FA Premier League 2002-03
Encyclopedia
The 2002–03 FA Premier League (referred to as the 2002–03 Barclaycard Premiership, due to sponsorship rights) was the eleventh season of the Premier League, the top division in English
football. The first matches were played on 17 August 2002 and the last were played on 11 May 2003. Manchester United
ended the campaign as champions for the eighth time in eleven years – an achievement made all the more remarkable by virtue of defending champions Arsenal
having led by eight points on March 2. Although this was a season of breaking new English domestic records for the Gunners and leading at all fronts come the halfway stage, they threw away a priceless lead against Bolton Wanderers
and finally surrendered the title with a 3–2 home defeat to Leeds United, in the 3rd-last game of the season. This result all but saved Leeds from relegation.
Newcastle United
and Chelsea
were the remaining two teams who qualified for the UEFA Champions League
at the expense of Liverpool
who had to settle for the UEFA Cup
; they would be joined in Europe by Blackburn Rovers
for their second successive season. Newly promoted sides Manchester City
and Birmingham City
finished in ninth and thirteenth, respectively. Sunderland
broke the record for the fewest points and goals scored in a Premier League season, while West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United went with them to the First Division.
Michael Ricketts
had the honour of scoring the first goal of the new season for Bolton against Fulham
, inside five minutes. The first hat-trick
of the season was scored by Michael Owen
in the match between Liverpool and Manchester City, at Maine Road
in late September. Wayne Rooney
, at the young age of 16, made his breakthrough at Everton
, scoring an impressive goal against Arsenal
, helping the Toffees to a 2–1 win. However, Rooney also got his first Premiership straight red card two months later on Boxing Day
, for a reckless foul on Birmingham City's
Steve Vickers
at St. Andrew's.
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
1Since Liverpool qualified for the UEFA Cup via the league, their place in the UEFA Cup as League Cup winners reverted to the league and was awarded to Blackburn Rovers.
2Since Arsenal qualified for the Champions League, their place in the UEFA Cup as FA Cup winners went to Southampton, who were the FA Cup runners-up.
3Manchester City qualified for the UEFA Cup as Fair Play winners.
exit from the 2002 FIFA World Cup
at the hands of Brazil
, the big talking point at the start of the season was the signing of centre-back, Rio Ferdinand
from Leeds United
to Manchester United
, in a deal worth £29.1 million, which would rise to an excess of £30 million, due to agent fees. It made him the most expensive defender in the world, as well as becoming Britain's most expensive player for the second time in two years.
Arsenal
strengthened their double winning side, requiring the services of Swedish goalkeeper, Rami Shaaban
, following the departure of Richard Wright
to Everton
. The only other signing Arsène Wenger
brought in was Brazilian star Gilberto Silva
, for a price of £4.5 million. The deal proved valuable as Gilberto scored the winner in the newly named FA Community Shield
, against Liverpool after coming on the second half.
Liverpool
were one of the few sides who spent big during summer. Out went Jari Litmanen
, Nick Barmby
, Jamie Redknapp
and ex-Arsenal star Nicolas Anelka
, who was snubbed by the management board. Anelka eventually went to newly-promoted, Manchester City, in a deal worth £13 million. Gérard Houllier's preferred striker was Senegalese star El Hadji Diouf
who cost £10 million, which at the time was the club's record signing. French international winger, Bruno Cheyrou
was also acquired by Houllier, for £4.5 million.
Leeds United suffered a manager crisis during the summer transfer period. David O'Leary
was controversially sacked as manager, after failing to win a trophy in his four year spell. Despite reaching the UEFA Champions League
and UEFA Cup
semi-finals, O'Leary was given more than £100 million in transfer funds to produce a winning squad. He was replaced by former England boss, Terry Venables
on a two year deal.
's men comfortably achieve survival in their first top-flight campaign since 1986, they even had the satisfaction of finishing three places higher than cross-city rivals Aston Villa. The club had managed to keep just ahead of the relegation zone all season, but a return of 13 points from their last six games put survival beyond all doubt.
), their continued progress under Graeme Souness
gave the fans much hope for the following season. The star member of Blackburn's team this year was American goalkeeper Brad Friedel
, who was named as the goalkeeper in the PFA Team of the Year.
's men once more, and after the start of March they only managed one more victory, dropping to 12th place in the final table. Considering the relatively small budget Curbishley was operating on, even this was quite an achievement.
. Despite a humiliating first round UEFA Cup exit to Viking Stavanger and exits to Manchester United and Arsenal in the League Cup and FA Cup respectively, Chelsea's improved Premier League form saw them secure a Champions League position for the first time in four years. Moreover, they boasted one of the strongest defences in the Premier League, conceding less goals than anyone bar champions Manchester United.
During the summer, owner Ken Bates
sold the club to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich
. Abramovich's wealth would completely transform the club's fortunes in the following years.
had impressed the pundits with some good results that secured Everton's Premier League survival in the previous season, and it was widely felt that they would survive relegation more comfortably this time around, but Everton did more than just survive relegation, they made a serious challenge for the European places and looked a dangerous threat throughout the year. A failure to get any points from their last two games ultimately killed off Everton's UEFA Cup challenge, but the season still represented a huge leap from the relegation struggles that the club had continuously endured through much of the Premier League's existence.
The season saw the debut of 16-year-old striker Wayne Rooney
, who scored his first senior goal to end Arsenal's unbeaten run. In the years to come, Rooney would establish himself as one of the world's top strikers.
was tipped to finally make his Premier League breakthrough and have the club challenging in the upper reaches of the table, the club were in the relegation zone for the first half of the season. The team's form improved after the turn of the year, but this did not save Tigana's job and he left the club after a 2-0 defeat by Liverpool in mid-April. Former club captain Chris Coleman
replaced Tigana on a caretaker basis and helped secure Premier League survival, earning himself the job permanently.
freshly installed as manager, Leeds started the season well despite the loss of Rio Ferdinand
to Manchester United in a £30 million deal, but their form slumped and, with Leeds looking like candidates for relegation Venables was sacked. His replacement, Peter Reid
, sparked a revival that saw Leeds secure their Premier League status with a 3-2 victory over Arsenal, which also ended the Gunners' title challenge. Only after the season ended did the full extent of Leeds's problems become clear; they had more debt than the rest of the Premier League (barring Fulham and Chelsea) combined, and were in imminent danger of bankruptcy.
in the fourth round. A 2-0 victory in the final of the League Cup did provide some consolation (moreso because it happened to be over bitter rivals Manchester United), but a disappointing fifth place finish capped off a distinctly underwhelming season and put manager Gerard Houllier
under renewed pressure.
continued to restore his reputation as a manager, and the blue half of Manchester secured their joint-highest finish since the Premier League started. Their cup runs were disappointing, going out in the third round of both the FA and League Cups, but it seemed as if City had finally put the nightmares of the late-1990s behind them.
, the club did not lose a single Premier League game and won all but three of their remaining matches to win back the Premier League title in an emphatic manner. Their celebrations were somewhat clouded by the loss of David Beckham
, who was signed by Real Madrid
post-season.
's second season in charge of the Teeside team went smoother than the first, and they remained clear of relegation danger for most of the season. They were even in with a chance of a UEFA Cup spot late in the season, after winning only one of their last six matches they fell away towards the end of the campaign. Nonetheless, the season was a marked improvement over the relegation battles they had mostly been fighting since returning to the Premier League in 1998.
's side managed to improve on their previous finish and achieved third place and looking like possible title contenders for much of the season. Their progress in the domestic cup competitions was rather disappointing as they fell at the first hurdle in the League and FA Cups. In the Champions League, Newcastle pulled off a surprising turnaround to qualify for the second group stage despite losing their first three first group stage matches.
, and recorded their best-ever Premier League finish of eighth place. They made bigger headlines in the FA Cup however, as they reached the final for only the second time in their history and gave a good account of themselves in the final, losing by only a single goal to Arsenal. Their comparatively weak away form was the only real let-down for the club; with better form on the road they might have achieved a UEFA Cup place through their league placing instead of through their FA Cup Final appearance.
