# 1902–03 Football League

The 1902–03 season was the 15th season of The Football League.

## Final league tables

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

| 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 | Relegation to the Second Division |

### Results

| 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 | |

### Maps
## Second Division

| 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 | Re-elected |

### Results

| 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 | |
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