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.
| 1902–03 season | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Frederick Rinder |
| Manager | George Ramsay |
| First Division | 2nd |
| FA Cup | Semi-finals |
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) .