The 2002–03 season was the 107th year in non-League football and sixth season since their return to the Football Conference played by Yeovil Town Football Club, an English football club based in Yeovil, Somerset.
Yeovil began the season playing their home matches at The Avenue Stadium, home of Dorchester Town, while the Huish Park pitch was being relaid. Yeovil occupied top spot in the Conference from late September until the end of the season, eventually winning the title by a records points margin and earning promotion to the Football League for the first time in the club's 108-year history.
The team reached the first round of the FA Cup but lost 2–0 at home to Second Division side Cheltenham Town. The team failed to defend their FA Trophy title being knocked out in the quarter-final after being beaten 2–0 by Northern Premier League side Burscough. Kirk Jackson was the club's top goalscorer after joining in November scored 20 goals, with 19 in the league and one in the FA Trophy.
Background
The 2001–02 season was manager Gary Johnson's first season in charge having succeed Colin Addison in June 2001, and the team finished third in the Football Conference. Yeovil finished the season with major silverware after victory in the 2002 FA Trophy Final, staged at Villa Park. Francis Kumbur and first year professional Richard Parkisnon were released by Yeovil after the FA Trophy final while Andy Turner had his contract terminated by mutual consent. Steve Collis, Olivier Brassart, Chris Giles, Andy Lindegaard, Roy O'Brien and Faisal Mali all signed new contracts with the club.
Yeovil made two signings over the close season midfielder Gavin Williams signed from Hereford United for a fee of £22,500, and Mali striker Abdoulaye Demba formerly of Oostende joined on a free transfer. While defender Stephen Reed entered the first team squad from the youth team after agreeing a professional contract.
Review
Pre-season The squad returned for pre-season training on 1 July. The first day of pre-season saw the arrival of two new signings, Welsh attacking midfielder Gavin Williams and Mali forward Abdoulaye Demba. Yeovil started pre-season with a tour of Lavia, and on 5 July played Latvian Higher League champions Skonto with goal from Adam Stansfield and Adam Lockwood earning Yeovil a 2–2 draw. Yeovil's second match of their tour saw them beat FK Auda 1–0 courtesy of goal from Carl Alford, on 7 July. On 11 July, Yeovil concluded their pre-season tour with a 2–1 defeat FK Ventspils. Yeovil returned to England with seven friendly victories against non-league sides, and 1–0 victories over Second Division side Bristol City and Third Division side Exeter City. Yeovil's pre-season preparation featured thirteen matches in all with ten victories, two draws and one defeat with Yeovil scoring 29 goals and conceding 8. Before Yeovil's first match of the season French midfielder Olivier Brassart left the club to join Scarborough, while goalkeeper Steve Collis departed on loan to Tiverton Town.
+ Pre-season match detailsDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceSkontoAD2–2Lockwood, Stansfield300FK AudaAW1–0Alford300FK VentspilsAL1–2Grant400Chertsey TownAW2–0Lockwood, McIndoe159Salisbury CityAW6–2Demba (2) (og), Stansfield, Giles, Alford565Bristol CityHW1–0McIndoe927Gloucester CityAW3–0Lindegaard (3)300Chippenham TownAD0–0563MoleseyAW3–0Alford (2), Giles114Exeter CityAW1–0Lockwood1,472Dorchester TownAW5–1Grant, Giles (2), O'Brien, Alford800Tiverton TownAW3–1Tonkin, Johnson, Way579Winchester CityAW1–0Demba287
August
Yeovil began their Conference season playing their home matches at The Avenue Stadium, home of Dorchester Town, due to the relaying of the Huish Park pitch. Yeovil's opening match saw them draw 2–2 against Gravesend & Northfleet, coming from two goals behind at half time with an injury time equaliser from Terry Skiverton. The game saw striker Adam Stansfield substituted through injury after only 16 minutes that was later confirmed to be a break of the tibia and fibula an injury that ruled him out for the remainder of the season. On 20 August, Yeovil's poor start to the season continued as they suffered a 2–1 defeat away against Barnet. On 22 August, Yeovil confirmed the signing of former striker Howard Forinton after his release from Torquay United, while young striker Chris Giles left on a one-month loan to Weymouth. Yeovil ended the month with three consecutive victories, with a 2–1 win against Morecambe, a 3–2 victory over Nuneaton Borough, and a 1–0 win away at Kettering Town.
September Yeovil started September by extending their winning run to five consecutive matches, with further victories 2–0 against Farnborough, and 2–1 versus Northwich Victoria. Two away draws followed against Stevenage Borough and Hereford United. On 20 September, Yeovil beat Halifax Town 3–0 despite having two men sent off after a mass brawl saw Abdoulaye Demba and Terry Skiverton both dismissed for violent conduct. On 22 September, Stockport County signed defender Anthony Tonkin for £50,000, a transfer that saw manager Gary Johnson hit out at the power of agents alleging that Tonkin's representative advised the player to refuse to play against Halifax. Yeovil marked their return to their newly relaid Huish Park pitch with an emphatic 4–0 victory over Woking. On 28 September, a 4–2 victory away at Leigh RMI saw Yeovil hit the top of the Conference table. The end of the month saw the club bring in French-born Moroccan left sided player Abdou El-Kholti as a replacement for the departed Tonkin.
