Aston Villa

Aston Villa moved grounds in 1897, playing the first game at the Aston Lower Grounds on 17th April, 1 week after they had won the FA Cup and their position at the top of the League had become unassailable. 

Aston Villa topped the League attendances for 6 seasons from 1899-1904 (displacing Everton, who had been top for the first 10 seasons of League Football, firstly at Anfield and then at Goodison).  

Season	Average
1898-99	23,045
1899-1900	18,765
1900-01	17,530
1901-02	19,580
1902-03	19,790
1903-04	20,035

1898-99 was the first time that any club had enjoyed an average attendance in excess of 20,000.

The new stadium at Aston Lower Grounds had more to recommend it than just accommodation for large numbers of spectators. Here we see Howard Spencer, the Prince of fullbacks (also England captain), enjoying the therapeutic benefits of an individual hot bath. The photographer was former Villa player Albert Wilkes who specialized in football subjects. 

The Staffordshire Senior Challenge Cup 1883

Matches such as this were the staple in the pre League football days.

Even in friendly competition local and regional rivalries could become fierce; when a trophy and medals were at stake competition became more intense. Winning a County trophy also enabled a club to secure more lucrative friendly fixtures. In the 1880–81 season West Bromwich Albion had inflicted Stoke's first defeat in competitive football in the first round of this competition. 

This Staffordshire Cup Final, played on April 21st 1883, drew a crowd of  6,150 . To put that into context the FA Cup Final at The Oval that season saw an attendance of 8,000, and the England v Scotland fixture at Bramall Lane  was watched by 7,000,

This match was played at Stoke Athletic Ground. Stoke had scored 42 goals en route to the final. 

1,500 West Bromwich Albion supporters travelled on a Football Special to Stoke.  The 2 clubs were founder members of the Football League 5 years later and 131 years later both feature in the Premier League. 

 Neither team wore the colours with which we now associate them- Albion wore red and white hoops and Stoke blue and black hoops. 

West Bromwich Albion won a thrilling game by 3-2. It was the club's first trophy. 

Both Stoke and West Bromwich Albion entered the FA Cup for the first time in the 1883–84 season.

West Bromwich Albion

19th Century Attendances

Fallowfield

In the dingy nineteenth century towns the proletariat found little opportunity for enjoyment.

Eric Dunning

In terms of social class, crowds at Football League matches were predominantly drawn from the skilled working and lower-middle classes... Social groups below that level were largely excluded by the admission price...the Football League, quite possibly in a deliberate attempt to limit the access of poorer (and thus supposedly "rowdier") supporters, raised the minimum adult male admission price...

Dave Russell 

ENGLAND

season	FA Cup Final	England v Scotland	Football League Clubs
			Highest Average	Highest
1871-72	2,000 The Oval, London
1872-73	3,000 Lillie Bridge, London	2,500 to 4,000 The Oval, London
1873-74	2,000 The Oval, London
1874-75	…quite 1,000 (1) Replay=unknown The Oval, London	2,000 The Oval, London
1875-76	3,500 1,500 The Oval, London
1876-77	3000 The Oval, London	2,000 to 3,000  The Oval, London
1877-78	4,500 The Oval, London
1878-79	a much larger company than been seen at Kennington Oval in the present season The Oval, London	4,500 The Oval, London
1879-80	Upwards of 2,000 The Oval, London
1880-81	c. 4,000 The Oval, London	8,500 The Oval, London
1881-82	6,000 The Oval, London
1882-83	c. 7,000 The Oval, London	7,000 Bramall Lane, Sheffield
1883-84	12,000 The Oval, London
1884-85	12,500 The Oval, London	8,000 The Oval, London
1885-86	15,000 The Oval, London
	12,000 Racecourse, Derby
1886-87	15,500 The Oval, London	12,000 Leamington Street, Blackburn
1887-88	19,000 The Oval, London
1888-89	27,000 The Oval, London	10,000 The Oval, London	7,260 Anfield, Liverpool (2)	15,000 (Preston North End) Anfield, Liverpool
1889-90	20,000 The Oval, London		10,110 Anfield, Liverpool	18,000 (Preston North End) Anfield, Liverpool
1890-91	23,000 The Oval, London	10,000 Ewood Park, Blackburn	11,375 Anfield, Liverpool	16,000 (Accrington & Preston North End) Anfield, Liverpool
1891-92	25,000 The Oval, London		10,730 Anfield, Liverpool	16,000 (Blackburn Rovers, Accrington & Preston North End) Anfield, Liverpool
1892-93	45,000 (3) Fallowfield Athletics Stadium,  Manchester	16,000 Richmond Athletic Ground, London	13,230 Goodison Park, Liverpool	27,500 (Preston North End) Goodison Park, Liverpool
1893-94	37,000 (4) Goodison Park, Liverpool		13,520 Goodison Park, Liverpool	27,500 (Sunderland) Goodison Park, Liverpool
1894-95	42,560 Crystal Palace, London	42,500 Goodison Park, Liverpool	17,420 Goodison Park, Liverpool	35,000 (Sunderland) Goodison Park, Liverpool
1895-96	48,836 Crystal Palace, London		16,080 Goodison Park, Liverpool	30,000 (Aston Villa) Goodison Park, Liverpool
1896-97	65,891 Crystal Palace, London	33,715 Crystal Palace, London	15,840 Goodison Park, Liverpool	40,000 (Liverpool) Goodison Park, Liverpool
1897-98	62,017 Crystal Palace, London		17,390 Villa Park, Birmingham	50,000 (Sheffield United) Villa Park, Birmingham
1898-99	73,833 Crystal Palace, London	25,590 Villa Park, Birmingham	23,045 Villa Park, Birmingham	41,000 (Liverpool) Villa Park, Birmingham
1899-1900	68,945 Crystal Palace, London		18,765 Villa Park, Birmingham	60,000 (Sunderland) Villa Park, Birmingham

