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The 2002–03 season was the 104th season of competitive league football in the history of English football club Wolverhampton Wanderers. They played the season in the second tier of the English football system, the Football League First Division.
| 2002–03 season | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Sir Jack Hayward OBE |
| Manager | Dave Jones |
| Football League First Division | 5th (promoted via play-offs) |
| FA Cup | Quarter-finals |
| League Cup | 2nd round |
| Top goalscorer | League: Kenny Miller (19) All: Kenny Miller (24) |
| Highest home attendance | 28,190 (vs Leicester City, 4 May 2003) |
| Lowest home attendance | 23,016 (vs Brighton, 11 November 2002) |
| Average home league attendance | 25,745 (league only) |
The season was a huge success for the club as they were promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs after finishing fifth in the table. It was their first and only success in the play-off system from, to date, six attempts. This ended a nineteen-year top flight absence for the club and a fourteen-year stay in the same division.
In contrast to the heavy spending of the previous close season, Summer 2002 saw the club recruit four players on free transfers. Two of these incoming players were however high-profile deals, with former England captain Paul Ince[1] signing alongside ex-Manchester United stalwart Denis Irwin,[2] on one-year deals.
The season began strongly with an opening day draw at administration-hit Bradford City, followed by three successive victories that put the club at the top of the table. Their form soon dipped though, and the next seven games brought just one win. An upturn saw a 10-game unbeaten run return the team to the play-off positions, aided by the loan addition of striker Carlton Cole.[3] The Christmas/New Year period though brought a return of just two points from a possible 15.
With this drop in form, manager Dave Jones faced criticism from chairman Sir Jack Hayward at the turn of the year, publicly reminding him that he had promised to deliver automatic promotion.[4][5] With the club lying 10th in the league, some 16 points from the top two, the FA Cup provided a welcome distraction as the team entered their best performance of the campaign to eliminate Premier League high flyers Newcastle United in a thrilling televised tie.[6]
The following week brought a first league success in six games, with a narrow victory at neighbours Walsall further relieving the pressure on manager Jones. A 4–1 cup triumph against promotion chasers Leicester City preceded the team's highest away win of the campaign, where they defeated Sheffield Wednesday 4–0 to return to the play-off zone. However, their following away fixture brought the team crashing back to ground with a 1–4 loss at relegation strugglers Brighton.
An unbeaten sequence yielded 14 points from 18 before a slender loss at runaway leaders Portsmouth. March also saw an exit from the FA Cup, losing 0–2 at Premier League Southampton in Wolves' first quarter final appearance for five years, before the club recorded their biggest win since 1988 as they thumped Gillingham 6–0.
By April Wolves sat in sixth place, the final play-off berth, but with the East Anglian duo of Ipswich and Norwich just two points behind. Easter Monday brought the decisive round of games to clarify the play-off picture with Ipswich losing earlier in the day, meaning Wolves could confirm their play-off place if they won at Norwich.[7] A 3–0 victory that evening ensured the club would participate in its fourth play-off campaign at this level.
Wolves finished the season in fifth place after two successive draws, meaning they would play Reading in the play-offs. The first leg saw them at home, where they overturned a half time deficit to win the game 2–1 and take a lead into the second leg. A tense 1–0 success at the Madejski Stadium thanks to a goal from substitute Alex Rae sent them into the final for the first time, breaking a run of three successive losses in away legs.
The final was staged at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff where Wolves met Sheffield United. The Blades had had a strong season, being positioned in the play-off zone almost throughout and reaching the semi-finals of both the FA Cup[8] and League Cup.[9] Wolves won the game decisively with three first-half goals by Mark Kennedy, Nathan Blake and top goalscorer Kenny Miller bringing a 3–0 triumph, preserved by goalkeeper Matt Murray who saved a second half penalty from Michael Brown as part of a man of the match performance.
