2002–03 Watford F.C. season

Watford

2002–03 season
Chairman	Graham Simpson
Manager	Ray Lewington
Stadium	Vicarage Road
First Division	13th
FA Cup	Semi-finals
League Cup	First round
Top goalscorer	League: Helguson (11) All: Helguson (13)
Average home league attendance	13,405
← 2001–02 2003–04 →

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

Season review

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

Final league table

Pos	Team	Pld		W	D	L	F	A		W	D	L	F	A		F	A	GD		Pts
1	Portsmouth	46		17	3	3	52	22		12	8	3	45	23		97	45	+52		98
2	Leicester City	46		16	5	2	40	12		10	9	4	33	28		73	40	+33		92
3	Sheffield United	46		13	7	3	38	23		10	4	9	34	29		72	52	+20		80
4	Reading	46		13	3	7	33	21		12	1	10	28	25		61	46	+15		79
5	Wolverhampton Wanderers	46		9	10	4	40	19		11	6	6	41	25		81	44	+37		76
6	Nottingham Forest	46		14	7	2	57	23		6	7	10	25	27		82	50	+32		74
7	Ipswich Town	46		10	5	8	49	39		9	8	6	31	25		80	64	+16		70
8	Norwich City	46		14	4	5	36	17		5	8	10	24	32		60	49	+11		69
9	Millwall	46		11	6	6	34	32		8	3	12	25	37		59	69	–10		66
10	Wimbledon	46		12	5	6	39	28		6	6	11	37	45		76	73	+3		65
11	Gillingham	46		10	6	7	33	31		6	8	9	23	34		56	65	–9		62
12	Preston North End	46		11	7	5	44	29		5	6	12	24	41		68	70	–2		61
13	Watford	46		11	5	7	33	26		6	4	13	21	44		54	70	–16		60
14	Crystal Palace	46		8	10	5	29	17		6	7	10	30	35		59	52	+7		59
15	Rotherham United	46		8	9	6	27	25		7	5	11	35	37		62	62	±0		59
16	Burnley	46		10	4	9	35	44		5	6	12	30	45		65	89	–24		55
17	Walsall	46		10	3	10	34	34		5	6	12	23	35		57	69	–12		54
18	Derby County	46		9	5	9	33	32		6	2	15	22	42		55	74	–19		52
19	Bradford City	46		7	8	8	27	35		7	2	14	24	38		51	73	–22		52
20	Coventry City	46		6	6	11	23	31		6	8	9	23	31		46	62	–16		50
21	Stoke City	46		9	6	8	25	25		3	8	12	20	44		45	69	–24		50
22	Sheffield Wednesday	46		7	7	9	29	32		3	9	11	27	41		56	73	–17		46
23	Brighton & Hove Albion	46		7	6	10	29	31		4	6	13	20	36		49	67	–18		45
24	Grimsby Town	46		5	6	12	26	39		4	6	13	22	46		48	85	–37		39

• Pld = Matches ; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
• NB: In the Football League goals scored (F) takes precedence over goal difference (GD).

Key
	Football League Champions, promoted to FA Premier League
	Promoted to FA Premier League
	Participated in play-offs
	Promoted to Premier League through play-offs
	Relegated

Results

Watford's score comes first^[6]

Legend

Win

Draw

Loss

Football League First Division

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

FA Cup

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

League Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R1	10 September 2002	Luton Town	H	1-2	14,171	Foley

First-team squad

Squad at end of season^[7]

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

No. Position Player 1 GK Alec Chamberlain 2 DF Neal Ardley 3 DF Paul Robinson 4 MF Paolo Vernazza 5 DF Neil Cox 6 DF Sean Dyche 7 MF Allan Nielsen 8 MF Micah Hyde 9 FW Tommy Smith 10 DF Wayne Brown 11 MF Stephen Glass 12 MF Gavin Mahon 14 MF Richard Johnson 15 FW Gifton Noel-Williams 16 MF Anthony McNamee

No. Position Player 18 FW Heiðar Helguson 19 DF Jerel Ifil 20 DF Lloyd Doyley 21 FW Dominic Foley 22 FW Lee Cook 23 MF Jamie Hand 24 FW Jason Norville 25 MF Gary Fisken 27 DF Marcus Gayle 28 MF Sam Swonnell 29 MF Jermaine Pennant (on loan from Arsenal) 30 GK Richard Lee 31 DF Jack Smith 32 MF Elliott Godfrey 33 FW Scott Fitzgerald

Left club during season

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

No. Position Player 10 MF Stephen Hughes (released) 13 GK Espen Baardsen (to Everton) 17 FW Nick Wright (retired)

No. Position Player 17 FW Michael Chopra (on loan from Newcastle United) 29 FW Danny Webber (on loan from Manchester United)

Reserve squad

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

No. Position Player 26 MF Fabien Forde

See also

• Luton Town F.C. and Watford F.C. rivalry
• List of Watford F.C. seasons

References

1. Watford in financial peril BBC
2. BBC: Watford players agree pay cut
3. BBC: Vialli sues Watford
4. Watford 1-2 Southampton BBC 3CR
5. BBC: Hornets eye stadium repurchase
6. http://www.statto.com/football/teams/watford/2002-2003/results
7. http://www.footballsquads.co.uk/eng/2002-2003/d1/watford.htm