1902–03 Aston Villa F.C. season

The 1902–03 English football season was Aston Villa's 15th season in the Football League competing in the First Division,^[a] the top flight of English football at the time. The season fell in what was to be called Villa's golden era.^[1]

During the season Howard Spencer and Albert Evans shared the captaincy of the club.^[2] 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.^[3] Billy Garraty, great-great-grandfather of Jack Grealish, made 30 appearances during the season.^[4][5]

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:^[6]

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,^[7] Albert Fisher,^[8] Oscar Evans, ^[9] and Harry Griffin.^[10][11]

In Villa's first home game of 1903 they beat Forest 3–1. Two weeks later they beat Blackburn 5–0 at home. The next home tie was in the FA Cup with Villa beating Sunderland 4–1. In February Villa beat Barnsley 4–1, also a home tie in the FA Cup. April 1903 saw five home fixtures for Villa.^[12] They won all five and thus had nine consecutive home wins to end the season.^{[13][14][15][16][17]}