1902–03 Brentford F.C. season
| 1902–03 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Charlie Dorey | ||
| Stadium | York Road | ||
| Southern League First Division | 16th | ||
| FA Cup | Intermediate round | ||
| Top goalscorer |
League: Maher, Underwood (3) All: Shanks (9) |
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During the 1902–03 English football season, Brentford competed in the Southern League First Division. An appalling season led to a bottom-place finish in the First Division, but the Bees retained their First Division status with a victory over Second Division champions Fulham in a promotion-relegation test match.
After a rude awakening to the Southern League First Division during the previous season and despite having become a professional club in 1900, the Brentford committee continued with an amateur attitude with regards to the running of first team affairs. Despite almost all of the First Division clubs utilising a first team manager, the committee would continue to run first team affairs. Had Brentford been relegated at the end of the previous season, the £557 loss on the season (approximately £63,000 in 2017) would have spelt the end of the club, but attendances had almost doubled at York Road and gate receipts of £1,244 were taken (£140,000 in 2017). Frustratingly, Brentford's promotion to the First Division had necessitated a trebling of the wage bill, which offset the increased gate receipts. To increase revenue, the club would also enter into the London League and Western League during the season and the squad was expanded to 26 professionals, which led to a 60% expansion of the wage bill. Previous regulars Grieve, Logan, McEleny, McElhaney and captain Stormont all left the club and were replaced by full backs Gilson, Nidd, half backs Green, Newsome and forwards Maher, Pickering, Turner and Underwood.
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