1989–90 in English football for 19–year–old Leytonstone defender Warren Barton. 31 July 1989 – Norwich City pay Coventry City £525,000 for Welsh winger David Phillips. 3 August 1989 – Nottingham Forest pay Leeds United £650,000 for Republic of Ireland midfielder John Sheridan. 7 August 1989 – Everton sign Aston Villa defender Martin Keown for £750,000. 14 August 1989 – Adrian Heath returns to English football after less than a year in Spain when he joins Aston Villa from Espanyol for £360,000. 18 August 1989 – Property tycoon Michael Knighton agrees to buy control of Manchester United in a deal which is believed to be
2000–01 Aston Villa F.C. season a top-six finish. The arrival of Croatian striker Boško Balaban at the end of the season gave fans renewed hope that next season might deliver more success. "Aston Villa's score comes first" 2000–01 Aston Villa F.C. season During the 2000–01 English football season, Aston Villa competed in the Premier League (known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons). Another season of decent (but rarely exciting) form saw Villa secure another top-10 finish, though this time they dipped slightly into eighth place after occupying sixth place a year earlier. Villa proved themselves as one of the hardest Premiership teams to