1989–90 Football League Second Division

First Division

Liverpool won the First Division title for the 18th time, finishing nine points ahead of Aston Villa, who had emerged as title contenders two seasons after promotion. Tottenham Hotspur improved to third, while defending champions Arsenal slipped to fourth. Chelsea finished fifth in their first season back. Manchester United placed 13th, their lowest since 1974, but won the FA Cup. Millwall, briefly top in September, finished bottom. Charlton Athletic's four-year top-flight spell ended in relegation, and Sheffield Wednesday went down on goal difference after Luton Town's late revival.

Second Division

The automatic promotion places were decided on the final day, with Leeds United going up as champions after an eight-year absence, followed by Sheffield United, who ended a 14-year First Division exile with a second successive promotion. Swindon Town beat Sunderland 1–0 in the playoff final but had promotion withdrawn for financial irregularities; Sunderland were promoted instead, while Swindon were initially demoted to the Third Division but allowed to remain in the Second Division on appeal.

Newcastle United's Mick Quinn led the league with 32 goals, but his team lost to Sunderland in the playoff semi-finals. Blackburn Rovers lost the other semi-final. West Ham United reached the League Cup semi-finals, and Oldham Athletic were FA Cup semi-finalists and League Cup runners-up. Stoke City finished bottom and were relegated with Bradford City and AFC Bournemouth. Middlesbrough narrowly avoided a second successive relegation.

Third Division

The two automatic promotion places were taken by the Bristol clubs, with Rovers as champions and City as runners-up, both having been relegated from the Second Division nine years earlier. Notts County won the playoffs. Walsall finished bottom and suffered a second consecutive relegation in their final season at Fellows Park, moving to the new Bescot Stadium in the Fourth Division. They were joined in the bottom four by Blackpool, Cardiff City and Northampton Town.

Fourth Division

Exeter City won the Fourth Division title, ending a six-year stay in the basement division. They were promoted alongside Southend United and Grimsby Town. The final promotion place went to playoff winners Cambridge United, who beat Chesterfield 1–0 with a goal from Dion Dublin. Newly promoted Maidstone United and Stockport County were losing semi-finalists. Colchester United, who had escaped relegation the previous season, were relegated after 40 years in the Football League and replaced by Darlington, who had dropped out 12 months earlier.