2002–03 Football League First Division

The 2002–03 Football League First Division (referred to as the Nationwide First Division for sponsorship reasons) was the eleventh season of the league under its current format as the second tier of English football.

Football League First Division
Season2002–03
ChampionsPortsmouth
(3rd divisional title)
PromotedPortsmouth
Leicester City
Wolverhampton Wanderers
RelegatedSheffield Wednesday
Brighton & Hove Albion
Grimsby Town
Matches played557
Goals scored1,512 (2.71 per match)
Top goalscorerSvetoslav Todorov
(26 goals)
Biggest home winNottm Forest 6–0 Stoke,
Wolves 6–0 Gillingham
Biggest away winMillwall 0–6 Rotherham
Highest scoringGrimsby 6–5 Burnley,
Burnley 4–7 Watford
Longest winning run7 games[1]
Portsmouth
Longest unbeaten run15 games[1]
Leicester City
Longest winless run16 games[1]
Stoke City
Longest losing run12 games[1]
Brighton & Hove Albion
Average attendance15,599[2]
← 2001–02

Portsmouth won the division to return to the Premier League after a fifteen-year absence. In Harry Redknapp's first full season in charge the team secured the title on 27 April, with a victory over Rotherham, having been promoted with four games to spare by defeating Burnley.[3][4]

Leicester City were promoted at the first attempt following their relegation. Their promotion was contentious as they entered administration during the season due to debts in excess of £50 million stemming from their loss of Premier League income and major investment in a new stadium, but were able to write-off these entirely when a new consortium took control and therefore avoided having to sell off players.[5] Following this incident, the Football League would introduce rules that penalised any club entering administration with a ten-point points deduction;[6] although Leicester would still have finished in second place had been this been applied.

Wolverhampton Wanderers won the play-offs to reach the modern-day Premiership for the first time after a 3–0 win in the play-off final against a Sheffield United team which had reached the semi-finals of both domestic cup competitions.[7] This marked a return to top-flight football for Wolves after a nineteen-year exodus that had seen them fall as low as the fourth tier. Also leaving the division were Sheffield Wednesday, Brighton & Hove Albion and Grimsby Town, who were all relegated.

Team changes from previous season

From the First Division

Promoted to the Premiership:

Relegated to the Second Division:

To the First Division

Relegated from the Premiership:

Promoted from the Second Division:

Team overview

Stadia and locations
Locations of the 2002–03 First Division clubs
Team Location Stadium Capacity
Bradford CityBradfordBradford & Bingley Stadium25,136
BurnleyBurnleyTurf Moor22,546
Brighton & Hove AlbionBrightonWithdean Stadium8,850
Coventry CityCoventryHighfield Road23,489
Crystal PalaceLondonSelhurst Park26,309
Derby CountyDerbyPride Park33,597
GillinghamGillinghamPriestfield Stadium11,582
Grimsby TownCleethorpesBlundell Park10,033
Ipswich TownIpswichPortman Road30,311
Leicester CityLeicesterWalkers Stadium32,500
MillwallLondonThe New Den20,146
Nottingham ForestNottinghamCity Ground30,576
Norwich CityNorwichCarrow Road26,018
PortsmouthPortsmouthFratton Park20,224
Preston North EndPrestonDeepdale23,408
ReadingReadingMadejski Stadium24,161
Rotherham UnitedRotherhamMillmoor8,300
Sheffield UnitedSheffieldBramall Lane32,702
Sheffield WednesdaySheffieldHillsborough39,812
Stoke CityStokeBritannia Stadium27,740
WalsallWalsallBescot Stadium11,300
WatfordWatfordVicarage Road17,504
WimbledonLondonSelhurst Park126,309
Wolverhampton WanderersWolverhamptonMolineux27,828
  • Note 1: Wimbledon rented the use of Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park home.

Personnel and sponsoring
Team Manager Kit maker Sponsor
Bradford City Nicky Law BCAFC JCT600
Burnley Stan Ternent TFG Sports Lanway
Brighton & Hove Albion Martin Hinshelwood Erreà Skint Records
Coventry City Gary McAllister CCFC Subaru
Crystal Palace Trevor Francis Le Coq Sportif Churchill
Derby County John Gregory Erreà Pedigree
Gillingham Andy Hessenthaler Gills Leisure SeaFrance
Grimsby Town Paul Groves Avec Dixon
Ipswich Town George Burley Punch TXU Energi
Leicester City Micky Adams Le Coq Sportif LG
Millwall Mark McGhee Strikeforce 24seven
Nottingham Forest Paul Hart Umbro Pinnacle Insurance
Norwich City Nigel Worthington Xara Digital Phone Company
Portsmouth Harry Redknapp Pompey Sport Ty
Preston North End Craig Brown Voi NewReg.com
Reading Alan Pardew Kit@ Westcoast
Rotherham United Ronnie Moore Bodyline T-Mobile
Sheffield United Neil Warnock Le Coq Sportif Desun
Sheffield Wednesday Terry Yorath Diadora Chupa Chups
Stoke City Steve Cotterill Le Coq Sportif Britannia
Walsall Colin Lee Xara Banks's
Watford Ray Lewington Kit@ Toshiba
Wimbledon Stuart Murdoch Patrick Go MK
Wolverhampton Wanderers Dave Jones Admiral Doritos

Managerial changes
Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Replaced by Date of appointment
Brighton & Hove Albion Peter Taylor Resigned 29 April 2002[8] Off season Martin Hinshelwood 15 July 2002[9]
Brighton & Hove Albion Martin Hinshelwood Moved to director of football position 7 October 2002[10] 24th Steve Coppell 7 October 2002[10]
Stoke City Steve Cotterill Resigned to become assistant manager at Sunderland 10 October 2002[11] 15th Tony Pulis 1 November 2002[12]
Ipswich Town George Burley Sacked 11 October 2002[13] 19th Joe Royle 28 October 2002[14]
Sheffield Wednesday Terry Yorath Resigned 31 October 2002[15] 22nd Chris Turner 7 November 2002[16]
Crystal Palace Trevor Francis Mutual consent 18 April 2003[17] 11th Steve Kember 23 May 2003[18]
Derby County John Gregory Sacked 9 May 20032[19][20] 18th (end of season) George Burley 5 June 20033[21][22]
  • Note 2: Although Gregory was dismissed on this date, he had already been suspended from his post on 21 March after "serious allegations" were made against him.
  • Note 3: Burley was initially appointed on 31 March as interim manager following John Gregory's suspension.

