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2002–03 Watford F.C. season

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Watford
2002–03 season
ChairmanGraham Simpson
ManagerRay Lewington
StadiumVicarage Road
First Division13th
FA CupSemi-finals
League CupFirst round
Top goalscorerLeague: Helguson (11)
All: Helguson (13)
Average home league attendance13,405

The 2002–03 season marked Watford Football Club's third consecutive season in the Football League First Division, following relegation from the Premier League in the 1999–2000 season. The club was managed by its former reserve team manager Ray Lewington, following the dismissal of Gianluca Vialli at the end of 2001–02. The club finished 13th in the First Division, reached the semi-final of the FA Cup, and were eliminated in the first round of the League Cup. Watford were operating under severe financial constraints following the collapse of ITV Digital, and at the end of the season were forced to offload several first-team players, including Tommy Smith, Gifton Noel-Williams, Stephen Glass, and record signing Allan Nielsen.

Season review

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Over the summer many of the Vialli's signings left the club. Lewington had few funds to strengthen the side. The extent of Watford's financial difficulties was exposed in the autumn, along with many League clubs, following the collapse of ITV Digital.[1] The club was facing administration when the players and staff agreed a 12% wage deferral.[2] Exacerbating the club's difficulties were the large payoffs they had had to make to Vialli and several players on terminating their contracts, and Vialli's decision to sue the club early in 2003.[3] The club started the season well, however, despite the players having to agree to a pay-cut during October, and finished in mid-table. An unexpected run to the FA Cup semi-final, where Watford lost to Premiership Southampton,[4] also generated vital cash.[5]

Final league table

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Main article: 2002–03 Football League First Division
Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
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
Updated to match(es) played on 11 May 2003. Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Results

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Watford's score comes first[6]

Legend

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Win Draw Loss

Football League First Division

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Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
10 August 2002 Leicester City A 0–2 31,022
13 August 2002 Millwall H 0–0 11,187
17 August 2002 Wimbledon H 3–2 10,292 Webber, Robinson, Nielsen
24 August 2002 Portsmouth A 0–3 17,901
26 August 2002 Coventry City H 5–2 11,136 Glass, T Smith, Webber, Nielsen, Robinson
31 August 2002 Norwich City A 0–4 20,563
7 September 2002 Walsall H 2–0 10,528 T Smith, Foley
14 September 2002 Nottingham Forest A 1–0 17,865 Cox
17 September 2002 Preston North End A 1–1 12,408 Robinson
21 September 2002 Crystal Palace H 3–3 12,153 Ardley, Hyde, Helguson
28 September 2002 Sheffield United A 2–1 16,301 Cox (pen), Helguson
5 October 2002 Brighton & Hove Albion H 1–0 15,305 Helguson
12 October 2002 Grimsby Town H 2–0 13,821 Foley, T Smith
19 October 2002 Gillingham A 0–3 8,728
26 October 2002 Sheffield Wednesday H 1–0 15,058 Helguson
30 October 2002 Stoke City A 2–1 11,215 Helguson, Cox
2 November 2002 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 1–1 16,524 Cox
9 November 2002 Rotherham United A 1–2 6,790 Foley
17 November 2002 Ipswich Town H 0–2 16,184
23 November 2002 Reading A 0–1 17,465
30 November 2002 Burnley H 2–1 13,977 Helguson, T Smith (pen)
7 December 2002 Derby County A 0–3 21,653
14 December 2002 Ipswich Town A 2–4 22,985 T Smith, Cox
21 December 2002 Bradford City H 1–0 12,579 Cox (pen)
26 December 2002 Wimbledon A 0–0 2,643
28 December 2002 Leicester City H 1–2 16,017 Helguson
1 January 2003 Portsmouth H 2–2 15,048 Hyde, Cox
11 January 2003 Millwall A 0–4 9,030
19 January 2003 Norwich City H 2–1 13,338 Nielsen, Helguson
1 February 2003 Coventry City A 1–0 17,393 Hyde
8 February 2003 Rotherham United H 1–2 15,025 T Smith
22 February 2003 Walsall A 0–2 7,705
25 February 2003 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 0–0 24,591
1 March 2003 Nottingham Forest H 1–1 17,934 Helguson
4 March 2003 Preston North End H 0–1 11,101
15 March 2003 Grimsby Town A 0–1 4,847
18 March 2003 Gillingham H 0–1 10,492
22 March 2003 Stoke City H 1–2 12,570 Helguson
29 March 2003 Sheffield Wednesday A 2–2 17,086 T Smith, Norville
5 April 2003 Burnley A 7–4 10,208 Brown, Hyde, Cox, Chopra (4)
8 April 2003 Crystal Palace A 1–0 14,051 Hunt (own goal)
19 April 2003 Bradford City A 1–2 11,145 Helguson
21 April 2003 Derby County H 2–0 11,909 Chopra, Ardley
26 April 2003 Brighton & Hove Albion A 0–4 6,841
30 April 2003 Reading H 0–3 11,814
4 May 2003 Sheffield United H 2–0 14,320 Cox, Fitzgerald