, and, while it was widely predicted that Mick McCarthy
would take over, the Sunderland board wrongfooted everyone by appointing the FA's Technical Director Howard Wilkinson
as manager. No substantial improvement resulted under Wilkinson, who was in turn axed in March and McCarthy was finally appointed to the manager's job. By this stage it was far too late to save Sunderland's top-flight status, and they were relegated with the worst record in the history of the Premier League and the second-lowest points total since the League began using three points for a win in 1981.
only continued to increase.
's side lost their first three games of the season, but then a sequence of three victories gave fans hope that Megson might somehow be able to keep them in the top flight. After that, however, it became evident that the club were completely out of their depth and they only managed three more victories in the whole season. Any other year they would almost certainly have finished bottom, but Sunderland's dire season spared West Brom that embarrassment. Megson quickly started planning how to bounce back the following season.
and several high-profile players, most notably Paolo Di Canio
, all but destroying the club's morale. The club did put together a good run in the final six weeks of the season (during which Roeder temporarily stepped down for health reasons, with Trevor Brooking
taking control of the team), losing only once in their last eleven matches. Unfortunately, that loss happened to be against relegation rivals Bolton Wanderers, themselves in the midst of an excellent run. It ultimately proved fatal in West Ham's fight to avoid relegation.
Teams relegated to Nationwide Division 1
award for 2003 was won by Thierry Henry
of Arsenal. This was the Frenchman's first award of the season and he beat off competition from the previous winner Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, in alphabetical order, was as follows:
award was won by Jermaine Jenas
of Newcastle United. Wayne Rooney was voted runner-up, and John O'Shea finished third in one of his first full seasons as a United player.
The shortlist for the award was as follows:
for winning his eighth title and regaining the league after a superb second half to the season, involving an 18-match unbeaten run.
, whose form, creativity and goals all helped Manchester United regain the league from Arsenal.
who scored 25 goals in 38 league matches and 44 in all competitions. He also equalled his record of eight goals in eight successive matches at the beginning of the season, a milestone he had reached the previous season. Van Nistelrooy finished one goal ahead of Arsenal's Thierry Henry
while James Beattie
managed 23 league goals for Southampton. Since the reduction of the number of games from 42 to 38 in 1996, only Kevin Phillips
had scored more Premiership goals in one season – 30 for Sunderland in the 1999–2000 season.
, who proved vital in their quest for UEFA Champions League football. He kept twelve clean sheets – the most in the season – and only conceded 35 goals. Viewers of ITV's On the Ball
voted Cudicini ahead of Southampton keeper Antti Niemi and Blackburn Rovers' Brad Friedel
.
against Tottenham Hotspur, on 16 November 2002, voted by viewers of ITV's The Premiership
.
The French striker picked up the ball from his side of the pitch and ran almost 30 yards (27.4 m), twisting and turning the Spurs defence to unleash a thunderous shot. In celebration, he ran the distance of the whole pitch and skidded in front of the Spurs faithful. The goal proved important as it helped them regain their position at the top of the Premiership from Liverpool.
}
| 17 April 2003
|
Trevor Brooking
| 11 May 2003
| 18th
|}
} || Maine Road
|| style="text-align:center;"| 35,150
|-
| Middlesbrough || Riverside Stadium
|| style="text-align:center;"| 35,049
|-
| Southampton || St Mary's Stadium
|| style="text-align:center;"| 32,689
|-
| Blackburn Rovers || Ewood Park
|| style="text-align:center;"| 31,367
|-
| Birmingham City || St Andrew's Stadium || style="text-align:center;"| 30,009
|-
| Charlton Athletic || The Valley || style="text-align:center;"| 27,111
|-
| Bolton Wanderers || Reebok Stadium
|| style="text-align:center;"| 28,723
|-
| West Bromwich Albion || The Hawthorns
|| style="text-align:center;"| 28,003
|-
| Fulham|| Loftus Road
|| style="text-align:center;"| 19,148
|}
Manchester United hold the record for the longest unbeaten run – 18, starting against Birmingham and lasting throughout the entire season.
Arsenal hold the record for the most goals scored in the season – 83, while Manchester United conceded the least amount of goals – 34, four better than Chelsea. Arsenal also broke the record for the most away games without defeat, goals scored in consecutive games and equalled Manchester United's unbeaten record. However, the Gunners failed to set a new all-time English football record of 15 consecutive victories after drawing to West Ham United in August 2002.
Birmingham City were given the most yellow cards in the season, while Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur were given the most red cards. Manchester United were the most disciplined side with only one red card and 45 yellow cards.
The most goals in one match were between Manchester United and Newcastle, which involved eight goals. The biggest home win was between Chelsea's 5–0 win against Manchester City, while the biggest away win was Liverpool's 6–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion.
Sunderland ended the season relegated with the fewest points, while West Ham United became the first team to be relegated with more than 40 points. Sunderland also had the longest losing run of 15 games.
The highest attendance in the season was 67,721 who watched Manchester United against Charlton at Old Trafford
, while the lowest attendance was between Fulham and Blackburn Rovers at Loftus Road
; 14,017 watched the match. The average attendance of the season was 35,470.
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
football. The first matches were played on 17 August 2002 and the last were played on 11 May 2003. Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
ended the campaign as champions for the eighth time in eleven years – an achievement made all the more remarkable by virtue of defending champions Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
having led by eight points on March 2. Although this was a season of breaking new English domestic records for the Gunners and leading at all fronts come the halfway stage, they threw away a priceless lead against Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
and finally surrendered the title with a 3–2 home defeat to Leeds United, in the 3rd-last game of the season. This result all but saved Leeds from relegation.
Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
and Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
were the remaining two teams who qualified for the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
at the expense of Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
who had to settle for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
; they would be joined in Europe by Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
for their second successive season. Newly promoted sides Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
finished in ninth and thirteenth, respectively. Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
broke the record for the fewest points and goals scored in a Premier League season, while West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United went with them to the First Division.
Michael Ricketts
Michael Ricketts
Michael Barrington Ricketts is an English football player who was released by Tranmere Rovers in February 2010. He played as a striker and he has been capped once by England in a friendly against the Netherlands in 2002.-Early career:...
had the honour of scoring the first goal of the new season for Bolton against Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
, inside five minutes. The first hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
of the season was scored by Michael Owen
Michael Owen
Michael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997...
in the match between Liverpool and Manchester City, at Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
in late September. Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
, at the young age of 16, made his breakthrough at Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, scoring an impressive goal against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, helping the Toffees to a 2–1 win. However, Rooney also got his first Premiership straight red card two months later on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
, for a reckless foul on Birmingham City's
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
Steve Vickers
Steve Vickers (footballer)
Stephen "Steve" Vickers , is an English former association footballer who played as a central defender. He made nearly 600 appearances in the Football League and the Premier League, the majority of which were for Tranmere Rovers and Middlesbrough...
at St. Andrew's.
