1902–03 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season

The 1902–03 season was Burslem Port Vale's fifth consecutive season (ninth overall) of football in the English Football League.[1] Finishing in ninth place for the second time in three years, it would take just over two decades for the club again to 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.

Burslem Port Vale
1902–03 season
ChairmanRobert Audley
ManagerSam Gleaves
StadiumAthletic Ground
Football League Second Division9th (34 Points)
FA CupFourth Qualification Round
(knocked out by St. Helens Recreation)
Birmingham Senior CupFirst Round
(knocked out by Stoke)
Staffordshire Senior CupFirst Round
(knocked out by Stoke)
Bass Charity VaseFirst Round
(knocked out by Burton United)
Top goalscorerLeague: Adrian Capes (16)
All: Adrian Capes (18)
Highest home attendance5,000 vs Manchester City, 18 October 1902
Lowest home attendance500 vs Burton United, 28 March 1903
Average home league attendance2,250+
Biggest win4–0 and 5–1
Biggest defeat1–7 vs. Manchester City, 14 February 1903

Overview

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Right-back Ernest Mullineux played 34 games for the club in all competitions.
 
Loyal Valeite Bert Eardley was a key first team member.
 
Winger Billy Heames missed just one game in the league.
 
George Price was an important player yet again.
 
Top scorer Adrian Capes.
 
Danny Simpson had his last season with the club.
 
Right-half Lucien Boullemier retired in October 1902 to concentrate on his pottery, he enjoyed a benefit match.
 
Half-back Harry Croxton.
 
Albert Cook played a cameo role.

Second Division

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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 mid-table safety. 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 XI. At the end of the campaign, all the major players were kept on, and no big signings were made.[1]

Finances

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In 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 team was moved from The Football Combination to the North Staffordshire League to save on travel costs.[1]

Cup competitions

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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]

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
7 Preston North End 34 13 10 11 56 40 1.400 36
8 Barnsley 34 13 8 13 55 51 1.078 34
9 Burslem Port Vale 34 13 8 13 57 62 0.919 34
10 Lincoln City 34 12 6 16 46 53 0.868 30
11 Glossop 34 11 7 16 43 57 0.754 29
Source: [citation needed]

Results

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Burslem Port Vale's score comes first

Football League Second Division

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Results by matchday

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Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
GroundHHAHAHAHAAHHHAAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAH
ResultDDLWLDLLDLWWWLWDWDLWLWLLWDWWLLWDLW
Position881391312131513141299988889898101210999998999
Source: Statto[2]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches

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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

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
3Q 1 November 1902 Stalybridge Rovers H 3–1 Eardley, Price, Capes
4Q 15 November 1902 St. Helens Recreation A 1–2 8,000 Capes

Birmingham Senior Cup

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1 29 September 1902 Stoke H 0–2 3,000

Staffordshire Senior Cup

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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

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
1 9 March 1902 Burton United H 1–1 poor Eardley
Replay 18 March 1902 Burton United A 1–5 Coxon

Player statistics

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Top scorers

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Place Position Nation Name Second Division FA Cup Other Total
1 FW   England Adrian Capes 14 3 0 17
2 FW Tom Simpson 11 4 0 15
3 FW   England George Price 6 1 0 7
4 MF   England Tom Coxon 4 0 0 4
MF   England Billy Heames 2 2 0 4
6 FW   England Dick Allman 3 0 0 3
MF   England Bert Eardley 2 0 0 3
8 MF   England Arthur Rowley 2 0 0 2
MF W. Perkins 2 0 0 2
FW   England Harry Mountford 2 0 0 2
MF   England Joseph Holyhead 1 1 0 2
12 MF   England Harry Croxton 1 0 0 1
DF   England Ernest Mullineux 1 0 0 1
FW   England William Loverseed 1 0 0 1
Own goals 2 0 0 2
Unknown 0 0 1 1
TOTALS 54 12 1 67

Transfers

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Transfers in

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Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.
May 1902 MF W. Perkins Newark Free transfer [3]
June 1902 DF   Arthur Hartshorne Wolverhampton Wanderers Free transfer [3]
June 1902 FW   William Loverseed Newark Free transfer [3]
September 1902 MF   Arthur Rowley Bristol Rovers Free transfer [3]
January 1903 MF   George Rushton Barrow Free transfer [3]
February 1903 FW   Edward Williams East Vale Free transfer [3]
March 1903 DF   James Hamilton Burslem Town Free transfer [3]
April 1903 FW   Dick Allman Burslem Higherhave Free transfer [3]

Transfers out

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Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.
September 1902 DF   Lucien Boullemier   Philadelphia Hibernian Released [3]
March 1903 DF   Ted Holdcroft Stoke £500 [3]
April 1903 DF   Arthur Hartshorne Stoke Unknown [3]
Summer 1903 MF Arthur Bourne Released [3]
Summer 1903 DF   Duncan Cooper Released [3]
Summer 1903 DF Tom Davies Released [3]
Summer 1903 FW Leonard Jones Released [3]
Summer 1903 MF   George Rushton Brighton & Hove Albion Free transfer [3]
Summer 1903 FW   Danny Simpson Released [3]

References

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Specific
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Kent, Jeff (1990). "The Hopeless Struggle (1898-1907)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 50–70. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
  2. ^ Port Vale 1902–1903 : Results & Fixtures Archived 19 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
General