# 2002–03 Derby County F.C. season

During the 2002–03 English football season, Derby County competed in the Football League First Division, following relegation from the FA Premier League the previous season.

## Season summary

Derby were expected to make a bid for an immediate return to the Premiership, but struggled all season which resulted in manager John Gregory being sacked in March and replaced by former Ipswich Town manager George Burley, who led the team to a secure but disappointing 18th-place finish.

## Kit

Derby retained the previous season's home kit, manufactured by Italian company Erreà and sponsored by Pedigree.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 16 | Burnley | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 65 | 89 | −24 | 55 |
| 17 | Walsall | 46 | 15 | 9 | 22 | 57 | 69 | −12 | 54 |
| 18 | Derby County | 46 | 15 | 7 | 24 | 55 | 74 | −19 | 52 |
| 19 | Bradford City | 46 | 14 | 10 | 22 | 51 | 73 | −22 | 52 |
| 20 | Coventry City | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 46 | 62 | −16 | 50 |

## Results

Derby County's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 10 August 2002 | Reading | H | 3–0 | 33,016 | Lee, Ravanelli, Christie |
| 13 August 2002 | Gillingham | A | 0–1 | 8,775 | |
| 17 August 2002 | Grimsby Town | A | 2–1 | 5,810 | Bolder (2) |
| 24 August 2002 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 1–4 | 29,954 | Christie |
| 26 August 2002 | Rotherham United | A | 1–2 | 8,408 | Strupar |
| 31 August 2002 | Stoke City | H | 2–0 | 21,723 | Christie (2) |
| 7 September 2002 | Burnley | H | 1–2 | 22,343 | Bolder |
| 14 September 2002 | Leicester City | A | 1–3 | 31,049 | Riggott |
| 17 September 2002 | Crystal Palace | A | 1–0 | 14,948 | Kinkladze |
| 21 September 2002 | Preston North End | H | 0–2 | 29,257 | |
| 28 September 2002 | Ipswich Town | A | 1–0 | 24,439 | Carbonari |
| 5 October 2002 | Walsall | H | 2–2 | 25,247 | Christie (2) |
| 12 October 2002 | Bradford City | A | 0–0 | 13,385 | |
| 20 October 2002 | Nottingham Forest | H | 0–0 | 30,547 | |
| 26 October 2002 | Millwall | A | 0–3 | 8,116 | |
| 30 October 2002 | Sheffield United | H | 2–1 | 23,525 | McLeod, Burton |
| 2 November 2002 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 3–1 | 19,747 | Morris (2), McLeod |
| 9 November 2002 | Portsmouth | H | 1–2 | 26,587 | Higginbotham (pen) |
| 16 November 2002 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 0–1 | 6,845 | |
| 25 November 2002 | Wimbledon | H | 3–2 | 25,597 | Elliott, Burton, Morris |
| 30 November 2002 | Norwich City | A | 0–1 | 20,522 | |
| 7 December 2002 | Watford | H | 3–0 | 21,653 | Morris, Riggott, Burton |
| 14 December 2002 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 1–0 | 25,786 | Higginbotham (pen) |
| 21 December 2002 | Coventry City | A | 0–3 | 13,185 | |
| 26 December 2002 | Grimsby Town | H | 1–3 | 27,141 | Morris |
| 28 December 2002 | Reading | A | 1–2 | 16,299 | Burley (pen) |
| 1 January 2003 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1–1 | 26,442 | Christie |
| 11 January 2003 | Gillingham | H | 1–1 | 22,769 | Zavagno (pen) |
| 18 January 2003 | Stoke City | A | 3–1 | 17,308 | Christie, Zavagno, Morris |
| 1 February 2003 | Rotherham United | H | 3–0 | 26,257 | Kinkladze, Bolder, McLeod |
| 8 February 2003 | Portsmouth | A | 2–6 | 19,503 | Morris, Kinkladze (pen) |
| 15 February 2003 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 2–2 | 26,311 | Bolder (2) |
| 22 February 2003 | Burnley | A | 0–2 | 15,063 | |
| 1 March 2003 | Leicester City | H | 1–1 | 24,307 | Burley |
| 5 March 2003 | Crystal Palace | H | 0–1 | 22,682 | |
| 8 March 2003 | Preston North End | A | 2–4 | 14,003 | Ravanelli (2) |
| 15 March 2003 | Bradford City | H | 1–2 | 23,735 | Morris |
| 19 March 2003 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–3 | 29,725 | |
| 22 March 2003 | Sheffield United | A | 0–2 | 18,401 | |
| 5 April 2003 | Norwich City | H | 2–1 | 23,643 | Burley, Kenton (own goal) |
| 12 April 2003 | Wimbledon | A | 2–0 | 1,934 | Valakari, Boertien |
| 16 April 2003 | Millwall | H | 1–2 | 21,014 | Kinkladze |
| 19 April 2003 | Coventry City | H | 1–0 | 23,921 | Ravanelli |
| 21 April 2003 | Watford | A | 0–2 | 11,909 | |
| 26 April 2003 | Walsall | A | 2–3 | 8,416 | Valakari, Ravanelli |
| 4 May 2003 | Ipswich Town | H | 1–4 | 28,785 | Lee |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 4 January 2003 | Brentford | A | 0–1 | 8,709 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 | 10 September 2002 | Mansfield Town | A | 3–1 | 5,788 | Morris, Christie, Evatt |
| R2 | 2 October 2002 | Oldham Athletic | H | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | 9,029 | Higginbotham (pen) |