Final league table
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958... |
38 | 25 | 8 | 5 | 74 | 34 | 83 | UEFA Champions League 2003–04 Group stage | |
| 2 | Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... |
38 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 85 | 42 | 78 | ||
| 3 | Newcastle United Newcastle United F.C. Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger... |
38 | 21 | 6 | 11 | 63 | 48 | 69 | UEFA Champions League 2003–04 Third qualifying round | |
| 4 | Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... |
38 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 68 | 38 | 67 | ||
| 5 | Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
38 | 18 | 10 | 10 | 61 | 41 | 64 | [UEFA Cup 2003-04#First round|UEFA Cup 2003–04 First round]]1 | |
| 6 | Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers F.C. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.... |
38 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 52 | 43 | 60 | ||
| 7 | Everton Everton F.C. Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football... |
38 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 48 | 49 | −1 | 59 | |
| 8 | Southampton Southampton F.C. Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club... |
38 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 43 | 46 | −3 | 52 | [UEFA Cup 2003-04#First round|UEFA Cup 2003–04 First round]]2 |
| 9 | Manchester City Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894... |
38 | 15 | 6 | 17 | 47 | 54 | −7 | 51 | [UEFA Cup 2003-04#Qualifying round|UEFA Cup 2003–04 Qualifying round]]3 |
| 10 | Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane.... |
38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 51 | 62 | −11 | 50 | |
| 11 | Middlesbrough Middlesbrough F.C. Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889... |
38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 48 | 44 | 49 | ||
| 12 | Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic F.C. Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,... |
38 | 14 | 7 | 17 | 45 | 56 | −11 | 49 | |
| 13 | Birmingham City Birmingham City F.C. Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the... |
38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 41 | 49 | −8 | 48 | |
| 14 | Fulham Fulham F.C. Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season... |
38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 41 | 50 | −9 | 48 | |
| 15 | Leeds United Leeds United A.F.C. Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system... |
38 | 14 | 5 | 19 | 58 | 57 | 47 | ||
| 16 | Aston Villa Aston Villa F.C. Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder... |
38 | 12 | 9 | 17 | 42 | 47 | −5 | 45 | |
| 17 | Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers F.C. Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001.... |
38 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 41 | 51 | −10 | 44 | |
| 18 | West Ham United West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current... |
38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 42 | 59 | −17 | 42 | Relegation to Football League First Division 2003–04 |
| 19 | West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion F.C. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands... |
38 | 6 | 8 | 24 | 29 | 65 | −36 | 26 | |
| 20 | Sunderland Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League... |
38 | 4 | 7 | 27 | 21 | 65 | −44 | 19 |
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
1Since Liverpool qualified for the UEFA Cup via the league, their place in the UEFA Cup as League Cup winners reverted to the league and was awarded to Blackburn Rovers.
2Since Arsenal qualified for the Champions League, their place in the UEFA Cup as FA Cup winners went to Southampton, who were the FA Cup runners-up.
3Manchester City qualified for the UEFA Cup as Fair Play winners.
Results
Early events
Following England'sEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
exit from the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
at the hands of Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, the big talking point at the start of the season was the signing of centre-back, Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand
Rio Gavin Ferdinand is an English footballer. He plays at centre back for Manchester United in the Premier League and for the England national football team...
from Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, in a deal worth £29.1 million, which would rise to an excess of £30 million, due to agent fees. It made him the most expensive defender in the world, as well as becoming Britain's most expensive player for the second time in two years.
Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
strengthened their double winning side, requiring the services of Swedish goalkeeper, Rami Shaaban
Rami Shaaban
Rami Shaaban is a Swedish professional football player. He currently plays as a goalkeeper for Hammarby IF. He is the son of an Egyptian father and a Finnish mother. He has played for a number of teams in England, including Arsenal, and in Sweden...
, following the departure of Richard Wright
Richard Wright (footballer)
Richard Ian Wright is an English professional goalkeeper, currently playing for Ipswich Town, now his third spell with the club having played earlier in the season for the reserves...
to Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
. The only other signing Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...
brought in was Brazilian star Gilberto Silva
Gilberto Silva
Gilberto Aparecido da Silva, commonly known as Gilberto Silva, is a Brazilian footballer. He currently plays for Grêmio.Gilberto was raised in a poor family and as a child he balanced playing football with various labour jobs. He began his football career in 1997 with América Mineiro, where good...
, for a price of £4.5 million. The deal proved valuable as Gilberto scored the winner in the newly named FA Community Shield
FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
, against Liverpool after coming on the second half.
Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
were one of the few sides who spent big during summer. Out went Jari Litmanen
Jari Litmanen
Jari Olavi Litmanen is a Finnish footballer, currently playing for HJK. He is the current vice-captain of Finland national football team, where he served as a first choice captain between 1996–2008...
, Nick Barmby
Nick Barmby
Nicholas Jon "Nick" Barmby is an English footballer who plays for Hull City as a midfielder, where he is also caretaker manager. At his peak he earned a total of 23 caps for England between 1995 and 2001...
, Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Redknapp
Jamie Frank Redknapp is a retired English footballer who was active from 1989 until 2005. He is now a football pundit with Sky Sports, and an editorial columnist with the Daily Mail....
and ex-Arsenal star Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka
Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team...
, who was snubbed by the management board. Anelka eventually went to newly-promoted, Manchester City, in a deal worth £13 million. Gérard Houllier's preferred striker was Senegalese star El Hadji Diouf
El Hadji Diouf
El Hadji Ousseynou Diouf is a Senegalese footballer who currently plays for Doncaster Rovers. He can play on both wings as well as in attack. He has also garnered a large amount of notoriety for a series of controversial incidents.-Early career:Diouf started his career in France with...
who cost £10 million, which at the time was the club's record signing. French international winger, Bruno Cheyrou
Bruno Cheyrou
Boludo Cheyrou is a professional French footballer, who currently plays for FC Nantes.-Career:...
was also acquired by Houllier, for £4.5 million.
Leeds United suffered a manager crisis during the summer transfer period. David O'Leary
David O'Leary
David Anthony O'Leary is an Irish football manager and former player. His managerial career began at Leeds United and later he managed Aston Villa. He most recently worked as the manager of Al-Ahli Dubai...
was controversially sacked as manager, after failing to win a trophy in his four year spell. Despite reaching the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
and UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
semi-finals, O'Leary was given more than £100 million in transfer funds to produce a winning squad. He was replaced by former England boss, Terry Venables
Terry Venables
Terence Frederick "Terry" Venables , often referred to as "El Tel", is a former football player and manager, as well as being a media pundit. During the 1960s and 70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and gained two caps for England...
on a two year deal.
Arsenal
With the most potent strikeforce in the Premier League, Arsenal looked a good bet to retain their title for much of the season, even in spite of Manchester United's storming late-season run. However, the team stumbled in the final weeks of the season and a shock 3-2 defeat at home to struggling Leeds ultimately cost them the title. They did at least have the consolation of retaining the FA Cup with a victory over Southampton.Aston Villa
Fans had hoped that the return of successful former manager Graham Taylor would spark a serious challenge for honours once more, but unfortunately the actual result was Villa's worst Premier League campaign to date, with the club in serious danger of relegation throughout the season. Survival was only achieved in the penultimate game of the season with a victory over already-doomed Sunderland; Taylor was soon on his way out of the club for good.Birmingham City
Not only did Steve BruceSteve Bruce
Stephen Roger "Steve" Bruce is an English football manager and former player. Born in Corbridge, Northumberland, he was a promising schoolboy footballer but was rejected by a number of professional clubs. He was on the verge of quitting the game altogether when he was offered a trial with Gillingham...
's men comfortably achieve survival in their first top-flight campaign since 1986, they even had the satisfaction of finishing three places higher than cross-city rivals Aston Villa. The club had managed to keep just ahead of the relegation zone all season, but a return of 13 points from their last six games put survival beyond all doubt.
Blackburn Rovers
After a season of consolidation capped with victory in the League Cup, Blackburn Rovers enjoyed their best season since winning the title in 1995, finishing in sixth place and qualifying for the UEFA Cup for the second year in a row. While their UEFA Cup campaign was not especially impressive (only beating CSKA Sofia on away goals before being knocked out by eventual runners-up CelticCeltic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
), their continued progress under Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
gave the fans much hope for the following season. The star member of Blackburn's team this year was American goalkeeper Brad Friedel
Brad Friedel
Bradley Howard Friedel is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League....
, who was named as the goalkeeper in the PFA Team of the Year.
Bolton Wanderers
A home victory over Aston Villa and a memorable 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford got Bolton off to another promising start to the season, but their subsequent form was memorable for all the wrong reasons as they only won 2 of their next 21 games, causing most pundits to write them off by the start of 2003. A 4-2 win over Birmingham on February 1 finally kickstarted their campaign and the club only lost two more games (away to Chelsea and Liverpool) during the rest of the season, leaving them in control of their destiny on the final day. They achieved survival with a 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough.Charlton Athletic
Another solid season resulted in a mid-table finish for Charlton. However, the end of the season proved to be the undoing of Alan CurbishleyAlan Curbishley
Llewellyn Charles "Alan" Curbishley is an English football manager and former professional player....
's men once more, and after the start of March they only managed one more victory, dropping to 12th place in the final table. Considering the relatively small budget Curbishley was operating on, even this was quite an achievement.
