NEWCASTLE UNITED: A HISTORY – THE 1903-04 SEASON
IMPROVEMENT WAS MUCH NEEDED AS UNITED EMBARKED UPON THEIR 1903-04 FIRST DIVISION CAMPAIGN.
Having finished a paltry fourteenth the previous season, and with
behind the scenes turmoil still rearing its ugly head, something had
to give. There would even be, at one point, some forty-four players
on the clubs books as an improvement was being in sought in all
quarters.
Attendances were on the rise as the local support expected, even the
United Reserves were attracting large numbers, some 9,000 plus
attending a local affair with neighbouring Sunderland. They would
be a side that would feature prominently during the second half of
the season, more so off the field.
On the field, and having been signed from Aston Villa for a then
club record of £400 the previous season, Bobby Templeton would
net in the opening fixture against his former employers in a 1-1
draw. Only one defeat though would be witnessed in the opening
seven matches, a crushing 4-1 reverse away to Everton on
September 19th, Jim Howie netting one of four in his first eight
games for the Magpies.
Of the victories that were collected through those opening six
weeks, Small Heath (at home) and Derby County (away) was beaten
3-1, McColl and Howie netting in both. A seasonal high of second
would be reached the week after the Derby game when a solo effort
from Bill Appleyard took care of the visiting Manchester City on
October 10th. United wouldn’t reach those heights again until the
closing weeks of the season as they never dropped lower than
seventh, their best return for a couple of seasons.
The period between October and December though would
ultimately prove costly in the title aspirations of the Magpies,
despite a late flourish. Six defeats and two draws from the thirteen
matches played before the end of 1903, including a year ending loss
to their rivals on Boxing Day, would see a seasonal low of seventh
going into 1904.
Having defeated City, a 3-0 home win was handed to Wolves with
Howie netting his fifth of a productive season. A double from
Rutherford would then see United avenge the previous seasons
reverses in the Tyne-Tees derby as visiting Middlesbrough were
taken care of, 2-1, on November 14th and in front of a 28,000 strong
crowd.
The club though were now in the middle of a win one – lose one
streak as a solitary goal reverse at Anfield was sharp followed by
edging a five goal thriller at home to Bury as Howie bagged a brace
and Appleyard also netted in a 3-2 win. The final success of the year
would be another home win, Nottingham Forest having succumbed
to a 3-1 defeat.
Consecutive draws, including a 2-2 at Bramall Lane on Christmas
Day, would be in vain though as rivals Sunderland inflicts defeat
upon the Magpies on the soil of St. James’ soil the following
(Boxing) Day. Six days later, on New Year’s Day, the Magpies
would travel to Wearside and a goal from Ronald Orr, his second of
the season, would see a hard-fought point gained. Those two TyneWear derbies would see more than seventy thousand spectators in
attendance and over the festive period as well.
During the second half of the season the Magpies would only taste
defeat three times as a galvanised side made a late title push. The
third of those defeats though, away to Forest, would be the final nail
in those title aspirations. The remaining two defeats came at the
hands of Small Heath (0-3) and Wolves (2-3), in early January and
late February respectively.
The defeat to Everton earlier in the season was to be avenged in
mid-January before Stoke (3-2) and Notts. County (4-1) were
despatched; Appleyard in the former and Orr in the latter, both
grabbing doubles. A season double would then be registered over
United’s Teesside rivals as that now usual triumvirate of Appleyard
and Howie (with their twelfth goals of the season) and Rutherford
(with his seventh) , scored in a 3-1 victory at Ayresome Park.
A 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool was sharp followed by three
straight victories over Bury (3-0), Manchester City (3-1) and
Blackburn (2-1) as Orr would net five times during this spell, aiding
United in their rise back to second in the table. Defeat away to
Forest in the penultimate game though would be the final act for the
Magpies in their title chase before the season finale.
At home to champions Sheffield Wednesday, who had claimed their
second championship in two seasons, the Magpies flew. The Owls,
having finished just five points ahead of their hosts on April 16th
(Manchester City and Everton were sandwiched between) were
subsequently dismantled. Bill Appleyard would take the scoring
plaudits with a brace on the final day, taking his tally to sixteen (two
more than Howie whom had not scored the City game).
Orr would grab a brace as well as he registered his sixth
goal in five games to finish the season in double figures
with eleven, the Owls getting their wings clipped on the
back of a 4-0 defeat.
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United’s final flourish can, in small part though, be attributed to the
mid-seasonal arrival of new record signing, defender Andrew
McCombie, from arch-rivals Sunderland. His £700 signing was to
be, at the time, a new club and national record fee and his February
arrival proved influential. His United debut would come in the 4-1
home win over Notts County, the first of over a century of
appearances in a Black and White shirt for the Scotsman.
As the season came to a close, head coach James McPherson, in his
first season at the helm, and his United squad, would embark upon
some thirteen friendlies in thirty-eight days, the Magpies winning
ten and losing three. That month long, gruelling friendly schedule,
would see a total of sixty-six goals encompassing local affairs as
well as tours of Scotland and Denmark, the trip to Scandinavia
being United’s first fixtures on foreign soil.
Having defeated Hearts (3-2), St. Mirren (2-1) and Aberdeen (7-1)
north of the border, the Magpies, quite literally, flew to Denmark,
for a four match tour. Early May 1904, and in buoyant mood, a
Copenhagen Select XI were destroyed twice in quick succession
over two days, 6-1 and 6-2. Southampton was then on the wrong
end of a 4-0 defeat before the tour concluded with a 3-1 win over a
Danish Representative side.
The season itself though would see Appleyard finish as the clubs top
scorer with sixteen strikes, as well as being one of seven players to
appear more than thirty times, Alec Gardner being the only everpresent though with thirty-five appearances.
And then there was the first taste of glory!!
Peter Mann