeback season" are ended with a 2–1 defeat at West Ham United. Nottingham Forest move closer to a long-awaited first FA Cup triumph for Brian Clough as they defeat Norwich City 1–0 at Carrow Road. Arsenal move closer to a unique second double by overcoming Cambridge United 2–1 in their opposition's second successive FA Cup quarter-final.

20 March 1991 – Swindon Town sell defender Paul Bodin to Crystal Palace for £550,000.

22 March 1991 – West Ham United, chasing promotion from the Second Division and also in the FA Cup semi-finals, boost their quest for glory by signing Northern Irish striker Iain Dowie from Luton Town for £480,000.

26 March 1991 – Jim Smith resigns after two-and-a-half years as manager of Newcastle United, whose Second Division promotion challenge is collapsing.

28 March 1991 – The 90-day inquest into the Hillsborough disaster records a verdict of accidental death on the 95 Liverpool fans who died as a result of their injuries at the FA Cup semi-final on 15 April 1989.

30 March 1991 – Manchester United centre-back Steve Bruce scores twice in a 3–0 away league win over his old club Norwich City, becoming the first defender to score 10 league goals this season.

31 March 1991 – March draws to a close with Arsenal now leading Liverpool by two points, and Crystal Palace's title challenge fading fast as they are now seven points behind Arsenal who have played a game less than them. Sheffield United's incredible revival has continued as they now stand 12th in the table having not won in the league until 22 December. Derby County now need something little short of a miracle to avoid relegation, as they are now 12 points adrift of safety, while Sunderland now occupy the other relegation place. Oldham Athletic and West Ham United lead the Second Division level on 70 points, with Brighton, Middlesbrough, Millwall and Bristol City occupying the playoff zone. Ossie Ardiles becomes manager of Newcastle United, who are just six points outside the playoff zone with two games in hand.

3 April 1991 – Arsenal take a step closer to the title with a 5–0 home win over Aston Villa, in which Kevin Campbell and Alan Smith both score twice, with Paul Davis adding a further goal.

7 April 1991 - With virtually no hope now of winning the league title, Crystal Palace find compensation in the form of the Full Members Cup, which they win with a 4-1 victory over Everton in the Wembley final.

13 April 1991 – Liverpool's title challenge is kept alive with a thrilling 5–4 away win over Leeds United.

14 April 1991 – Tottenham Hotspur end Arsenal's hopes of a unique double and boost their own hopes of an eighth FA Cup triumph with a 3–1 win in the first FA Cup semi-final to be played at Wembley. The game is most memorable for a goal scored from 40 yards by Paul Gascoigne. Nottingham Forest win the other semi-final, crushing West Ham United 4–0 at Villa Park.

16 April 1991 – Graeme Souness is named as Liverpool's new manager, departing from Rangers F.C. where he is succeeded by Walter Smith.

20 April 1991 – Nottingham Forest record the biggest First Division win of the season by beating Chelsea 7–0 at the City Ground.

21 April 1991 – Sheffield Wednesday, chasing promotion to the First Division, achieve a 1–0 win over Manchester United in the Football League Cup Final to end their 56-year trophy drought.

28 April 1991 – Graham Taylor appoints Gary Lineker as captain of the England team.

30 April 1991 – April draws to a close with Arsenal looking all set for title glory, while any hope that Crystal Palace, Leeds United, Manchester United or Manchester City might have had of leapfrogging them has now been completely extinguished. Derby County remain bottom and almost certain of relegation, while second-from-bottom Sunderland along with Southampton, Sheffield United, Aston Villa (last season's league runners-up) and Luton Town are still fighting to avoid the drop.

1 May 1991 – England beat Turkey 1–0 in Izmir in the fourth Euro 92 qualifying game, with 24-year-old Chelsea midfielder Dennis Wise scoring the first international goal of his career.

4 May 1991 –

• • – Barnet seal promotion to the Football League by clinching the Conference title.
    • – In the Manchester derby at Old Trafford, Ryan Giggs scores his first senior goal (in only his second appearance) in a 1–0 win for United.
      • – In Wimbledon's last game at Plough Lane, they lose 3–0 to Crystal Palace in the league, with Ian Wright scoring all of Palace's goal.

6 May 1991 – Arsenal are crowned champions before kicking off their home game over Manchester United, which ends in a 3–1 win for the North London side. Alan Smith scores three goals in the game, becoming the first Arsenal player to score a league hat-trick this season. Their title status was confirmed an hour before the kick-off, when their last remaining challengers Liverpool were beaten 2–1 by Nottingham Forest. Bari of Italy make a £4 million bid for Aston Villa midfielder David Platt.