Chelsea
Chelsea continued to make steady progress under the management of Claudio RanieriClaudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri, is an Italian football manager, currently in charge as head coach of Internazionale.He has also managed many other well-known clubs in Europe, including Cagliari, Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Parma, Juventus and Roma.-Early life:Ranieri attended St...
. Despite a humiliating first round UEFA Cup exit to Viking Stavanger and exits to Manchester United and Arsenal in the League Cup and FA Cup respectively, Chelsea's improved Premier League form saw them secure a Champions League position for the first time in four years. Moreover, they boasted one of the strongest defences in the Premier League, conceding less goals than anyone bar champions Manchester United.
During the summer, owner Ken Bates
Ken Bates
Kenneth William Bates is a British businessman and football executive. The current chairman and now owner of Leeds United AFC, Bates was previously chairman and majority shareholder of Chelsea FC from 1982 until 2003....
sold the club to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich
Roman Abramovich
Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich is a Russian businessman and the main owner of the private investment company Millhouse LLC.In 2003, Abramovich was named Person of the Year by Expert, a Russian business magazine. He shared this title with Mikhail Khodorkovsky...
. Abramovich's wealth would completely transform the club's fortunes in the following years.
Everton
David MoyesDavid Moyes
David William Moyes is an association football manager and former player, currently managing English Premier League club Everton. He was the 2003, 2005 and 2009 League Managers Association Manager of the Year...
had impressed the pundits with some good results that secured Everton's Premier League survival in the previous season, and it was widely felt that they would survive relegation more comfortably this time around, but Everton did more than just survive relegation, they made a serious challenge for the European places and looked a dangerous threat throughout the year. A failure to get any points from their last two games ultimately killed off Everton's UEFA Cup challenge, but the season still represented a huge leap from the relegation struggles that the club had continuously endured through much of the Premier League's existence.
The season saw the debut of 16-year-old striker Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
, who scored his first senior goal to end Arsenal's unbeaten run. In the years to come, Rooney would establish himself as one of the world's top strikers.
Fulham
While Fulham's highly-rated manager Jean TiganaJean Tigana
Jean Amadou Tigana is a manager and former French international footballer, having played in midfield and managed professional football extensively throughout France, including 52 appearances and 1 goal for the France national football team during the 1980s.-Playing career:Tigana started his...
was tipped to finally make his Premier League breakthrough and have the club challenging in the upper reaches of the table, the club were in the relegation zone for the first half of the season. The team's form improved after the turn of the year, but this did not save Tigana's job and he left the club after a 2-0 defeat by Liverpool in mid-April. Former club captain Chris Coleman
Chris Coleman (footballer)
Christopher "Chris" Coleman is a Welsh football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of Greek Side Larissa....
replaced Tigana on a caretaker basis and helped secure Premier League survival, earning himself the job permanently.
Leeds United
With Terry VenablesTerry Venables
Terence Frederick "Terry" Venables , often referred to as "El Tel", is a former football player and manager, as well as being a media pundit. During the 1960s and 70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and gained two caps for England...
freshly installed as manager, Leeds started the season well despite the loss of Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand
Rio Gavin Ferdinand is an English footballer. He plays at centre back for Manchester United in the Premier League and for the England national football team...
to Manchester United in a £30 million deal, but their form slumped and, with Leeds looking like candidates for relegation Venables was sacked. His replacement, Peter Reid
Peter Reid
Peter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career...
, sparked a revival that saw Leeds secure their Premier League status with a 3-2 victory over Arsenal, which also ended the Gunners' title challenge. Only after the season ended did the full extent of Leeds's problems become clear; they had more debt than the rest of the Premier League (barring Fulham and Chelsea) combined, and were in imminent danger of bankruptcy.
Liverpool
While their runners-up finish the previous year had sparked hopes that Liverpool were finally becoming serious contenders again, and at the start of the season the title seemed to be heading to them after remaining unbeaten in their first 12 games which saw them 7 points ahead at one point, however a dramatic collapse which saw 2 win in 16 games made even a Champions League place out of sight, a revival which saw them win 7 out of 8 games seemed to put them back on track but a last day defeat to Chelsea saw them finish 5th. They also failed to make it past the group stages of the Champions League, and suffered a humiliating FA Cup exit to Division One side Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
in the fourth round. A 2-0 victory in the final of the League Cup did provide some consolation (moreso because it happened to be over bitter rivals Manchester United), but a disappointing fifth place finish capped off a distinctly underwhelming season and put manager Gerard Houllier
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
under renewed pressure.
Manchester City
Kevin KeeganKevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
continued to restore his reputation as a manager, and the blue half of Manchester secured their joint-highest finish since the Premier League started. Their cup runs were disappointing, going out in the third round of both the FA and League Cups, but it seemed as if City had finally put the nightmares of the late-1990s behind them.
Manchester United
United looked like more of a threat than they had done in the previous season and kept touch with holders Arsenal during the first half of the season. What really set United apart from the rest and secured them their eighth Premier League title was an astonishing run of form after the turn of the year; after a defeat to Middlesbrough on Boxing DayBoxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
, the club did not lose a single Premier League game and won all but three of their remaining matches to win back the Premier League title in an emphatic manner. Their celebrations were somewhat clouded by the loss of David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
, who was signed by Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
post-season.
Middlesbrough
Steve McClarenSteve McClaren
Stephen "Steve" McClaren is an English football manager and former player.McClaren was previously manager of VfL Wolfsburg in Germany between May 2010 and February 2011, having left his post at Dutch side FC Twente, with whom he won the club's first Eredivisie championship in the 2009–10 season...
's second season in charge of the Teeside team went smoother than the first, and they remained clear of relegation danger for most of the season. They were even in with a chance of a UEFA Cup spot late in the season, after winning only one of their last six matches they fell away towards the end of the campaign. Nonetheless, the season was a marked improvement over the relegation battles they had mostly been fighting since returning to the Premier League in 1998.
Newcastle United
Despite actually doing slightly worse in terms of Premier League results, Bobby RobsonBobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
's side managed to improve on their previous finish and achieved third place and looking like possible title contenders for much of the season. Their progress in the domestic cup competitions was rather disappointing as they fell at the first hurdle in the League and FA Cups. In the Champions League, Newcastle pulled off a surprising turnaround to qualify for the second group stage despite losing their first three first group stage matches.
Southampton
The South Coast club continued their impressive progress under Gordon StrachanGordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...
, and recorded their best-ever Premier League finish of eighth place. They made bigger headlines in the FA Cup however, as they reached the final for only the second time in their history and gave a good account of themselves in the final, losing by only a single goal to Arsenal. Their comparatively weak away form was the only real let-down for the club; with better form on the road they might have achieved a UEFA Cup place through their league placing instead of through their FA Cup Final appearance.
Sunderland
While few had tipped Sunderland to do well this season, even fewer predicted just how disastrous it would turn out to be for the Mackems. A dreadful start to the season resulted in the sacking of longtime manager Peter ReidPeter Reid
Peter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career...
, and, while it was widely predicted that Mick McCarthy
Mick McCarthy
Michael Joseph "Mick" McCarthy is an English-born former Irish international footballer who is currently the manager of Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he has been in charge since July 2006....
would take over, the Sunderland board wrongfooted everyone by appointing the FA's Technical Director Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson is a former English football player and manager, and has recently stepped down as a Non-Executive Director at Sheffield Wednesday after formerly relinquishing the chairman role to Milan Mandaric...
as manager. No substantial improvement resulted under Wilkinson, who was in turn axed in March and McCarthy was finally appointed to the manager's job. By this stage it was far too late to save Sunderland's top-flight status, and they were relegated with the worst record in the history of the Premier League and the second-lowest points total since the League began using three points for a win in 1981.
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs' Premier League season was a near-exact copy of the previous one: they hovered in mid-table for the whole campaign before eventually finishing in tenth place, one lower than the previous year, but with the same points total. The club were in fact arguably lucky not to have done worse given their terrible defensive record, which was worse than any other team barring the two bottom ones. The pressure on manager Glenn HoddleGlenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle is an English former footballer and manager who played as an attacking midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Chelsea and Swindon Town and at international level for England....
only continued to increase.
