2002β03 season of Aston Villa
Aston Villa 2002β03 football season
Second City Derby Football team season
The 2002β03 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 AllbΓ€ck (35),
Mark Kinsella (21),
Γyvind Leonhardsen (19),
Stefan Postma (13),
Joey GuΓ°jΓ³nsson (11), and
Rob Edwards (8).
A season low was the 3β0 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 2β0 lead. Geoff Horsfield added a third later in the game thanks to bad defending from
Alpay Γzalan . 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 GuΓ°jΓ³nsson lunged at Upson with a two-footed tackle.
Kit
*Rover sponsored the home shirts, MG sponsored the away
Transfers
Transferred in
Date
Pos
Player
From
Fee
14 May 2002
GK
Stefan Postma
De Graafschap
Β£1,500,000
18 May 2002
CF
Marcus AllbΓ€ck
Heerenveen
Β£2,000,000
8 July 2002
CF
Michael Boulding
Grimsby Town
Free transfer
26 July 2002
RB
Ulises de la Cruz
Hibernian
Β£1,000,000
23 August 2002
CM
Mark Kinsella
Charlton Athletic
Β£1,000,000
29 August 2002
CB
Ronny Johnsen
Manchester United
Free transfer
30 August 2002
AM
Γyvind Leonhardsen
Tottenham Hotspur
Free transfer
Β£5,500,000
Loaned in
Transferred out
Loaned out
Overall transfer activity
Expenditure
Β£5,500,000
Income
Β£5,000,000
Balance
Β£500,000
Squad
First Team
#
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
Β£200,000
28
0
13
Stefan Postma
GK
Utrecht
(1976-10-06 ) 6 October 1976 (aged 25)
De Graafschap
14 May 2002
Β£1,500,000
-
-
37
Boaz Myhill
GK
Modesto, CA
(1982-11-09 ) 9 November 1982 (aged 19)
Academy
1 July 2001
β
0
0
39
Wayne Henderson
GK
Dublin
(1983-09-16 ) 16 September 1983 (aged 18)
Academy
1 July 2001
β
0
0
Defenders
2
Mark Delaney
RB
Haverfordwest
(1976-05-13 ) 13 May 1976 (aged 26)
Cardiff City
9 March 1999
Β£250,000
98
1
3
Alan Wright
LB
Ashton-under-Lyne
(1971-09-28 ) 28 September 1971 (aged 30)
Blackburn Rovers
10 March 1995
Β£1,000,000
318
5
4
Olof Mellberg
CB
GullspΓ₯ng
(1977-09-03 ) 3 September 1977 (aged 24)
Racing Santander
19 July 2001
Β£5,000,000
36
0
5
Alpay Γzalan
CB
Δ°zmir
(1973-05-30 ) 30 May 1973 (aged 28)
Fenerbahçe
28 July 2000
Β£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
Β£1,000,000
-
-
21
Jlloyd Samuel
LB
San Fernando
(1981-03-29 ) 29 March 1981 (aged 21)
Academy
1 January 1999
β
43
0
24
Liam Ridgewell
CB
Bexleyheath
(1984-07-21 ) 21 July 1984 (aged 17)
Academy
1 July 2002
β
-
-
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
β
-
-
Midfielders
6
George Boateng
CM
Nkawkaw
(1975-09-05 ) 5 September 1975 (aged 26)
Coventry City
20 July 1999
Β£4,500,000
134
5
6*
Gareth Barry
LM
Hastings
(1981-02-23 ) 23 February 1981 (aged 21)
Academy
1 January 1998
β
149
4
7
Ian Taylor
CM
Birmingham
(1968-06-04 ) 4 June 1968 (aged 34)
Sheffield Wednesday
21 December 1994
Β£1,000,000
273
40
10
Paul Merson (
c )
AM
Harlesden
(1968-03-20 ) 20 March 1968 (aged 34)
Middlesbrough
8 September 1998
Β£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
β
185
20
18
Steve Stone
RM
Gateshead
(1971-08-20 ) 20 August 1971 (aged 30)
Nottingham Forest
11 March 1999
Β£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
Β£4,500,000
32
3
22
Hassan Kachloul
AM
Agadir
(1973-02-19 ) 19 February 1973 (aged 29)
Southampton
1 July 2001
β
31
2
26
Mark Kinsella
CM
Dublin
(1972-08-12 ) 12 August 1972 (aged 29)
Charlton Athletic
23 August 2002
Β£1,000,000
-
-
28
Γyvind 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
β
-
-
31
Stephen Cooke
CM
Walsall
(1983-02-15 ) 15 February 1983 (aged 19)
Academy
1 July 2000
β
1
0
33
Joey GuΓ°jΓ³nsson
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
β
3
0
40
Keith Fahey
LM
Dublin
(1983-01-15 ) 15 January 1983 (aged 19)
Academy
1 July 2002
β
-
-
Forwards
8
Juan Pablo Γngel
CF
MedellΓn
(1975-10-24 ) 24 October 1975 (aged 26)
River Plate
13 January 2001
Β£9,500,000
45
17
9
Dion Dublin
CF
Leicester
(1969-04-22 ) 22 April 1969 (aged 33)
Coventry City
5 November 1998
Β£5,750,000
127
41
10*
Darius Vassell
CF
Birmingham
(1980-06-13 ) 13 June 1980 (aged 22)
Academy
1 January 1998
β
102
21
14
Marcus AllbΓ€ck
CF
Gothenburg
(1973-07-05 ) 5 July 1973 (aged 28)
Heerenveen
18 May 2002
Β£2,000,000
-
-
16
Peter Crouch
CF
Macclesfield
(1981-01-30 ) 30 January 1981 (aged 20)
Portsmouth
27 March 2002
Β£5,000,000
7
2
19
BoΕ‘ko Balaban
CF
Rijeka
(1978-10-15 ) 15 October 1978 (aged 23)
Dinamo Zagreb
24 October 2001
Β£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
β
0
0
32
Luke Moore
CF
Birmingham
(1986-02-13 ) 13 February 1986 (aged 16)
Academy
1 January 2003
β
-
-
42
Peter Hynes
CF
Dublin
(1983-11-28 ) 28 November 1983 (aged 18)
Academy
1 July 2001
β
0
0
*squad number was re-used following a players departure. Note: Stats and ages are correct as of July 1, 2002.