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Portsmouth (C, P) 46 29 11 6 97 45 +52 98 Promotion to 2003–04 FA Premier League
2 Leicester City (P) 46 26 14 6 73 40 +33 92
3 Sheffield United 46 23 11 12 72 52 +20 80 Qualification for First Division Playoffs
4 Reading 46 25 4 17 61 46 +15 79
5 Wolverhampton Wanderers (O, P) 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
8 Norwich City 46 19 12 15 60 49 +11 69
9 Millwall 46 19 9 18 59 69 −10 66
10 Wimbledon 46 18 11 17 76 73 +3 65
11 Gillingham 46 16 14 16 56 65 −9 62
12 Preston North End 46 16 13 17 68 70 −2 61
13 Watford 46 17 9 20 54 70 −16 60
14 Crystal Palace 46 14 17 15 59 52 +7 59
15 Rotherham United 46 15 14 17 62 62 0 59
16 Burnley 46 15 10 21 65 89 −24 55
17 Walsall 46 15 9 22 57 69 −12 54
18 Derby County 46 15 7 24 55 74 −19 52
19 Bradford City 46 14 10 22 51 73 −22 52
20 Coventry City 46 12 14 20 46 62 −16 50
21 Stoke City 46 12 14 20 45 69 −24 50
22 Sheffield Wednesday (R) 46 10 16 20 56 73 −17 46 Relegation to 2003–04 Second Division
23 Brighton & Hove Albion (R) 46 11 12 23 49 67 −18 45
24 Grimsby Town (R) 46 9 12 25 48 85 −37 39
Updated to match(es) played on 11 May 2003. Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated.

Play-offs
Main article: 2003 Football League play-offs
  Semi-finals Final
                     
3 Sheffield United 1 4 5  
6 Nottingham Forest 1 3 4  
    3 Sheffield United 0
  5 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3
4 Reading 1 0 1
5 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 1 3  

Awards
Month Manager of the Month Notes
Manager Club
August Harry Redknapp Portsmouth [23]
September Micky Adams Leicester City [24]
October Ray Lewington Watford [25]
November Alan Pardew Reading [26]
December Gary McAllister Coventry City [27]
January Neil Warnock Sheffield United [28]
February Alan Pardew Reading [29]
March Joe Royle Ipswich Town [30]
April Mark McGhee Millwall [31]
PFA Team of the Year[32]
Pos.PlayerClub
GK Shaka HislopPortsmouth
DF Denis IrwinWolverhampton Wanderers
DF Joleon LescottWolverhampton Wanderers
DF Michael DawsonNottingham Forest
DF Matthew TaylorPortsmouth
MF Muzzy IzzetLeicester City
MF Michael BrownSheffield United
MF Paul MersonPortsmouth
MF Michael TongeSheffield United
FW David JohnsonNottingham Forest
FW Paul DickovLeicester City

References
  1. "English League Championship Stats – 2011–12". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 12 August 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  2. "English League Championship Stats: Team Attendance". ESPN.
  3. "Portsmouth 3-2 Rotherham". BBC Sport. 27 April 2003.
  4. "Portsmouth promoted". BBC Sport. 15 April 2003.
  5. "Leicester City put into administration". BBC News. 22 October 2002.
  6. "League to punish stricken clubs". BBC News. 25 September 2003.
  7. "Wolves back in big time". BBC Sport. 26 May 2003.
  8. "Taylor quits Brighton". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 29 April 2002.
  9. "Hinshelwood given Brighton job". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 15 July 2002.
  10. "Seagulls go for Coppell". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 7 October 2002.
  11. "Cotterill quits Stoke". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 10 October 2002.
  12. "Pulis gets Stoke job". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 1 November 2002.
  13. "Ipswich sack Burley". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 11 October 2002.
  14. "Royle eyes promotion". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 28 October 2002.
  15. "Yorath quits Wednesday". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 31 October 2002.
  16. "Turner handed Owls post". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 7 November 2002.
  17. "Francis leaves Palace". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 18 April 2003.
  18. "Palace appoint Kember". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 23 May 2003.
  19. "Gregory suspended by Derby". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 21 March 2003.
  20. "Derby sack Gregory". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 9 May 2003.
  21. "Burley takes over at Derby". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 31 March 2003.
  22. "Burley relishes Derby challenge". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 5 June 2003.
  23. "Manager of the Month: August 2002". League Managers Association.
  24. "Manager of the Month: September 2002". League Managers Association.
  25. "Manager of the Month: October 2002". League Managers Association.
  26. "Manager of the Month: November 2002". League Managers Association.
  27. "Manager of the Month: December 2002". League Managers Association.
  28. "Manager of the Month: January 2003". League Managers Association.
  29. "Manager of the Month: February 2003". League Managers Association.
  30. "Manager of the Month: March 2003". League Managers Association.
  31. "Manager of the Month: April 2003". League Managers Association.
  32. Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2003). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2003/2004. Queen Anne Press. p. 496. ISBN 1-85291-651-6.
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