West Bromwich Albion
In their Premier League début, Gary MegsonGary Megson
Gary John Megson is an English former football player and is currently manager of Sheffield Wednesday.He has previously managed Norwich City, Blackpool, Stockport County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers...
's side lost their first three games of the season, but then a sequence of three victories gave fans hope that Megson might somehow be able to keep them in the top flight. After that, however, it became evident that the club were completely out of their depth and they only managed three more victories in the whole season. Any other year they would almost certainly have finished bottom, but Sunderland's dire season spared West Brom that embarrassment. Megson quickly started planning how to bounce back the following season.
West Ham United
Like the previous season, West Ham made a bad start and were in the relegation zone from the first few weeks. Unlike the previous season, however, the Hammers' form did not improve significantly and they remained in the bottom three for virtually the entire season, with disputes between manager Glenn RoederGlenn Roeder
Glenn Victor Roeder is an English football manager and former player, most recently in charge at Norwich City. As a player, Roeder represented England B on 7 occasions...
and several high-profile players, most notably Paolo Di Canio
Paolo Di Canio
Paolo Di Canio is a Italian former professional footballer and current manager of League Two side Swindon Town. Di Canio made over 500 league appearances and scored over 100 league goals as a player....
, all but destroying the club's morale. The club did put together a good run in the final six weeks of the season (during which Roeder temporarily stepped down for health reasons, with Trevor Brooking
Trevor Brooking
Sir Trevor David Brooking CBE is a football player turned manager, on-air analyst, and administrator.Brooking attended Ripple Infants School and left Ilford County High School with 11 O-levels and 2 A-levels....
taking control of the team), losing only once in their last eleven matches. Unfortunately, that loss happened to be against relegation rivals Bolton Wanderers, themselves in the midst of an excellent run. It ultimately proved fatal in West Ham's fight to avoid relegation.
Promotion and relegation
Teams promoted from Nationwide Division 1- Champions: Manchester City
- Runners-up: West Bromwich Albion
- Play-offs: Birmingham
Teams relegated to Nationwide Division 1
- West Ham United
- West Bromwich Albion
- Sunderland
Monthly awards
| Month | Manager | Player |
|---|---|---|
| August | Glenn Hoddle Glenn Hoddle Glenn Hoddle is an English former footballer and manager who played as an attacking midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Chelsea and Swindon Town and at international level for England.... (Tottenham Hotspur) |
 Sylvain WiltordSylvain Wiltord Sylvain Claude Wiltord is a French footballer who currently plays for FC Nantes. With the French national team, Wiltord has won Euro 2000 and reached the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.... (Arsenal) |
| September | Arsène Wenger Arsène Wenger Arsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996... (Arsenal) |
Thierry Henry Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and... (Arsenal) |
| October | Gérard Houllier Gérard Houllier Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season.... (Liverpool) |
 Gianfranco ZolaGianfranco Zola Gianfranco Zola, OBE, Ufficiale OMRI is a retired Italian footballer and manager, who most recently managed West Ham United from 2008 to 2010, after having been assistant manager of the Italy U-21 under Pierluigi Casiraghi... (Chelsea) |
| November |  David MoyesDavid Moyes David William Moyes is an association football manager and former player, currently managing English Premier League club Everton. He was the 2003, 2005 and 2009 League Managers Association Manager of the Year... (Everton) |
James Beattie James Beattie (footballer) James Scott Beattie is an English footballer who currently plays for Sheffield United as a striker.Born in Lancaster, Lancashire he came through the ranks at Blackburn Rovers eventually signing professionally for them in 1995... (Southampton) |
| December | Gordon Strachan Gordon Strachan Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,... (Southampton) |
Alan Shearer Alan Shearer Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team... (Newcastle United) |
| January | Sir Bobby Robson Bobby Robson Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career.... (Newcastle United) |
Paul Scholes Paul Scholes Paul Scholes is a retired English footballer, a one-club man who played his entire professional career for Manchester United.Born in Salford, but later moving to Langley, Scholes excelled in both cricket and football in school. He first trained with Manchester United at the age of 14 after being... (Manchester United) |
| February | Alan Curbishley Alan Curbishley Llewellyn Charles "Alan" Curbishley is an English football manager and former professional player.... (Charlton Athletic) |
Robert Pires Robert Pirès Robert Emmanuel Pirès is a former French international footballer. He is perhaps best known for his time with Arsenal, with whom he won three FA Cups and two FA Premier League titles including the club's famous unbeaten season of 2003–04... (Arsenal) |
| March | Glenn Roeder Glenn Roeder Glenn Victor Roeder is an English football manager and former player, most recently in charge at Norwich City. As a player, Roeder represented England B on 7 occasions... (West Ham United) |
Steven Gerrard Steven Gerrard Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger... (Liverpool) |
| April | Sir Alex Ferguson Alex Ferguson Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986... (Manchester United) |
 Ruud van NistelrooyRuud van Nistelrooy Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals... (Manchester United) |
PFA Players' Player of the Year
The PFA Players' Player of the YearPFA Players' Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the year in English football...
award for 2003 was won by Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
of Arsenal. This was the Frenchman's first award of the season and he beat off competition from the previous winner Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, in alphabetical order, was as follows:
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
| James Beattie James Beattie (footballer) James Scott Beattie is an English footballer who currently plays for Sheffield United as a striker.Born in Lancaster, Lancashire he came through the ranks at Blackburn Rovers eventually signing professionally for them in 1995... |
Southampton |
| Thierry Henry Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and... |
Arsenal |
| Ruud van Nistelrooy Ruud van Nistelrooy Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals... |
Manchester United |
| Paul Scholes Paul Scholes Paul Scholes is a retired English footballer, a one-club man who played his entire professional career for Manchester United.Born in Salford, but later moving to Langley, Scholes excelled in both cricket and football in school. He first trained with Manchester United at the age of 14 after being... |
Manchester United |
| Alan Shearer Alan Shearer Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team... |
Newcastle United |
| Gianfranco Zola Gianfranco Zola Gianfranco Zola, OBE, Ufficiale OMRI is a retired Italian footballer and manager, who most recently managed West Ham United from 2008 to 2010, after having been assistant manager of the Italy U-21 under Pierluigi Casiraghi... |
Chelsea |
PFA Young Player of the Year
The PFA Young Player of the YearPFA Young Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
award was won by Jermaine Jenas
Jermaine Jenas
Jermaine Anthony Jenas is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa in the Premier League on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. He is of mixed African-Caribbean and English descent.-Nottingham Forest:...
of Newcastle United. Wayne Rooney was voted runner-up, and John O'Shea finished third in one of his first full seasons as a United player.
The shortlist for the award was as follows:
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
 Craig BellamyCraig Bellamy Craig Douglas Bellamy is a Welsh footballer who plays as a striker for Liverpool and the Welsh national team. Born in Cardiff, Bellamy was the captain of the Welsh national side for four years after taking over from Ryan Giggs in 2007, but stood down in January 2011 due to constant injuries... |
Newcastle United |
| Jermain Defoe Jermain Defoe Jermain Colin Defoe is an English footballer who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, and the England national football team.... |
West Ham United |
| Jermaine Jenas Jermaine Jenas Jermaine Anthony Jenas is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa in the Premier League on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. He is of mixed African-Caribbean and English descent.-Nottingham Forest:... |
Newcastle United |
 John O'SheaJohn O'Shea John O'Shea can refer to:*John O'Shea, Irish footballer with Sunderland*John O'Shea , New Zealand film director*John O'Shea *John O'Shea , Wales international rugby union footballer*John O'Shea... |
Manchester United |
| Scott Parker Scott Parker (footballer) Scott Matthew Parker is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the England national team. He is the FWA Footballer of the Year for the 2010–11 season. He has represented England at every level from under-16 to senior. Uniquely, he won his first four England... |
Charlton Athletic |
| Wayne Rooney Wayne Rooney Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team... |
Everton |
PFA Team of the Year
| Goalkeeper: | Brad Friedel Brad Friedel Bradley Howard Friedel is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.... (Blackburn Rovers) |
| Defence: | Stephen Carr Stephen Carr Stephen Carr is an Irish footballer who plays for and captains Birmingham City. He previously played for the Premier League teams Tottenham Hotspur and, for a shorter spell, Newcastle United. He is a former international player with the Republic of Ireland... (Tottenham Hotspur), Sol Campbell Sol Campbell Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. A central defender, Campbell has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team.Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Campbell's... (Arsenal), William Gallas William Gallas William Eric Gallas is a French footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur.Gallas began his career in France, before being signed by English club Chelsea in 2001. He transferred to rivals Arsenal as part of an exchange deal in 2006... (Chelsea), Ashley Cole Ashley Cole Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world.... (Arsenal) |
| Midfield: | Patrick Vieira Patrick Vieira Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City.... (Arsenal), Paul Scholes Paul Scholes Paul Scholes is a retired English footballer, a one-club man who played his entire professional career for Manchester United.Born in Salford, but later moving to Langley, Scholes excelled in both cricket and football in school. He first trained with Manchester United at the age of 14 after being... (Manchester United), Kieron Dyer Kieron Dyer Kieron Courtney Dyer is an English footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers. Born in Ipswich, he is an attacking midfielder who played youth football for his home club before going on to make nearly 100 league appearances for the club's first team... (Newcastle United), Robert Pires Robert Pirès Robert Emmanuel Pirès is a former French international footballer. He is perhaps best known for his time with Arsenal, with whom he won three FA Cups and two FA Premier League titles including the club's famous unbeaten season of 2003–04... (Arsenal) |
| Attack: | Thierry Henry Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and... (Arsenal), Alan Shearer Alan Shearer Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team... (Newcastle United) |
Barclaycard Manager of the Year
The award was won by Sir Alex FergusonAlex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
for winning his eighth title and regaining the league after a superb second half to the season, involving an 18-match unbeaten run.