Players
First-team squad
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
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under
FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Reserve squad
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
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
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
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
Appearances and goals
As of end of season
[4]
Starting 11
Results
Pre-season
FA Premier League
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Scorers
18 August 2002
Liverpool
H
0β1
41,183
24 August 2002
Tottenham Hotspur
A
0β1
35,384
28 August 2002
Manchester City
H
1β0
33,494
Vassell 64'
1 September 2002
Bolton Wanderers
A
0β1
22,113
11 September 2002
Charlton Athletic
H
2β0
26,483
de la Cruz 70',
S Moore 83'
16 September 2002
Birmingham City
A
0β3
29,505
22 September 2002
Everton
H
3β2
30,023
Hendrie 7', 48',
Dublin 85'
28 September 2002
Sunderland
A
0β1
40,492
6 October 2002
Leeds United
H
0β0
33,505
21 October 2002
Southampton
H
0β1
25,817
26 October 2002
Manchester United
A
1β1
67,619
Mellberg 35'
3 November 2002
Blackburn Rovers
A
0β0
23,004
9 November 2002
Fulham
H
3β1
29,563
Γngel 20',
AllbΓ€ck 66',
Leonhardsen 83'
16 November 2002
West Bromwich Albion
A
0β0
27,091
23 November 2002
West Ham United
H
4β1
33,279
Hendrie 29',
Leonhardsen 59',
Dublin 72',
Vassell 80'
30 November 2002
Arsenal
A
1β3
38,090
Hitzlsperger 64'
7 December 2002
Newcastle United
H
0β1
33,446
14 December 2002
West Bromwich Albion
H
2β1
40,391
Vassell 16',
Hitzlsperger 90'
21 December 2002
Chelsea
A
0β2
38,284
26 December 2002
Manchester City
A
1β3
33,991
Dublin 41'
28 December 2002
Middlesbrough
H
1β0
33,637
Dublin 11'
1 January 2003
Bolton Wanderers
H
2β0
31,838
Dublin 8',
Vassell 80'
11 January 2003
Liverpool
A
1β1
43,210
Dublin (pen) 49'
18 January 2003
Tottenham Hotspur
H
0β1
38,576
28 January 2003
Middlesbrough
A
5β2
27,546
Vassell 24', 81',
GuΓ°jΓ³nsson 31',
Barry 47',
Dublin 90'
2 February 2003
Blackburn Rovers
H
3β0
29,171
Dublin 2', 40',
Barry 81'
8 February 2003
Fulham
A
1β2
17,092
Barry 3'
22 February 2003
Charlton Athletic
A
0β3
26,257
3 March 2003
Birmingham City
H
0β2
42,602
15 March 2003
Manchester United
H
0β1
42,602
22 March 2003
Southampton
A
2β2
31,888
Hendrie 30',
Vassell 36'
5 April 2003
Arsenal
H
1β1
42,602
K TourΓ© (own goal) 71'
12 April 2003
West Ham United
A
2β2
35,029
Vassell (pen) 36',
Leonhardsen 52'
19 April 2003
Chelsea
H
2β1
39,358
AllbΓ€ck 11', 78'
21 April 2003
Newcastle United
A
1β1
52,015
Dublin 69'
26 April 2003
Everton
A
1β2
40,167
AllbΓ€ck 49'
3 May 2003
Sunderland
H
1β0
36,963
AllbΓ€ck 80'
11 May 2003
Leeds United
A
1β3
40,205
GuΓ°jΓ³nsson 40
Final standings
Source:
Premier League Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated
FA Cup
League Cup
Date
Round
Opponents
H / A
Result
F β A
Scorers
Attendance
2 October 2002
Round 2
Luton Town
H
3 β 0
De La Cruz 9',
Dublin (2) 35', 48'
20,833
6 November 2002
Round 3
Oxford United
A
3 β 0
Taylor 74',
Barry 77',
Dublin 86'
12,177
4 December 2002
Round 4
Preston North End
H
5 β 0
Vassell 44', 55',
Dublin 80',
Γngel 84',
Hitzlsperger 87'
23,042
18 December 2002
Round 5
Liverpool
H
3 β 4
Vassell 23' (
pen ),
Hitzlsperger 72',
Henchoz 88 (
o.g. )
38,530
Transfers
In
Out
See also
References
Notes
^ 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
National teams
League competitions
Level 1 Levels 2β4 Level 5 Levels 6β7 Levels 8β9
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