The 2002–03 Football League First Division (referred to as the Nationwide First Division for sponsorship reasons) was the eleventh season of the league under its current format as the second tier of English football.
Portsmouth won the division to return to the Premier League after a fifteen-year absence. In Harry Redknapp's first full season in charge the team secured the title on 27 April, with a victory over Rotherham, having been promoted with four games to spare by defeating Burnley.
Leicester City were promoted at the first attempt following their relegation. Their promotion was contentious as they entered administration during the season due to debts in excess of £50 million stemming from their loss of Premier League income and major investment in a new stadium, but were able to write-off these entirely when a new consortium took control and therefore avoided having to sell off players. Following this incident, the Football League would introduce rules that penalised any club entering administration with a ten-point points deduction; although Leicester would still have finished in second place had been this been applied.
Wolverhampton Wanderers won the play-offs to reach the modern-day Premiership for the first time after a 3–0 win in the play-off final against a Sheffield United team which had reached the semi-finals of both domestic cup competitions. This marked a return to top-flight football for Wolves after a nineteen-year exodus that had seen them fall as low as the fourth tier. Also leaving the division were Sheffield Wednesday, Brighton & Hove Albion and Grimsby Town, who were all relegated.
Team changes from previous season From the First Division Promoted to the Premiership: Manchester City West Bromwich Albion Birmingham City
Relegated to the Second Division: Crewe Alexandra Barnsley Stockport County
To the First Division Relegated from the Premiership: Leicester City Ipswich Town Derby County
Promoted from the Second Division: Brighton & Hove Albion Reading Stoke City
Team overview
Stadia and locations
Team Location Stadium CapacityBradford City Bradford Bradford & Bingley Stadium 25,136Burnley Burnley Turf Moor 22,546Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton Withdean Stadium 8,850Coventry City Coventry Highfield Road 23,489Crystal Palace London Selhurst Park 26,309Derby County Derby Pride Park 33,597Gillingham Gillingham Priestfield Stadium 11,582Grimsby Town Cleethorpes Blundell Park 10,033Ipswich Town Ipswich Portman Road 30,311Leicester City Leicester Walkers Stadium 32,500Millwall London The New Den 20,146Nottingham Forest Nottingham City Ground 30,576Norwich City Norwich Carrow Road 26,018Portsmouth Portsmouth Fratton Park 20,224Preston North End Preston Deepdale 23,408Reading Reading Madejski Stadium 24,161Rotherham United Rotherham Millmoor 8,300Sheffield United Sheffield Bramall Lane 32,702Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Hillsborough 39,812Stoke City Stoke Britannia Stadium 27,740Walsall Walsall Bescot Stadium 11,300Watford Watford Vicarage Road 17,504Wimbledon London Selhurst Park1 26,309Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Molineux 27,828 Note 1: Wimbledon rented the use of Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park home.
Personnel and sponsoring Team Manager Kit maker Sponsor Bradford City Nicky Law BCAFC JCT600 Burnley Stan Ternent TFG Sports Lanway Brighton & Hove Albion Martin Hinshelwood Erreà Skint Records Coventry City Gary McAllister CCFC Subaru Crystal Palace Trevor Francis Le Coq Sportif Churchill Insurance Derby County John Gregory Erreà Pedigree Gillingham Andy Hessenthaler Gills Leisure SeaFrance Grimsby Town Paul Groves Avec Dixon Ipswich Town George Burley Punch TXU Energi Leicester City Micky Adams Le Coq Sportif LG Millwall Mark McGhee Strikeforce 24seven Nottingham Forest Paul Hart Umbro Pinnacle Insurance Norwich City Nigel Worthington Xara Digital Phone Company Portsmouth Harry Redknapp Pompey Sport Ty Preston North End Craig Brown Voi NewReg.com Reading Alan Pardew Kit@ Westcoast Rotherham United Ronnie Moore Bodyline T-Mobile Sheffield United Neil Warnock Le Coq Sportif Desun Sheffield Wednesday Terry Yorath Diadora Chupa Chups Stoke City Steve Cotterill Le Coq Sportif Britannia Walsall Colin Lee Xara Banks's Watford Ray Lewington Kit@ Toshiba Wimbledon Stuart Murdoch Patrick Go MK Wolverhampton Wanderers Dave Jones Admiral Doritos
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Replaced by Date of appointment Brighton & Hove Albion Peter Taylor Resigned 29 April 2002 Off season Martin Hinshelwood 15 July 2002 Brighton & Hove Albion Martin Hinshelwood Moved to director of football position 7 October 2002 24th Steve Coppell 7 October 2002 Stoke City Steve Cotterill Resigned to become assistant manager at Sunderland 10 October 2002 15th Tony Pulis 1 November 2002 Ipswich Town George Burley Sacked 11 October 200219th Joe Royle 28 October 2002 Sheffield Wednesday Terry Yorath Resigned 31 October 200222nd Chris Turner 7 November 2002 Crystal Palace Trevor Francis Mutual consent 18 April 2003 11th Steve Kember 23 May 2003 Derby County John Gregory Sacked 9 May 20032 18th (end of season) George Burley 5 June 20033 Note 2: Although Gregory was dismissed on this date, he had already been suspended from his post on 21 March after "serious allegations" were made against him. Note 3: Burley was initially appointed on 31 March as interim manager following John Gregory's suspension.
League table
Play-offs
Awards MonthManager of the MonthNotesManagerClubAugust Harry RedknappPortsmouthSeptember Micky AdamsLeicester CityOctober Ray LewingtonWatfordNovember Alan PardewReadingDecember Gary McAllisterCoventry CityJanuary Neil WarnockSheffield UnitedFebruary Alan PardewReadingMarch Joe RoyleIpswich TownApril Mark McGheeMillwall
PFA Team of the Year Pos.PlayerClub GK Shaka Hislop Portsmouth DF Denis Irwin Wolverhampton Wanderers DF Joleon Lescott Wolverhampton Wanderers DF Michael Dawson Nottingham Forest DF Matthew Taylor Portsmouth MF Muzzy Izzet Leicester City MF Michael Brown Sheffield United MF Paul Merson Portsmouth MF Michael Tonge Sheffield United FW David Johnson Nottingham Forest FW Paul Dickov Leicester City
Attendances
# Club Average 1 Leicester City 29,231 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 25,745 3 Derby County 25,470 4 Ipswich Town 25,455 5 Nottingham Forest 24,437 6 Norwich City 20,353 7 Sheffield Wednesday 20,327 8 Portsmouth 18,934 9 Sheffield United 18,069 10 Crystal Palace 16,867 11 Reading 16,011 12 Coventry City 14,813 13 Stoke City 14,588 14 Burnley 13,977 15 Preston North End 13,853 16 Watford 13,405 17 Bradford City 12,501 18 Millwall 8,512 19 Gillingham 8,078 20 Rotherham United 7,522 21 Walsall 6,978 22 Brighton & Hove Albion 6,651 23 Grimsby Town 5,884 24 MK Dons 2,786
Source:
References