Barclaycard Player of the Year
The award was given to Ruud van NistelrooyRuud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
, whose form, creativity and goals all helped Manchester United regain the league from Arsenal.
Barclaycard Golden Boot
This award was also won by Ruud van NistelrooyRuud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
who scored 25 goals in 38 league matches and 44 in all competitions. He also equalled his record of eight goals in eight successive matches at the beginning of the season, a milestone he had reached the previous season. Van Nistelrooy finished one goal ahead of Arsenal's Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
while James Beattie
James Beattie (footballer)
James Scott Beattie is an English footballer who currently plays for Sheffield United as a striker.Born in Lancaster, Lancashire he came through the ranks at Blackburn Rovers eventually signing professionally for them in 1995...
managed 23 league goals for Southampton. Since the reduction of the number of games from 42 to 38 in 1996, only Kevin Phillips
Kevin Phillips (footballer)
Kevin Mark Phillips is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Blackpool.Phillips was the Premier League top scorer in the 1999–2000 season with 30 goals for Sunderland, a tally which won him the European Golden Shoe. He remains the only Englishman to win the trophy...
had scored more Premiership goals in one season – 30 for Sunderland in the 1999–2000 season.
Barclaycard Golden Gloves
The award was given to Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo CudiciniCarlo Cudicini
Carlo Cudicini is an Italian goalkeeper who currently plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. In his 10 years at Chelsea he established himself as one of England's best goalkeepers before injury and the arrival of Petr Cech displaced him as first-choice...
, who proved vital in their quest for UEFA Champions League football. He kept twelve clean sheets – the most in the season – and only conceded 35 goals. Viewers of ITV's On the Ball
On The Ball (ITV television show)
On The Ball is a British ITV Saturday lunchtime television show about football, which ran as part of World of Sport in the 1980s, and as a stand-alone show from 1998 to 2004....
voted Cudicini ahead of Southampton keeper Antti Niemi and Blackburn Rovers' Brad Friedel
Brad Friedel
Bradley Howard Friedel is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League....
.
Goal of the Season
The annual award was won by a wonder goal from Thierry HenryThierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
against Tottenham Hotspur, on 16 November 2002, voted by viewers of ITV's The Premiership
The Premiership (TV series)
The Premiership was a television programme which showed highlights from the FA Premier League...
.
The French striker picked up the ball from his side of the pitch and ran almost 30 yards (27.4 m), twisting and turning the Spurs defence to unleash a thunderous shot. In celebration, he ran the distance of the whole pitch and skidded in front of the Spurs faithful. The goal proved important as it helped them regain their position at the top of the Premiership from Liverpool.
Personnel and kits
(as of 11 May 2003)| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... |
Arsène Wenger Arsène Wenger Arsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996... |
Patrick Vieira Patrick Vieira Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City.... |
Nike Nike, Inc. Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area... |
O2 O2 (United Kingdom) Telefónica UK Limited is a telecommunications, internet and financial services provider in the United Kingdom owned by Telefónica, forming part of its Telefónica Europe division... |
| Aston Villa Aston Villa F.C. Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder... |
Graham Taylor |
Steve Staunton Steve Staunton Stephen "Steve" Staunton is an Irish association football manager and former professional footballer, who was most recently manager of Darlington... |
Diadora Diadora Diadora is an Italian football, tennis, running, cycling, rugby, athletic shoe, clothing, and fashion accessory manufacturer with locations in Italy, the United States, and Hong Kong.-History:... |
Rover Company |
| Birmingham City Birmingham City F.C. Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the... |
Steve Bruce Steve Bruce Stephen Roger "Steve" Bruce is an English football manager and former player. Born in Corbridge, Northumberland, he was a promising schoolboy footballer but was rejected by a number of professional clubs. He was on the verge of quitting the game altogether when he was offered a trial with Gillingham... |
Jeff Kenna Jeff Kenna Jeffrey Jude Kenna is an Irish football manager and former player who played the largest part of his career as a defender with Southampton and Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League. He has managed Galway United and St Patrick's Athletic... |
Le Coq Sportif Le Coq Sportif Le Coq Sportif is a French company producing sports equipment such as shoes, shorts, and T-shirts. It was founded in 1882 by Émile Camuset, but the first clothing items branded with the rooster appeared in 1948... |
Phones4U |
| Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers F.C. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.... |
Graeme Souness Graeme Souness Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,... |
Garry Flitcroft Garry Flitcroft Garry William Flitcroft is an English football manager and former footballer. Since May 2010 he has been the manager of Northern Premier League team Chorley.-Playing career:... |
Kappa Kappa (company) Kappa is an Italian company specialized at the manufacture of sporting clothes and accessories, that started as a sock and underwear manufacturer in 1916 in Turin.-Logo:... |
AMD processors Advanced Micro Devices Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. or AMD is an American multinational semiconductor company based in Sunnyvale, California, that develops computer processors and related technologies for commercial and consumer markets... |
| Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers F.C. Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001.... |
Sam Allardyce Sam Allardyce Samuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United.... |
 Guðni BergssonGuðni Bergsson Guðni Bergsson , is a former Icelandic football player who is best known for his time spent with Bolton Wanderers.-Club career:... |
Reebok Reebok Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle... |
Reebok |
| Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic F.C. Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,... |
Alan Curbishley Alan Curbishley Llewellyn Charles "Alan" Curbishley is an English football manager and former professional player.... |
 Mark FishMark Fish Mark Anthony Fish is a retired South African footballer.-Club career:Fish started his career in his native South Africa under the guidance of renowned coach Steve Coetsee, playing for Arcadia Shepherds, an amateur team based at the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria... |
Le Coq Sportif | All Sport All Sport All Sport is a brand of sports drink similar to Gatorade and Powerade. It was created by PepsiCo, as their response to The Coca-Cola Company's Powerade and Stokely-Van Camp's Gatorade, now owned by PepsiCo... |
| Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... |
Claudio Ranieri Claudio Ranieri Claudio Ranieri, is an Italian football manager, currently in charge as head coach of Internazionale.He has also managed many other well-known clubs in Europe, including Cagliari, Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Parma, Juventus and Roma.-Early life:Ranieri attended St... |
Marcel Desailly Marcel Desailly Marcel Desailly is a retired Ghanaian born French footballer and star of the France national football team squad, with whom he won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000... |
Umbro Umbro Umbro is an English sportswear and football equipment supplier based in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England. The company is now part of Nike. Umbro designs, sources, and markets sport-related apparel, footwear, and equipment... |
Fly Emirates |
| Everton Everton F.C. Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football... |
David Moyes David Moyes David William Moyes is an association football manager and former player, currently managing English Premier League club Everton. He was the 2003, 2005 and 2009 League Managers Association Manager of the Year... |
David Weir David Weir David Weir is a Scottish association footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club Rangers and is a Scottish internationalist, as a centre back.... |
Puma PUMA AG Puma SE, officially branded as PUMA, is a major German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear. Formed in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, relationships between the two brothers deteriorated until the two... |
Kejian Kejian China Kejian Corporation Ltd, better known as Kejian, is a Chinese telecommunications company.During the 2002–03 FA Premier League season, the company sponsored Everton F.C..... |
| Fulham Fulham F.C. Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season... |
Chris Coleman Chris Coleman Chris Coleman may refer to:* Chris Coleman , Welsh former footballer and currently the manager of Greek side Larissa F.C.* Chris Coleman , Minnesota politician and mayor of Saint Paul... |
Andy Melville Andy Melville Andrew Roger Melville is a former Wales international footballer. In the early years of his career, he played in midfield. He was later converted into a central defender.... |
