The 190203 season was the 15th season of The Football League.

The Football League
Season1902–03
ChampionsThe Wednesday
RelegatedDoncaster Rovers

Final league tables

edit

Beginning in the 1894–95 season, clubs finishing level on points were separated according to goal average (goals scored divided by goals conceded). In case one or more teams had the same goal difference, this system favoured those teams who had scored fewer goals. The goal average system was eventually scrapped beginning with the 1976–77 season.

During the first six seasons of the league, (up to the 1893–94 season), re-election process concerned the clubs which finished in the bottom four of the league. From the 1894–95 season and until the 1920–21 season the re-election process was required of the clubs which finished in the bottom three of the league.

First Division

edit
First Division
Season1902–03
ChampionsThe Wednesday
1st English title
RelegatedGrimsby Town
Bolton Wanderers
Matches played306
Goals scored885 (2.89 per match)
Top goalscorerSam Raybould
(31 goals)
Biggest home winAston Villa 7–0 Newcastle United
(29 November 1902)
Liverpool 9–2 Grimsby Town
(6 December 1902)
Biggest away winNottingham Forest 1–4 The Wednesday
(1 November 1902)
Highest scoringLiverpool 9–2 Grimsby Town
(6 December 1902)
Longest winning run6 matches
West Bromwich Albion
Longest unbeaten run13 matches
Sunderland
Longest losing run10 matches
Bolton Wanderers
Highest attendance50,000
Aston Villa 0–3 West Bromwich Albion
(1 November 1902)
Lowest attendance500
Derby County 2–2 Grimsby Town
(22 April 1903)
Average attendance11,656

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

Results

edit
Home \ Away AST BLB BOL BRY DER EVE GRI LIV MID NEW NOT NTC SHU STK SUN WED WBA WOL
Aston Villa 5–0 4–2 2–2 0–0 2–1 2–2 1–2 5–0 7–0 3–1 2–1 4–2 2–0 0–1 1–0 0–3 3–1
Blackburn Rovers 0–2 4–2 0–3 2–4 3–2 2–0 3–1 0–1 3–1 2–2 1–2 2–0 1–1 0–2 2–1 1–0 1–0
Bolton Wanderers 0–1 1–2 1–0 2–0 1–3 0–1 1–1 2–1 0–2 1–1 0–1 1–0 2–3 2–0 0–2 0–1 4–1
Bury 0–1 1–1 3–0 1–0 4–2 2–1 3–1 3–1 1–0 3–1 3–1 3–1 2–1 3–1 4–0 1–2 4–0
Derby County 2–0 1–0 5–0 2–0 0–1 2–2 2–1 3–2 0–0 0–1 4–1 1–0 2–0 5–2 1–0 1–0 3–1
Everton 0–1 0–3 3–1 3–0 2–1 4–2 3–1 3–0 0–1 1–1 2–0 1–0 0–1 0–3 1–1 3–1 2–1
Grimsby Town 0–2 4–1 1–1 2–1 4–1 0–0 3–1 2–2 1–0 0–1 1–1 1–2 2–2 2–4 0–1 4–0 1–2
Liverpool 2–1 5–2 5–1 2–0 3–1 0–0 9–2 5–0 3–0 2–1 0–2 2–4 1–1 1–1 4–2 0–2 4–1
Middlesbrough 1–2 4–0 4–3 1–1 3–1 1–0 2–0 0–2 1–0 2–0 2–1 0–2 1–1 0–1 2–1 1–1 2–0
Newcastle United 2–0 1–0 2–0 1–0 2–1 3–0 1–0 1–2 0–1 0–2 6–1 0–0 5–0 1–0 3–0 1–0 2–4
Nottingham Forest 2–0 2–0 1–2 3–0 2–3 2–2 2–1 1–0 1–0 3–2 0–0 2–2 1–3 5–2 1–4 3–1 2–0
Notts County 2–1 4–0 1–3 1–0 2–1 2–0 0–1 1–2 2–0 2–2 1–1 1–1 3–0 0–0 0–3 3–1 0–0
Sheffield United 2–4 2–1 7–1 1–0 3–2 0–2 3–0 2–0 1–3 2–1 2–0 3–0 1–3 1–0 2–3 1–2 3–0
Stoke 1–0 0–2 2–0 1–0 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–0 0–2 5–0 3–2 0–2 0–1 1–1 4–0 3–0 3–0
Sunderland 1–0 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–0 2–1 5–1 2–1 2–1 0–0 0–1 2–1 0–0 0–0 0–1 0–0 3–0
The Wednesday 4–0 0–0 3–0 2–0 0–1 4–1 1–1 3–1 2–0 3–0 1–0 2–0 0–1 1–0 1–0 3–1 1–1
West Bromwich Albion 1–2 5–3 2–1 1–3 3–0 2–1 1–0 1–2 1–0 6–1 2–0 3–2 3–3 2–1 0–3 2–3 2–2
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–1 2–0 3–1 3–2 3–0 1–1 3–0 0–2 2–0 3–0 2–1 2–0 1–3 1–0 3–3 2–1 1–2
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [1]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Maps

