Football League Fourth Division 1989/90
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Notes |
| 1st | Exeter City | 46 | 28 | 5 | 13 | 83 | 48 | +35 | 89 | ▲Champions |
| 2nd | Grimsby Town | 46 | 22 | 13 | 11 | 70 | 47 | +23 | 79 | ▲Runners Up |
| 3rd | Southend United | 46 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 61 | 48 | +13 | 75 | ▲Promoted |
| 4th | Stockport County | 46 | 21 | 11 | 14 | 68 | 62 | +6 | 74 | ♦Playoffs |
| 5th | Maidstone United | 46 | 22 | 7 | 17 | 77 | 61 | +16 | 73 | ♦Playoffs |
| 6th | Cambridge United | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 86 | 66 | +20 | 73 | ♦▲PO Winners |
| 7th | Chesterfield | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 63 | 50 | +13 | 71 | ♦Playoffs |
| 8th | Carlisle United | 46 | 21 | 8 | 17 | 61 | 50 | +11 | 71 | - |
| 9th | Peterborough United | 46 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 59 | 46 | +13 | 68 | - |
| 10th | Lincoln City | 46 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 48 | 48 | 0 | 68 | - |
| 11th | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 69 | 54 | +15 | 66 | - |
| 12th | Rochdale | 46 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 52 | 55 | -3 | 66 | - |
| 13th | York City | 46 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 55 | 53 | +2 | 64 | - |
| 14th | Gillingham | 46 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 46 | 48 | -2 | 62 | - |
| 15th | Torquay United | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 53 | 66 | -13 | 57 | - |
| 16th | Burnley | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 45 | 55 | -10 | 56 | - |
| 17th | Hereford United | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 56 | 62 | -6 | 55 | - |
| 18th | Scarborough | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 60 | 73 | -13 | 55 | - |
| 19th | Hartlepool United | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 66 | 88 | -22 | 55 | - |
| 20th | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 53 | 60 | -7 | 51 | - |
| 21st | Wrexham | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 51 | 67 | -16 | 51 | - |
| 22nd | Aldershot | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 49 | 69 | -20 | 50 | - |
| 23rd | Halifax Town | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 57 | 65 | -8 | 49 | - |
| 24th | Colchester United | 46 | 11 | 10 | 25 | 48 | 75 | -27 | 43 | ▼Relegated |
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Football League Fourth Division Playoffs |
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Semi Finals 1st Leg |
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| Date | Home | Score | Away |
| Sun May 13 | Cambridge United | 1-1 | Maidstone United |
| Sun May 13 | Chesterfield | 4-0 | Stockport County |
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Semi Finals 2nd Leg |
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| Wed May 16 | Maidstone United | 0-2 | Cambridge United |
| Cambridge United Won 3-1 on aggregate | |||
| Wed May 16 | Stockport County | 0-2 | Chesterfield |
| Chesterfield Won 6-0 on aggregate | |||
| Final | |||
| Sat May 26 | Cambridge United | 1-0 | Chesterfield |
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End of Season Notes |
| ▼Cardiff City were Relegated from the Third Division |
| ▼Northampton Town were Relegated from the Third Division |
| ▼Blackpool were Relegated from the Third Division |
| ▼Walsall were Relegated from the Third Division |
| ▲Exeter City were Promoted to the Third Division |
| ▲Grimsby Town were Promoted to the Third Division |
| ▲Southend United were Promoted to the Third Division |
| ♦ Stockport County Qualified for the Playoffs |
| ♦ Maidstone United Qualified for the Playoffs |
| ♦ Cambridge United Qualified for the Playoffs |
| ♦ Chesterfield Qualified for the Playoffs |
| ♦▲Cambridge United were Promoted to the Third Division via the Playoffs |
| ▼Colchester United were automatically Relegated to the Conference after finishing bottom of the Football League |
| ▲Darlington were Promoted from the Football Conference |