The 1901–02 season was

Newton Heath Newton Heath is an area of Manchester, England, north-east of Manchester city centre and with a population of 9,883. Historically part of Lancashire, Newton was formerly a farming area, but adopted the factory system following the Industrial R ...

's 10th season in

the Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...

and their 8th in the

Second Division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...

. They finished 15th place in the league, avoiding relegation by only five points. In the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...

, the Heathens were knocked out by Lincoln City, losing 2–1 in the Intermediate Round. The club also entered teams in the Lancashire and Manchester Senior Cups in 1901–02. They only managed to reach the second round of the Lancashire Cup, before losing 5–0 to

Southport Central Southport Central is an 18,130 m² mixed Use, multi-purpose development at the corner of Scarborough and Lawson Streets in Southport, Queensland, Australia. It comprises three towers with integrated shopping and commercial precincts with a tota ...

, but the real success came in the Manchester Cup, in which they beat Bolton Wanderers after a replay in the semi-final, before beating Manchester City 2–1 in the final. The season marked also the final season for the club under its original name Newton Heath. The club had been struggling financially during the season, and were taken to court by their president, William Healey, over a sum of £242 17 s 10 d owed to him by the club in January 1902. Unable to pay, as they were £2,600 in debt, the club was declared bankrupt. Two months later, club captain

Harry Stafford Harry Stafford (1869–1940) was an English footballer who played a principal role in the formation of Manchester United Football Club. Born in Crewe, Cheshire, Stafford became a locomotive boilermaker employed by the London & North Western R ...

managed to enlist the help of Manchester brewer

John Henry Davies John Henry Davies (c. 1864 – 24 October 1927) was a wealthy British brewery owner who in 1902 took over the football club Manchester United, which was then called Newton Heath. The club was struggling with a debt of £2,670 at the time. Davie ...

, who, in conjunction with three other local businessmen, invested a total of £2,000 in the club. Davies was installed as club president and the club was renamed "Manchester United".

Second Division

FA Cup

{{DEFAULTSORT:1901-02 Newton Heath F.C. season Manchester United F.C. seasons