Promoted
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exeter City | 46 | 28 | 5 | 13 | 83 | 48 | 35 | 89 | pr |
| 2 | Grimsby Town | 46 | 22 | 13 | 11 | 70 | 47 | 23 | 79 | pr |
| 3 | Southend United | 46 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 61 | 48 | 13 | 75 | pr |
| 4 | Stockport County | 46 | 21 | 11 | 14 | 68 | 62 | 6 | 74 | pl |
| 5 | Maidstone United | 46 | 22 | 7 | 17 | 77 | 61 | 16 | 73 | pl |
| 6 | Cambridge United | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 76 | 66 | 10 | 73 | ppl |
| 7 | Chesterfield | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 63 | 50 | 13 | 71 | pl |
| 8 | Carlisle United | 46 | 21 | 8 | 17 | 61 | 60 | 1 | 71 | |
| 9 | Peterborough United | 46 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 59 | 46 | 13 | 68 | |
| 10 | Lincoln City | 46 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 48 | 48 | 0 | 68 | |
| 11 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 69 | 54 | 15 | 66 | |
| 12 | Rochdale | 46 | 20 | 6 | 20 | 52 | 55 | -3 | 66 | |
| 13 | York City | 46 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 55 | 53 | 2 | 64 | |
| 14 | Gillingham | 46 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 46 | 48 | -2 | 62 | |
| 15 | Torquay United | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 53 | 66 | -13 | 57 | |
| 16 | Burnley | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 45 | 55 | -10 | 56 | |
| 17 | Hereford United | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 56 | 62 | -6 | 55 | |
| 18 | Scarborough | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 60 | 73 | -13 | 55 | |
| 19 | Hartlepool United | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 66 | 88 | -22 | 55 | |
| 20 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 53 | 60 | -7 | 51 | |
| 21 | Wrexham | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 51 | 67 | -16 | 51 | |
| 22 | Aldershot | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 49 | 69 | -20 | 50 | |
| 23 | Halifax Town | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 57 | 65 | -8 | 49 | |
| 24 | Colchester United | 46 | 11 | 10 | 25 | 48 | 75 | -27 | 43 | r |
| Date | Opponent | Score | Att. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 July 1989 | Away | Arsenal | Friendly | 1–2 | L | 0 | → |
| 22 July 1989 | Away | Witham Town | Friendly | 2–2 | D | 0 | → |
| 25 July 1989 | Away | Saffron Walden T | Friendly | 4–0 | W | 0 | → |
| 29 July 1989 | Away | Chelmsford City | Friendly | 1–2 | L | 0 | → |
| 31 July 1989 | Away | Grays Athletic | Friendly | 2–2 | D | 0 | → |
| 2 August 1989 | Away | Basildon Utd | Friendly | 5–2 | W | 0 | → |
| 5 August 1989 | Away | Fisher Athletic | Friendly | 1–4 | L | 0 | → |
| 8 August 1989 | Home | Ipswich Town | Friendly | 0–3 | L | 0 | → |
| 11 August 1989 | Home | Portsmouth | Friendly | 2–1 | W | 0 | → |
| 18 August 1989 | Home | York City | League | 2–0 | W | 2725 | → |
| 22 August 1989 | Away | Colchester United | League Cup | 4–3 | W | 3537 | → |
| 26 August 1989 | Away | Wrexham | League | 3–3 | D | 2011 | → |
| 29 August 1989 | Home | Colchester United | League Cup | 2–1 | W | 3763 | → |
| 1 September 1989 | Home | Hartlepool United | League | 3–0 | W | 2793 | → |
| 9 September 1989 | Away | Aldershot | League | 5–0 | W | 2255 | → |
| 15 September 1989 | Home | Torquay United | League | 1–0 | W | 7070 | → |
| 20 September 1989 | Away | Tottenham Hotspur | League Cup | 0–1 | L | 15734 | → |
| 22 September 1989 | Away | Doncaster Rovers | League | 1–0 | W | 2386 | → |
| 26 September 1989 | Away | Gillingham | League | 0–5 | L | 3842 | → |
| 30 September 1989 | Home | Lincoln City | League | 2–0 | W | 4833 | → |