edit

Second Division

edit
Football League
Second Division
Season1902–03
ChampionsManchester City (2nd title)
Failed re-electionDoncaster Rovers
Matches played306
Goals scored939 (3.07 per match)
Top goalscorerBillie Gillespie, (Manchester City), 30[1]
Biggest home winSmall HeathDoncaster Rovers 12–0 (11 Apr 1903)
Biggest away winBurton UnitedManchester City 0–5 (7 Mar 1903)
Highest scoringSmall HeathDoncaster Rovers 12–0 (11 Apr 1903)
Longest winning run6 matches
Manchester City (24 Jan 1903 – 7 Mar 1903)
Longest unbeaten run10 matches
Manchester City (17 Jan 1903 – 4 Apr 1903)
Woolwich Arsenal (27 Dec 1902 – 7 Mar 1903)
Longest losing run5 matches
Barnsley (11 Oct 1902 – 24 Nov 1902)
Stockport County (6 Dec 1902 – 1 Jan 1903)
Leicester Fosse (7 Feb 1903 – 7 Mar 1903)

Pos Team Pld HW HD HL HGF HGA AW AD AL AGF AGA GAv Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Manchester City 34 15 1 1 64 15 10 3 4 31 14 3.276 54 Division Champions, promoted
2 Small Heath 34 17 0 0 57 11 7 3 7 17 25 2.056 51 Promoted
3 Woolwich Arsenal 34 14 2 1 46 9 6 6 5 20 21 2.200 48
4 Bristol City 34 12 3 2 43 18 5 5 7 16 20 1.553 42
5 Manchester United 34 9 4 4 32 15 6 4 7 21 23 1.395 38
6 Chesterfield Town 34 11 4 2 43 10 3 5 9 24 30 1.675 37
7 Preston North End 34 10 5 2 39 12 3 5 9 17 28 1.400 36
8 Barnsley 34 9 4 4 32 13 4 4 9 23 38 1.078 34
9 Burslem Port Vale 34 11 5 1 36 16 2 3 12 21 46 0.919 34
10 Lincoln City 34 8 3 6 30 22 4 3 10 16 31 0.868 30
11 Glossop 34 9 1 7 26 19 2 6 9 17 38 0.754 29
12 Gainsborough Trinity 34 9 4 4 28 14 2 3 12 13 45 0.695 29
13 Burton United 34 9 4 4 26 20 2 3 12 13 39 0.661 29
14 Blackpool 34 7 5 5 32 24 2 5 10 12 35 0.746 28
15 Leicester Fosse 34 5 5 7 20 23 5 3 9 21 42 0.631 28
16 Doncaster Rovers 34 8 5 4 27 17 1 2 14 8 55 0.486 25 Failed re-election
17 Stockport County 34 6 4 7 26 24 1 2 14 12 50 0.514 20 Re-elected
18 Burnley 34 6 7 4 25 25 0 1 16 5 52 0.390 20
Source: [citation needed]