FA Cup

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Main article: 2002–03 FA Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
R3 4 January 2003 Macclesfield Town A 2–0 4,244 Helguson, Pennant
R4 25 January 2003 West Bromwich Albion H 1–0 16,975 Helguson
R5 15 February 2003 Sunderland A 1–0 26,916 T Smith
QF 9 March 2003 Burnley H 2–0 20,336 T Smith, Glass
SF 13 April 2003 Southampton N 1–2 42,602 Gayle

League Cup

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Main article: 2002–03 Football League Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
R1 10 September 2002 Luton Town H 1–2 14,171 Foley

Players

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First-team squad

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Squad at end of season[7]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK England ENG Alec Chamberlain
2 MF England ENG Neal Ardley
3 DF England ENG Paul Robinson
4 MF England ENG Paolo Vernazza
5 DF England ENG Neil Cox
6 DF England ENG Sean Dyche
7 MF Denmark DEN Allan Nielsen
8 MF Jamaica JAM Micah Hyde[notes 1]
9 FW England ENG Tommy Smith
10 DF England ENG Wayne Brown
11 MF Scotland SCO Stephen Glass
12 MF England ENG Gavin Mahon
14 MF Australia AUS Richard Johnson
15 FW England ENG Gifton Noel-Williams
16 MF England ENG Anthony McNamee
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 FW Iceland ISL Heiðar Helguson
19 DF England ENG Jerel Ifil
20 DF England ENG Lloyd Doyley[notes 2]
21 FW Republic of Ireland IRL Dominic Foley
22 MF England ENG Lee Cook
23 MF England ENG Jamie Hand
24 FW Trinidad and Tobago TRI Jason Norville
25 MF England ENG Gary Fisken
27 DF Jamaica JAM Marcus Gayle[notes 3]
28 MF England ENG Sam Swonnell
29 MF England ENG Jermaine Pennant (on loan from Arsenal)
30 GK England ENG Richard Lee
31 DF England ENG Jack Smith
32 MF Canada CAN Elliott Godfrey
33 FW England ENG Scott Fitzgerald

Left club during season

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
10 MF England ENG Stephen Hughes (released)
13 GK Norway NOR Espen Baardsen[notes 4] (to Everton)
17 FW England ENG Nick Wright (retired)
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 FW England ENG Michael Chopra (on loan from Newcastle United)
29 FW England ENG Danny Webber (on loan from Manchester United)

Reserve squad

[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
26 MF Barbados BRB Fabian Forde[notes 5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Watford in financial peril BBC
  2. ^ BBC: Watford players agree pay cut
  3. ^ BBC: Vialli sues Watford
  4. ^ Watford 1-2 Southampton BBC 3CR
  5. ^ BBC: Hornets eye stadium repurchase
  6. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^ "FootballSquads – Watford – 2002/03".

Notes

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  1. ^ Hyde was born in Newham, England, but also qualified to represent Jamaica internationally and made his international debut for Jamaica in 2001.
  2. ^ Doyley was born in Tower Hamlets, England, but also qualified to represent Jamaica internationally and would make his international debut for Jamaica in March 2013.
  3. ^ Gayle was born in Hammersmith, London, and represented them at U-18 level, but also qualified to represent Jamaica internationally through his father and made his international debut for Jamaica in 1998.
  4. ^ Baardsen was born in San Rafael, California, United States, and represented them at U-18 level, but also qualified to represent Norway internationally through his parents and made his international debut for Norway in September 1998.
  5. ^ Forde was born in Harrow, England, but also qualified to represent Barbados internationally and made his international debut for Barbados in November 2002.
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