2002–03 League of Ireland First Division
The 2002–03 League of Ireland First Division season was the 18th season of the League of Ireland First Division. The First Division was contested by 12 teams. Waterford United won the title while Finn Harps won the First Division Cup, a one-off tournament staged this season.
| Season | 2002–03 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Waterford United |
| Top goalscorer | Kevin McHugh: 14 (Finn Harps) Willie Bruton: 14 (Cobh Ramblers) [1] |
← 2001–02 2003 → | |
Overview
First Division Cup
Between July and August the 12 teams competed in the First Division Cup. The teams were divided into two regionalised groups and played a single round of games. The two group winners then qualified for the final. On 6 July 2002 Kildare County, the First Division's newest members, made their competitive debut against Limerick at Station Road. Philip Gorman and Shey Zellor scored for County as they won 2–0. County went on to win their regional group and qualify for the final but lost 4–0 on aggregate to Finn Harps.[2][3][4]
Final tables
- Southern section
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kildare County | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | +8 | 13 | Qualified for final[lower-alpha 1] |
| 2 | Limerick | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 12 | |
| 3 | Cobh Ramblers | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 7 | |
| 4 | Waterford United | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 4 | |
| 5 | Kilkenny City | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 4 | |
| 6 | Athlone Town | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 2 |
Notes:
- Kildare County replaced Fingal–St. Francis.
- Northern section
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finn Harps | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 11 | Qualified for final |
| 2 | Sligo Rovers | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 11 | |
| 3 | Monaghan United | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 7 | |
| 4 | Dublin City | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 | |
| 5 | Dundalk | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 4 | |
| 6 | Galway United | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 10 | −8 | 2 |
Final
| 28 August 2002 | Kildare County | 0–2 | Finn Harps | Station Road [5] |
Jonathan Minnick  55'Neil Lloyd 67' |
| 4 September 2002 | Finn Harps | 2–0 | Kildare County | Finn Park [4] |
| Bradley 16' Bonner 34' |
Finn Harps win 4–0 on aggregate.
Source:[3]
Regular season
The regular season began in August [4] and concluded in January. It used a round-robin format which saw each team play 22 games. Under manager Jimmy McGeough and with a team that included Dan Connor, Waterford United won the title and were automatically promoted to the 2003 Premier Division.[6][7][8]
Final table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waterford United | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 37 | 25 | +12 | 46 | Promoted to Premier Division |
| 2 | Finn Harps | 22 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 41 | 22 | +19 | 41 | Lost promotion/relegation play-off |
| 3 | Galway United | 22 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 34 | 21 | +13 | 36 | |
| 4 | Cobh Ramblers | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 39 | 38 | +1 | 35 | |
| 5 | Kildare County | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 32 | 31 | +1 | 33 | |
| 6 | Sligo Rovers | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 28 | 27 | +1 | 30 | |
| 7 | Dublin City | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 36 | 35 | +1 | 28 | |
| 8 | Monaghan United | 22 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 26 | 27 | −1 | 26 | |
| 9 | Dundalk | 22 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 28 | 36 | −8 | 23 | |
| 10 | Limerick | 22 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 26 | 36 | −10 | 23 | |
| 11 | Athlone Town | 22 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 26 | 40 | −14 | 21 | |
| 12 | Kilkenny City | 22 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 23 | 38 | −15 | 16 |
Promotion/Relegation Play-off
The promotion/relegation play-off format was changed this season. It now featured four teams, the second, third and fourth placed teams from the First Division plus Drogheda United, the ninth placed team from the 2002–03 League of Ireland Premier Division.
Semi-finals
- 1st Legs
| 29 January 2003 | Galway United | 2–0 | Finn Harps |
| 29 January 2003 | Cobh Ramblers | 2–2 | Drogheda United |
- 2nd Legs
| 1 February 2003 | Finn Harps | 1–0 | Galway United |
Galway United win 2–1 on aggregate
| 1 February 2003 | Drogheda United | 2–0 | Cobh Ramblers |
Drogheda United win 4–2 on aggregate
Final
| 5 February 2003 | Galway United | 2–0 | Drogheda United |
| 8 February 2003 | Drogheda United | 3–0 | Galway United |
Drogheda United win 3–2 on aggregate and retain their place in the Premier Division.
References
- "Ireland - List of Topscorers". www.rsssf.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- "Kildare make impressive start to campaign". www.irishexaminer.com. 6 July 2002. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- "Ireland Cups 2002/03". www.rsssf.com. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- "Kildare face Limerick on Saturday". www.breakingnews.ie. 18 August 2002. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- "Finn Harps win first leg of First Division Cup final". www.breakingnews.ie. 29 August 2002. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- "Waterford United sack manager McGeough". www.irishtimes.com. 11 December 2003. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- Graham, Alex. Football in the Republic of Ireland a Statistical Record 1921–2005. Soccer Books Limited. ISBN 1-86223-135-4.
- "(Republic of) Ireland League Tables - Second Level". www.rsssf.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2016.