2002–03 Gillingham F.C. season

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

Gillingham F.C.
2002–03 season
ChairmanPaul Scally
ManagerAndy Hessenthaler
StadiumPriestfield
First Division11th
FA CupFourth round
League CupThird round
Top goalscorerPaul Shaw (12)
Average home league attendance8,078

Season summary edit

Gillingham topped the table after three matches, but that would be as good as it got for the Kent side. They were within a shout of the playoffs as late as March,[1] but a run of three wins from their last thirteen (two of those wins came in the final three games)[1] saw their slim promotion hopes quashed, although the final 11th place was Gillingham's highest ever in the Football League.

In the FA Cup, Gillingham earned a 1–1 home draw against Premiers League Leeds United in the fourth round, before losing 2–1 in the replay at Elland Road. This would be the scoreline that saw Gillingham knocked out of the League Cup too, against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Kit edit

Gillingham continued to manufacture their team kits under their own brand, while French ferry company SeaFrance remained kit sponsors. The kit was essentially the same as that worn the previous season, except that the collar had been changed, to a v-neck shape with a red band.[2]

Final league table edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
9 Millwall 46 19 9 18 59 69 −10 66
10 Wimbledon 46 18 11 17 76 73 +3 65
11 Gillingham 46 16 14 16 56 65 −9 62
12 Preston North End 46 16 13 17 68 70 −2 61
13 Watford 46 17 9 20 54 70 −16 60
Updated to match(es) played on 11 May 2003. Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Results edit

Gillingham's score comes first[3]

Legend edit

Win Draw Loss

Football League First Division edit

Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
10 August 2002 Wimbledon A 1–0 2,476 Ipoua
13 August 2002 Derby County H 1–0 8,775 Shaw
17 August 2002 Millwall H 1–0 7,543 Ipoua
24 August 2002 Norwich City A 0–1 20,588
26 August 2002 Preston North End H 1–1 7,785 Saunders
31 August 2002 Leicester City A 0–2 30,067
7 September 2002 Portsmouth H 1–3 8,717 James
14 September 2002 Brighton & Hove Albion A 4–2 6,733 Shaw (2), Perpetuini, James
18 September 2002 Nottingham Forest A 1–4 16,073 Hessenthaler
21 September 2002 Sheffield United H 1–1 7,497 Shaw
29 September 2002 Crystal Palace A 2–2 15,699 Perpetuini, Mullins (own goal)
5 October 2002 Coventry City H 0–2 7,722
12 October 2002 Rotherham United A 1–1 6,094 Wallace
19 October 2002 Watford H 3–0 8,728 Sidibe, Ipoua, James
26 October 2002 Ipswich Town A 1–0 24,176 Sidibe
29 October 2002 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 0–4 10,036
2 November 2002 Grimsby Town A 1–1 5,715 Saunders
9 November 2002 Reading H 0–1 8,511
16 November 2002 Sheffield Wednesday H 1–1 8,028 T Johnson
23 November 2002 Walsall A 0–1 6,630
30 November 2002 Stoke City H 1–1 8,150 Shaw
7 December 2002 Bradford City A 3–1 10,711 King (2, 1 pen), Wallace
14 December 2002 Sheffield Wednesday A 2–0 17,715 Wallace, Smith
21 December 2002 Burnley H 4–2 7,905 Wallace, Smith (2), King
26 December 2002 Millwall A 2–2 10,947 Saunders, King (pen)
11 January 2003 Derby County A 1–1 22,769 Ipoua
18 January 2003 Leicester City H 3–2 8,609 Shaw, Elliott (own goal), Sidibe
1 February 2003 Preston North End A 0–3 12,121
10 February 2003 Reading A 1–2 11,030 Wallace
15 February 2003 Grimsby Town H 3–0 7,158 Wallace (2), Hope
22 February 2003 Portsmouth A 0–1 19,521
25 February 2003 Norwich City H 1–0 7,935 Wallace
1 March 2003 Brighton & Hove Albion H 3–0 9,178 Shaw, T Johnson (pen), Southall
4 March 2003 Nottingham Forest H 1–4 7,277 Wallace
11 March 2003 Wimbledon H 3–3 7,884 Shaw (2), Wallace
15 March 2003 Rotherham United H 1–1 7,284 Wallace
18 March 2003 Watford A 1–0 10,492 Shaw
22 March 2003 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 0–6 25,171
25 March 2003 Sheffield United A 2–2 15,799 Osborn, Shaw
29 March 2003 Ipswich Town H 1–3 8,508 Smith
5 April 2003 Stoke City A 0–0 12,746
12 April 2003 Walsall H 0–1 6,972
19 April 2003 Burnley A 0–2 14,031
21 April 2003 Bradford City H 1–0 6,281 Shaw
26 April 2003 Coventry City A 0–0 14,795
4 May 2003 Crystal Palace H 2–1 9,315 Nosworthy (2)

