1930–31 Aston Villa F.C. season

Aston Villa
1930–31 season
ManagerBilly Smith
StadiumVilla Park
First Division2nd
FA CupThird round
Second City Derby
18—10—11

Aston Villa played the 1930–31 English football season in the Football League First Division. Villa scored 128 league goals in 42 matches, a First Division record.[1] Villa's Pongo Waring finished as the leagues top scorer with 49 goals,[2] overshadowing Eric Houghton who scored 30 goals.[3] As of 2023, this remains the Villa record season for goals scored.[4]

Villa started the season with four successive league wins, a record not matched until the 2020–21 season.[5] On 17 January 1931 Villa beat Bolton 3–1.[6][7] They would go on to win their eight remaining home games and thus had nine consecutive home wins to end the season.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] Other notable statistics included inflicting a 7–0 victory over Manchester United, the joint-heaviest competitive defeat for that club[16] In the Second City derby, following a 1–1 home draw,[17] Villa beat Birmingham 4–0 at St Andrews with goals by Joe Beresford, Eric Houghton, Jack Mandley and Joe Tate.[18]

There were debuts for Tommy Wood (71), Reg Miles (16) and Percy Maggs (14).[19] After a trial with Villa in October 1930, goalkeeper, Harry Morton (192) 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. Richard York (356) played just four times in the 1930–31 campaign.[20]

Diary of season

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
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions

See also

References

  1. ^ Groot, Lucas Franciscus Michaël, Economics, Uncertainty and European Football: Trends in Competitive Balance; pp. 34–35 ISBN 178100823X
  2. ^ "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  3. ^ AVFC History: 1930–31
  4. ^ Goodyear, David; Matthews, Tony, p.161
  5. ^ BBC, Aston Villa v Leeds United 23 Oct 2020 Premier League
  6. ^ "Aston Villa 3–1 Bolton Wanderers, 1930–31 Division One, 17 Jan 1931". AVFC History. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  7. ^ a b "All of the Matches". www.avfchistory.co.uk.
  8. ^ "Aston Villa 8–1 Middlesbrough, 1930–31 Division One, 31 Jan 1931". AVFC History. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Aston Villa 4–2 Sunderland, 1930–31 Division One, 18 Feb 1931". AVFC History. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Aston Villa 4–2 Leicester City, 1930–31 Division One, 28 Feb 1931". AVFC History. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Aston Villa 5–1 Arsenal, 1930–31 Division One, 14 Mar 1931". AVFC History. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Aston Villa 4–1 Blackpool, 1930–31 Division One, 28 Mar 1931". AVFC History. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Aston Villa 4–3 Newcastle United, 1930–31 Division One, 7 Apr 1931". AVFC History. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Aston Villa 4–0 Sheffield United, 1930–31 Division One, 11 Apr 1931". AVFC History. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  15. ^ "Aston Villa 4–2 Manchester City, 1930–31 Division One, 25 Apr 1931". AVFC History. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  16. ^ "Man Utd 'eaten alive' & Fernandes a 'disgrace'". BBC Sport. 5 March 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  17. ^ "Aston Villa 1–1 Birmingham, 1930–31 Division One, 18 Oct 1930". AVFC History. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  18. ^ "Birmingham 0–4 Aston Villa, 1930–31 Division One, 21 Feb 1931". AVFC History. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  19. ^ "Aston Villa's Seasons". AVFC History.
  20. ^ "Detailed bio". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
  21. ^ James, Andrew & Kelly, Arsenal: The Complete Record. p160