adidas Adidas Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport... |
Betfair Betfair Betfair is the world's largest Internet betting exchange. The company is based in Hammersmith in West London, England. Since Betfair was launched in June 2000 it has become the largest online betting company in the UK and the largest betting exchange in the world. Betfair claim to have over 3... |
| Leeds United | Peter Reid Peter Reid Peter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career... |
Lucas Radebe Lucas Radebe Lucas Valeriu Radebe is a former Leeds United and South African football player. During his career, Radebe was renowned for being a world-class centre back and a great ambassador for the sport.... |
Nike | Strongbow |
| Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
Gérard Houllier Gérard Houllier Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season.... |
 Sami HyypiäSami Hyypiä Sami Tuomas Hyypiä is a retired European Cup winning Finnish footballer who played in the centre back position. He last played for German Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen and was the captain of the Finland national football team. He joined Leverkusen in summer 2009, ending a ten year spell at... |
Reebok Reebok Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle... |
Carlsberg |
| Manchester City Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894... |
Kevin Keegan Kevin Keegan Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United.... |
Steve Howey Steve Howey (footballer) Stephen Norman "Steve" Howey is a former footballer who played for the England national team. At club level, he made more than 300 appearances in the Football League and the Premier League, playing for Newcastle United, Manchester City, Leicester City, Bolton Wanderers and Hartlepool United... |
Le Coq Sportif | First Advice |
| Manchester United Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958... |
Alex Ferguson Alex Ferguson Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986... |
Roy Keane Roy Keane Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland.... |
Nike | Vodafone Vodafone Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of... |
| Middlesbrough Middlesbrough F.C. Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889... |
Steve McClaren Steve McClaren Stephen "Steve" McClaren is an English football manager and former player.McClaren was previously manager of VfL Wolfsburg in Germany between May 2010 and February 2011, having left his post at Dutch side FC Twente, with whom he won the club's first Eredivisie championship in the 2009–10 season... |
Gareth Southgate Gareth Southgate Gareth Southgate in Crawley, West Sussex is a retired English footballer and ex-manager. He is known as the "Penalty Misser of '96." He served as manager of Middlesbrough from June 2006, until he was dismissed in October 2009... |
Errea Erreà Erreà is a sportswear trademark founded in 1988, in Torrile... |
Dial-a-Phone Dial-a-Phone Dialaphone is an independent mobile phone retailer in the United Kingdom. It was established in February 1995 as a direct marketer and supplier of mobile phones and mobile phone accessories. The e-commerce website went online in September 2000... |
| Newcastle United Newcastle United F.C. Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger... |
Bobby Robson Bobby Robson Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career.... |
Alan Shearer Alan Shearer Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team... |
Adidas | NTL Virgin Media Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom... |
| Southampton Southampton F.C. Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club... |
Gordon Strachan Gordon Strachan Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,... |
Jason Dodd Jason Dodd Jason Robert Dodd is an English former footballer and manager, who spent most of his playing career with Southampton, where he was briefly First-Team Coach... |
Saints | Friends Provident Friends Provident Friends Provident was an organisation offering life insurance based in the United Kingdom. It was founded as a mutual Friendly Society for Quakers, although it was demutualised in 2001 and became a publicly listed company, no longer linked with the Religious Society of Friends... |
| Sunderland | Mick McCarthy Mick McCarthy Michael Joseph "Mick" McCarthy is an English-born former Irish international footballer who is currently the manager of Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he has been in charge since July 2006.... |
Michael Gray |
Nike | Reg Vardy Reg Vardy Evans Halshaw is a chain of car dealerships with around 180 showrooms, predominantly in Northern England. It is a subsidiary of Pendragon PLC.-Pendragon PLC:... |
| Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane.... |
Glenn Hoddle Glenn Hoddle Glenn Hoddle is an English former footballer and manager who played as an attacking midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Chelsea and Swindon Town and at international level for England.... |
Teddy Sheringham Teddy Sheringham Edward Paul "Teddy" Sheringham MBE is a retired English footballer, and the father of footballer Charlie Sheringham. Sheringham played as a striker, and had a successful career at the club level, winning almost every domestic honour available with his clubs, most notably the Treble with Manchester... |
Kappa | Thomson Thomson Holidays Thomson Holidays is a UK based travel operator and part of TUI Travel PLC. The company was founded as part of the Thomson Travel Group in 1965 following the acquisition of three package holiday travel agencies and the airline Britannia Airways by Roy Thomson... |
| West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion F.C. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands... |
Gary Megson Gary Megson Gary John Megson is an English former football player and is currently manager of Sheffield Wednesday.He has previously managed Norwich City, Blackpool, Stockport County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers... |
Sean Gregan Sean Gregan Sean Matthew Gregan is an English professional footballer. A defender, he has played in all of the top four leagues in England.- Early career :... |
No kit manufacturer | West Bromwich Building Society West Bromwich Building Society West Bromwich Building Society is a UK building society, with its headquarters in West Bromwich, in the West Midlands of England. It is a member of the Building Societies Association. It was the official club sponsor of West Bromwich Albion F.C... |
| West Ham United West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current... |
Trevor Brooking Trevor Brooking Sir Trevor David Brooking CBE is a football player turned manager, on-air analyst, and administrator.Brooking attended Ripple Infants School and left Ilford County High School with 11 O-levels and 2 A-levels.... (caretaker) |
Joe Cole Joe Cole Joseph John "Joe" Cole is an English footballer who plays for Lille, on loan from Liverpool, and the England national football team as midfielder. He started his career with where he played more than 100 games during five years, until he left for Chelsea in 2003... |
Fila Fila Fila or FILA may refer to:*Fila , a South Korean sportswear manufacturer* Fila , an island of Vanuatu*Fila, Iran, a village in Lorestan Province... |
Dr. Martens Dr. Martens Dr. Martens is a traditional British footwear brand, which also makes a range of accessories – shoe care products, clothing, luggage, etc. In addition to Dr. Martens, they are known as Doctor Martens, Doc Martens, Docs or DMs... |
Managers
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Position in table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunderland | Peter Reid Peter Reid Peter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career... |
Sacked | 7 October 2002 | Howard Wilkinson Howard Wilkinson Howard Wilkinson is a former English football player and manager, and has recently stepped down as a Non-Executive Director at Sheffield Wednesday after formerly relinquishing the chairman role to Milan Mandaric... |
10 October 2002 | 17th |
| Leeds United | Terry Venables Terry Venables Terence Frederick "Terry" Venables , often referred to as "El Tel", is a former football player and manager, as well as being a media pundit. During the 1960s and 70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and gained two caps for England... |
Sacked | 21 March 2003 | Peter Reid Peter Reid Peter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career... |
21 March 2003 | 15th |
| Fulham | Jean Tigana Jean Tigana Jean Amadou Tigana is a manager and former French international footballer, having played in midfield and managed professional football extensively throughout France, including 52 appearances and 1 goal for the France national football team during the 1980s.-Playing career:Tigana started his... |
Sacked | 17 April 2003 | Chris Coleman Chris Coleman (footballer) Christopher "Chris" Coleman is a Welsh football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of Greek Side Larissa.... |
15 May 2003 | 15th |
| West Ham United | Glenn Roeder Glenn Roeder Glenn Victor Roeder is an English football manager and former player, most recently in charge at Norwich City. As a player, Roeder represented England B on 7 occasions... |
| 17 April 2003
|
Trevor BrookingTrevor Brooking
Sir Trevor David Brooking CBE is a football player turned manager, on-air analyst, and administrator.Brooking attended Ripple Infants School and left Ilford County High School with 11 O-levels and 2 A-levels....
