The 1902–03 season was Burslem Port Vale's fifth consecutive season (ninth overall) of football in the Football League.[1] Finishing in ninth place for the second time in three years, it would take just over two decades for the club to again reach the heights of a top ten second tier finish. Their success was down mainly due to their home form, and in fact a club record 29 away games without a win began on 17 January 1903. Adrian Capes would become the club's top scorer for the third successive season.
Overview
Right-half
Lucien Boullemier retired in October 1902 to concentrate on his pottery, he enjoyed a benefit match.
Second Division
The pre-season saw tough-tackling left-back Arthur Hartshorne arrive from Wolverhampton Wanderers, whilst left-half W. Perkins and forward William Loverseed both arrived from Newark. In September, experienced right-half Arthur Rowley arrived from Bristol Rovers.
Vale had an awful start to the season, winning just one of their first ten games. However this run ended with five wins in their following seven games to take them back to the safety of mid-table. Their 4–2 win over Blackpool at Bloomfield Road on 3 January 1903 was their last away win until the 1904–05 season. Their finish to 1902–03 was strong, winning their last seven home games. However they finished with 34 points from 34 games, seventeen points from the promotion zones, and nine points clear of the re-election zones.
Adrian Capes was top scorer with eighteen goals in 37 games, missing just one league game. Goalkeeper Harry Cotton played 36 games; Billy Heames, W. Perkins, Ernest Mullineux, Arthur Hartshorne, Bert Eardley, Arthur Rowley, George Price, and William Loverseed were all constant figures in the first eleven. At the end of the campaign all the major players were kept on, with no big signings made.[1]
Finances
A financially difficult season, in March 1903 the directors decided to sell defenders Arthur Hartshorne and Ted Holdcroft to Stoke for over £500.[1] This gave the club a profit of £112 on the campaign.[1] Poor attendance figures saw gate income fall by £200 from the previous season.[1] The club's debt was totalled at £171,[1] and subsequently the club's reserve side was moved from The Football Combination to the North Staffordshire League to save on travel costs.[1]
Cup competitions
In cup competitions, Vale performed poorly, falling at the first hurdle in the Staffordshire Senior Cup, Birmingham Senior Cup, and Bass Charity Vase. Losing to rivals Stoke in the county cups: 2–0 at home in the Birmingham Cup, and 5–3 away in the Staffordshire Cup replay following a 1–1 draw at home. In the Charity Vase they were conquered by Second Division rivals Burton United 5–1 away in a replay, following a 1–1 draw at home. The club failed to qualify for the FA Cup, after losing 2–1 away at St. Helens Recreation's short, sloped, boggy pitch.[1]
Final league table
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against;
GA = Goal average; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
Results
Burslem Port Vale's score comes first
Legend
Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 |
Ground | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | | H | H | A | A | H | A | H |
Result | D | D | L | W | L | D | L | L | D | L | W | W | W | L | W | D | W | D | L | W | L | W | L | L | W | D | W | W | L | L | W | D | L | W |
Position | 8 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
Sourced from Statto.[2]
Football League Second Division
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
6 September 1902 | Blackpool | H | 1–1 | 3,200 | Capes |
8 September 1902 | Preston North End | H | 0–0 | 2,000 | |
13 September 1902 | Woolwich Arsenal | A | 0–3 | 12,000 | |
20 September 1902 | Doncaster Rovers | H | 3–0 | 2,000 | Cook, Loverseed, Capes |
27 September 1902 | Lincoln City | A | 1–4 | 3,000 | D.Simpson |
4 October 1902 | Small Heath | H | 2–2 | 4,000 | Perkins, Croxton |
11 October 1902 | Leicester Fosse | A | 0–2 | 1,000 | |
18 October 1902 | Manchester City | H | 1–4 | 5,000 | Croxton |
25 October 1902 | Burnley | A | 3–3 | 1,200 | Eardley, Rowley, Holdcroft (pen) |
8 November 1902 | Chesterfield | A | 0–3 | 2,000 | |
10 November 1902 | Stockport County | H | 3–1 | 1,000 | Heames, Hartshorne, Eardley |
22 November 1902 | Gainsborough Trinity | H | 3–1 | | Capes (2), Eardley |
6 December 1902 | Bristol City | H | 2–0 | 2,000 | Eardley, Loverseed |
9 December 1902 | Glossop | A | 1–2 | 3,000 | Heames |
13 December 1902 | Stockport County | A | 4–0 | | Capes (3), Price |
20 December 1902 | Manchester United | H | 1–1 | 2,000 | Price |
3 January 1903 | Blackpool | A | 5–2 | 1,000 | Loverseed (2), Capes, Hartshorne, Price |
10 January 1903 | Woolwich Arsenal | H | 1–1 | 4,000 | Price |
17 January 1903 | Doncaster Rovers | A | 2–3 | 3,000 | Capes, Eardley |
24 January 1903 | Lincoln City | H | 5–1 | 2,000 | Capes (3), Price (2) |
31 January 1903 | Small Heath | A | 1–5 | 3,000 | Price |
7 February 1903 | Leicester Fosse | H | 2–0 | 1,000 | Eardley, Capes |
14 February 1903 | Manchester City | A | 1–7 | 12,000 | Hartshorne |
28 February 1903 | Preston North End | A | 1–5 | 3,000 | Mullineux |
7 March 1903 | Chesterfield | H | 2–1 | 800 | Rowley, o.g. |
21 March 1903 | Gainsborough Trinity | A | 1–1 | 3,000 | Capes |
28 March 1903 | Burton United | H | 4–2 | 500 | Eardley, unknown, Capes, unknown |
30 March 1903 | Burnley | H | 3–1 | | Loverseed, Price, T.Simpson |
4 April 1903 | Bristol City | A | 0–3 | 2,000 | |
10 April 1903 | Barnsley | A | 0–1 | 4,000 | |
11 April 1903 | Glossop | H | 1–0 | 2,000 | Price |
13 April 1903 | Burton United | A | 0–0 | | |
18 April 1903 | Manchester United | A | 1–2 | 8,000 | Rushton |
20 April 1903 | Barnsley | H | 2–0 | | Rushton, Capes |
FA Cup
Birmingham Senior Cup
1 | 29 September 1902 | Stoke | H | 0–2 | 3,000 | |
Staffordshire Senior Cup
Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
1 | 22 September 1902 | Stoke | H | 1–1 | | unknown |
2 | 6 October 1902 | Stoke | A | 3–5 | | unknown |
Bass Charity Vase
Player statistics
Appearances
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Scorers
All competitions
League
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Transfers
Transfers in
Transfers out
References
- Specific
- General
- Kent, Jeff (1993). The Port Vale Record 1879-1993. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9508981-9-8.
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