1897–98 Aston Villa F.C. season

Aston Villa
1897–98 season
ManagerGeorge Ramsay
GroundWellington Road
Football League6th
FA CupFirst round
Top goalscorerFred Wheldon (21)
First Division
ChampionsSheffield United (1st English title)
Top goalscorerFred Wheldon, 21 goals
Highest attendance50,000 (15 January 1898)
Aston Villa 1–2 Sheffield United
Lowest attendance1,000 (13 November 1897)
West Brom 2–1 Liverpool
Fred Wheldon, League top scorer, pictured in 1897

The 1897–98 English football season was Aston Villa's 10th season in the Football League. Villa, the reigning champions, played in the First Division, the top flight of English football. The season fell in what was to be called Villa's golden era.

First-class cricketer and England football international Jack Devey was Captain. Jimmy Crabtree also captained the team. "Diamond" Freddie Wheldon was League top scorer with 21. Billy Garraty, great-great grandfather of future-player Jack Grealish, made his league debut for Aston Villa during the season but made just one other appearance that year. Other debuts were James Fisher, Jack Sharp, Bert Sharp, Billy George, Howard Harvey, Jimmy Suddick, Tommy Bowman, Edmund Strange, George Johnson and Charlie Aston.

George Ramsay would continue in charge of the team picked by the Management Committee.

First Division

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
4 Everton 30 13 9 8 48 39 1.231 35
5 The Wednesday 30 15 3 12 51 42 1.214 33
6 Aston Villa 30 14 5 11 61 51 1.196 33
7 West Bromwich Albion 30 11 10 9 44 45 0.978 32
8 Nottingham Forest 30 11 9 10 47 49 0.959 31
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
1 September 1897 1 Aston Villa 5–2 Sheffield Wednesday Wellington Road
Jack Cowan; Fred Wheldon (3); Charlie Athersmith Report
Note: 🟩
4 September 1897 2 Aston Villa 4–3 West Bromwich Albion Wellington Road
Fred Wheldon (3); James Fisher Report
Note: 🟩
11 September 1897 3 Notts County 2–3 Aston Villa Trent Bridge
Report Jimmy Cowan (2); Jack Devey
Note: 🟩
18 September 1897 4 Aston Villa 3–1 Bury Wellington Road
James Fisher (2); Fred Wheldon Report
Note: 🟥
25 September 1897 5 Blackburn Rovers 4–3 Aston Villa Ewood Park
Report Jack Cowan; Fred Wheldon (2)
Note: 🟥 GK Harry Wilkes
27 September 1897 6 Sheffield Wednesday 3–0 Aston Villa Olive Grove
Report
Note: 🟩
2 October 1897 7 Aston Villa 3–2 Bolton Wanderers Wellington Road
Jack Sharp (2); Fred Wheldon Report
Note:
9 October 1897 8 West Bromwich Albion 1–1 Aston Villa Stoney Lane
Report Jack Sharp
Note: 🟨
16 October 1897 9 Aston Villa 4–2 Notts County Wellington Road
Jack Devey; Jack Sharp (2); Fred Wheldon Report
Note: 🟩
23 October 1897 10 Sunderland 0–0 Aston Villa Newcastle Road
Report
Note: 🟨
30 October 1897 11 Aston Villa 3–1 Liverpool Wellington Road
Fred Wheldon; Charlie Athersmith; Jack Devey Report
Note: 🟩
6 November 1897 12 Preston North End 3–1 Aston Villa Deepdale
Report Charlie Athersmith
Note: 🟥
13 November 1897 13 Aston Villa 3–0 Everton Wellington Road
Fred Wheldon (2); Jack Sharp Report
Note: 🟩
20 November 1897 14 Bolton Wanderers 2–0 Aston Villa Pike's Lane
Report
Note: 🟥
27 November 1897 15 Aston Villa 4–3 Sunderland Wellington Road
Howard Harvey (2); Fred Wheldon (2) Report
Note: 🟩
11 December 1897 16 Aston Villa 5–1 Blackburn Rovers Wellington Road
Jimmy Crabtree; Fred Wheldon; Charlie Athersmith; Jimmy Cowan; Jack Cowan Report
Note: 🟩
18 December 1897 17 Stoke 0–0 Aston Villa Victoria Ground
Report
Note: 🟨
25 December 1897 18 Everton 2–1 Aston Villa Goodison Park
Report Fred Wheldon
Note: 🟥 Aston Villa's Christmas fixture was away at Everton kicking off at 11:00 am. Wheldon, kit man Joe Grierson and Jimmy and John Cowan were travelling to the station when their coach and horse overturned. Playing a crucial game short of players and without kit was not an option but missing a match would incur a fine of £250 (roughly £40,000 in 2026). By the time they arrived, their 8:50 am train had departed leaving Vice-President Charlie Johnstone and the rest of the team on the platform. The only option was to take a train to Stafford where they told a special would take them onwards to Liverpool. However once at Stafford, they found there was no train arranged. Johnstone took control and was able to bribe their train's driver, stoker and guard with seats in the director's box, dinner and half a sovereign each if they would continue the train to Liverpool. The game kicked off ten minutes late. Johnstone was unable to guarantee a victory.
27 December 1897 19 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–1 Aston Villa Molineux
Report Charlie Athersmith
Note: 🟨
8 January 1898 20 Sheffield United 1–0 Aston Villa Bramall Lane
Report
Note: 🟥
15 January 1898 21 Aston Villa 1–2 Sheffield United Wellington Road
Fred Wheldon Report
Note: 🟥
22 January 1898 22 Derby County 3–1 Aston Villa Baseball Ground
Report Bert Sharp
Note: 🟥
5 February 1898 23 Aston Villa 4–0 Preston North End Wellington Road
Jimmy Suddick; Fred Wheldon; Charlie Athersmith; Jack Sharp Report
Note: 🟩
5 March 1898 24 Aston Villa 4–1 Derby County Wellington Road
Steve Smith; James Fisher; Jack Sharp; Unknown Report
Note: 🟩
12 March 1898 25 Bury 1–2 Aston Villa Gigg Lane
Report Jack Sharp; Fred Wheldon
Note: 🟩
26 March 1898 26 Nottingham Forest 3–1 Aston Villa Town Ground
Report James Fisher
Note: 🟥
2 April 1898 27 Aston Villa 1–1 Stoke Wellington Road
Jack Sharp Report
Note: 🟨
11 April 1898 28 Aston Villa 1–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Wellington Road
Fred Wheldon Report
Note: 🟥
16 April 1898 29 Liverpool 4–0 Aston Villa Anfield
Report
Note: 🟥
30 April 1898 30 Aston Villa 2–0 Nottingham Forest Wellington Road
Steve Smith; George Johnson Report
Note: 🟩

