The 1902–03 season was Stoke's 14th season in the Football League.
After two seasons of narrow escapes the 1902–03 season provided Stoke fans a welcome relief as they finished in sixth place and could have won the league but failed to win their last four fixtures.
Season review
League After a couple of desolate campaigns it did seem that the 1902–03 season would, bring some progress as the club attempted to build on a somewhat poor defence. A fine half-back was now taking shape with Tom Holford flanked by local players George Baddeley and James Bradley. This trio played together 74 times for Stoke at senior level and became a formidable midfield three. But perhaps the most significant signing at this time was that of 27-year-old inside-left Arthur Capes signed from Nottingham Forest. He became captain of the side and provided a useful number of goals for Stoke in his two seasons with the club. The directors also visited Scotland, again to sign Jack Forrest from Motherwell but after scoring twice on his debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers he was unable to settle in the Potteries and left for Bradford.
An ultimate sixth-place finish in the table does not exaggerate the work put in by both Cowlishaw and Austerberry for this was Stoke's best season so far in League football. In fact after a hard fought 0–0 away at Sunderland on Good Friday, Stoke were lying fourth and had a mathematical chance of taking the title. But they only won one of their remaining four games allowing Sheffield Wednesday to win the league.
FA Cup In the FA Cup Stoke accounted for Glossop and Nottingham Forest before bowing out 3–0 to Derby County.
Final league table
Results Stoke's score comes first
Legend WinDrawLoss
Football League First Division
MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers1 6 September 1902 Newcastle UnitedA0–515,0002 13 September 1902 Wolverhampton WanderersH3–010,000Forrest (2), Higginson3 15 September 1902 Notts CountyH0–28,0004 20 September 1902 LiverpoolA1–110,000Forrest5 27 September 1902 Sheffield UnitedH0–110,0006 4 October 1902 Grimsby TownA2–25,000Watkins, Capes7 11 October 1902 Aston VillaH1–010,000Watkins8 18 October 1902 Nottingham ForestA3–18,000Watkins, Capes, Whitehouse9 25 October 1902 BuryH1–012,000Watkins10 1 November 1902 Blackburn RoversA1–13,000Holford11 8 November 1902 SunderlandH1–17,000Baddeley12 15 November 1902 Derby CountyH2–07,000Watkins (2)13 22 November 1902 EvertonA1–018,000Whitehouse14 29 November 1902 The WednesdayH4–015,000Whitehouse, Bradley, Watkins, Johnson15 6 December 1902 West Bromwich AlbionA1–211,235Bradley16 20 December 1902 Bolton WanderersA3–25,000Whitehouse (3)17 25 December 1902 BuryA1–24,000Watkins18 26 December 1902 Blackburn RoversH0–210,00019 27 December 1902 MiddlesbroughH0–26,00020 3 January 1903 Newcastle UnitedH5–08,000Watkins, Capes, Lockett (2), Baddeley21 10 January 1903 Wolverhampton WanderersA0–16,00022 17 January 1903 LiverpoolH1–07,000Johnson23 24 January 1903 Sheffield UnitedA3–112,000Watkins, Capes, Whitehouse24 31 January 1903 Grimsby TownH1–110,000Capes25 14 February 1903 Nottingham ForestH3–28,000Capes, Watkins, Higginson26 14 March 1903 Derby CountyA0–26,00027 21 March 1903 EvertonH2–06,000Higginson, Holford28 28 March 1903 The WednesdayA0–17,00029 4 April 1903 West Bromwich AlbionH3–05,500Higginson, Watkins, Whitehouse30 10 April 1903 SunderlandA0–020,00031 11 April 1903 Notts CountyA0–37,00032 13 April 1903 Aston VillaA0–210,00033 18 April 1903 Bolton WanderersH2–05,000Capes, Harris34 25 April 1903 MiddlesbroughA1–110,000Harris
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersR17 February 1903 GlossopA3–22,000Watkins, Whitehouse, CapesR221 February 1903 Nottingham ForestH0–025,000R2 Replay26 February 1903 Nottingham ForestA2–024,850Capes, BaddeleyR37 March 1903 Derby CountyA0–316,00
Squad statistics Pos.NameLeagueFA CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGK Leigh Richmond Roose25030280GK Herbert Salt100010GK Tom Wilkes801090FB Harry Benson600060FB Charlie Burgess31040350FB Bill Capewell100010FB Andy Clark18040220FB Arthur Hartshorne400040FB Sam Meredith600060FB Herbert Smith300030HB Samuel Ashworth9010100HB George Baddeley30231333HB James Bradley29240332HB Ted Holdcroft100010HB Tom Holford33240372HB Albert Sturgess100010HB Sam Whittingham000000FW Arthur Bridgett700070FW Arthur Capes32742369FW Jack Forrest630063FW George Harris720072FW Sam Higginson12430154FW Freddie Johnson23210242FW Arthur Lockett22240262FW Ben Prosser100010FW Mart Watkins2912413313FW Frank Whitehouse29841339
References