(1) Italicised estimates come from contemporary press reports 

(2) Anfield was Everton's ground at this time

(3) Chaotic scenes: official attendance was 45,000, there were probably 60,000 in the ground, affecting the progress of the match.

(4) Again, the official figure. Probably far more in attendance. 

For the League highest the visitors are shown in brackets.

Crystal Palace

SCOTLAND

season	Scottish Cup Final	Scotland v England	League Clubs
			Highest  Average	Highest
1871-72		5,000 Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow
1872-73
1873-74	2,500 Hampden Park 1, Glasgow	4,000 Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow
1874-75	7,000 Hampden Park 1, Glasgow
1875-76	6,000 Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow	12,000 Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow
	10,000 Hampden Park 1, Glasgow
1876-77	8,000 15,000 12,000 Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow
1877-78	5,000 Hampden Park 1, Glasgow	10,000 Hampden Park 1, Glasgow
1878-79	9,000 Hampden Park 1, Glasgow
1879-80	4,000 Hampden Park 1, Glasgow	12,000 Hampden Park 1, Glasgow
1880-81	15,000 10,000 Kinning Park Glasgow
1881-82	12,500 14,000 Cathkin Park, Glasgow	10,000 Hampden Park 1, Glasgow
1882-83	15,000 12,000 Hampden Park 1, Glasgow
1883-84		10,000 Cathkin Park, Glasgow
1884-85	3,000 5,500 Hampden Park 2, Glasgow
1885-86	7,000 Cathkin Park, Glasgow	11,000 Hampden Park 2, Glasgow
1886-87	15,000 Hampden Park 2, Glasgow
1887-88	10,000 Hampden Park 2, Glasgow	16,000 Hampden Park 2, Glasgow
1888-89	17,000 13,000 Hampden Park 2, Glasgow
1889-90	11,000 13,000 Ibrox Park, Glasgow	26,379 Hampden Park 2, Glasgow
1890-91	10,836 Hampden Park 2, Glasgow		5,673 Rangers	12,000 Rangers (Dumbarton)
1891-92	40,000 26,000 Ibrox Park, Glasgow	20,000 Ibrox Park, Glasgow	7,636 Celtic	16,000 Celtic (Heart of Midlothian)
1892-93	18,771 13,239 Ibrox Park, Glasgow		9,111 Celtic	15,000 Celtic (Renton)
1893-94	17,000 Hampden Park 2, Glasgow	45,107 Celtic Park, Glasgow	7,188 Celtic	14,000 Celtic (Leith Athletic)
1894-95	10,000 Ibrox Park, Glasgow		7,889 Celtic	24,000 Celtic (Heart of Midlothian)
1895-96	17,034 Logie Green, Edinburgh	51,345/56,500 Celtic Park, Glasgow	10,367 Celtic	25,500 Celtic (Rangers)
1896-97	14,000 Hampden Park 2, Glasgow		11,333 Celtic	25,000 Celtic (Heart of Midlothian)
1897-98	13,000 Hampden Park 2, Glasgow	40,000 Celtic Park, Glasgow	13,056 Celtic	50,000 Celtic (Rangers)
1898-99	25,000 Hampden Park 2, Glasgow		12,241 Celtic	44,868 Celtic (Rangers)
1899-1900	15,000 Ibrox Park, Glasgow	63,000 Celtic Park, Glasgow	11,889 Rangers	48,000 Rangers (Celtic)

For the League highest the visitors are shown in brackets.

Celtic Park