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