| 4 October 1989 | Home | Tottenham Hotspur | League Cup | 3–2 | W | 10418 | → |
| 7 October 1989 | Home | Scarborough | League | 1–0 | W | 3432 | → |
| 14 October 1989 | Away | Hereford United | League | 3–0 | W | 2975 | → |
| 16 October 1989 | Away | Stockport County | League | 0–1 | L | 6591 | → |
| 21 October 1989 | Home | Maidstone United | League | 0–1 | L | 4016 | → |
| 28 October 1989 | Away | Chesterfield | League | 1–1 | D | 3096 | → |
| 31 October 1989 | Home | Burnley | League | 3–2 | W | 3765 | → |
| 4 November 1989 | Home | Peterborough Utd | League | 0–0 | D | 4895 | → |
| 7 November 1989 | Home | Gillingham | Trophy | 1–0 | W | 1650 | → |
| 10 November 1989 | Away | Halifax Town | League | 2–1 | W | 1908 | → |
| 18 November 1989 | Away | Aylesbury | FA Cup | 0–1 | L | 4043 | → |
| 24 November 1989 | Home | Cambridge United | League | 0–0 | D | 4068 | → |
| 26 November 1989 | Away | Gt Wakering Rov | Friendly | 5–1 | W | 0 | → |
| 2 December 1989 | Away | Scunthorpe United | League | 1–1 | D | 3714 | → |
| 8 December 1989 | Home | Leyton Orient | Friendly | 0–0 | D | 0 | → |
| 12 December 1989 | Away | Cambridge United | Trophy | 3–3 | D | 1304 | → |
| 19 December 1989 | Away | Grimsby Town | League | 0–2 | L | 4001 | → |
| 21 December 1989 | Away | Tottenham Hotspur | Friendly | 5–1 | W | 0 | → |
| 26 December 1989 | Home | Colchester United | League | 0–2 | L | 5563 | → |
| 30 December 1989 | Home | Exeter City | League | 1–2 | L | 3761 | → |
| 1 January 1990 | Away | Rochdale | League | 1–0 | W | 1521 | → |
| 4 January 1990 | Away | Charlton Athletic | Friendly | 1–2 | L | 0 | → |
| 6 January 1990 | Away | Carlisle United | League | 0–3 | L | 6196 | → |
| 12 January 1990 | Home | Wrexham | League | 2–1 | W | 3005 | → |
| 17 January 1990 | Home | Northampton Town | Trophy | 2–1 | W | 1346 | → |
| 20 January 1990 | Away | York City | League | 1–2 | L | 2397 | → |
| 27 January 1990 | Home | Aldershot | League | 5–0 | W | 2821 | → |
| 30 January 1990 | Away | Walsall | Trophy | 1–4 | L | 2255 | → |
| 2 February 1990 | Home | Doncaster Rovers | League | 2–0 | W | 3174 | → |
| 6 February 1990 | Away | Torquay United | League | 0–3 | L | 2007 | → |
| 13 February 1990 | Away | Hartlepool United | League | 1–1 | D | 3628 | → |
| 16 February 1990 | Home | Scunthorpe United | League | 0–0 | D | 3154 | → |
| 22 February 1990 | Home | Arsenal | Friendly | 2–4 | L | 0 | → |
| 25 February 1990 | Away | Cambridge United | League | 1–2 | L | 4573 | → |
| 3 March 1990 | Home | Carlisle United | League | 2–0 | W | 3465 | → |
| 7 March 1990 | Away | Lincoln City | League | 0–2 | L | 4860 | → |
| 9 March 1990 | Home | Gillingham | League | 2–0 | W | 4514 | → |
| 17 March 1990 | Away | Scarborough | League | 1–1 | D | 2179 | → |
| 20 March 1990 | Home | Hereford United | League | 2–0 | W | 2669 | → |
| 23 March 1990 | Home | Stockport County | League | 2–0 | W | 3917 | → |
| 31 March 1990 | Away | Maidstone United | League | 0–1 | L | 3550 | → |
| 2 April 1990 | Away | Southend Boro. Com. | Friendly | 7–0 | W | 0 | → |
| 7 April 1990 | Home | Chesterfield | League | 0–1 | L | 2892 | → |
| 10 April 1990 | Away | Burnley | League | 0–0 | D | 3967 | → |
| 14 April 1990 | Home | Rochdale | League | 3–2 | W | 2464 | → |
| 16 April 1990 | Away | Colchester United | League | 2–0 | W | 5283 | → |
| 20 April 1990 | Home | Grimsby Town | League | 0–2 | L | 4945 | → |
| 25 April 1990 | Away | Exeter City | League | 1–2 | L | 8271 | → |
| 27 April 1990 | Home | Halifax Town | League | 2–0 | W | 3650 | → |
| 2 May 1990 | Home | Chelsea | Friendly | 0–3 | L | 0 | → |
| 2 May 1990 | Home | Ex-Blues v. All Stars | Friendly | 1–1 | D | 0 | → |
| 5 May 1990 | Away | Peterborough Utd | League | 2–1 | W | 4829 | → |