Promotion ended a 19-year absence from the top level of English football for the club and a fourteen-year stay in the same division. It also brought owner Sir Jack Hayward his dream of Premier League football at his 13th attempt. Three days later Hayward joined in a bus parade through Wolverhampton city centre to Molineux to celebrate the triumph.[10]
Pre season
Wolves' pre season saw them spend a week in Cascais, Portugal (15–22 July), training and playing two Portuguese sides. As had become common in recent years, only their final game was held at their Molineux home.
| 13 July 2002 | Kettering Town | 0–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Kettering |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Newton  57' |
Stadium: Rockingham Road Attendance: 988 |
| 13 July 2002 | Morecambe | 3–3 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Morecambe |
| 15:00 BST | Black 57' Bentley 59', 72' |
Report | Cameron 9' Sturridge 30'Jones 87' |
Stadium: Christie Park Referee: Lee Mason |
| 18 July 2002 | Sporting CP | 5–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Alcochete, Portugal |
| 18:30 BST | Luís Filipe 5' Pollet 58' (o.g.)Niculae 68' (pen.)Rui Bento 71'Toñito 83' |
Report | Newton 78' |
Stadium: Academia Sporting Attendance: 400 Referee: Bruno Paixão |
| 21 July 2002 | Marítimo | 1–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Rio Maior, Portugal |
| 19:00 BST | Quim 50' |
Report | Stadium: Municipal Sports Complex Referee: Olegário Benquerença |
| 27 July 2002 | Stockport County | 0–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Stockport |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Stadium: Edgeley Park Referee: George Cain |
| 31 July 2002 | Cardiff City | 0–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Cardiff |
| 19:45 BST | Report | Proudlock 84' |
Stadium: Ninian Park Attendance: 8,064 Referee: Paul Thomas |
| 3 August 2002 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0–2 | Newcastle United | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 BST | Report | LuaLua 6', 68' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 14,973 Referee: Frazer Stretton |
A second string Wolves side also played: 2–0 v Kidderminster Harriers (24 July), 4–0 v Worcester City (1 August) and 0–0 v Burton Albion (6 August)
Football League First Division
A total of 24 teams competed in the Football League First Division in the 2002–03 season. Each team played every other team twice: once at their stadium, and once at the opposition's. Three points were awarded to teams for each win, one point per draw, and none for defeats.
The provisional fixture list was released on 13 June 2002, but was subject to change in the event of matches being selected for television coverage or police concerns.[11]
| 11 August 2002 1 | Bradford City | 0–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Bradford |
| 16:30 BST | Report | Stadium: Bradford & Bingley Stadium Attendance: 13,223 (1,763 away fans) Referee: Colin Webster |
| 14 August 2002 2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3–1 | Walsall | Wolverhampton |
| 19:45 BST | Cameron 11', 55' Newton 86' |
Report | Herivelto 68' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 27,904 (2,982 away fans) Referee: Mike Jones |
| 17 August 2002 3 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3–0 | Burnley | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 BST | Blake 2' Irwin 49'Cooper 88' |
Report | Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 25,031 (1,259 away fans) Referee: Jeff Winter |
| 24 August 2002 4 | Derby County | 1–4 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Derby |
| 15:00 BST | Christie 45' |
Report | Rae 19', 88' Cooper 77'Miller 90+2' |
Stadium: Pride Park Attendance: 29,954 (3,500 away fans) Referee: Alan Kaye |
| 27 August 2002 5 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2–2 | Sheffield Wednesday | Wolverhampton |
| 19:45 BST | Blake 60' Sturridge 68' |
Report | Kuqi 9', 63' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 27,096 (997 away fans) Referee: Mike Pike |
| 31 August 2002 6 | Wimbledon | 3–2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | London |
| 15:00 BST | Shipperley 4', 77' Gray 54' |
