2002–03 season of Aston Villa
Aston Villa 2002–03 football season
Second City Derby Football team season
The 2002–03 season was Aston Villa's 11th season in the Premier League , and their 15th consecutive season in the top division of English football .[1]
Fans had hoped that the return of successful former manager Graham Taylor would spark a serious challenge for honours once more, but the actual result was Villa's worst Premier League campaign in eight years , 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.
There were debuts for Ulises de la Cruz (89), Ronny Johnsen (49), Marcus Allbäck (35), Mark Kinsella (21), Øyvind Leonhardsen (19), Stefan Postma (13), Joey Guðjónsson (11), and Rob Edwards (8).
A season low was the 3–0 defeat by local rivals Birmingham City at St Andrews. A first-half goal from Clinton Morrison saw Birmingham in control at half time, before a comedy of errors saw a throw-in by Olof Mellberg roll under the foot of Villa goalkeeper Peter Enckelman and into the net to gift Blues a 2–0 lead. Geoff Horsfield added a third later in the game thanks to bad defending from Alpay Özalan . This game was followed by the visit to Villa Park. The game kicked into life when Villa striker Dion Dublin was sent off in the 51st minute for headbutting Robbie Savage . In the 74th minute, Australian Stan Lazaridis scored his first goal of the season, and three minutes later, a poor header back by Jlloyd Samuel allowed Horsfield to run onto the ball, beat Enckelman and score from close range. The game ended with another sending off, as Villa's Joey Guðjónsson lunged at Upson with a two-footed tackle.
*Rover sponsored the home shirts, MG sponsored the away
Transfers [ edit ] Transferred in [ edit ] Date Pos Player From Fee 14 May 2002 GK Stefan Postma De Graafschap £1,500,000 18 May 2002 CF Marcus Allbäck Heerenveen £2,000,000 8 July 2002 CF Michael Boulding Grimsby Town Free transfer 26 July 2002 RB Ulises de la Cruz Hibernian £1,000,000 23 August 2002 CM Mark Kinsella Charlton Athletic £1,000,000 29 August 2002 CB Ronny Johnsen Manchester United Free transfer 30 August 2002 AM Øyvind Leonhardsen Tottenham Hotspur Free transfer £5,500,000
Loaned in [ edit ] Transferred out [ edit ] Loaned out [ edit ] Overall transfer activity [ edit ] Expenditure [ edit ] £5,500,000
£5,000,000
Balance [ edit ] £500,000
First Team [ edit ] # Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth (Age) Signed from Date signed Fee Apps Gls Goalkeepers 1 Peter Enckelman GK Turku (1977-03-10 ) 10 March 1977 (aged 25) TPS 1 February 1999 £200,000 28 0 13 Stefan Postma GK Utrecht (1976-10-06 ) 6 October 1976 (aged 25) De Graafschap 14 May 2002 £1,500,000 - - 37 Boaz Myhill GK Modesto, CA (1982-11-09 ) 9 November 1982 (aged 19) Academy 1 July 2001 — 0 0 39 Wayne Henderson GK Dublin (1983-09-16 ) 16 September 1983 (aged 18) Academy 1 July 2001 — 0 0 Defenders 2 Mark Delaney RB Haverfordwest (1976-05-13 ) 13 May 1976 (aged 26) Cardiff City 9 March 1999 £250,000 98 1 3 Alan Wright LB Ashton-under-Lyne (1971-09-28 ) 28 September 1971 (aged 30) Blackburn Rovers 10 March 1995 £1,000,000 318 5 4 Olof Mellberg CB Gullspång (1977-09-03 ) 3 September 1977 (aged 24) Racing Santander 19 July 2001 £5,000,000 36 0 5 Alpay Özalan CB İzmir (1973-05-30 ) 30 May 1973 (aged 28) Fenerbahçe 28 July 2000 £5,600,000 60 0 11 Steve Staunton LB Dundalk (1969-01-19 ) 19 January 1969 (aged 33) Liverpool 6 December 2000 Free transfer 