October Yeovil began October, with a 6–0 victory over Southport with Malian striker Abdoulaye Demba scoring a first-half hat-trick. A 1–1 draw away at Burton Albion, was followed with a 5–0 away victory over Telford United. Despite dominating their next home match against Doncaster Rovers, on 19 October, a "superb effort from 25 yards" from Gavin Williams was only enough for a 1–1 draw. On 23 October, the club faced Boston United in the first round of the Football League Trophy, after two injury time goals saw them lose 4–2 against the Third Division side. Yeovil traveled to Twerton Park to face local rivals Bath City, on 27 October, in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup but Yeovil were held to a 1–1 draw against their lower league rivals. The replay was played two days later, and two goals from Demba helped earn Yeovil a 3–1 victory and progress to the first round proper of the FA Cup. Yeovil's eight points from their four league matches saw manager Gary Johnson named Conference manager of the month for October.
November Yeovil started November with consecutive 2–2 draws away at Chester City, and at home against Dagenham & Redbridge. On 16 November, Yeovil were knocked out of the first round of the FA Cup by Second Division side Cheltenham Town, after losing 2–0. Yeovil progressed to the third round of the Somerset Premier Cup, on 19 November, with a 2–1 extra time victory over Mangotsfield United, with both goals from Abdoulaye Demba. A goal from Michael McIndoe was enough to earn a 1–0 victory over Southport. Before Yeovil's final match of November, the club released Howard Forinton after 4 goals in 17 matches. While the club signed former Torquay United defender Jimmy Aggrey on a month's contract, and paid Stevenage Borough £20,000 for the services of striker Kirk Jackson, who had scored twice against Yeovil earlier in the season. Jackson made his debut in Yeovil's 2–1 victory over Margate, on 30 November, as they maintained their three-point lead at the top of the Conference.
December Yeovil began December by suffering only their second defeat of the season, losing 2–1 away at Scarborough. On 11 December, forward Chris Giles joined fellow Conference side Gravesend & Northfleet on a three-month loan deal. Yeovil got back to winning ways with Kirk Jackson scoring his first goal for the club helped earn the club a 2–1 victory away at Northwich Victoria, and the followed it up with another Jackson goal against his former club helping Yeovil to a 2–1 win over Stevenage Borough. On Boxing Day, Yeovil traveled to struggling Forest Green Rovers and lost 2–1 as the Glovers suffered their third defeat of the season. Two days later, on 28 December, Yeovil were held to a goalless draw by Barnet. Before the match the club confirmed that striker Carl Alford has been released by the club.
January New Year's Day, saw Yeovil get revenge for their Boxing Day defeat with a 1–0 home victory against Forest Green Rovers. On 4 January, Yeovil travelled to Northfleet, and a fourth goal in six matches from Kirk Jackson and a hat-trick from Andy Lindegaard saw Yeovil record a 4–2 victory over Gravesend & Northfleet. Abdoulaye Demba left the club for on a free transfer after struggling to settle at Yeovil, he left the club having scored 8 goals in 21 matches. Yeovil began their defence of the FA Trophy with a trip to Hereford United. Goals from defender Colin Pluck and Adam Lockwood saw Yeovil win 2–1 and qualify for the fourth round. Yeovil extended their lead at the top of the table to eight points with a 2–0 victory over Morecambe, but ended January by dropping two points away at relegation threatened Nuneaton Borough in a 1–1 draw.
February
Yeovil faced Morecambe at home in the FA Trophy fourth round and came out 2–1 victors after goals from Kirk Jackson and Terry Skiverton. Early February saw defender Tom White join Woking on a one-month loan deal, while the club signed former Bristol Rovers forward Kevin Gall and completed the loan signing of Jason Blunt from Scarborough with a view to a permanent move. New striker Kevin Gall scored on his debut as a substitute in a 4–0 home victory against Kettering Town, on 8 February. Blunt's loan spell at Yeovil was cut short after just one match after he was recalled by Scarborough after he was signed by Doncaster Rovers. After losing out with Blunt, manager Gary Johnson signed midfielder Neil Mustoe from Stevenage Borough on a free transfer until the end of the season. Yeovil extended their unbeaten league run to nine games with a 4–2 victory over Farnborough, on 9 February. Yeovil ended February with two cup victories, 2–0 over Odd Down in the Somerset Premier Cup, and a 2–1 victory against Northwich Victoria as Yeovil continued their defence of the FA Trophy.
March Yeovil began March, with a 4–0 thrashing of rivals Hereford United, and then a second half hat-trick from Kevin Gall saw Yeovil come from two goals down to beat Halifax Town 3–2. On 8 March, top scorer Kirk Jackson grabbed his 18th goal of the season, including seven for Stevenage, to earn 10-man Yeovil a 1–1 draw at Woking. Yeovil got back to winning ways and opened up a 12-point lead at the top of the Conference with a 3–1 victory against Leigh RMI, with Jackson grabbing a brace. Yeovil's hopes of a Conference and FA Trophy double, were ended on 15 March, after a 2–0 home defeat against Burscough in the sixth round ended their defence of the title. Yeovil bounced back from their FA Trophy defeat with a 2–1 victory over Margate with another brace from Kirk Jackson. On 28 March, Yeovil ended the month with a 1–0 home victory over Scarborough. After recording four wins and a draw from their five league matches in March, Johnson picked up his second manager of the month award of the season.
April