# 1902–03 Aston Villa F.C. season

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.
During the season Howard Spencer and Albert Evans shared the captaincy of the club. 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. Billy Garraty, great-great grandfather of Jack Grealish, made 30 appearances during the season.
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:
   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) .

## 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. They won all five and thus had nine consecutive home wins to end the season.

## Football League

| Pos | Teamvte | 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 | Relegation to the Second Division |

## First team squad

* Alf Wood, 35 appearances
* Billy George, 33 appearances, conceded 35
* Alex Leake, 32 appearances
* Howard Spencer, 31 appearances
* Billy Garraty, 30 appearances
* Joe Bache, 28 appearances
* Jasper McLuckie, 24 appearances
* George Johnson, 24 appearances
* Tommy Niblo, 21 appearances
* Albert Wilkes, 21 appearances
* Billy Brawn, 20 appearances
* Willie Clarke, 20 appearances
* Micky Noon, 20 appearances
* Albert Evans, 18 appearances
* Joe Pearson, 17 appearances
* Jack Shutt, 15 appearances
* Bobby Templeton, 11 appearances
* Harry Cooch, 5 appearances, conceded 12
* George Harris, 4 appearances
* Tom Perry, 4 appearances
* NEW Harry Griffin, 1 appearance
* NEW Albert Fisher, 1 appearance
* Oscar Evans, 2 appearances
* NEW Arthur Lockett, 1 appearances