1903–04 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season

The 1903–04 season was Burslem Port Vale's sixth consecutive season (tenth overall) of football in the English Football League.[1] The club went the whole season without recording an away win, part of a club record 29 away games without victory. With the new rule of the direct free kick introduced, Arthur Rowley also wrote himself into the history books by becoming the first player to score from a free kick.[1]

Burslem Port Vale
1903–04 season
ChairmanRobert Audley
ManagerSam Gleaves
StadiumAthletic Ground
Football League Second Division13th (29 Points)
FA CupFirst Round
(knocked out by Southampton)
Birmingham Senior CupFirst Round
(knocked out by Stoke)
Staffordshire Senior CupFirst Round
(knocked out by Stoke)
Top goalscorerLeague: Adrian Capes (14)
All: Adrian Capes (17)
Highest home attendance5,000 vs Bristol City, 26 December 1903
Lowest home attendance500 vs Grimsby Town, 13 February 1904
Average home league attendance2,250+
Biggest win6–0 vs. Stockport County, 19 November 1903
Biggest defeat0–5 vs. Bolton Wanderers, 2 January 1904

The first team was firmly established, and the players had been together for some years. The financial crisis that loomed over the club was held at bay by an FA Cup run and by selling a promising young winger.

Bert Eardley, in his fifth season with the club, was a key first team member.
Ageing Winger Billy Heames was still a key threat.
George Price was at the heart of the Vale team, as he remained throughout his career.
Top scorer, and Valeite legend, Adrian Capes.
Right-back Ernest Mullineux played 40 games for the club in all competitions.
Half-back Harry Croxton become crucial to the spine of the team.

Overview

Second Division

A rather quiet pre-season saw no major signings or departures, and hopes were built of an improvement on last season's ninth-place finish.[1]

The first game of the season was on 7 September 1903 against Bolton Wanderers, where Arthur Rowley wrote himself into the history books by becoming the first player to score from a direct free kick.[1] Five days later the Vale beat Manchester United 1–0, and their season got going – albeit very slowly.[1] Four games later they found their second victory – against new boys Bradford City, however by October they had racked up just five points from their opening eight games.[1] A seven-game unbeaten run saw them surge up the table towards the end of 1903. This run ended at Gainsborough Trinity, but could be justified by the fact that they had played three games in four days.[1] They went on to muster just one point from seven games to find themselves back in the danger zone as players looked towards their promising cup run rather than the league itself.[1] An inconsistent end to the season followed, though picking up points from eight of their last twelve games was enough to ensure safety.[1] On the final game of the season 20,000 Woolwich Arsenal fans turned up to watch their team claim the championship, however the "Valeites" hung on for a draw, with Harry Cotton in remarkable form, and a goalless draw was enough to hand the league title to Preston North End.[1] Port Vale were one of only two teams to take a point home from London that season. This was even more surprising considering that Vale went the whole season without recording an away win, and had to rely entirely on their home form to stay in the league. They finished two points ahead of the re-election zones, and were twenty points shy of promotion.

Adrian Capes was top scorer for the fourth consecutive season with seventeen goals, fourteen of them coming in the league.[1] Tom Simpson contributed fifteen goals, and would only score thirteen more Football League goals in his entire career. Goalkeeper Harry Cotton missed just two games, as did right-back Ernest Mullineux; Harry Croxton, Arthur Rowley, Billy Heames, George Price, Bert Eardley, W. Perkins, and Joseph Holyhead made up the first of the first team – who each made a minimum of 35 out of 42 possible appearances in all competitions.

Finances

Again attendances were disappointing, and to improve the financial outlook players were sold as early as October, when a highly promising Tom Coxon signed to nearby Stoke for £200.[1] Their FA Cup clash at Southampton saw them rake in a £491 share of gate receipts.[1] A loss of £39 was recorded on the season, and raising wages and falling gate receipts were only off-set by the income from transfers and cup runs.[1] Recognizing this, the directors insisted that a controversial policy of selling on players had to be adopted.[1]

Cup competitions

In September the club were eliminated in both county cup competitions by Stoke by three goal margins.[1] The "Valeites" found rather more success in the FA Cup, though had to win four matches to reach the First Round, at which point they were eliminated by Southampton of the Southern Football League. On the way they racked up a 6–0 home win over Stockport County in the Fourth Qualification Round Replay.

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts
11 Chesterfield 34 11 8 15 37 45 0.822 30
12 Lincoln City 34 11 8 15 41 58 0.707 30
13 Burslem Port Vale 34 10 9 15 54 52 1.038 29
14 Burton United 34 11 7 16 45 61 0.738 29
15 Blackpool 34 11 5 18 40 67 0.597 27
Source:

