The History of Worksop Town: Season 1902/03 – Tigers' fine unbeaten run grows
Saturday, 22nd November 1902, just a fortnight after Grimsby Town Reserves had visited Worksop, found the Tigers on the train to Blundell Park at Cleethorpes for the return Midland League match, writes Steve Jarvis.
Jimmy Reid, after a solo run, scored his seventh goal in as many matches for Worksop while John Binney added a second in a 2-2 draw.
This gave fifth-placed Worksop a five point lead (only two for a win then) over the teams below.
The next game brought Nottinghamshire rivals Newark to Central Avenue, and with the Town having made their best start to a Midland League campaign to date, the crowd rose to around 1,000 onlookers.
The visitors were the first to cheer as Harry Kent put the Trentsiders ahead, but John Binney levelled the score to 1-1 meaning that Worksop had now gone seven matches unbeaten.
The second match in December brought another home game, this time Doncaster Rovers Reserves were the visitors.
An 800 strong crowd saw the lads from the Intake Ground take a two goal lead before Jimmy Reid hit back and then two late goals from George Richardson gave Worksop a 3-2 win to retain fifth.
This kept up an unbeaten run going back to the 22nd September with the teams above Worksop all reserve sides of Football League clubs.
Worksop were next in action on Christmas Day, again at Central Avenue entertaining Lincoln City Reserves.
A festive crowd of around 1,500 turned out - no TV or even radio then, to see football you had to be there! And they were rewarded with a five goal thriller.
During an “excellent and interesting match” the home side yielded a two goal lead.
Was this the end of the run? Certainly not - Harrison scored, George Richardson added another two, and two more points were netted to keep the unbeaten run going.
Just two days later on the 27th, Worksop were at local rivals Gainsborough Trinity, drawing another 1,500 strong crowd at the Northolme.
This was against Trinity Reserves, the first team being in the Football League.
The Reserves had drawn 1-1 at home to Walsall on Christmas Day, beaten Lincoln City Reserves 3-0 at home on Boxing Day, and now faced a rampant Worksop who had had the luxury of a Boxing Day off - very unusual at that time when every public holiday was used to stage matches in the daylight hours with no floodlights back then.
On this occasion only the visiting fans were able to cheer goals scored as Jimmy Reid scored both in a 2-0 away win. bringing Reid’s total to 15 goals, and Worksop Town onto 15 matches unbeaten.