1 July 1990 – England beat
Cameroon 3–2 in the World Cup quarter finals, securing qualification to the semi–finals for the first time since
the 1966 tournament. 2 July 1990 – • –
Leeds United prepare for their First Division comeback by signing midfielder
Gary McAllister from
Leicester City for £1million. • – Swindon Town win an appeal against their relegation to the Third Division, but miss out on promotion to the First Division and remain in the Second Division. Their place in the First Division goes to Sunderland. 3 July 1990 –
Chelsea pay a club record £1.6million for
Wimbledon winger
Dennis Wise. 4 July 1990 –
England's World Cup hopes are ended in a semi-final defeat by
West Germany, with
Chris Waddle and
Stuart Pearce both missing penalties. 5 July 1990 – Chelsea sign
Norwich City midfielder
Andy Townsend for £1.2million. 7 July 1990 – England lose 2–1 to host nation
Italy in the World Cup third place play–off. 16 July 1990 –
Graham Taylor, manager of
Aston Villa, is appointed as successor to
Bobby Robson as the England manager. 18 July 1990 –
Derby County sell defender
Paul Blades to Norwich City for £700,000. 19 July 1990 – England striker
Mark Hateley ends six years overseas and joins Scottish league champions
Rangers in a £1million move from
AS Monaco. He had played on the continent since his move from
Portsmouth to
AC Milan in 1984. 20 July 1990 – Manchester City pay a club record £1 million for
Watford goalkeeper
Tony Coton. 22 July 1990 –
Czechoslovak national coach
Jozef Vengloš is appointed as the new manager of Aston Villa, and becomes the first foreign manager in the First Division. 31 July 1990 –
Aldershot F.C. in the Fourth Division are wound up in the High Court, condemned as "hopelessly insolvent" with debts of nearly £500,000 by the Official Receiver. 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 each having 24 clubs. • –
Sheffield Wednesday sell striker
Dalian Atkinson to
Real Sociedad of
Spain for £1million, where he will be playing alongside the former
Liverpool striker
John Aldridge. Long-serving
Manchester United defender
Mike Duxbury joins
Blackburn Rovers on a free transfer. 6 August 1990 –
Arsenal sign
Swedish winger
Anders Limpar from Italian side
Cremonese for £1million. 7 August 1990 – Aldershot are saved from closure by a £200,000 rescue package put together by 19-year-old property developer
Spencer Trethewy, which means that they will be able to start the new Football League season. 15 August 1990 –
Crystal Palace sign
Wimbledon defender
Eric Young for £850,000. 16 August 1990 – Crystal Palace further strengthen their defence with a £400,000 move for
Charlton Athletic, their
Selhurst Park tenants, for
John Humphrey. 18 August 1990 – Liverpool and Manchester United share the
Charity Shield after a 1–1 draw at Wembley. 23 August 1990 –
Oldham Athletic pay a club record £460,000 for
Nottingham Forest striker
David Currie.
Leeds United are warned that they face expulsion from the Football League if measures aimed by the Football Association at curbing incidents of hooliganism involving the club's fans fail. 24 August 1990 –
Everton sign midfielder
Mike Milligan from
Oldham Athletic for £1million. 25 August 1990 – Liverpool begin their defence of the First Division title with a 3–1 away win against recently promoted
Sheffield United.
Arsenal begin their challenge for a second league title in three seasons by beating
Wimbledon 3–0 at
Plough Lane.
Leeds United enjoy a fine First Division comeback with a 3–2 away win over
Everton. Key games on the opening day of the Second Division campaign include a 4–2 home win over
Blackburn Rovers for newly promoted
Bristol City and
Oxford United's 5–2 home win over
Port Vale. In the Fourth Division,
Walsall draw 2–2 with
Torquay United in their first game at the new
Bescot Stadium. 28 August 1990 –
Manchester United and Leeds United meet for the first time since April 1982, and battle out a goalless draw at
Elland Road in the First Division – a repeat of the last clash between the two sides. 31 August 1990 – The first month of the English league season ends with Arsenal and Liverpool sharing the lead in the First Division after two games. 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. 4 September 1990 – The only league action of the day sees a
Mark Robins goal give Manchester United a 1–0 away win over
Luton Town. 8 September 1990 – Liverpool extend their winning start to the season to four games with a 2–1 away win over Wimbledon. Mark Robins is the star of the show for Manchester United once again, scoring twice in a 3–1 home win over
QPR.
