During the 2002–03 English football season, Portsmouth competed in the Football League First Division.

Season summary Portsmouth led the First Division for most of the season, and eventually finished as champions, six points clear of second-placed Leicester City. As champions, Portsmouth gained promotion to the FA Premier League, returning to the top flight after an absence of 15 years.

Bulgarian striker Svetoslav Todorov silenced his critics by finishing top scorer in the division with 26 goals, overhauling Nottingham Forest's David Johnson with a hat-trick against Bradford City on the last day of the season, in the game that confirmed Portsmouth as Football League champions.

Kit Portsmouth continue to produce their own kits under the club's own brand, Pompey Sport.

Final league table

Results Portsmouth's score comes first

Legend WinDrawLoss

Football League First Division DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 10 August 2002 Nottingham ForestH2–018,910Burton, Péricard 13 August 2002 Sheffield UnitedA1–116,093Burton 17 August 2002 Crystal PalaceA3–218,315Foxe, Crowe (2) 24 August 2002 WatfordH3–017,901Merson, Todorov, Burton 26 August 2002 Grimsby TownA1–05,770Burchill 31 August 2002 Brighton & Hove AlbionH4–219,031Taylor, Merson (pen), Todorov, Crowe 7 September 2002 GillinghamA3–18,717Merson, Burchill, O'Neil 14 September 2002 MillwallH1–017,201Todorov 17 September 2002 WimbledonH4–118,837Péricard, Todorov, Williams (own goal), Taylor 21 September 2002 Norwich CityA0–121,335 28 September 2002 Bradford CityH3–018,459Quashie (2), Péricard 5 October 2002 Rotherham UnitedA3–28,604Péricard, Todorov, Merson (pen) 19 October 2002 Coventry CityH1–118,837Péricard 26 October 2002 BurnleyA3–015,788Quashie, Todorov, Harper 29 October 2002 Preston North EndH3–218,637Stone, Merson, Taylor 2 November 2002 Leicester CityH0–219,107 6 November 2002 Wolverhampton WanderersA1–127,022Merson 9 November 2002 Derby CountyA2–126,587Todorov, Burchill 16 November 2002 Stoke CityH3–018,701Burchill, Péricard, Todorov 23 November 2002 Sheffield WednesdayA3–116,602Todorov (2), O'Neil 30 November 2002 WalsallH3–217,701Quashie, Todorov, Taylor 7 December 2002 ReadingA0–023,462 14 December 2002 Stoke CityA1–113,330Crowe 21 December 2002 Ipswich TownH1–119,130Todorov 26 December 2002 Crystal PalaceH1–119,217Merson 28 December 2002 Nottingham ForestA2–128,165Taylor, Péricard 1 January 2003 WatfordA2–215,048Burton, Harper 13 January 2003 Sheffield UnitedH1–218,872O'Neil 18 January 2003 Brighton & Hove AlbionA1–16,848Todorov 1 February 2003 Grimsby TownH3–019,248Yakubu, Ford (own goal), Quashie 8 February 2003 Derby CountyH6–219,503Merson, Yakubu (2), Taylor, Todorov (2) 17 February 2003 Leicester CityA1–131,775Taylor 22 February 2003 GillinghamH1–019,521de Zeeuw 1 March 2003 MillwallA5–09,697Yakubu (2), Sherwood, Todorov, Merson (pen) 4 March 2003 WimbledonA1–210,356Merson 12 March 2003 Norwich CityH3–219,221Yakubu, Todorov (2) 15 March 2003 Wolverhampton WanderersH1–019,558Stone 19 March 2003 Coventry CityA4–013,922Caldwell (own goal), Stone, Harper, Merson 22 March 2003 Preston North EndA1–116,665Yakubu 5 April 2003 WalsallA2–17,899Harper, Todorov 12 April 2003 Sheffield WednesdayH1–219,524Bradbury 15 April 2003 BurnleyH1–019,221Todorov 18 April 2003 Ipswich TownA0–329,396 21 April 2003 ReadingH3–019,535Péricard (2), Todorov 27 April 2003 Rotherham UnitedH3–219,420Merson (pen), Todorov (2) 4 May 2003 Bradford CityA5–019,088Festa, Todorov (3, 1 pen), Stone

FA Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR34 January 2003 Manchester UnitedA1–467,222Stone

League Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR110 September 2002 Peterborough UnitedH2–08,581Quashie, PrimusR21 October 2002 WimbledonH1–311,754Péricard

First-team squad

Left club during season

Reserve squad The following players had squad numbers and/or professional contracts but did not make a first-team appearance during the season

Statistics

Starting 11 Considering starts in all competitions GK: #1, Shaka Hislop, 49 RWB: #30, Linvoy Primus, 42 CB: #4, Hayden Foxe, 31 CB: #6, Arjan de Zeeuw, 26 CB: #35, Gianluca Festa, 29 LWB: #14, Matthew Taylor, 38 CM: #7, Kevin Harper, 23 CM: #10, Paul Merson, 47 CM: #11, Nigel Quashie, 44 CF: #9, Svetoslav Todorov, 46 CF: #17, Vincent Péricard, 19 (#19, Steve Stone, also has 19 starts, as a right wing-back)

References