Results

edit
Home \ Away BAR BLP BRI BRN BPV BRT CHF DON GAI GLP LEI LIN MCI MUN PNE SMH STP WOO
Barnsley 6–0 2–0 3–0 1–0 4–0 2–2 2–0 2–3 0–1 1–2 0–0 0–3 0–0 3–0 3–0 2–1 1–1
Blackpool 3–3 0–1 2–0 2–5 3–3 2–1 4–0 4–0 2–2 2–0 2–3 0–3 2–0 2–2 0–1 2–0 0–0
Bristol City 3–3 0–1 3–0 3–0 3–1 2–1 4–2 1–0 1–1 6–1 0–2 3–2 3–1 2–1 1–1 7–1 1–0
Burnley 1–2 1–1 0–0 3–3 4–1 1–1 1–1 3–2 2–1 1–3 1–0 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–1 3–2 0–3
Burslem Port Vale 2–0 1–1 2–0 3–1 4–2 2–1 3–0 3–1 1–0 2–0 5–1 1–4 1–1 0–0 2–2 3–1 1–1
Burton United 1–1 2–0 0–3 0–0 0–0 1–0 1–0 3–0 2–1 2–3 2–2 0–5 3–1 2–1 0–1 5–1 2–1
Chesterfield 3–0 1–1 3–0 2–0 3–0 1–0 1–1 0–1 10–0 5–0 1–0 0–1 2–0 4–2 1–1 4–1 2–2
Doncaster Rovers 2–0 3–0 0–0 2–1 3–2 1–1 3–4 0–0 4–1 0–0 2–1 1–2 2–2 1–2 1–0 2–0 0–1
Gainsborough Trinity 1–2 0–0 2–1 3–0 1–1 3–1 3–2 3–0 1–1 5–1 4–0 0–3 0–1 1–0 1–0 0–0 0–1
Glossop 2–2 1–0 0–2 2–0 2–1 3–0 0–3 3–0 4–2 1–2 2–0 0–1 1–3 1–0 0–1 3–1 1–2
Leicester Fosse 1–2 2–1 2–2 2–1 2–0 0–1 0–2 0–1 4–1 3–2 0–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–3 0–2 0–2
Lincoln City 1–3 0–2 1–1 4–1 4–1 4–0 0–0 4–2 1–0 1–0 1–2 1–0 1–3 2–3 0–1 3–1 2–2
Manchester City 3–2 2–0 2–2 6–0 7–1 2–0 4–2 4–1 9–0 5–2 3–1 3–1 0–2 1–0 4–0 5–0 4–1
Manchester United 2–1 2–2 1–2 4–0 2–1 1–0 2–1 4–0 3–1 1–1 5–1 1–2 1–1 0–1 0–1 0–0 3–0
Preston North End 3–0 3–1 1–0 5–0 5–1 1–1 1–1 5–0 0–0 0–0 2–0 0–1 0–2 3–1 2–1 6–1 2–2
Small Heath 2–1 5–1 2–0 3–0 5–1 2–0 2–1 12–0 1–0 3–1 4–3 3–1 4–0 2–1 3–1 2–0 2–0
Stockport County 4–1 4–0 0–1 3–0 0–4 0–2 2–2 1–0 1–1 2–3 2–2 3–1 0–2 2–1 1–1 1–2 0–1
Woolwich Arsenal 4–0 2–1 2–1 5–1 3–0 3–0 3–0 3–0 6–1 0–0 0–0 2–1 1–0 0–1 3–1 6–1 3–1
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane’s, London & Sydney, 1980.
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Wikidata

Maps

edit

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "English League Leading Goalscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  • Ian Laschke: Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79. Macdonald and Jane's, London & Sydney, 1980.