The 2002–03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England. In this season, Premier League was won by Manchester United, FA Cup was won by Arsenal.
Overview Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time. Sheffield Wednesday was demoted to Division Two, just ten years after reaching the finals of both domestic cup competitions and eleven years after coming two places short of the league title.
Diary of the season 27 June 2002 – Leeds United sack manager David O'Leary after four years in charge. The sacking is thought by many to be down to a combination of both spending more than £100 million on players but never winning a trophy and the publication of his book "Leeds United on Trial", detailing his experiences as manager during the previous season when both Lee Bowyer and Johnathan Woodgate had been on trial for assault. 3 July 2002 – Middlesbrough pay a club record £8.15million for Empoli and Italy striker Massimo Maccarone. 8 July 2002 – Leeds United appoint Terry Venables as their new manager. 10 July 2002 – AFC Wimbledon, a club founded by former supporters of Wimbledon following The FA's approval of the latter club's move to Milton Keynes, play their first match, losing 4–0 in a preseason friendly to Sutton United in front of over 4,600 fans. 11 July 2002 – Arsenal sign defender Pascal Cygan from Lille for £2.1million. 12 July 2002 – Newcastle United sign 20-year-old defender Titus Bramble from Ipswich Town for £5million. 22 July 2002 – Manchester United break the English transfer record for the third time in just over a year. They pay Leeds United £29 million for central defender Rio Ferdinand, amidst reports that the Yorkshire club are in severe financial difficulties after overspending during the previous 3 seasons, and having a crippling loan debt. 24 July 2002 – Everton sign Arsenal goalkeeper Richard Wright for £3.5million. 26 July 2002 – Manchester United sell out-of-favour striker Dwight Yorke to Blackburn Rovers for £2million, with Graeme Souness partnering Yorke with his former Manchester United strike partner Andy Cole. 30 July 2002 – Birmingham City, newly promoted to the Premier League, pay a club record £4.25million for Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison. 2 August 2002 – Juninho signs for Middlesbrough for the third time in a £6million move from Atlético Madrid. 4 August 2002 – Leicester City move into their new 32,500-seat Walkers Stadium after 111 years at Filbert Street. They drew 1–1 in a friendly with Athletic Bilbao. 5 August 2002 – Middlesbrough sign Aston Villa midfielder George Boateng for £5million. 7 August 2002 – Players' Union chairman Gordon Taylor calls for the Football League, currently in a financial crisis following the collapse of ITV Digital, to combine with the 12 Scottish Premier League clubs to form an expanded Football League. There has recently been talk of Rangers and Celtic resigning from the Scottish Premier League to join Division One of the English league, and for several years it has frequently been suggested by various sources that the two clubs should join the Premier League. 8 August 2002 – Leeds United sign Liverpool midfielder Nick Barmby for £2.75million. 15 August 2002 – Liverpool sell defender Stephen Wright to Sunderland for £3million. 17 August 2002 – The FA Premier League season begins. West Bromwich Albion's first top division game for 17 years ends in a 1–0 away defeat to Manchester United. 21 August 2002 – Sunderland sign Leicester City midfielder Matt Piper for £3.5million. 29 August 2002 – Lee Hughes rejoins West Bromwich Albion for £2.5million after a year at Coventry City, and is joined for £2.25million by Tranmere Rovers midfielder Jason Koumas. 30 August 2002 – Sunderland sign striker Marcus Stewart from Ipswich Town for £3.25million. 31 August 2002 Leeds United sell striker Robbie Keane to Tottenham Hotspur for £7 million, as Glenn Hoddle's team look to push for the Premier League title after three wins and a draw from their opening four games take them to the top of the league as August draws to a close. Arsenal (defending champions), Liverpool, Leeds United and Charlton Athletic complete the top five. Bolton Wanderers, who have lost both of their games this month, prop up the top flight, while winless West Ham United and Southampton complete the bottom three. Sunderland pay a club record £6.75million for Rangers striker Tore Andre Flo. West Bromwich Albion beat Fulham 1–0 to record their first top division win since March 1986. Portsmouth, who were generally not considered as serious promotion challenge, are the surprise leaders of Division One, with their nearest competition coming from last season's beaten playoff finalists Norwich City. Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Rotherham United and Nottingham Forest complete the top six. 10 September 2002 Sunderland sign goalkeeper Mart Poom from Derby County for £2.5million. A Kevin Nolan goal gives Bolton Wanderers a surprise 1–0 league win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. 14 September 2002 – Manchester United's dismal start to the season continues as they lose 1–0 at Leeds United. They are now ninth in the league, one place below a newly promoted West Bromwich Albion side who have achieved three consecutive league wins. 16 September 2002 – Birmingham City beat Aston Villa 3–0 at St Andrew's in the first Second City derby in the league for 15 years, and the first in the top flight for 17 years. 17 September 2002 – After a slow start to the season, the pressure is growing on Sunderland manager Peter Reid. The Daily Mirror tips George Graham to be named as Sunderland manager if Reid is ousted. 