Report | Ingimarsson 15' Sturridge 70' |
Stadium: Selhurst Park Attendance: 3,223 (1,800 away fans) Referee: Brian Curson |
| 14 September 2002 7 | Crystal Palace | 4–2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | London |
| 15:00 BST | Routledge 1' Freedman 36', 62' (pen.)Thomson 71' |
Report | Ingimarsson 31' Blake 71' |
Stadium: Selhurst Park Attendance: 16,961 (1,820 away fans) Referee: Lee Cable |
| 21 September 2002 8 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0–1 | Reading | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Hughes 58' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 25,560 (1,721 away fans) Referee: Michael Ryan |
| 24 September 2002 9 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 4–0 | Preston North End | Wolverhampton |
| 19:45 BST | Blake 23', 85' Sturridge 45'Miller 86' |
Report | Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 23,695 (663 away fans) Referee: Richard Beeby |
| 28 September 2002 10 | Leicester City | 1–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Leicester |
| 15:00 BST | Dickov 6' (pen.) |
Report | Stadium: Walkers Stadium Attendance: 32,082 (3,300 away fans) Referee: Mike Riley |
| 5 October 2002 11 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–3 | Sheffield United | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 BST | Ullathorne 35' (o.g.) |
Report | Tonge 45+5', 50' Allison 48' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 24,625 (1,500 away fans) Referee: Paul Taylor |
| 19 October 2002 12 | Stoke City | 0–2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Stoke-on-Trent |
| 17:35 BST | Report | Cameron 78' Blake 90+3' |
Stadium: Britannia Stadium Attendance: 16,885 (2,007 away fans) Referee: Mark Halsey |
| 26 October 2002 13 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 4–1 | Grimsby Town | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 BST | Irwin 30' Miller 66'Ndah 71'Sturridge 90+4' |
Report | Kabba 2' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 23,875 (891 away fans) Referee: Frazer Stretton |
| 29 October 2002 14 | Gillingham | 0–4 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Gillingham |
| 19:45 GMT | Report | Cameron 28' (pen.) Blake 45+2', 52', 59' |
Stadium: Priestfield Attendance: 10,036 (1,600 away fans) Referee: Matt Messias |
| 2 November 2002 15 | Watford | 1–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Watford |
| 15:00 GMT | Cox 66' |
Report | Cooper 90+2' |
Stadium: Vicarage Road Attendance: 16,524 (1,433 away fans) Referee: Paul Armstrong |
| 6 November 2002 16 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–1 | Portsmouth | Wolverhampton |
| 19:45 GMT | Sturridge 62' |
Report | Merson 56' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 27,022 (2,380 away fans) Referee: Graham Salisbury |
| 11 November 2002 17 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–1 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Wolverhampton |
| 19:45 GMT | Miller 76' |
Report | Zamora 15' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 23,016 (943 away fans) Referee: Steve Baines |
| 16 November 2002 18 | Coventry City | 0–2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Coventry |
| 15:00 GMT | Report | Lescott 38' Rae 77' |
Stadium: Highfield Road Attendance: 18,998 (2,683 away fans) Referee: Graham Laws |
| 23 November 2002 19 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2–1 | Nottingham Forest | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 GMT | Miller 76' Sturridge 80' |
Report | Harewood 45+3' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 27,953 (2,623 away fans) Referee: Dermot Gallagher |
| 30 November 2002 20 | Rotherham United | 0–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Rotherham |
| 17:35 GMT | Report | Stadium: Millmoor Attendance: 6,736 (1,935 away fans) Referee: Paul Robinson |
| 7 December 2002 21 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–0 | Norwich City | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 GMT | Cole 37' |
Report | Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 25,753 (1,708 away fans) Referee: Andy D'Urso |