FA Cup

The first round proper contained sixteen ties between 32 teams. The matches were played on Saturday, 29 January 1898. One match was drawn, with the replay taking place in the following midweek fixture.

Tie no Home team Score Away team Date
11Derby County1–0Aston Villa29 January 1898

Birmingham Senior Cup

Staffordshire Cup

Matches played by Aston Villa included a 6–1 victory over West Bromwich Albion.

References

  1. ↑ "Aston Villa Club History 1900 – 1939". AVFC.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 August 2006. Retrieved 28 October 2007.
  2. ↑ "Jack Devey". www.cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  3. ↑ AVFC History: 1897–98 season
  4. ↑ Kendrick, Mat (26 May 2015). "Aston Villa v Arsenal: This 1905 FA Cup winner is related to a current Villa star – find out who". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  5. ↑ "Player info: William Garraty". Englandstats.com. Davey Naylor. Archived from the original on 15 August 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  6. ↑ "James Fisher | Player IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  7. ↑ "Jack Sharp | Player IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  8. ↑ "Bert Sharp | Player IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  9. ↑ "Billy George | Player IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  10. ↑ "Howard Harvey | Player IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  11. ↑ "Jimmy Suddick | Player IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  12. ↑ "Tommy Bowman | Player IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  13. ↑ "Edmund Strange | Player IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  14. ↑ "George Johnson | Player IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  15. ↑ "Charlie Aston | Player IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  16. ↑ "Aston Villa's Seasons". AVFC History.
  17. ↑ "Aston Villa 5-2 Sheffield Wednesday | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  18. ↑ "Aston Villa 4-3 West Bromwich Albion | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  19. ↑ "Notts County 2-3 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  20. ↑ "Aston Villa 3-1 Bury | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  21. ↑ "Blackburn Rovers 4-3 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  22. ↑ "Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  23. ↑ "Aston Villa 3-2 Bolton Wanderers | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  24. ↑ "West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  25. ↑ "Aston Villa 4-2 Notts County | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  26. ↑ "Sunderland 0-0 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  27. ↑ "Aston Villa 3-1 Liverpool | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  28. ↑ "Preston North End 3-1 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  29. ↑ "Aston Villa 3-0 Everton | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  30. ↑ "Bolton Wanderers 2-0 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  31. ↑ "Aston Villa 4-3 Sunderland | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  32. ↑ "Aston Villa 5-1 Blackburn Rovers | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  33. ↑ "Stoke City 0-0 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  34. ↑ From the Archives: Christmas transport chaos from 1897
  35. ↑ "Everton 2-1 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  36. ↑ "Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  37. ↑ "Sheffield United 1-0 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  38. ↑ "Aston Villa 1-2 Sheffield United | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  39. ↑ "Derby County 3-1 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  40. ↑ "Aston Villa 4-0 Preston North End | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  41. ↑ "Aston Villa 4-1 Derby County | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  42. ↑ "Bury 1-2 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  43. ↑ "Nottingham Forest 3-1 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  44. ↑ "Aston Villa 1-1 Stoke City | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  45. ↑ "Aston Villa 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  46. ↑ "Derby County 1-0 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". Aston Villa Database. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  47. ↑ "Aston Villa". Sports Argus. 28 October 1899. p. 4.