Crystal Palace go second with a 3–0 win at Norwich.
Paul Gascoigne scores a hat-trick for
Tottenham in their 3–0 home win over
Derby. Everton claim their first point of the season with a 1–1 draw at home to
Arsenal. Oldham have a 100% record after four games, remaining top of the Second Division with a 1–0 win at
Charlton. 10 September 1990 – Manager
Joe Jordan leaves Bristol City to return to his native
Scotland and become manager of
Hearts. 12 September 1990 – England beat
Hungary 1–0 in a friendly at
Wembley, the first game under Graham Taylor's management. 15 September 1990 – Arsenal keep up the pressure on Liverpool with a 4–1 home win over Chelsea, as do Tottenham with a 2–0 win at Leeds. Oldham make it five consecutive wins in the Second Division by beating Oxford 3–0 at
Boundary Park. 16 September 1990 –
Peter Beardsley scores a hat-trick for Liverpool in their 4–0 league win over Manchester United at
Anfield. 18 September 1990 – Oldham drop points for the first time this season with a 1–1 draw at home to Charlton, who claim their first point of the season in the process. 22 September 1990 – Liverpool extend their winning start to the season to six games by winning the
Merseyside derby 3–2 at
Goodison Park. Arsenal keep up the pressure and hold onto second place with a 2–0 win at
Nottingham Forest. Oldham remain top of the Second Division with a 1–0 win over
Middlesbrough at
Ayresome Park.
Swindon Town draw level with the top three by beating local rivals Oxford 4–2 at the
Manor Ground. 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 League Cup second round first leg at
White Hart Lane. 29 September 1990 – Liverpool's 1–0 win over Sunderland at
Roker Park gives them a 100% record after seven games, and they extend their lead to six points after Arsenal are held to a 2–2 draw at Leeds. Tottenham and Crystal Palace are level on points with
George Graham's men. Manchester United's title hopes are dented when a
Stuart Pearce goal gives Nottingham Forest a 1–0 win at
Old Trafford. Luton climb to sixth place with a 3–1 win over Norwich at
Carrow Road. Sheffield United and Derby occupy the bottom places, both winless after seven games. Oldham remain top of the Second Division despite being held to a goalless draw at
West Bromwich Albion. 30 September 1990 – Liverpool, with a 100% record after seven games, are First Division leaders by six points at 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. 1 October 1990 –
Notts County go second in the Second Division with a 1–0 win at Port Vale, boosting their hopes of a second successive promotion. 4 October 1990 –
Peter Taylor, former managerial partner of
Brian Clough, dies suddenly of pulmonary fibrosis whilst on holiday in Costa De Los Pinos, Majorca, at the age of 62. 6 October 1990 – In the biggest Second Division win of the season,
West Ham United beat
Hull City 7–1 at
Upton Park.