21 September 2002 – Ruud van Nistelrooy scores the winning goal from the penalty spot as Manchester United get back on track with a 1–0 home league win over Tottenham. 23 September 2002 – Peter Reid gains unexpected support from Sir Bobby Robson, manager of Sunderland's local rivals Newcastle United, who defends him over the club's recent shortcomings. 26 September 2002 – A poll among Sunderland supporters names David O'Leary as the man they would most like to see as manager in place of under-fire Peter Reid. 30 September 2002 – September finishes with defending champions Arsenal top of the Premier League, two points ahead of second-placed Liverpool. Manchester United, held back by two defeats this month, are fourth in the league and level on points with third-placed Middlesbrough who are mounting a surprise title challenge. Chelsea occupy fifth place, with last month's leaders Tottenham Hotspur now down to sixth. West Ham United, Charlton Athletic and Southampton occupy the bottom three places. Portsmouth and Leicester City lead the way in Division One, with the playoff zone being occupied by Norwich City, Nottingham Forest, Rotherham United and Sheffield United. 7 October 2002 – Peter Reid is sacked by FA Premier League strugglers Sunderland after seven-and-a-half years in charge. 9 October 2002 – Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy is named as a contender for the Sunderland manager's job. 10 October 2002 – After just four months as manager of Stoke City, manager Steve Cotterill leaves the club with a statement revealing that he has agreed to take a role at another club, sparking speculation that he has been appointed as Sunderland's new manager. Hours later, however, it was revealed that Howard Wilkinson has ended his five-year role as technical director of The Football Association to become Sunderland's new manager, with Cotterill as his assistant. 12 October 2002 – England open their Euro 2004 qualifying series with a 2–1 win over Slovakia in Bratislava. David Beckham and Michael Owen score for England. 19 October 2002 – Everton striker Wayne Rooney becomes the youngest-ever goalscorer in FA Premier League history when he scores a last-minute winner against Arsenal, five days before his 17th birthday, to end the opposition's 30-match unbeaten Premiership run. West Ham United winger Trevor Sinclair takes the pressure off his manager Glenn Roeder by scoring the only goal in an away league win over Sunderland, who are playing their first game under the management of Howard Wilkinson. 26 October 2002 – After waiting 12 years to renew old rivalries, Andrew Johnson scores a hat-trick as Crystal Palace crush Brighton 5–0 in a Division One game at Selhurst Park. 27 October 2002 – James Beattie scores a hat-trick as Southampton beat Fulham 4–2 in the league at St Mary's Stadium. 30 October 2002 – Adam Crozier announced his resignation as chief executive of The Football Association after two years in this role. 31 October 2002 – October draws to a close with Liverpool having leapfrogged Arsenal into second place, opening up a four-point gap and looking in a stronger position than ever before to end their league title wait that began in 1990. Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur complete the top five. Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion occupy the three relegation places. Portsmouth now have a seven-point lead over nearest rivals Leicester City at the top of Division One. The play-off zone is occupied by Norwich City, Sheffield United, Watford and Nottingham Forest. 9 November 2002 – A Shaun Goater double sees Manchester City beat Manchester United 3–1 in the last Manchester derby at Maine Road. It is the first time since September 1989 that City have beaten United in a competitive game, and the first time since March 1993 that United have failed to beat City at Maine Road. 10 November 2002 – Sunderland achieve their first league win under Howard Wilkinson by beating Tottenham 2–0 at the Stadium of Light. 18 December 2002 – Football mourns the deaths of Football Association chairman Sir Bert Millichip, 88, and former Leicester City and Shrewsbury Town striker Arthur Rowley, 76, who scored a record 434 English league goals during his 19-year career. 23 November 2002 – Ruud van Nistelrooy scores a hat-trick as Manchester United end a dismal run of league form by beating Newcastle United 5–3 at Old Trafford. 30 November 2002 – As November draws to a close, Liverpool are on a dismal run of form which has seen Arsenal overtake them into first place in the Premier League by a single point. Everton are putting up a surprise title challenge after more than a decade of mediocrity as they occupy third place and are just three points off the top. Chelsea and Manchester United complete the top five. West Ham United, West Bromwich Albion and Bolton Wanderers finish the month in the relegation zone. Portsmouth and Leicester City continue to lead the way in Division One. Nottingham Forest, Norwich City, Reading (newly promoted) and Sheffield United complete the top six. 7 December 2002 – Manchester United's revival continues with a 2–0 home league win over defending champions Arsenal. 14 December 2002 – Manchester United continue to close in on the top of the table with a 3–0 home win over West Ham. Sunderland boost their survival challenge with a 2–1 home win over Liverpool, whose title challenge is continuing to fall away. Marc-Vivien Foé scores twice for Manchester City in a 2–2 draw at Charlton Athletic. 26 December 2002 – Hull City celebrate their first competitive game at their new Kingston Communications Stadium with a 2–0 win over Hartlepool United in Division Three.