1988–89 in English football
The 1988–89 season was the 109th season of competitive football in England.
| Season | 1988–89 | |
|---|---|---|
| Men's football | ||
| First Division | Arsenal | |
| Second Division | Chelsea | |
| Third Division | Wolverhampton Wanderers | |
| Fourth Division | Rotherham United | |
| Conference | Maidstone United | |
| FA Cup | Liverpool | |
| Associate Members' Cup | Bolton Wanderers | |
| League Cup | Nottingham Forest | |
| Charity Shield | Liverpool | |
The season saw Arsenal win their first league title for 18 years, in dramatic fashion, as they beat defending champions Liverpool 2–0 at Anfield to clinch the title on number of goals scored. Liverpool had won the FA Cup six days earlier and for the second season running missed out on a unique second double. Third placed Nottingham Forest lifted both the Football League Cup and Full Members' Cup. The ban on English clubs, following the Heysel Stadium disaster, was now in its fourth season and UEFA then voted for it to continue for a fifth season. In April 1989, fourteen Liverpool supporters were convicted of manslaughter relating to the disaster.
The season was overshadowed by the Hillsborough disaster on 15 April 1989, which resulted in the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans in a crowd crush at the FA Cup semi-final.