Wolves boost their hopes of a third promotion in four seasons by beating Bristol City 4–0 at home, with
Steve Bull scoring a hat-trick. In the First Division,
Southampton and
Chelsea draw 3–3 in a thrilling match at
The Dell. Liverpool make it eight consecutive wins by beating Derby 2–0 at
Anfield, while Arsenal keep the gap between themselves and the leaders at six points by beating Norwich 2–0 at
Highbury. 7 October 1990 – The pressure mounts on Everton manager
Colin Harvey after a 3–1 defeat at Nottingham Forest leaves his side third from bottom in the First Division after just one win and five points from their opening eight games. 12 October 1990 – West Ham United strengthen their promotion bid with a £600,000 move for
Luton Town defender
Tim Breacker. 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. 24 October 1990 – Aston Villa beat Italian favourites
Inter Milan 2–0 at
Villa Park in the
UEFA Cup second round first leg. In the Second Division, Newcastle's promotion hopes are hit by a 3–1 home defeat to struggling Charlton. 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 and winless Sheffield United, while Liverpool remain top with nine wins from their opening 10 games. Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace are their nearest contenders, and the top four are all still undefeated in the league. The
Football League Cup third round action includes a
Mick Harford hat-trick for Derby in a 6–0 home win over his old club Sunderland. Manchester United beat Liverpool 3–1 at
Old Trafford. Nottingham Forest keep their hopes of a third successive League Cup triumph alive with a 2–1 win at
Plymouth. 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. 4 November 1990 – Tottenham's unbeaten league start ends and their title hopes are hit by a major blow when they lose 3–1 at home to Liverpool, who maintain a four-point lead over their nearest challengers Arsenal, while third placed Tottenham are now nine points off the top. 7 November 1990 –
Howard Kendall leaves
Manchester City to begin his second spell as Everton manager. 34-year-old midfielder
Peter Reid is put in temporary charge of Manchester City. Aston Villa's UEFA Cup hopes are ended when Inter Milan overturn a 2–0 Villa lead in the UEFA Cup second round second leg and win 3–0 in the
San Siro. Manchester United go through to the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup by completing a 5–0 aggregate win over
Wrexham. 10 November 1990 – Liverpool extend their lead at the top of the First Division to six points with a 4–0 home win over Luton, while Arsenal can only manage a goalless draw with Crystal Palace at
Selhurst Park. Tottenham keep their title hopes alive with a 4–2 home win over Wimbledon. Howard Kendall's return to Everton begins with a goalless draw against Sheffield United at
Bramall Lane, which keeps Everton in 17th place and means that their hosts are still bottom of the table and winless after 12 games. Derby hold Manchester United to a goalless draw at the
Baseball Ground but miss the chance to climb out of the relegation zone. 11 November 1990 – Leeds go fifth in the First Division with a 3–2 away win over Manchester City. 12 November 1990 – Arsenal are deducted two points and Manchester United lose one point as punishment for last month's player brawl, which increases Liverpool's lead at the top to eight points. 14 November 1990 –
Coventry City, 14th in the First Division and on course for their lowest league finish in five years, sack manager
John Sillett after more than four years in charge. The only major action of the day is a 1–1 draw between England and the
Republic of Ireland in a Euro 92 qualifier at
Lansdowne Road. 15 November 1990 –
Peter Reid is appointed player-manager of Manchester City on a permanent basis.
Terry Butcher returns to England after more than four years with
Rangers to become player-manager at Coventry City. 31-year-old Butcher, who was released from his Rangers contract for a fee of £350,000, is the youngest manager in all four divisions of the English league. 17 November 1990 – The first round of the
FA Cup is contested.
Bury,
Reading and
Scarborough are all eliminated by non-league opposition. In the First Division, Terry Butcher begins his managerial career with a 1–0 defeat at home to Liverpool, while second placed Arsenal beat Southampton 4–0 to keep up the pressure on the leaders. Sheffield United remain winless and bottom of the table after losing 2–0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford. 21 November 1990 – Cardiff become the fourth league side to be knocked out of the FA Cup by non-league opposition when they lose their first round replay 1–0 to
Vauxhall-Opel League side
Hayes. 27 November 1990 – Liverpool sign 19-year-old midfielder
Don Hutchison from Fourth Division
Hartlepool United for £175,000. Second Division bottom club
