# 1903–04 Aberdeen F.C. season

Aberdeen F.C. competed in the Northern League and Scottish Cup in the 1903–04 season.

## Overview

It was Aberdeen's first season in Scottish football, the club having been established in April 1903 following a merger of three local clubs, Orion, Victoria United and the original Aberdeen F.C. The new club failed to gain election to Division One of the Scottish Football League and did not apply to join Division Two. They were placed in the Northern League along with eleven other clubs from the north of Scotland. The club finished third in the league, but lost their first Scottish Cup tie to Alloa Athletic.

## Results
### Northern League

| Match Day | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| 1 | 15 August | Stenhousemuir | H | 1–1 | MacAulay | 8,000 |
| 2 | 22 August | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 2–4 | Own goal, D. MacKay | 3,500 |
| 3 | 29 August | St Johnstone | H | 5–1 | Shinner (2), D. MacKay (2), MacAulay | 7,000 |
| 4 | 12 September | Stenhousemuir | A | 1–1 | Shinner | 4,000 |
| 5 | 26 September | Arbroath | H | 1–2 | Shinner | 6,000 |
| 6 | 10 October | Dundee Wanderers | A | 2–0 | Johnston, C. Mackie | 2,000 |
| 7 | 24 October | Cowdenbeath | A | 1–3 | MacAulay | 3,000 |
| 8 | 31 October | Forfar Athletic | H | 3–1 | MacAulay, D. MacKay, C. Mackie | 4,000 |
| 9 | 7 November | Dundee Wanderers | H | 2–2 | D. MacKay, Johnston | 2,500 |
| 10 | 14 November | Montrose | H | 4–2 | Low (2), MacAulay (2) | 4,500 |
| 11 | 21 November | Montrose | A | 1–4 | D. MacKay | 1,000 |
| 12 | 28 November | Lochgelly United | H | 8–1 | Low, Barron, C. Mackie (3), MacAulay, Johnston (2) | 5,000 |
| 13 | 5 December | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 0–1 | | 5,500 |
| 14 | 12 December | Forfar Athletic | A | 6–2 | Shinner, Wishart, C. Mackie, MacAulay (2), Johnston | 2,000 |
| 15 | 26 December | Lochee United | A | 3–0 | Sangster, MacAulay, Johnston | 1,000 |
| 16 | 2 January | Dundee 'A' | A | 1–1 | MacAulay | 3,500 |
| 17 | 30 January | Dundee 'A' | H | 2–1 | Low, MacAulay | 2,000 |
| 18 | 6 February | Cowdenbeath | H | 3–2 | Low, D. MacKay, Barron | 2,500 |
| 19 | 20 February | Lochee United | H | 4–0 | C. Mackie (2), D. MacKay, Shinner | 2,000 |
| 20 | 19 March | Arbroath | A | 1–4 | Strang | 1,500 |
| 21 | 22 April | St Johnstone | A | 3–1 | C. Mackie, MacAulay, Shiach | 2,000 |
| 22 | 23 April | Lochgelly United | A | 1–3 | D. MacKay | 1,000 |

#### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Montrose | 22 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 54 | 25 | +29 | 32 |
| 2 | Arbroath | 22 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 43 | 45 | −2 | 28 |
| 3 | Aberdeen | 22 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 55 | 37 | +18 | 26 |
| 4 | Dundee Wanderers | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 45 | 35 | +10 | 25 |

### Scottish Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | Attendance |
| R1 | 23 January | Alloa Athletic | A | 1–2 | C. Mackie | 2,500 |

## Squad
### Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Northern League | Northern League | Scottish Cup | Scottish Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| | GK | SCO | Frank Barrett | 20 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | John Barron | 6 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | John Bonnar | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Martin Dorward | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | John Hannah | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | WG Johnston | 20 | 6 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Harry Low | 18 | 5 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Dave MacKay | 15 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Roddy McKay | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Charlie Mackie | 22 | 10 | 21 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| | FW | SCO | Jimmy Mackie | 10 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Willie McAulay (c) | 21 | 13 | 20 | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Frank McGregor | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Duncan McNichol | 17 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Jack Murphy | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Tom Owen | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Robert Ritchie | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | GK | SCO | Willie Ritchie | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Gowie Robertson | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | John Sangster | 12 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Alex Shiach | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | ENG | Bert Shinner | 14 | 6 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Tom Strang | 21 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Johnny Thomson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Sam Willox | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | John Wishart | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |

## Transfers
### Players in

| Date | Pos | Player | From | Fee | DOB | DOD |
| 4 May 1903 | FW | Willie McAulay | Middlesbrough | N/A | 1 November 1879 | 1935 (aged 55-56) |
| 8 June 1903 | DF | Frank McGregor | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 9 June 1903 | DF | Tom Strang | Bolton Wanderers | N/A | 20 October 1881 | 17 August 1947 (aged 65) |
| 10 June 1903 | GK | Willie Ritchie | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 10 June 1903 | DF | Robert Ritchie | N/A | N/A | 24 March 1876 | 26 April 1950 (aged 74) |
| 13 June 1903 | FW | Charlie Mackie | Aberdeen F.C. | N/A | 9 May 1880 | N/A |
| 17 June 1903 | DF | Jack Murphy | Aberdeen F.C. | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 18 June 1903 | DF | Sam Willox | Orion F.C. | N/A | 12 August 1881 | 1 April 1950 (aged 68) |
| 18 June 1903 | FW | Dave Mackay | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 18 June 1903 | FW | Alex Shiach | Aberdeen F.C. | N/A | 26 December 1879 | 1921 (aged 41 or 42) |
| 20 June 1903 | DF | John Sangster | Aberdeen F.C. | N/A | 4 May 1880 | N/A |
| 28 June 1903 | FW | WG Johnston | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2 July 1903 | DF | Harry Low | Orion F.C. | N/A | 15 August 1882 | 26 September 1920 (aged 38) |
| 15 July 1903 | GK | Frank Barrett | Dundee | N/A | 2 August 1872 | 22 March 1907 (aged 34) |
| 30 July 1903 | FW | Jimmy Mackie | Aberdeen F.C. | N/A | 19 August 1878 | 8 February 1913 (aged 34) |
| 26 August 1903 | FW | Bert Shinner | Middlesbrough | N/A | 9 September 1877 | 10 November 1921 (aged 44) |
| 22 September 1903 | DF | Johnny Thomson | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 23 September 1903 | DF | William Brebner | Aberdeen F.C. | N/A | 3 November 1881 | September 1942 (aged 60) |
| 28 September 1903 | DF | Duncan McNicol | Woolwich Arsenal | N/A | 16 January 1874 | 5 March 1949 (aged 75) |
| 6 October 1903 | FW | John Barron | Aberdeen F.C. | N/A | 17 February 1879 | 24 July 1908 (aged 29) |
| 30 October 1903 | FW | Roddy McKay | Aberdeen F.C. | N/A | 16 May 1885 | N/A |
| 12 November 1903 | DF | Gowie Robertson | Aberdeen F.C. | £5 | 19 November 1879 | 27 July 1929 (aged 49) |
| 4 December 1903 | FW | Martin Dorward | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 18 December 1903 | FW | Tom Owen | N/A | N/A | 30 July 1881 | N/A |
| December 1903 | FW | John Wishart | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 16 January 1904 | FW | John Bonnar | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2 March 1904 | DF | John Hannah | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |