# 1903–04 Manchester City F.C. season

The 1903–04 season was Manchester City F.C.'s thirteenth season of league football and first season back in the top flight of English football. Following their promotion, City made an immediate challenge for the league championship, falling at the last hurdle but finishing creditably second. They did, however, take the FA Cup in the same season, winning their first major trophy of their existence and becoming the 19th winner in the trophy's 33rd year with a 1–0 victory over Bolton Wanderers.

## Football League First Division

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 1 | The Wednesday (C) | 34 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 48 | 28 | 1.714 | 47 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 34 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 71 | 45 | 1.578 | 44 |
| 3 | Everton | 34 | 19 | 5 | 10 | 59 | 32 | 1.844 | 43 |
| 4 | Newcastle United | 34 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 58 | 45 | 1.289 | 42 |
| 5 | Aston Villa | 34 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 70 | 48 | 1.458 | 41 |

### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
| 34 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 71 | 45 | 1.578 | 44 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 35 | 19 | 24 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 36 | 26 | 20 |
Source: rsssf.com

### Reports

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Venue | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 5 September 1903 | Stoke | A | Victoria Ground | 2 – 1 | Livingstone, ? (o.g.) | 16,000 |
| 12 September 1903 | Derby County | H | Hyde Road | 2 – 1 | Turnbull (2) | 28,000 |
| 19 September 1903 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | Hyde Road | 4 – 1 | Meredith, Turnbull (2), Booth | 25,000 |
| 26 September 1903 | Notts County | A | Trent Bridge | 3 – 0 | Hynds, Meredith, Pearson | 15,000 |
| 3 October 1903 | Sheffield United | H | Hyde Road | 0 – 1 | | 28,000 |
| 10 October 1903 | Newcastle United | A | St James' Park | 0 – 1 | | 19,730 |
| 17 October 1903 | Aston Villa | H | Hyde Road | 1 – 0 | Gillespie | 30,000 |
| 24 October 1903 | Middlesbrough | A | Ayresome Park | 0 – 6 | | 14,000 |
| 31 October 1903 | Liverpool | H | Hyde Road | 3 – 2 | Booth, Turnbull, Gillespie | 25,000 |
| 7 November 1903 | Bury | A | Gigg Lane | 3 – 1 | Gillespie (2), Meredith | 19,371 |
| 14 November 1903 | Blackburn Rovers | H | Hyde Road | 1 – 0 | Meredith | 20,000 |
| 21 November 1903 | Nottingham Forest | A | City Ground | 3 – 0 | Frost, Hynds, Gillespie | 12,000 |
| 28 November 1903 | The Wednesday | H | Hyde Road | 1 – 1 | Livingstone | 8,000 |
| 5 December 1903 | Sunderland | A | Roker Park | 1 – 1 | Hynds | 18,000 |
| 12 December 1903 | West Bromwich Albion | H | Hyde Road | 6 – 3 | Meredith (2), Gillespie (2), Turnbull, Livingstone | 14,000 |
| 19 December 1903 | Small Heath | A | Muntz Street | 3 – 0 | Turnbull (2), Gillespie | 12,000 |
| 26 December 1903 | Everton | H | Hyde Road | 1 – 3 | Gillespie | 28,000 |
| 28 December 1903 | Sheffield United | A | Bramall Lane | 3 – 5 | Gillespie (2), Threlfall | 35,000 |
| 1 January 1904 | Middlesbrough | H | Hyde Road | 1 – 1 | Meredith | 30,000 |
| 2 January 1904 | Stoke | H | Hyde Road | 2 – 2 | Frost, Turnbull | 16,000 |
| 9 January 1904 | Derby County | A | Baseball Ground | 3 – 2 | Gillespie (2), Meredith | 12,000 |
| 23 January 1904 | Notts County | H | Hyde Road | 3 – 0 | Gillespie, Booth, Frost | 15,000 |
| 13 February 1904 | Aston Villa | A | Villa Park | 1 – 0 | Gillespie | 16,000 |
| 27 February 1904 | Liverpool | A | Anfield | 2 – 2 | Gillespie, Hynds | 20,000 |
| 12 March 1904 | Blackburn Rovers | A | Ewood Park | 5 – 2 | Meredith (2), Dennison (2), Turnbull | 12,000 |
| 21 March 1904 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | Molineux | 6 – 1 | Livingstone (2), Gillespie (2), Meredith, Turnbull | 6,000 |
| 26 March 1904 | The Wednesday | A | Owlerton | 0 – 1 | | 25,000 |
| 1 April 1904 | Newcastle United | H | Hyde Road | 1 – 3 | Turnbull | 28,000 |
| 2 April 1904 | Sunderland | H | Hyde Road | 2 – 1 | Turnbull (2) | 15,000 |
| 9 April 1904 | West Bromwich Albion | A | The Hawthorns | 1 – 2 | Jones | 14,000 |
| 11 April 1904 | Bury | H | Hyde Road | 3 – 0 | Turnbull (2), Bannister | 10,000 |
| 13 April 1904 | Nottingham Forest | H | Hyde Road | 0 – 0 | | 10,000 |
| 16 April 1904 | Small Heath | H | Hyde Road | 4 – 0 | Bannister (2), J. Moffatt (2) | 15,000 |
| 24 April 1904 | Everton | A | Goodison Park | 0 – 1 | | 12,000 |

## FA Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Venue | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 6 February 1904 | First round | Sunderland | H | Hyde Road | 3 – 2 | Turnbull (2), Gillespie | 23,000 |
| 20 February 1904 | Second round | Woolwich Arsenal | A | Manor Ground | 2 – 0 | Turnbull, Booth | 30,000 |
| 5 March 1904 | Third round | Middlesbrough | H | Hyde Road | 0 – 0 | | 35,000 |
| 9 March 1904 | Third round replay | Middlesbrough | A | Ayresome Park | 3 – 1 | Livingstone, Gillespie, Turnbull | 33,000 |
| 19 March 1904 | Semi-final | The Wednesday | N | Goodison Park | 3 – 0 | Meredith, Gillespie, Turnbull | 53,000 |
| 23 April 1904 | Final | Bolton Wanderers | N | Crystal Palace | 1 – 0 | Meredith | 61,374 |

## Squad statistics
### Squad

Appearances for competitive matches only
| Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | John Edmondson | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| GK | Jack Hillman | 28 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| DF | Herbert Burgess | 27 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| DF | Tommy Hynds | 32 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 38 | 4 |
| FW | Jimmy Bannister | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
| FW | Frank Booth | 24 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 30 | 4 |
| FW | Billie Gillespie | 24 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 30 | 21 |
| FW | Lot Jones | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| FW | Billy Meredith | 34 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 40 | 13 |
| FW | Irvine Thornley | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| FW | Sandy Turnbull | 32 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 38 | 21 |
| -- | Sam Ashworth | 18 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| -- | Robert Davidson | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| -- | R. Dearden | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| -- | J. Dennison | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| -- | Jimmy Drummond | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| -- | Sammy Frost | 30 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 36 | 3 |
| -- | Billy Holmes | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| -- | Geordie Livingstone | 29 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 35 | 6 |
| -- | Billy Lyon | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| -- | McMahon | 27 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| -- | Willie McOustra | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| -- | Joe Moffatt | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| -- | Frank Norgrove | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| -- | Frank Pearson | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| -- | William Robinson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| -- | Percy Slater | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| -- | Fred Threlfall | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 |