Watford sack manager
Colin Lee after eight months in charge. 28 November 1990 –
Manchester United beat
Arsenal 6–2 at
Highbury in a League Cup fourth round tie, in which 19-year-old winger
Lee Sharpe scores a hat-trick. It is Arsenal's first competitive defeat of the season. Nottingham Forest's hopes of three League Cup triumphs in a row are ended when they lose 5–4 to Coventry at
Highfield Road, with
Kevin Gallacher scoring a hat-trick for the winners and
Nigel Clough scoring a hat-trick for the losers. 29 November 1990 – Manchester United offer a professional contract to trainee winger
Ryan Giggs on his 17th birthday. Giggs, who was born in
Cardiff but has lived in
Manchester for most of his life, is widely regarded in
Old Trafford circles as the finest prospect in English football since
George Best. 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 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. 1 December 1990 – Sheffield United are still looking for a league win 15 games into the season, with just four points to their name, after losing 2–1 at
Aston Villa, while Derby's upswing continues and they climb to 14th place with a 2–1 win at Sunderland, who stand 16th. A
Lee Sharpe goal gives Manchester United a 1–0 win at Everton, United's first win at Goodison Park since January 1982. There is thrilling action in the Second Division when a 5–4 win for the hosts at
Filbert Street sees
David Kelly score a hat-trick for
Leicester and
Micky Quinn score a hat-trick for
Newcastle. The result helps lift Leicester clear of the relegation zone, while Newcastle are now 16th in the Second Division and six points adrift of the playoffs, mounting the pressure on manager
Jim Smith who had almost delivered Newcastle promotion last season. West Ham remain top of the Second Division with a 3–1 home win over West Bromwich Albion, Port Vale close in on the playoffs with a 5–1 home win over Plymouth, Oldham retain second place with a 6–1 home win over Brighton, and Middlesbrough go third win a 3–0 home win over Hull. 2 December 1990 – Arsenal end Liverpool's unbeaten League run by beating them 3–0 at
Highbury, cutting the gap at the top to two points. 8 December 1990 – Heavy snow causes many Football League and FA Cup fixtures to be postponed, but a decent amount of matches in the less seriously affected areas go ahead. Arsenal miss the chance to go ahead at the top of the table on goal difference when they are held to a 1–1 draw at Luton. Tottenham draw 3–3 at home to Sunderland. The first match between Manchester United and Leeds United at Old Trafford for nearly a decade ends in a 1–1 draw. Everton increase Coventry's relegation worries and boost their own chances of staying clear of relegation with a 1–0 win at Goodison Park. West Ham remain firmly in the lead at the top of the Second Division with a 1–0 win at struggling Portsmouth. 13 December 1990 –
Southampton pay £1million for a player for the first time in their history by signing midfielder
Alan McLoughlin from
Swindon Town. 15 December 1990 – Liverpool are four points ahead at the top of the First Division, with a game in hand, after beating Sheffield United 2–0 to leave their hosts winless and still with only four points to their name so far this season, while Arsenal are held to a 2–2 draw at home to Wimbledon. A 10-goal thriller at the
Baseball Ground sees Chelsea beat Derby 6–4. QPR remain second from bottom with a 2–1 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest. 19 December 1990 –
Arsenal captain
Tony Adams is sentenced to four months in prison for drink-driving after being more than three times over the legal alcohol limit when he crashed his car in
Southend-on-Sea on 6 May this year. Adams, 24, is also fined £500 and banned from driving for two years. 21 December 1990 – Oldham go top of the Second Division on goal difference with a 5–3 home win over Plymouth. 22 December 1990 – Sheffield United beat
Nottingham Forest to win their first First Division game of the season at the seventeenth attempt, but remain bottom of the table. 23 December 1990 – The last matches before Christmas are played. Arsenal extend their unbeaten start to the season to 18 games with a goalless draw at Aston Villa, although Liverpool are still six points ahead of them and have a game in hand. QPR miss the chance to climb out of the relegation zone when Derby hold them to a 1–1 draw at the Baseball Ground. Leeds hold on to fifth place with a 1–0 win over Sunderland at
Roker Park. Three players are sent off in a goalless draw between Leicester and Watford at
Filbert Street. In the Third Division,
Brentford boost their hopes of winning promotion in
Phil Holder's first season in management by beating
Wigan Athletic 1–0 at
Griffin Park. In the Fourth Division,
Carlisle United keep their playoff hopes alive with a 1–0 win over