| 14 December 2002 22 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0–2 | Coventry City | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 GMT | Report | McAllister 8' Partridge 65' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 25,577 (1,688 away fans) Referee: Howard Webb |
| 21 December 2002 23 | Millwall | 1–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | London |
| 15:00 GMT | Roberts 43' |
Report | Kennedy 5' |
Stadium: The New Den Attendance: 9,091 (0 away fans) Referee: Clive Penton |
| 26 December 2002 24 | Burnley | 2–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Burnley |
| 15:00 GMT | Taylor 24' West 32' |
Report | Butler 85' |
Stadium: Turf Moor Attendance: 18,641 (1,535 away fans) Referee: Matt Messias |
| 28 December 2002 25 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–2 | Bradford City | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 GMT | Ndah 54' |
Report | Jørgensen 51' Gray 59' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 25,812 (930 away fans) Referee: Anthony Bates |
| 1 January 2003 26 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–1 | Derby County | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 GMT | Ince 66' |
Report | Christie 15' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 26,442 (2,190 away fans) Referee: Neale Barry |
| 11 January 2003 27 | Walsall | 0–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Walsall |
| 15:00 GMT | Report | Ndah 64' |
Stadium: Bescot Stadium Attendance: 11,037 (2,000 away fans) Referee: Phil Dowd |
| 18 January 2003 28 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–1 | Wimbledon | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 GMT | Miller 43' |
Report | Francis 46' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 23,716 (306 away fans) Referee: Steve Tomlin |
| 1 February 2003 29 | Sheffield Wednesday | 0–4 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Sheffield |
| 15:00 GMT | Report | Proudlock 24', 42' Miller 67'Sturridge 89' |
Stadium: Hillsborough Attendance: 21,381 (2,316 away fans) Referee: Jeff Winter |
| 8 February 2003 30 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 4–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Brighton |
| 15:00 GMT | Zamora 31' Blackwell 45'Brooker 47'Hart 67' |
Report | Miller 65' |
Stadium: Withdean Stadium Attendance: 6,754 (850 away fans) Referee: Peter Walton |
| 19 February 2003 31 | Ipswich Town | 2–4 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Ipswich |
| 19:45 GMT | Bent 2' Holland 45+1' |
Report | Miller 11', 63' Naylor 74'Ndah 81' |
Stadium: Portman Road Attendance: 27,700 (1,638 away fans) Referee: Steve Bennett |
| 22 February 2003 32 | Preston North End | 0–2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Preston |
| 15:00 GMT | Report | Ndah 53' Miller 83' |
Stadium: Deepdale Attendance: 16,070 (2,796 away fans) Referee: Paul Danson |
| 25 February 2003 33 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0–0 | Watford | Wolverhampton |
| 19:45 GMT | Report | Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 24,591 (987 away fans) Referee: Alan Kaye |
| 1 March 2003 34 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 4–0 | Crystal Palace | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 GMT | Miller 40', 83', 90+3' (pen.) Sturridge 77' |
Report | Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 26,010 (845 away fans) Referee: Paul Robinson |
| 5 March 2003 35 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–1 | Ipswich Town | Wolverhampton |
| 19:45 GMT | Ince 48' |
Report | Naylor 84' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 26,901 (1,500 away fans) Referee: Mike Jones |
| 12 March 2003 36 | Reading | 0–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Reading |
| 20:00 GMT | Report | Miller 44' |
Stadium: Madejski Stadium Attendance: 19,731 (2,686 away fans) Referee: Richard Beeby |
| 15 March 2003 37 | Portsmouth | 1–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Portsmouth |
| 15:00 GMT | Stone 4' |
Report | Stadium: Fratton Park Attendance: 19,558 (1,300 away fans) Referee: Phil Dowd |
| 18 March 2003 38 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0–0 | Stoke City | Wolverhampton |
| 19:45 GMT | Report | Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 25,235 (1,384 away fans) Referee: Jeff Winter |
