FA Cup Top 25 Ranking as at 1888-89
| Pos |  |
Club | Div | Pld | Won | Draw | Lost | FG | AG | Diff | No of RD 1 | First | Last | 1888-89 | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | 0 | Old Etonians | NL | 58 | 39 | 9 | 10 | 161 | 76 | 85 | 12 | 1873-74 | 1887-88 |  |
|
| 2 | 1 | Blackburn Rovers | FL | 48 | 35 | 6 | 7 | 173 | 50 | 123 | 10 | 1879-80 | 1888-89 | SF | |
| 3 | -1 | Royal Engineers | NL | 56 | 33 | 7 | 16 | 144 | 67 | 77 | 17 | 1871-72 | 1887-88 | |
|
| 4 | 0 | Swifts | NL | 52 | 30 | 8 | 14 | 122 | 70 | 52 | 15 | 1873-74 | 1888-89 | Rd 2 | |
| 5 | 0 | Old Carthusians | NL | 38 | 29 | 0 | 9 | 135 | 50 | 85 | 10 | 1879-80 | 1888-89 | Rd 1 | |
| 6 | 1 | Aston Villa | FL | 43 | 28 | 7 | 8 | 142 | 71 | 71 | 10 | 1879-80 | 1888-89 | Rd 3 | |
| 7 | -1 | Oxford University | NL | 41 | 27 | 7 | 7 | 99 | 33 | 66 | 8 | 1872-73 | 1879-80 | |
|
| 8 | 0 | Clapham Rovers | NL | 44 | 26 | 4 | 14 | 149 | 55 | 94 | 16 | 1871-72 | 1886-87 | |
|
| 9 | 2 | West Bromwich Albion | FL | 33 | 26 | 2 | 5 | 95 | 29 | 66 | 6 | 1883-84 | 1888-89 | SF | |
| 10 | 0 | Notts County | FL | 44 | 24 | 8 | 12 | 149 | 65 | 84 | 12 | 1877-78 | 1888-89 | Rd 2 | |
| 11 | -2 | Darwen | TC | 42 | 24 | 7 | 11 | 123 | 66 | 57 | 11 | 1877-78 | 1887-88 | ||
| 12 | 1 | Nottingham Forest | NL | 39 | 21 | 7 | 11 | 95 | 52 | 43 | 11 | 1878-79 | 1888-89 | Rd 2 | |
| 13 | -1 | Wanderers | NL | 30 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 94 | 22 | 72 | 9 | 1871-72 | 1879-80 | |
|
| 14 | 0 | Upton Park | NL | 39 | 19 | 5 | 15 | 92 | 68 | 24 | 16 | 1871-72 | 1886-87 | ||
| 15 | 4 | Preston North End | FL | 21 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 103 | 14 | 89 | 5 | 1883-84 | 1888-89 | Winner | |
| 16 | -1 | Marlow | NL | 37 | 18 | 3 | 16 | 78 | 50 | 28 | 17 | 1871-72 | 1887-88 | ||
| 17 | 1 | The Wednesday | NL | 29 | 16 | 5 | 8 | 72 | 45 | 27 | 8 | 1880-81 | 1888-89 | Rd 3 | |
| 18 | -2 | Old Westminsters | NL | 25 | 15 | 3 | 7 | 72 | 38 | 34 | 7 | 1882-83 | 1888-89 | Rd 1 | |
| 19 | -2 | Maidenhead | NL | 33 | 15 | 2 | 16 | 46 | 60 | -14 | 16 | 1871-72 | 1887-88 | ||
| 20 | 0 | Old Foresters | NL | 27 | 12 | 5 | 10 | 60 | 39 | 21 | 11 | 1877-78 | 1887-88 | ||
| 21 | 13 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | FL | 23 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 70 | 35 | 35 | 6 | 1883-84 | 1888-89 | Final | |
| 22 | -1 | Queen's Park | NL | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 69 | 17 | 52 | 5 | 1871-72 | 1886-87 | ||
| 23 | -1 | Blackburn Olympic | TC | 20 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 80 | 37 | 43 | 8 | 1880-81 | 1887-88 | |
|
| 24 | -1 | Sheffield | NL | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 53 | 61 | -8 | 14 | 1873-74 | 1887-88 | ||
| 25 | -1 | Cambridge University | NL | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 37 | 30 | 7 | 7 | 1873-74 | 1879-80 |