Blackpool, who are now 18th in the table. 26 December 1990 – The
Boxing Day action in the First Division sees leaders Liverpool held to a 1–1 draw by QPR at
Loftus Road, allowing Arsenal to cut their lead to four points (with a game in hand) by beating Derby 3–0 at Highbury. Coventry boost their survival bid with a 2–0 home win over Tottenham. Crystal Palace remain in the hunt for the title with a 2–1 home win over Sunderland. Leeds go fourth with a 4–1 home win over Chelsea. Sheffield United make it back-to-back victories by winning 1–0 at Luton. Manchester United beat Norwich City 3–0 at
Old Trafford, ending
Dave Stringer's team's run of five victories in their previous clashes between the two sides. West Ham go back to the top of the Second Division with a 2–0 home win over Oldham. Bristol City beat Portsmouth 4–1 to move to the brink of the playoff zone and boost their chances of a second successive promotion, while the bottom two of Hull and Oxford draw 3–3 at
Boothferry Park. 29 December 1990 – Arsenal cut Liverpool's lead of the First Division to a single point by beating Sheffield United 4–1 at Highbury, although
Kenny Dalglish's men still have two games in hand. Leeds go third with a 3–0 home win over Wimbledon. Coventry, Everton, QPR and Southampton all claim victories in their fight to avoid relegation. There is no shortage of excitement in the Second Division, including Oxford climbing five places off the bottom of the table with a 3–1 win over Blackburn at
Ewood Park. Ipswich and Charlton draw 4–4 at
Portman Road. Newcastle's frustrating season continues with a 2–0 home defeat to Notts County, which leaves them rooted in the bottom half of the table. 30 December 1990 – The last fixture of 1990 sees Liverpool lose 1–0 to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, which boosts
Steve Coppell's side's hopes of winning their first ever major trophy in the shape of the league title. 31 December 1990 – The year ends with Arsenal, still unbeaten but having had two points deducted, one point behind of Liverpool at the top of the First Division. Crystal Palace and Leeds United occupy third and fourth respectively, while Sheffield United remain bottom of the table and Sunderland have slipped into the bottom two. 1 January 1991 – The new year begins with
Paul Gascoigne being sent off in Tottenham's 2–1 defeat at home to Manchester United. Everton's resurgence under Howard Kendall continues with a 2–1 win at Chelsea. Sheffield United make it three wins from four games but remain bottom of the table with a 1–0 home win over QPR. The biggest drama in the Second Division comes at
Fratton Park, where Portsmouth boost their survival hopes with a 5–1 home win over bottom club Hull City. 2 January 1991 – Nottingham Forest beat Norwich 6–2 at
Carrow Road in the First Division. 5 January 1991 – The
FA Cup third round produces a series of thrilling matches, perhaps the most notable being Second Division West Bromwich Albion's 4–2 home defeat to non-league
Woking.
GM Vauxhall Conference title hopefuls
Barnet find themselves on the receiving end of a 5–0 defeat at home to Portsmouth. Chelsea suffer a shock 3–1 defeat at home to Second Division strugglers Oxford. Arsenal beat Sunderland 2–1 at Highbury, while Liverpool are held to a 1–1 draw at Blackburn. 6 January 1991 – Fourth Division
Burnley attract more than 20,000 fans to
Turf Moor, where they see
Manchester City win the FA Cup third round tie 1–0.
Barnsley, hopeful of following their Second Division rivals Leeds into the First Division for the first time, attract a crowd of more than 22,000 to
Oakwell to watch a 1–1 draw. Last season's beaten finalists Crystal Palace draw 0–0 with Nottingham Forest. 7 January 1991 – Manchester United begin their defence of the FA Cup with a 2–1 home win over QPR. 8 January 1991 – Liverpool sign winger
Jimmy Carter from
Millwall for £800,000, on the same day that they beat Blackburn 3–0 in the FA Cup third round replay at Anfield to keep their hopes of a unique second double firmly on track. Brian Talbot is sacked as West Bromwich Albion manager following their shock FA Cup defeat. 9 January 1991 – In front of a smaller crowd than the one which saw them draw 1–1 at Oakwell three days ago, Leeds beat Barnsley 4–0 in the FA Cup third round replay at Elland Road. The other replays see Coventry beat Wigan 1–0 at
Springfield Park and Wimbledon beat Aston Villa 1–0 at
Plough Lane. 10 January 1991 – 34-year-old former England defender
Viv Anderson joins Second Division promotion chasers Sheffield Wednesday on a free transfer from Manchester United. 12 January 1991 – Liverpool remain top of the table but drop two points when they are held to a goalless draw at Aston Villa. Arsenal miss the chance to go top when they are held to a goalless draw in the
North London derby at
White Hart Lane.