319 17 15 Ulises de la Cruz RB Piquiucho (1974-02-08 ) 8 February 1974 (aged 28) Hibernian 26 July 2002 £1,000,000 - - 21 Jlloyd Samuel LB San Fernando (1981-03-29 ) 29 March 1981 (aged 21) Academy 1 January 1999 — 43 0 24 Liam Ridgewell CB Bexleyheath (1984-07-21 ) 21 July 1984 (aged 17) Academy 1 July 2002 — - - 27 Ronny Johnsen CB Sandefjord (1969-06-10 ) 10 June 1969 (aged 33) Manchester United 29 August 2002 Free transfer - - 30 Rob Edwards LB Telford (1982-12-25 ) 25 December 1982 (aged 19) Academy 1 July 2002 — - - Midfielders 6 George Boateng CM Nkawkaw (1975-09-05 ) 5 September 1975 (aged 26) Coventry City 20 July 1999 £4,500,000 134 5 6* Gareth Barry LM Hastings (1981-02-23 ) 23 February 1981 (aged 21) Academy 1 January 1998 — 149 4 7 Ian Taylor CM Birmingham (1968-06-04 ) 4 June 1968 (aged 34) Sheffield Wednesday 21 December 1994 £1,000,000 273 40 10 Paul Merson (c ) AM Harlesden (1968-03-20 ) 20 March 1968 (aged 34) Middlesbrough 8 September 1998 £6,750,000 144 19 12 Thomas Hitzlsperger LM Munich (1982-04-05 ) 5 April 1982 (aged 20) Bayern Munich 5 August 2000 Free transfer 13 1 17 Lee Hendrie RM Solihull (1977-05-18 ) 18 May 1977 (aged 25) Academy 1 July 1995 — 185 20 18 Steve Stone RM Gateshead (1971-08-20 ) 20 August 1971 (aged 30) Nottingham Forest 11 March 1999 £5,500,000 120 7 20 Mustapha Hadji LM Ifrane Atlas-Saghir (1971-11-16 ) 16 November 1971 (aged 30) Coventry City 7 July 2001 £4,500,000 32 3 22 Hassan Kachloul AM Agadir (1973-02-19 ) 19 February 1973 (aged 29) Southampton 1 July 2001 — 31 2 26 Mark Kinsella CM Dublin (1972-08-12 ) 12 August 1972 (aged 29) Charlton Athletic 23 August 2002 £1,000,000 - - 28 Øyvind Leonhardsen AM Kristiansund (1970-08-17 ) 17 August 1970 (aged 31) Tottenham Hotspur 30 August 2002 Free transfer - - 29 Peter Whittingham RM Nuneaton (1983-02-15 ) 15 February 1983 (aged 19) Academy 1 July 2002 — - - 31 Stephen Cooke CM Walsall (1983-02-15 ) 15 February 1983 (aged 19) Academy 1 July 2000 — 1 0 33 Joey Guðjónsson CM Akranes (1980-05-25 ) 25 May 1980 (aged 22) Real Betis 20 January 2003 Loan - - 38 John McGrath CM Limerick (1980-03-27 ) 27 March 1980 (aged 22) Academy 1 July 1999 — 3 0 40 Keith Fahey LM Dublin (1983-01-15 ) 15 January 1983 (aged 19) Academy 1 July 2002 — - - Forwards 8 Juan Pablo Ángel CF Medellín (1975-10-24 ) 24 October 1975 (aged 26) River Plate 13 January 2001 £9,500,000 45 17 9 Dion Dublin CF Leicester (1969-04-22 ) 22 April 1969 (aged 33) Coventry City 5 November 1998 £5,750,000 127 41 10* Darius Vassell CF Birmingham (1980-06-13 ) 13 June 1980 (aged 22) Academy 1 January 1998 — 102 21 14 Marcus Allbäck CF Gothenburg (1973-07-05 ) 5 July 1973 (aged 28) Heerenveen 18 May 2002 £2,000,000 - - 16 Peter Crouch CF Macclesfield (1981-01-30 ) 30 January 1981 (aged 20) Portsmouth 27 March 2002 £5,000,000 7 2 19 Boško Balaban CF Rijeka (1978-10-15 ) 15 October 1978 (aged 23) Dinamo Zagreb 24 October 2001 £5,800,000 11 0 23 Michael Boulding CF Sheffield (1976-02-08 ) 8 February 1976 (aged 26) Grimsby Town 8 July 2002 Free transfer - - 25 Stefan Moore CF Birmingham (1983-09-28 ) 28 September 1983 (aged 18) Academy 1 July 2001 — 0 0 32 Luke Moore CF Birmingham (1986-02-13 ) 13 February 1986 (aged 16) Academy 1 January 2003 — - - 42 Peter Hynes CF Dublin (1983-11-28 ) 28 November 1983 (aged 18) Academy 1 July 2001 — 0 0
*squad number was re-used following a players departure. Note: Stats and ages are correct as of July 1, 2002.