11 May 1991 – The Second Division campaign ends with Oldham Athletic as champions (ending 68 years outside the First Division), West Ham United second and Sheffield Wednesday third. Notts County, Millwall, Brighton and Middlesbrough. Hull City's relegation was confirmed last weekend, while West Bromwich Albion are relegated alongside them to fall into the Third Division for the first time in their history. Arsenal end their championship campaign in style with a 6–1 demolition of Coventry City at Highbury, with Anders Limpar scoring a hat-trick.

12 May 1991 – Despite having secured Luton Town's First Division survival for two seasons in a row, Jimmy Ryan is sacked as manager. It is rumoured that David Pleat, who served the club from 1978 to 1986, will return to Kenilworth Road for a second spell as Luton manager.

14 May 1991 – Wimbledon reach an agreement to ground-share with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park from the start of next season, as Plough Lane is deemed too confined a site to sustain an all-seater stadium for a top division club. However, it is the club's long-term ambition to build a new all-seater stadium in the London Borough of Merton.

15 May 1991 – Manchester United mark a stylish return to European football by English clubs with a 2–1 win over Barcelona in the European Cup Winners' Cup final in Rotterdam. Mark Hughes scores both goals.

18 May 1991 – Paul Gascoigne suffers cruciate knee ligament damage in Tottenham Hotspur's 2–1 FA Cup final victory over Nottingham Forest, meaning that he is likely to miss most or even all of next season (and possibly even Euro 92). His proposed £8.5million move to Italian club Lazio is put on hold.

22 May 1991 – English football is plunged into mourning by the death of former Blackpool and England centre forward Stan Mortensen, who dies four days before what would have been his 70th birthday.

30 May 1991 – Brian Little, whose Darlington side have just secured their second successive promotion and won the Fourth Division title, is appointed as Leicester City's new manager.

2 June 1991 – Notts County beat Brighton 3–1 in the Second Division playoff final to earn a return to the First Division after seven years away.

6 June 1991 – David Pleat is appointed Luton Town manager for the second time.

7 June 1991 – Ron Atkinson accepts an improved offer from Aston Villa to become their new manager. On the same day, Leeds United look to build on their impressive return of fourth place in the First Division by boosting their squad with the £1.6million signing of Southampton striker Rod Wallace and the £1.3 million acquisition of Chelsea defender Tony Dorigo.

11 June 1991 – Ian Branfoot is named as the new manager of Southampton as successor to Chris Nicholl.

25 June 1991 – Blackburn Rovers, bankrolled by new chairman Jack Walker who is determined to bring top division football back to the club next year for the first time since 1966, pay a club record £700,000 for Barnsley midfielder Steve Agnew.

27 June 1991 – Former Oldham Athletic goalkeeper Andy Goram, who was born in Lancashire but represents Scotland at international level due to his ancestry, becomes Scotland's first £1million goalkeeper in a move from Hibernian to Rangers.

28 June 1991 – 17 of the 22 clubs competing in next season's First Division sign a contract to break away from the Football League if the Football Association's plan to form a new Premier League fails. Norman Whiteside, who managed just two games for Everton this season, retires from playing at the age of 26 after admitting defeat in his attempt to overcome a serious knee injury.

National team

The England national football team had a successful season, winning a mini-tournament against the CIS and Argentina, progressing steadily in qualification for the 1992 UEFA European Championship and conducting a tour to South-East Asia and Oceania in which they won all four games.

Asian tour

1 June 1991	Australia	0–1	England	Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
			Chris Gray, (Own Goal)

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3 June 1991	New Zealand	0–1	England	Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
			Gary Lineker

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8 June 1991	New Zealand	0–2	England	Athletic Park, Wellington
			Stuart Pearce, David Hirst

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12 June 1991	Malaysia	2–4	England	Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur
	Matian Marjan 2		Gary Lineker 4

Deaths

• 9 August 1990 – Joe Mercer, 76, former England player, died on his birthday after suffering a stroke. Was manager of Manchester City when they won four trophies in three seasons starting in 1968.
• 8 September 1990 – David Longhurst, 25, York City striker, collapsed and died of a heart attack on 8 September during a Fourth Division fixture at Bootham Crescent.
• 4 October 1990 – Peter Taylor, 62, long-term assistant manager to Brian Clough who helped him win the league championship with Derby County in 1972. He later returned to Derby as manager but was sacked in 1984 after their relegation to the Third Division.
• 22 December 1990 – Robin Friday, 38, popular centre forward with Reading and Cardiff City during the 1970s, was found dead at his London flat on Christmas Eve 1990. He had suffered a heart attack.
• 22 May 1991 – Stan Mortensen, 69, former Blackpool and England striker who was one of the league's most exciting strikers in the immediate post-war years. Scored a hat-trick in the 1953 FA Cup final, to date the only player to do so.