Matthew Le Tissier and
Rod Wallace score two goals each in Southampton's 4–3 win at Luton. Manchester United remain in the top five with a 3–0 home win over Sunderland. 13 January 1991 – Everton win 2–0 at Goodison Park in Howard Kendall's first match in charge against his old club Manchester City. 15 January 1991 – Liverpool sign 17-year-old midfielder
Jamie Redknapp from
AFC Bournemouth for £350,000. 16 January 1991 – Leeds United beat Aston Villa 4–1 in the FA Cup quarter final, while Southampton take Manchester United to a replay with a 1–1 draw, while the clash between Chelsea and Tottenham also goes to a replay after the first match at
Stamford Bridge ends in a goalless draw. In the only league action of the day, Newcastle's woes continue when they lose 4–2 at Brighton in the Second Division, a result which lifts the
South Coast club into the playoff zone. 17 January 1991 – Sheffield United pay a club record £450,000 for Crystal Palace midfielder
Glyn Hodges, who played under Blades manager
Dave Bassett several years ago when he was in charge at Wimbledon. 23 January 1991 – Chelsea go through to the League semi-finals with a 3–0 win their quarter-final replay at Tottenham.
Mark Hughes scores a hat-trick for Manchester United in their 3-2 replay win over Southampton at Old Trafford which takes them to this stage of the competition for the first time in eight seasons, while 20-year-old striker
Alan Shearer scores twice for the losing side. Sheffield Wednesday win 1–0 at Coventry in their delayed quarter-final tie. 26 January 1991 – The first FA Cup fourth round ties are played. Second Division promotion rivals Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday clash in
South London and battle out a dramatic 4–4 draw. A South Coast clash sees Portsmouth beat
AFC Bournemouth 5–1 at Fratton Park. Manchester United beat
Bolton Wanderers 1–0 at Old Trafford. The only First Division action of the day sees Sheffield United beat Derby 1–0 at
Bramall Lane to boost their survival bid. 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. Arsenal and Leeds draw 0–0 in their fourth round clash at Highbury. 28 January 1991 – Nottingham Forest beat Crystal Palace 3–0 in their second FA Cup third round replay at the
City Ground. 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. 30 January 1991 –
Liverpool sign striker
David Speedie from
Coventry City for £675,000. 31 January 1991 – Arsenal are one point ahead of Liverpool, who have a game in hand, at the top of the First Division. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace are still in contention for a first-ever league title, six points off the top, while Sheffield United remain bottom. 1 February 1991 –
Paul Birch leaves
Aston Villa after 10 years to join
Wolverhampton Wanderers for £400,000. 12 February 1991 – Aston Villa sign defender
Neil Cox from
Scunthorpe United for £400,000, a record fee for a Fourth Division player. 17 February 1991 – Liverpool and Everton draw 0–0 in an
all Merseyside FA Cup fifth round tie at
Anfield. 20 February 1991 – Sheffield Wednesday sign 19-year-old striker
Gordon Watson from
Charlton Athletic for £250,000. The FA Cup fourth round replay between Liverpool ends in a dramatic 4–4 draw at
Goodison Park, forcing a second replay. In the first leg of the League Cup semi finals, Sheffield Wednesday win 2–0 at Chelsea and Manchester United win 1–0 at Leeds. 27 February 1991 – Everton beat Liverpool 1–0 in the second replay of the FA Cup fifth round tie at Goodison Park, ending Liverpool's hopes of a unique second double. Sheffield Wednesday reach their first cup final in 25 years by beating Chelsea 3–1 in the League Cup semi-final second leg. 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 are five points behind. At the other end of the table, a splendid run of form has moved Sheffield United six points clear of bottom-placed Derby County. The Blades are level on goal difference with Coventry City, Sunderland and Queens Park Rangers. March –
Liverpool captain
Alan Hansen retires after 14 years at the club, having been out of action for almost a year due to injury. 2 March 1991 – Manchester United give Ryan Giggs his senior debut as a substitute in a league match at Old Trafford, which ends in a 2–0 defeat to
Everton.
Dean Saunders scores a hat-trick for Derby in a 3-3 relegation crunch clash with Sunderland at the Baseball Ground. 3 March 1991 – Arsenal move three points clear at the top of the First Division by beating Liverpool 1–0 at Anfield thanks to a goal by
Paul Merson. 16 March 1991 – Liverpool go back to the top of the First Division by beating Sunderland 2–1 at Anfield. 17 March 1991 – Arsenal return to the top of the First Division on goal difference (with a game in hand) by beating Leeds 2–0 at Highbury. 20 March 1991 – Swindon Town sell defender
Paul Bodin to Crystal Palace for £550,000. 26 March 1991 –
Manchester United sign
Soviet winger
Andrei Kanchelskis, 22, from
FC Shakhtar Donetsk for £1million.