Players [ edit ] First-team squad [ edit ] Squad at end of season [2] [3] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Left club during season [ edit ] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Reserve squad [ edit ] The following players made most of their appearances for the reserves this season, but may have also appeared for the reserves or the U-17s, or may have appeared for the first team in a friendly. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
U-19 squad [ edit ] The following players made most of their appearances for the U-19s this season, but may have also appeared for the reserves or the U-17s. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
U-17 squad [ edit ] The following players made most of their appearances for the U-17s this season, but may have also appeared for the reserves or the U-19s. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Other players [ edit ] The following players did not play for any Aston Villa team this season. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Statistics [ edit ] Appearances and goals [ edit ] As of end of season [4] Starting 11 [ edit ] Results [ edit ] Pre-season [ edit ] FA Premier League [ edit ] Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers 18 August 2002 Liverpool H 0–1 41,183 24 August 2002 Tottenham Hotspur A 0–1 35,384 28 August 2002 Manchester City H 1–0 33,494 Vassell 64' 1 September 2002 Bolton Wanderers A 0–1 22,113 11 September 2002 Charlton Athletic H 2–0 26,483 de la Cruz 70', S Moore 83' 16 September 2002 Birmingham City A 0–3 29,505 22 September 2002 Everton H 3–2 30,023 Hendrie 7', 48', Dublin 85' 28 September 2002 Sunderland A 0–1 40,492 6 October 2002 Leeds United H 0–0 33,505 21 October 2002 Southampton H 0–1 25,817 26 October 2002 Manchester United A 1–1 67,619 Mellberg 35' 3 November 2002 Blackburn Rovers A 0–0 23,004 9 November 2002 Fulham H 3–1 29,563 Ángel 20', Allbäck 66', Leonhardsen 83' 16 November 2002 West Bromwich Albion A 0–0 27,091 23 November 2002 West Ham United H 4–1 33,279 Hendrie 29', Leonhardsen 59', Dublin 72', Vassell 80' 30 November 2002 Arsenal A 1–3 38,090 Hitzlsperger 64' 7 December 2002 Newcastle United H 0–1 33,446 14 December 2002 West Bromwich Albion H 2–1 40,391 Vassell 16', Hitzlsperger 90' 21 December 2002 Chelsea A 0–2 38,284 26 December 2002 Manchester City A 1–3 33,991 Dublin 41' 28 December 2002 Middlesbrough H 1–0 33,637 Dublin 11' 1 January 2003 Bolton Wanderers H 2–0 31,838 Dublin 8', Vassell 80' 11 January 2003 Liverpool A 1–1 43,210 Dublin (pen) 49' 18 January 2003 Tottenham Hotspur H 0–1 38,576 28 January 2003 Middlesbrough A 5–2 27,546 Vassell 24', 81', Guðjónsson 31', Barry 47', Dublin 90' 2 February 2003 Blackburn Rovers H 3–0 29,171 Dublin 2', 40', Barry 81' 8 February 2003 Fulham A 1–2 17,092 Barry 3' 22 February 2003 Charlton Athletic A 0–3 26,257 3 March 2003 Birmingham City H 0–2 42,602 15 March 2003 Manchester United H 0–1 42,602 22 March 2003 Southampton A 2–2 31,888 Hendrie 30', Vassell 36' 5 April 2003 Arsenal H 1–1 42,602 K Touré (own goal) 71' 12 April 2003 West Ham United A 2–2 35,029 Vassell (pen) 36', Leonhardsen 52' 19 April 2003 Chelsea H 2–1 39,358 Allbäck 11', 78' 21 April 2003 Newcastle United A 1–1 52,015 Dublin 69' 26 April 2003 Everton A 1–2 40,167 Allbäck 49' 3 May 2003 Sunderland H 1–0 36,963 Allbäck 80' 11 May 2003 Leeds United A 1–3 40,205 Guðjónsson 40