| 22 March 2003 39 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 6–0 | Gillingham | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 GMT | Blake 16' Cameron 22'Kennedy 37', 45+3'Miller 45+1', 48' |
Report | Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 25,171 (674 away fans) Referee: Howard Webb |
| 5 April 2003 40 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0–0 | Rotherham United | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 BST | Cameron  88' |
Report | Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 25,944 (774 away fans) Referee: Andy Hall |
| 8 April 2003 41 | Grimsby Town | 0–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Cleethorpes |
| 19:45 BST | Report | Blake 13' |
Stadium: Blundell Park Attendance: 4,983 (1,104 away fans) Referee: Eddie Wolstenholme |
| 11 April 2003 42 | Nottingham Forest | 2–2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Nottingham |
| 19:45 BST | Johnson 40' Dawson 74' |
Report | Blake 9' Cameron 26' |
Stadium: City Ground Attendance: 27,209 (2,100 away fans) Referee: Tony Leake |
| 19 April 2003 43 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3–0 | Millwall | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 BST | Newton 5', 80' Cameron 78' |
Report | Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 27,015 (723 away fans) Referee: Matt Messias |
| 21 April 2003 44 | Norwich City | 0–3 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Norwich |
| 17:35 BST | Report | Ndah 52' Sturridge 74'Miller 90+3' |
Stadium: Carrow Road Attendance: 20,843 (1,788 away fans) Referee: Clive Wilkes |
| 26 April 2003 45 | Sheffield United | 3–3 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Sheffield |
| 15:00 BST | Peschisolido 2', 90+2' Brown 55' (pen.) |
Report | Ndah 10' Sturridge 45+4', 61' (pen.) |
Stadium: Bramall Lane Attendance: 22,211 (2,523 away fans) Referee: Paul Robinson |
| 4 May 2003 46 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–1 | Leicester City | Wolverhampton |
| 13:30 BST | Miller 57' |
Report | Benjamin 86' (pen.) |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 28,190 (3,000 away fans) Referee: Graham Laws |
Final table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portsmouth | 46 | 29 | 11 | 6 | 97 | 45 | +52 | 98 |
| 2 | Leicester City | 46 | 26 | 14 | 6 | 73 | 40 | +33 | 92 |
| 3 | Sheffield United | 46 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 72 | 52 | +20 | 80 |
| 4 | Reading | 46 | 25 | 4 | 17 | 61 | 46 | +15 | 79 |
| 5 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 46 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 81 | 44 | +37 | 76 |
| 6 | Nottingham Forest | 46 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 82 | 50 | +32 | 74 |
| 7 | Ipswich Town | 46 | 19 | 13 | 14 | 80 | 64 | +16 | 70 |
Results summary
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 46 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 81 | 44 | +37 | 76 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 40 | 19 | +21 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 41 | 25 | +16 |
Source: Statto.com
Results by round
| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | D | W | W | W | D | L | L | L | W | L | L | W | W | W | D | D | D | W | W | D | W | L | D | L | L | D | W | D | W | L | W | W | D | W | D | W | L | D | W | D | W | D | W | W | D | D |
| Position | 11 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
Play-offs
| 10 May 2003 SF1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2–1 | Reading | Wolverhampton |
| 17:30 BST | Murty 75' (o.g.) Naylor 84' |
Report | Forster 25' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 27,678 (4,500 away fans) Referee: Alan Kaye |
| 14 May 2003 SF2 | Reading | 0–1 (1–3 agg.) | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Reading |
| 19:45 BST | Report | Rae 81' |
Stadium: Madejski Stadium Attendance: 24,060 (4,000 away fans) Referee: Howard Webb |
| 26 May 2003 Final | Sheffield United | 0–3 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Cardiff |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Kennedy 6' Blake 22'Miller 45' |
Stadium: Millennium Stadium Attendance: 69,473 (33,500 Wolves) Referee: Steve Bennett |
FA Cup