Ossie Ardiles leaves
Swindon Town to become the new manager of
Newcastle United following the resignation of
Jim Smith. 27 March 1991 – In the only league game of the day, Oldham and West Ham remain locked together at the top of the Second Division after a 1–1 draw at
Boundary Park. 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 ten league goals this season. Arsenal return to the top of the First Division by beating Derby 2–0 at the Baseball Ground, while Liverpool suffer a shock 3–1 defeat at home to QPR. 31 March 1991 – March draws to a close with Arsenal leading Liverpool by two points. Sheffield United's incredible revival has continued as they now stand 12th in the table, but Derby County are twelve points adrift of safety, and Sunderland occupy the other relegation place. 1 April 1991 – Liverpool's hopes of retaining their league title are damaged by a 1–0 away defeat to Southampton. 6 April 1991 – Arsenal take a step closer to the title by beating Sheffield United 2–0 at
Bramall Lane. 7 April 1991 – Crystal Palace win the
Full Members Cup after 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, but the Reds are five points behind Arsenal with five games left. Leeds striker
Lee Chapman finds himself in the unusual position of scoring a hat-trick despite being on the losing side. 14 April 1991 – Tottenham Hotspur end Arsenal's hopes of the 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. 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, 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. Derby County lose to Manchester City and are relegated. 21 April 1991 – Sheffield Wednesday, chasing promotion to the First Division, achieve a 1–0 win over Manchester United in the
League Cup final to end a 56-year trophy drought. 23 April 1991 –
David White scores four goals for Manchester City in a 5–2 away win over Aston Villa. With three games to go, the title race remains open as both Arsenal and Liverpool win and the gap remains three points wide. 27 April 1919 – Oldham Athletic are promoted to the First Division after 68-year exile by beating Ipswich Town 2-1 a to
Portman Road. 30 April 1991 – April draws to a close with Arsenal three points ahead of Liverpool with three matches left, while Crystal Palace's title dreams have ended. Sunderland, Luton Town and last season's runners-up Aston Villa still fighting to avoid relegation alongside Derby County. 8 May 1991 – Aston Villa, First Division runners-up last season, confirm their survival with a 2–1 win at home to Norwich City. Sheffield Wednesday seal an immediate return to the First Division with a 3–1 home win over Bristol City. 11 May 1991 – Sunderland are relegated to the Second Division as they lose to Manchester City and Luton Town beat Derby County 2–0. It is the second season running that Luton have survived on the last day of the season with victory over Derby. 13 May 1991 – Gerry Francis resigns after four years as manager of Bristol Rovers, despite having guided the club a mid table finish in the Second Division a year after winning promotion. 15 May 1991 – Manchester United mark the 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 – Tottenham Hotspur win the FA Cup for the eighth time, beating Nottingham Forest 2–1 after extra time in the
final.
Paul Gascoigne suffers cruciate knee ligament damage, causing his proposed £8.5million move to Lazio to be put on hold. 20 May 1991 – The First Division campaign ends with a 1–1 draw between Manchester United and Tottenham at Old Trafford. 21 May 1991 –
QPR manager
Don Howe is sacked after 18 months in charge at
Loftus Road. 28 May 1991 – Jozef Vengloš leaves Aston Villa after just one season as manager. 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. 31 May 1991 –
Ron Atkinson, the
Sheffield Wednesday manager, turns down an offer to become the new Aston Villa manager. Torquay United win promotion to the Third Division after nearly 20 years in the Fourth Division, beating Blackpool on penalties after a 2–2 draw in the Wembley playoff final. 1 June 1991 –
Gerry Francis, who was captain of QPR during the 1970s, returns to Loftus Road as manager. Jim Smith is appointed manager of
Portsmouth. Tranmere reach the Second Division for the first time since 1938 by beating Bolton 1–0 in the Third Division playoff final. 2 June 1991 – Notts County beat
Brighton & Hove Albion 3–1 in the Second Division play-off final to seal promotion to the First Division – their second successive promotion. 6 June 1991 – David Pleat is appointed Luton Town manager for the second time. ==National team==