| 11 May 2003
| 18th
|}
Stadia
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | Old Trafford Old Trafford Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:... |
68,174 |
| Newcastle United | St James' Park St James' Park St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'... |
52,387 |
| Sunderland | Stadium of Light Stadium of Light The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches... |
49,000 |
| Liverpool | Anfield Anfield Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park... |
45,522 |
| Aston Villa | Villa Park Villa Park, England Villa Park is an association football stadium in the district of Witton, Birmingham, England with a seating capacity of 42,786. It has been the home of Aston Villa Football Club since 1897. The team previously played at Aston Park from 1874 to 1876 and Perry Barr from 1876 to 1897... |
42,573 |
| Chelsea | Stamford Bridge Stamford Bridge (stadium) Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge... |
42,055 |
| Everton | Goodison Park Goodison Park Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds... |
40,569 |
| Leeds United | Elland Road Elland Road Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C... |
40,242 |
| Arsenal | Highbury Arsenal Stadium Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006... |
38,419 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | White Hart Lane White Hart Lane White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230.... |
36,240 |
| West Ham United | Boleyn Ground Boleyn Ground The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:... |
35,647 |
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
|| style="text-align:center;"| 35,150
|-
| Middlesbrough || Riverside Stadium
Riverside Stadium
The Riverside Stadium is a football stadium in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, which has been the home of Middlesbrough F.C. since it opened in 1995...
|| style="text-align:center;"| 35,049
|-
| Southampton || St Mary's Stadium
St Mary's Stadium
St Mary's Stadium is the home of Southampton F.C., in the city of Southampton. It is a UEFA 4-star rated stadium and with a capacity of 32,689 is the largest football stadium in the south of England, outside of London.-History:...
|| style="text-align:center;"| 32,689
|-
| Blackburn Rovers || Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
|| style="text-align:center;"| 31,367
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| Birmingham City || St Andrew's Stadium || style="text-align:center;"| 30,009
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| Charlton Athletic || The Valley || style="text-align:center;"| 27,111
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| Bolton Wanderers || Reebok Stadium
Reebok Stadium
The Reebok Stadium is the home stadium of English Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers, and is located on the Middlebrook Retail Park in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. It is commonly known as 'The Reebok'...
|| style="text-align:center;"| 28,723
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| West Bromwich Albion || The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns is an all-seater football stadium in West Bromwich, Sandwell, England, with a capacity of 26,484. It has been the home of West Bromwich Albion F.C. since 1900, when it became the sixth ground to be used by the club. The ground was the last Football League ground to be built in the...
|| style="text-align:center;"| 28,003
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| Fulham|| Loftus Road
Loftus Road
Loftus Road is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London. It is home to the English football team Queens Park Rangers of the Premier League and has a capacity of around 18,500. The four stands are called the Loftus Road End , Ellerslie Road Stand, South Africa Road Stand and the School End,...
|| style="text-align:center;"| 19,148
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Records and statistics
Liverpool had the longest winning run in the league – 7, which started on 14 September 2002 against Bolton Wanderers and ended on 9 November against Middlesbrough.Manchester United hold the record for the longest unbeaten run – 18, starting against Birmingham and lasting throughout the entire season.
Arsenal hold the record for the most goals scored in the season – 83, while Manchester United conceded the least amount of goals – 34, four better than Chelsea. Arsenal also broke the record for the most away games without defeat, goals scored in consecutive games and equalled Manchester United's unbeaten record. However, the Gunners failed to set a new all-time English football record of 15 consecutive victories after drawing to West Ham United in August 2002.
Birmingham City were given the most yellow cards in the season, while Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur were given the most red cards. Manchester United were the most disciplined side with only one red card and 45 yellow cards.
The most goals in one match were between Manchester United and Newcastle, which involved eight goals. The biggest home win was between Chelsea's 5–0 win against Manchester City, while the biggest away win was Liverpool's 6–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion.
Sunderland ended the season relegated with the fewest points, while West Ham United became the first team to be relegated with more than 40 points. Sunderland also had the longest losing run of 15 games.
The highest attendance in the season was 67,721 who watched Manchester United against Charlton at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
, while the lowest attendance was between Fulham and Blackburn Rovers at Loftus Road
Loftus Road
Loftus Road is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London. It is home to the English football team Queens Park Rangers of the Premier League and has a capacity of around 18,500. The four stands are called the Loftus Road End , Ellerslie Road Stand, South Africa Road Stand and the School End,...
; 14,017 watched the match. The average attendance of the season was 35,470.
Top scorers
| Rank | Scorer | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruud van Nistelrooy Ruud van Nistelrooy Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals... |
Manchester United | 25 |
| 2 | Thierry Henry Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and... |
Arsenal | 24 |
| 3 | James Beattie James Beattie (footballer) James Scott Beattie is an English footballer who currently plays for Sheffield United as a striker.Born in Lancaster, Lancashire he came through the ranks at Blackburn Rovers eventually signing professionally for them in 1995... |
Southampton | 23 |
| 4 |  Mark VidukaMark Viduka Mark Anthony Viduka is a former Australian soccer player who played as a centre forward. He captained the Australian national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany to the last 16.-Melbourne Croatia:... |
Leeds United | 20 |
| 5 | Michael Owen Michael Owen Michael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997... |
Liverpool | 19 |
| 6 | Alan Shearer Alan Shearer Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team... |
Newcastle United | 17 |
| 7 | Nicolas Anelka Nicolas Anelka Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team... |
Manchester City | 15 |
| 8 | Gianfranco Zola Gianfranco Zola Gianfranco Zola, OBE, Ufficiale OMRI is a retired Italian footballer and manager, who most recently managed West Ham United from 2008 to 2010, after having been assistant manager of the Italy U-21 under Pierluigi Casiraghi... |
Chelsea | 14 |
| Robert Pirès Robert Pirès Robert Emmanuel Pirès is a former French international footballer. He is perhaps best known for his time with Arsenal, with whom he won three FA Cups and two FA Premier League titles including the club's famous unbeaten season of 2003–04... |
Arsenal | 14 | |
| Harry Kewell Harry Kewell Harold "Harry" Kewell is an Australian professional football midfielder who plays for Melbourne Victory in the A-League. Internationally he has received 55 caps, and scored 16 goals, while playing for the Australian national team... |
Leeds United | 14 | |
| Paul Scholes Paul Scholes Paul Scholes is a retired English footballer, a one-club man who played his entire professional career for Manchester United.Born in Salford, but later moving to Langley, Scholes excelled in both cricket and football in school. He first trained with Manchester United at the age of 14 after being... |
Manchester United | 14 |
Top assists
| Rank | Assistant | Club | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thierry Henry Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and... |
Arsenal | 23 |
| 2 | Ryan Giggs Ryan Giggs Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season... |
Manchester United | 13 |
| 3 | David Beckham David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C... |
Manchester United | 9 |
| 4 | Dennis Bergkamp Dennis Bergkamp Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level... |
Arsenal | 8 |
 Eyal BerkovicEyal Berkovic Eyal Berkovic is an Israeli former footballer. He played as a midfielder.He is known in Israel by the nickname Ha-Kosem .... |
Manchester City | 8 | |
 Geremi |
Middlesbrough | 8 | |
| Steven Gerrard Steven Gerrard Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger... |
Liverpool | 8 | |
 Ole Gunnar SolskjærOle Gunnar Solskjær Ole Gunnar Solskjær is the manager of Norwegian first division side Molde. He is better known as a former footballer who spent most of his career playing for Manchester United. Often dubbed "the baby-faced assassin," he played 366 times for the Red Devils and scored 126 goals during a very... |
Manchester United | 8 |