[3] Champions Preston North End faced Aston Villa on Christmas Day 1889.

[4] Scottish centre back, Jimmy Cowan, made his debut, coming from Vale of Leven FC.

[5] He would go on to make 357 appearances for Villa, his last win seeing Small Heath knocked out of the 1901 FA Cup Quarter-final replay.

In an encounter described by the Birmingham Daily Post as "perhaps the closest and most exciting ever played on the field", Aston Villa, featuring new signing Tom McKnight, drew 2–2 with a Small Heath eleven.

[9] There were debuts for Albert Aldridge, Tom Clarkson, Jimmy Cowan, Billy Dickson, Sammy Gray, George Davis, Ike Moore, Arthur Hickton, James Connor, Jack Graham, Lewis Campbell, Bill Dickie and Jim Paton.