[60], 30 April 1990 – The month ends with Liverpool confirmed as First Division champions, and Aston Villa sure of second place. 7 July 1990 – England lose 2–1 to host nation Italy in the World Cup third place play–off. Peter Beardsley scores the only goal of the game. 13 January 1990 - Manchester United's winless run in the First Division stretches to eight matches when they lose 2-1 at home to Derby.[34]. 31 December 1989 – The year and the decade ends with Liverpool as First Division leaders by four points from Aston Villa. [33], 7 January 1990 – Manchester United beat Nottingham Forest 1–0 at the City Ground in the third round of the FA Cup, with Mark Robins scoring the winning goal. With only three games to go at the end of the 1989/90 campaign the Town looked certain to lose the top flight place that they had clung on to since winning promotion in glorious style in 1982. The 1989–90 Football League Cup (known as the Littlewoods Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 30th season of the Football League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92 football clubs.. Rioch is replaced by his assistant Colin Todd. Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest retained their League Cup by beating Oldham Athletic 1–0 at Wembley. [1], 3 November 1989 – John Sheridan, who played just once for Nottingham Forest after joining them at the start of the season, is sold to Sheffield Wednesday for £500,000. [57], 28 April 1990 – Liverpool seal their 18th top division title with a 2–1 home win over Queens Park Rangers as Aston Villa draw 3–3 at home to Norwich City. 9 January 1990 – Liverpool thrash Swansea City 8–0 in their FA Cup third round replay. Maidstone United debuted in the Football League and reached the promotion play-offs but lost in the semi-final. 11 June 1990 – England open their World Cup campaign with a 1–1 draw against Republic of Ireland. Manchester United have now gone 11 league games without a win, and are now 17th in the First Division and just one point above the relegation zone. 29 December 1989 – Liverpool chairman John Smith receives a knighthood. [46], 7 March 1990 - Oldham reach their first Wembley final despite losing their League Cup semi-final second leg 3-0 at West Ham. [33], 31 January 1990 – Queens Park Rangers beat Arsenal 2–0 in an FA Cup fourth round replay. 13 February 1990 – Millwall, still battling relegation despite having led the First Division five months ago, sack manager John Docherty and his assistant Frank McLintock. 1 June 1990 – The Football League votes to revert to a 22–club First Division for the 1991–92 season, while the Fourth Division will have 23 clubs in 1991–92 and 24 clubs in 1992–93, with no relegation to the Football Conference for the next two seasons. Ewood Park is also the scene of a nine-goal thriller in the Second Division, with Blackburn beating West Ham 5-4 in a promotion crunch game.