Aston Villa F.C. season 1893-94

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Manager: George Ramsay (sec)

Leading scorer: Jack Devey, 20

Ever-present: Jimmy Cowan

First at top: Sep 16

Date won league: Apr 7

Players used: 23

Aston Villa were very much the club of the decade, with five championships and two FA Cup wins from 1894 to 1900. For the first two of these championship seasons, they were based at Wellington Road. Though reporters claimed gates of 20,000, it is not clear how many of these would have been able to see the game!

Villa built up a six-point lead by the end of December and maintained that margin to the end of the season, with only Sunderland providing a serious challenge.

Jack Devey was an all-round sportsman who enjoyed a long cricket career with Warwickshire. He played football for local clubs in Birmingham before joining Villa in 1891. He was capped twice by England.

Jimmy Cowan was an attacking centre-half in the days when this was a common tactic. He was well-known as a sprinter and won the famous Powderhall Handicap in 1896. He was just 5ft 6½in tall, but his quoted weight of 12st 3lbs indicates a sprinter’s powerful build.