Final standings [ edit ] Source:
Premier League Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated
League Cup [ edit ] Date Round Opponents H / A Result F – A
Scorers Attendance 2 October 2002 Round 2 Luton Town H 3 – 0 De La Cruz 9', Dublin (2) 35', 48' 20,833 6 November 2002 Round 3 Oxford United A 3 – 0 Taylor 74', Barry 77', Dublin 86' 12,177 4 December 2002 Round 4 Preston North End H 5 – 0 Vassell 44', 55', Dublin 80', Ángel 84', Hitzlsperger 87' 23,042 18 December 2002 Round 5 Liverpool H 3 – 4 Vassell 23' (pen ), Hitzlsperger 72', Henchoz 88 (o.g. ) 38,530
Transfers [ edit ] See also [ edit ] References [ edit ] ^ Samuel was born in San Fernando , Trinidad and Tobago , but also qualified to represent England internationally and would represent them at U-21 level and be called up to the senior team before switching his international allegiance to Trinidad and Tobago and making his international debut for Trinidad and Tobago in September 2009. ^ Edwards was born in Madeley , England , and represented them at U-16 level, but also qualified to represent Wales internationally through his parents and made his international debut for Wales in March 2003. ^ Boateng was born in Nkawkaw , Ghana , but also qualified to represent the Netherlands internationally and represented them at U-21 level before making his international debut for the Netherlands in November 2001. ^ Myhill was born in Modesto , California , United States , but was raised in England from the age of 1, qualifying to represent any of the home nations. He represented England at U-17, U-18, and U-20 level before making his international debut for Wales in March 2008. ^ Ward was born in Birmingham , England , but also qualifies to represent Northern Ireland internationally through his grandfather and represented them at U-19 and U-21 level before making his international debut for Northern Ireland in August 2011. ^ Nix was born in Sydney , Australia , but was raised in England and represented England at U-16, U-18, U-20, and C level. ^ Kabeya was born in Kinshasa , Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo ), but also qualifies to represent Belgium internationally and has represented them at U-16, U-17, U-18 and U-19 level. External links [ edit ]
National teams
League competitions
Level 1 Levels 2–4 Level 5 Levels 6–7 Levels 8–9 Isthmian League (Two ) Combined Counties League (level 8 only ) Eastern Counties League (Premier , One ) Essex Senior League (level 9 only ) Hellenic League (Premier , One East , One West ) Kent League (level 8 only ) Midland Alliance (level 8 only ) Midland Football Combination (level 9 only ) North West Counties League (One , Two ) Northern Counties East League (Premier , One ) Northern League (One , Two ) Spartan South Midlands League (Premier , One ) Sussex County League (One , Two ) United Counties League (Premier , One ) Wessex League (level 8 only ) West Midlands (Regional) League (level 9 only ) Western League (Premier , One )
Cup competitions
FA cups Football League cups
European competitions