1930β31 season | |
---|---|
Manager | Billy Smith |
Stadium | Villa Park |
First Division | 2nd |
FA Cup | Third round |
18--10--11 | |
Aston Villa played the 1930β31 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 2020β21 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 1930β31 campaign. [20]
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 |