| 5 January 2003 R3 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3–2 | Newcastle United | Wolverhampton |
| 16:00 GMT | Ince 6' Kennedy 28'Ndah 49' |
Report | Jenas 40' Shearer 43' (pen.) |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 27,316 (3,000 away fans) Referee: Rob Styles |
| 25 January 2003 R4 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 4–1 | Leicester City | Wolverhampton |
| 15:00 GMT | Ndah 5', 45' Miller 51', 71' |
Report | Dickov 29' (pen.) |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 28,164 (2,998 away fans) Referee: Mike Dean |
| 16 February 2003 R5 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3–1 | Rochdale | Wolverhampton |
| 19:00 GMT | Ndah 32' Miller 79'Proudlock 90+2' |
Report | Melaugh 52' |
Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 23,921 (3,432 away fans) Referee: Uriah Rennie |
| 9 March 2003 QF | Southampton | 2–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Southampton |
| 16:00 GMT | Marsden 56' Butler 81' (o.g.) |
Report | Stadium: St Mary's Stadium Attendance: 31,715 (3,900 away fans) Referee: Andy D'Urso |
League Cup
| 11 September 2002 R1 | Swansea City | 2–3 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Swansea |
| 19:45 BST | Thomas 8' Wood 22' |
Report | Blake 16' Pollet 34'Rae 78' |
Stadium: Vetch Field Attendance: 4,799 (835 away fans) Referee: Scott Mathieson |
| 1 October 2002 R2 | Rotherham United | 4–4 (a.e.t.) (4 - 2 p) | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Rotherham |
| 19:45 BST | Barker 5', 93' Robins 78' (pen.)Swailes 86' |
Report | Newton 45' (pen.) Miller 58'Rae 70'Scott 120' (o.g.) |
Stadium: Millmoor Attendance: 5,064 (988 away fans) Referee: Phil Prosser |
| Penalties | ||||
| Robins Swailes  Bryan Hurst Mullin |
Sturridge Blake Newton Irwin |
|||
Statistics
Key:
‡ On loan from another club * First appearance(s) for the club
- # = Squad number
- Pos = Playing position
- P = Number of games played 10
- G = Number of goals scored
- GK = Goalkeeper
- DF = Defender
- MF = Midfielder
- FW = Forward
= Yellow cards
= Red cards- † Permanent player left club during the season
- ¤ Loaned to another club for part or all of season
Correct as of the season's end. Starting appearances are listed first, followed by substitute appearances in parentheses where applicable.
| No. | Pos | Name | P | G | P | G | P | G | P | G | P | G |  |
 |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | FA Cup | League Cup | Playoffs | Total | Discipline | ||||||||||
| 1 | GK |  Michael Oakes |
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | DF | Sean Connelly † |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | DF | Lee Naylor |
31(1) | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 40(1) | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| 4 | MF |  Alex Rae |
30(8) | 3 | 0(2) | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0(1) | 1 | 32(11) | 6 | 9 | 0 | |
| 5 | DF | Joleon Lescott |
44 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 6 | DF |  Paul Butler |
31(1) | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 40(1) | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| 7 | MF | Shaun Newton |
29(4) | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2(1) | 0 | 37(5) | 4 | 5 | 0 | |
| 8 | DF | Denis Irwin |
43 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 51(1) | 2 | 6 | 0 | |
| 9 | FW |  Nathan Blake |
22(1) | 12 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 28(1) | 14 | 6 | 1 | |
| 10 | MF | Colin Cameron |
29(4) | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 36(4) | 7 | 3 | 0 | |
| 11 | MF | Mark Kennedy |
30(1) | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 37(1) | 5 | 4 | 0 | |
| 12 | FW | Adam Proudlock ¤ |
2(15) | 2 | 0(3) | 1 | 0(1) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 2(20) | 3 | 1 | 0 | |
| 13 | GK | Matt Murray |
40 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | DF |  Ludovic Pollet ¤ |
2(0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0(1) | 0 | 3(1) | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 15 | MF | Kevin Cooper |
13(13) | 3 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 13(15) | 3 | 5 | 0 | |
| 16 | FW | Kenny Miller |
35(8) | 19 | 4 | 3 | 1(1) | 1 | 3 | 1 | 43(9) | 24 | 5 | 0 | |
