The 1902–03 season was Burslem Port Vale's fifth consecutive season (ninth overall) of football in the Football League. Finishing in ninth place for the second time in three years, it would take just over two decades for the club to again reach the heights of a top ten second tier finish. Their success was down mainly due to their home form, and in fact a club record 29 away games without a win began on 17 January 1903. Adrian Capes would become the club's top scorer for the third successive season.

The pre-season saw tough-tackling left-back Arthur Hartshorne arrive from Wolverhampton Wanderers, whilst left-half W. Perkins and forward William Loverseed both arrived from Newark. In September, experienced right-half Arthur Rowley arrived from Bristol Rovers.

Vale had an awful start to the season, winning just one of their first ten games. However this run ended with five wins in their following seven games to take them back to the safety of mid-table. Their 4–2 win over Blackpool at Bloomfield Road on 3 January 1903 was their last away win until the 1904–05 season. Their finish to 1902–03 was strong, winning their last seven home games. However they finished with 34 points from 34 games, seventeen points from the promotion zones, and nine points clear of the re-election zones.

Adrian Capes was top scorer with eighteen goals in 37 games, missing just one league game. Goalkeeper Harry Cotton played 36 games; Billy Heames, W. Perkins, Ernest Mullineux, Arthur Hartshorne, Bert Eardley, Arthur Rowley, George Price, and William Loverseed were all constant figures in the first eleven. At the end of the campaign all the major players were kept on, with no big signings made.

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