The league was never styled 'the English League' as McGregor envisioned that Scottish clubs would one day wish to join. Meanwhile, in Villa's last pre-league FA Cup campaign, they reached the Fifth Round, beating Small Heath 4–0 on the way. This was their first meeting with modern rivals Birmingham City. Preston were a fine side and the match was billed as a clash between England's best teams. This prompted a then-record crowd of 27,000, which the police had some difficulty keeping off the pitch. With Preston leading 3–1 and chaos in the stadium, the clubs tried to calm things down by declaring the match a 'friendly'. However, the FA overruled the decision and decided that the result would stand. Villa, the holders, were out. Villa finished as runners-up to Preston's 'Invincibles' double-winning team in their first league season. Ignominy was suffered in the FA Cup, however, as Villa lost 8-1 to Blackburn Rovers. This still remains their heaviest ever defeat.