Aston Villa
1902–03 season
ChairmanEngland Frederick Rinder
ManagerScotland George Ramsay
First Division2nd
FA CupSemi-finals

The 1902–03 Football League season was Aston Villa's 15th season in the First Division, the top flight of English football at the time. The season fell in what was to be called Villa's golden era.[1]

During the season Howard Spencer and Albert Evans shared the captaincy of the club.[2] Spencer returned, having taken the 1901–02 season off in order to rest his knee and ankle for twelve months in the hope of recovering from an injury.[3] Billy Garraty, great-great grandfather of Jack Grealish, made 30 appearances during the season.[4][5]

Alex Leake joined Aston Villa from Small Heath in July 1902, when he was 31, and stayed five years. In a 1901 profile in the Daily Express, C.B. Fry wrote:[6]

Leake is one of the best half-backs of the day; he is a character, and very popular. Fast, with exceptional stamina, he is on the go all the game through; yet never tires.

Other debuts were Arthur Lockett, Albert Fisher, Oscar Evans and Harry Griffin (1) .[7]

Fortress Villa Park

In Villa's first home game of 1903 they beat Forest 3-1. Two weeks later they beat Blackburn 5-0 at home. The next home tie was in the FA Cup with Villa beating Sunderland 4-1. In February Villa beat Barnsley 4-1, also a home tie in the FA Cup. April 1903 saw five home fixtures for Villa.[8] They won all five and thus had nine consecutive home wins to end the season.[9][10][11][12][13]

Football League

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Relegation
1 The Wednesday (C) 34 19 4 11 54 36 1.500 42
2 Aston Villa 34 19 3 12 61 40 1.525 41
3 Sunderland 34 16 9 9 51 36 1.417 41
4 Sheffield United 34 17 5 12 58 44 1.318 39
5 Liverpool 34 17 4 13 68 49 1.388 38
6 Stoke 34 15 7 12 46 38 1.211 37
7 West Bromwich Albion 34 16 4 14 54 53 1.019 36
8 Bury 34 16 3 15 54 43 1.256 35
9 Derby County 34 16 3 15 50 47 1.064 35
10 Nottingham Forest 34 14 7 13 49 47 1.043 35
11 Wolverhampton Wanderers 34 14 5 15 48 57 0.842 33
12 Everton 34 13 6 15 45 47 0.957 32
13 Middlesbrough 34 14 4 16 41 50 0.820 32
14 Newcastle United 34 14 4 16 41 51 0.804 32
15 Notts County 34 12 7 15 41 49 0.837 31
16 Blackburn Rovers 34 12 5 17 44 63 0.698 29
17 Grimsby Town (R) 34 8 9 17 43 62 0.694 25 Relegation to the Second Division
18 Bolton Wanderers (R) 34 8 3 23 37 73 0.507 19
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated

First team squad

References

  1. ↑ "Aston Villa Club History 1900 – 1939". AVFC.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 August 2006. Retrieved 28 October 2007.
  2. 1 2 AVFC History: 1902-03 season
  3. ↑ "Twelve months rest for Howard Spencer". Dundee Evening Post. 3 July 1901. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  4. ↑ Kendrick, Mat (26 May 2015). "Aston Villa v Arsenal: This 1905 FA Cup winner is related to a current Villa star – find out who". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  5. ↑ "Player info: William Garraty". Englandstats.com. Davey Naylor. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  6. ↑ Fry, C.B. (26 October 1901). "Football Gossip. The Small Heath Club and its members. How they play". Daily Express. p. 8.
  7. ↑ "Aston Villa's Seasons". AVFC History.
  8. ↑ https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/all-the-matches
  9. ↑ 4 April 1903 Villa 3-1 Wolves
  10. ↑ 13 April Villa 2-0 Stoke
  11. ↑ 15 Apr Villa 2-1 Notts County
  12. ↑ 18 Apr Villa 4-2 Sheffield United
  13. ↑ 27 Apr Villa 5-0 Middlesbrough
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