| 17 | DF |  Mo Camara |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 18 | FW |  George Ndah |
17(8) | 7 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 22(8) | 11 | 7 | 0 | |
| 19 | MF | Keith Andrews |
2(7) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3(7) | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 20 | FW | Michael Branch ¤ |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 21 | DF |  Ívar Ingimarsson ¤ |
10(3) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12(3) | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| 23 | MF | Paul Ince (c) |
35(2) | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1(1) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 43(3) | 3 | 13 | 0 | |
| 24 | DF | Marc Edworthy |
18(4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19(4) | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 29 | FW | Dean Sturridge |
17(22) | 10 | 0(1) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0(3) | 0 | 17(27) | 10 | 4 | 0 | |
| 30 | GK |  Ian Feuer † |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 31 | DF |  Mark Clyde ¤ |
15(2) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15(3) | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 32 | MF | John Melligan ¤ |
0(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 33 | MF | Graham Ward |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 34 | MF | Sammy Clingan |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 35 | DF | Kenny Coleman ¤ |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 36 | GK | Lewis Solly † |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 37 | GK |  Adam Federici |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 39 | FW | Carlton Cole ‡ |
5(2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5(2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
Awards
| Award | Winner[12] |
|---|---|
| Fans' Player of the Season | Joleon Lescott |
| Young Player of the Season | Matt Murray |
In
| Date | Player | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2002 | Ívar Ingimarsson | Unattached | Free[13] |
| 23 July 2002 | Denis Irwin | Unattached | Free[2] |
| 6 August 2002 | Paul Ince | Unattached | Free[1] |
| 23 August 2002 | Marc Edworthy | Unattached | Free[14] |
| 18 September 2002 | Ian Feuer | Unattached | Non-contract[15] |
| 26 February 2003 | Adam Federici | Unattached | End of season[16] |
Out
| Date | Player | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2002 | Andy Sinton | Released | Free[17] |
| June 2002 | Carl Robinson | Released | Free |
| 1 July 2002 | Kevin Muscat | Rangers | Free[18] |
| 11 July 2002 | Darren Bazeley | Released | Free[19] |
| 2 August 2002 | Colin Larkin | Mansfield Town | £120,000[20] |
| 28 September 2002 | Ian Feuer | Released | Free[21] |
| 10 October 2002 | Sean Connelly | Released | Free[22] |
| 28 March 2003 | Lewis Solly | Bury | Free[23] |
Loans in
| Start date | Player | From | End date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 November 2002 | Carlton Cole | Chelsea | 3 January 2003[3] |
Loans out
| Start date | Player | To | End date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2002 |  Cédric Roussel | Mons | End of season[24] |
| 12 September 2002 | Mark Clyde | Kidderminster Harriers | 12 October 2002[25] |
| 12 September 2002 | John Melligan | Kidderminster Harriers | 4 May 2003[25] |
| 4 October 2002 | Michael Branch | Hull City | 3 December 2002[26] |
| 10 October 2002 | Kenny Coleman | Kidderminster Harriers | End of season[27] |
| 25 October 2002 | Adam Proudlock | Tranmere Rovers | 25 November 2002[28] |
| 14 November 2002 | Ludovic Pollet | Walsall | 1 January 2003[29] |
| 13 December 2002 | Adam Proudlock | Sheffield Wednesday | 7 January 2003[30] |
| 10 February 2003 | Ívar Ingimarsson | Brighton & Hove Albion | 4 May 2003[31] |
The season saw new home and away kits, manufactured by Admiral.[32] The home strip reverted to a lighter gold colour after two years wearing a darker "old gold" style, while the away kit returned to the club's traditional all-white look.[33] After twelve seasons sponsored by Goodyear, the club signed a two-year deal with Doritos.[34]
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