Results

Burslem Port Vale's score comes first

Football League Second Division
Main article: 1903–04 Football League

Results by matchday
Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
GroundHHAHAHAHHHHAAHAAAAHAHHHAHAHAAAHHAA
ResultLWLDLWLLWDWDDWDLLLDLLLWLWLWLDDWWLD
Position1491111131012141111910999991111121415151616171616161514131313
Source: Statto[2]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches
DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
7 September 1903Bolton WanderersH2–33,000Rowley, Price
12 September 1903Manchester UnitedH1–03,000Simpson
19 September 1903BurnleyA0–16,000
26 September 1903GlossopH1–13,000Rowley
3 October 1903Preston North EndA1–39,000Coxon
10 October 1903Bradford CityH5–23,000Coxon (2), Simpson, Capes, o.g.
17 October 1903Grimsby TownA1–33,000Coxon
24 October 1903Woolwich ArsenalH2–33,000Heames, Simpson
7 November 1903BarnsleyH3–01,000Simpson (2), Capes
21 November 1903Lincoln CityH2–21,500Perkins, Simpson
5 December 1903Stockport CountyH2–0Perkins, Capes
19 December 1903ChesterfieldA1–12,000Capes
25 December 1903Leicester FosseA1–18,000Capes
26 December 1903Bristol CityH3–15,000Capes (2), Simpson
28 December 1903Bradford CityA1–113,000Simpson
29 December 1903Gainsborough TrinityA0–32,000
2 January 1904Bolton WanderersA0–55,000
9 January 1904Manchester UnitedA0–210,000
16 January 1904BurnleyH2–2Allman, Capes
23 January 1904GlossopA1–45,000Mountford
30 January 1904Preston North EndH0–13,000
13 February 1904Grimsby TownH1–2500Price
27 February 1904Leicester FosseH6–21,000Capes (2), Croxton, Simpson, Price, Eardley
5 March 1904BarnsleyA0–1
12 March 1904BlackpoolH5–0Price (2), Capes, Mullineux, o.g.
19 March 1904Lincoln CityA2–3Capes, Simpson
26 March 1904Gainsborough TrinityH3–01,000Allman, Capes, Simpson
1 April 1904BlackpoolA0–11,500
2 April 1904Stockport CountyA1–12,000Allman
4 April 1904Burton UnitedA0–0
9 April 1904Burton UnitedH3–12,000Mountford, Holyhead, Eardley
16 April 1904ChesterfieldH3–01,500Heames, Price, Capes
23 April 1904Bristol CityA1–24,000Loverseed
25 April 1904Woolwich ArsenalA0–020,000

FA Cup
Main article: 1903–04 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
3Q31 October 1903Crewe AlexandraA0–04,000
3Q Replay5 November 1903Crewe AlexandraH2–12,000Simpson, Heames
4Q14 November 1903Stockport CountyA0–03,000
4Q Replay19 November 1903Stockport CountyH6–02,000Simpson (2), Capes, Eardley, Holyhead, Price
5Q28 November 1903NantwichA1–03,000Capes
IR12 December 1903Burton UnitedH3–0Capes, Heames, Simpson
R16 February 1904SouthamptonA0–38,000

Birmingham Senior Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
128 September 1903StokeH2–52,000unknown

Staffordshire Senior Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
113 September 1903StokeA0–3

Player statistics

Appearances
Pos. Name League FA Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK William Chadwick 20000020
GK Harry Cotton 3207010400
DF Ernest Mullineux 3317000401
DF James Hamilton 60000060
MF Billy Heames 3027210384
MF Bert Eardley 2927110373
MFW. H. Machin 10000010
MF Harry Croxton 3217000391
MF Arthur Rowley 3027010382
MFW. Perkins 2727010352
MF Tom Coxon 34000034
MF Sam Whittingham 70000070
MF William Bradbury 40000040
MF Albert Cook 00000000
MF Joseph Holyhead 2717110352
MF Sam Howshall 20000020
FW George Price 3264110377
FW Adrian Capes 311473103917
FWTom Simpson 241164103115
FWWilliam Tunstall 10300040
FW William Loverseed 61001071
FW Dick Allman 83100093
FW Harry Mountford 72000072

Scorers
Place Position Nation Name Second Division FA Cup Senior Cup Total
1FW EnglandAdrian Capes143017
2FWTom Simpson114015
3FW EnglandGeorge Price6107
4MF EnglandTom Coxon4004
–MF EnglandBilly Heames2204
6FW EnglandDick Allman3003
–MF EnglandBert Eardley2103
8MF EnglandArthur Rowley2002
–MFW. Perkins2002
–FW EnglandHarry Mountford2002
–MF EnglandJoseph Holyhead1102
12MF EnglandHarry Croxton1001
–DF EnglandErnest Mullineux1001
–FW EnglandWilliam Loverseed1001
TOTALS 52 12 0 64

Transfers

Transfers in
Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.
May 1903MFWilliam BradburyNewcastle SwiftsFree transfer[3]
May 1903FWSam HowshallNewcastle SwiftsFree transfer[3]
June 1903FWHarry MountfordHanley SwiftsFree transfer[3]
June 1903FWWilliam ThomasNewcastle SwiftsFree transfer[3]
August 1903MFSam WhittinghamStokeFree transfer[3]
September 1903MFJoseph HolyheadWolverhampton WanderersFree transfer[3]

Transfers out
Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.
Summer 1904GKWilliam ChadwickReleased[3]
Summer 1904MFBilly HeamesLeft contract[3]
Summer 1904MFW. PerkinsNewarkFree transfer[3]
Summer 1904MFArthur RowleyReleased[3]
Summer 1904FWWilliam TunstallReleased[3]

References
Specific
  1. 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 1903–1904 : Results & Fixtures Archived 20 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  3. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
General
  • Kent, Jeff (1993). The Port Vale Record 1879-1993. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9508981-9-8.
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