The first team picture of Manchester United. Some players are in the club’s first red shirt while others are in the change strip of light blue and white stripes.

The 1902–03 season was Manchester United’s 11th season in the Football League, and their first season under their new name of “Manchester United”, as opposed to “Newton Heath”.

To give a backdrop of the club’s financial situation – in April 1900, striker Joe Cassidy was sold to Manchester City for £250. The club directors admitted that he was the best forward they had ever had but because of Newton Heath’s serious financial problems he had to be sold. During his time at the club he scored 100 goals in 174 appearances.

In 1901 the club staged a four-day grand bazaar in St James Hall, Oxford Street, Manchester. The club needed to raise £1,000 in order to avoid bankruptcy. Even though Manchester City even made a donation, by the end of the third day it seemed that the venture would prove unsuccessful.

Harry Stafford had the idea of using his St. Bernard dog, Major, to raise money. He wandered amiably between the stalls with a collection box strapped to his back. It was hoped that the dog would attract donations. On the fourth day of the grand bazaar Major escaped from St. James Hall. He eventually found his way to the home of a rich businessman, John Henry Davies, who owned a successful brewery in Manchester. Davies liked the animal and decided to buy the dog for his daughter. When he traced the dog’s owner, Stafford told Davies about the financial position of Newton Heath. The two men became friends and decided to make a takeover bid for the club.

By 1902 Newton Heath was £2,670 in debt and faced a winding-up order. At a shareholders’ meeting in the New Islington Hall, Harry Stafford announced that he and four local businessmen, including John Henry Davies, were willing to takeover the club’s debts. The Football League approved the plan and Newton Heath now became Manchester United. It was also decided that the club would now play in red shirts and white shorts.

Stafford, along with Davies, became a director of Manchester United and James West was appointed as manager. Davies arranged for John J. Bentley to be appointed as president of the club. However, at the end of the 1902-03 season West and Stafford were suspended by the Football Association for making illegal payments to players. In his defence, Stafford claimed: “Everything I have done has been in the interests of the club.”

Second Division

Date	Opponents	H / A	ResultF – A	Scorers	Attendance
6 September 1902	Gainsborough Trinity	A	1 – 0	Richards	4,000
13 September 1902	Burton United	H	1 – 0	Hurst	15,000
20 September 1902	Bristol City	A	1 – 3	Hurst	6,000
27 September 1902	Glossop	H	1 – 1	Hurst	12,000
4 October 1902	Chesterfield	H	2 – 1	Preston (2)	12,000
11 October 1902	Stockport County	A	1 – 2	Pegg	6,000
25 October 1902	Woolwich Arsenal	A	1 – 0	Beadsworth	12,000
8 November 1902	Lincoln City	A	3 – 1	Peddie (2), Hurst	3,000
15 November 1902	Small Heath	H	0 – 1		25,000
22 November 1902	Leicester Fosse	A	1 – 1	Downie	5,000
6 December 1902	Burnley	A	2 – 0	Pegg, Own goal	4,000
20 December 1902	Burslem Port Vale	A	1 – 1	Peddie	1,000
25 December 1902	Manchester City	H	1 – 1	Pegg	40,000
26 December 1902	Blackpool	H	2 – 2	Downie, Morrison	10,000
27 December 1902	Barnsley	H	2 – 1	Lappin, Peddie	9,000
3 January 1903	Gainsborough Trinity	H	3 – 1	Downie, Peddie, Pegg	8,000
10 January 1903	Burton United	A	1 – 3	Peddie	3,000
17 January 1903	Bristol City	H	1 – 2	Preston	12,000
24 January 1903	Glossop	A	3 – 1	Downie, Griffiths, Morrison	5,000
31 January 1903	Chesterfield	A	0 – 2		6,000
14 February 1903	Blackpool	A	0 – 2		3,000
28 February 1903	Doncaster Rovers	A	2 – 2	Morrison (2)	4,000
7 March 1903	Lincoln City	H	1 – 2	Downie	4,000
9 March 1903	Woolwich Arsenal	H	3 – 0	Arkesden, Peddie, Pegg	5,000
21 March 1903	Leicester Fosse	H	5 – 1	Fitchett, Griffiths, Morrison,Pegg, Smith	8,000
23 March 1903	Stockport County	H	0 – 0		2,000
30 March 1903	Preston North End	H	0 – 1		3,000
4 April 1903	Burnley	H	4 – 0	Peddie (2), Griffiths,Morrison	5,000
10 April 1903	Manchester City	A	2 – 0	Peddie, Schofield	30,000
11 April 1903	Preston North End	A	1 – 3	Pegg	7,000
13 April 1903	Doncaster Rovers	H	4 – 0	Arkesden, Bell, Griffiths,Morrison	6,000
18 April 1903	Burslem Port Vale	H	2 – 1	Schofield (2)	8,000
20 April 1903	Small Heath	A	1 – 2	Peddie	6,000
25 April 1903	Barnsley	A	0 – 0		2,000

Pos	Club	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
4	Bristol City	34	17	8	9	59	38	42
5	Manchester United	34	15	8	11	53	38	38
6	Chesterfield	34	14	9	11	67	40	37

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points

The 6th December 1902 match against Burnley has since emerged as the first ever game to have existing videotape footage of Manchester United in action as a club. Here it is :

 

FA Cup

Date	Round	Opponents	H / A	ResultF – A	Scorers	Attendance
1 November 1902	Third Qualifying Round	Accrington Stanley	H	7 – 0	Williams (3), Morgan, Peddie, Pegg,Richards	6,000
13 November 1902	Fourth Qualifying Round	Oswaldtwistle Rovers	H	3 – 2	Beadsworth, Pegg, Williams	5,000
29 November 1902	Fifth Qualifying Round	Southport Central	H	4 – 1	Pegg (3), Banks	6,000
13 December 1902	Intermediate Round	Burton United	H	1 – 1	Griffiths	6,000
17 December 1902	Intermediate RoundReplay	Burton United	A	3 – 1	Peddie, Pegg, Schofield	7,000
7 February 1903	Round 1	Liverpool	H	2 – 1	Peddie (2)	15,000
21 February 1903	Round 2	Everton	A	1 – 3	Griffiths	15,000