FA Cup edit

Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
R3 7 January 2003 Sheffield Wednesday H 4–1 6,434 King (2, 1 pen), Ipoua, Hope
R4 25 January 2003 Leeds United H 1–1 11,093 Sidibe
R4R 4 February 2003 Leeds United A 1–2 29,359 Ipoua

League Cup edit

Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
R1 10 September 2002 Torquay United A 1–0 1,981 Hessenthaler
R2 1 October 2002 Stockport County A 2–1 (a.e.t.) 2,396 Ipoua, T Johnson
R3 6 November 2002 Chelsea A 1–2 28,033 King

Squad edit

Squad at end of season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   ENG Vince Bartram
3 DF   ENG Roland Edge
4 MF   ENG Paul Smith
5 DF   ENG Barry Ashby
7 DF   ENG Nyron Nosworthy[4]
8 MF   ENG Andy Hessenthaler (player-manager)
9 FW   ENG Marlon King[5]
10 FW   CMR Guy Ipoua
11 MF   ENG Ty Gooden
12 MF   ENG Paul Shaw
13 GK   WAL Jason Brown[6]
14 MF   ENG Leon Johnson
15 MF   ENG Mark Saunders
16 DF   ENG Richard Rose
17 FW   ENG Akwasi Fobi-Edusei[7]
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 DF   ENG Chris Hope
19 FW   ENG Rod Wallace
20 FW   ENG Kevin James
21 MF   ENG Simon Osborn
22 MF   ENG Danny Spiller
23 FW   ENG Tommy Johnson
24 MF   ENG Michael Phillips
25 GK   ENG Danny Knowles
26 DF   ENG David Perpetuini
27 FW   GHA Jones Awuah
28 MF   WAL Andrew Crofts[8]
29 FW   MLI Mamady Sidibe
30 DF   ENG Nicky Southall
31 MF   ENG Jon Wallis
37 FW   ENG Stuart Latham

Left club during season edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF   ENG Mark Patterson (retired[9])
6 DF   ENG Guy Butters (to Brighton and Hove Albion)
14 MF   WAL Marcus Browning (to Bournemouth[10])
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 DF   ENG Richard Rose (on loan to Bristol Rovers)
17 DF   ENG Adrian Pennock (to Gravesend & Northfleet)
25 DF   ENG Ben White (to Gravesend & Northfleet)
37 FW   ENG Stuart Latham Retired at the end of the season

Transfers edit

In edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "First Division table, 29 March 2003, Statto". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  2. ^ Gillingham historical football kits
  3. ^ "Gillingham results for the 2002-2003 season - Statto.com". Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  4. ^ Nosworthy was born in Brixton, England, but qualifies to represent Jamaica internationally through his father; he was not called up for the squad until October 2007.
  5. ^ King was born in Dulwich, England, but qualifies to represent Jamaica internationally; he was not called up for the squad until 2004.
  6. ^ Brown was born in Southwark, England, but qualifies to represent Wales internationally; he played for the U21 side during the season and would make his debut for the full national side in May 2006.
  7. ^ Fobi-Edusei was born in London, England; it would be alleged in 2006 that he had been called up for the Ghana U19 side, qualifying through his parents, though these reports have yet to be substantiated.
  8. ^ Crofts was born in Chatham, England, but qualifies to represent Wales internationally through a grandparent; he played for the U19 team during the season and would make his debut for the full national side in October 2005.
  9. ^ November transfers, The Telegraph, John Ley, 3 December 2002
  10. ^ Browning was born in Bristol, England, but qualifies to represent Wales internationally and made his debut for the full national side in 1996.
  11. ^ Gills sign striker Sidibe, BBC News, 7 August 2002