## Players
### First-team squad

    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 |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Warren Barton |
| 3 | DF | ARG | Luciano Zavagno |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Steve Elliott |
| 6 | DF | SCO | Paul Ritchie (on loan from Manchester City) |
| 7 | MF | ENG | Rob Lee |
| 9 | FW | BEL | Branko Strupar |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Tommy Mooney (on loan from Birmingham City) |
| 11 | FW | ENG | Lee Morris |
| 13 | GK | ENG | Lee Grant |
| 14 | DF | ENG | Richard Jackson |
| 16 | MF | SCO | Craig Burley |
| 17 | DF | ENG | Paul Boertien |
| 18 | MF | GEO | Georgi Kinkladze |
| 21 | FW | ITA | Fabrizio Ravanelli |
| 22 | MF | ENG | Adam Murray |
| 23 | FW | ENG | Marvin Robinson |
| 24 | GK | ENG | Andy Oakes |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 25 | DF | ENG | Ian Evatt |
| 26 | MF | ENG | Adam Bolder |
| 28 | DF | FRA | Youl Mawéné |
| 31 | DF | ENG | Chris Palmer |
| 32 | MF | ENG | Matt O'Halloran |
| 33 | MF | FIN | Simo Valakari |
| 34 | FW | ENG | Marcus Tudgay |
| 35 | MF | ENG | Lewis Hunt |
| 36 | MF | SCO | Lewis Green |
| 37 | DF | ENG | Pablo Mills |
| 38 | MF | FIN | Kris Weckstrom |
| 39 | MF | IRL | Barry Molloy |
| 40 | FW | ENG | Izale McLeod |
| 41 | DF | ENG | Tom Huddlestone |
| 44 | MF | ENG | Lee Holmes |
| 45 | GK | ENG | Lee Camp |

### Left club during 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 | EST | Mart Poom (to Sunderland) |
| 4 | DF | ENG | Danny Higginbotham (to Southampton) |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Chris Riggott (to Middlesbrough) |
| 8 | FW | ENG | Nick Chadwick (on loan from Everton) |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Malcolm Christie (to Middlesbrough) |
| 15 | MF | SCO | Brian O'Neil (to Preston North End) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 20 | FW | JAM | Deon Burton (to Portsmouth) |
| 27 | DF | FRA | François Grenet (to Rennes) |
| 29 | DF | NOR | Bjørn Otto Bragstad (to SW Bregenz) |
| 30 | DF | ARG | Horacio Carbonari (to Rosario Central) |
| 31 | MF | IRL | Fiachra McArdle (released) |

## Transfers
### In

* Paul Ritchie – Manchester City, loan
* Tommy Mooney – Birmingham City, loan
* Nick Chadwick – Everton, loan

### Out

* Darryl Powell – released (later joined Birmingham City on 12 September)
* Brian O'Neil – released, 27 November (later joined Preston North End)
* Fiachra McArdle – released, 27 November
* Deon Burton – Portsmouth, 11 December, £250,000
* Mart Poom – Sunderland, 10 January, £2,500,000
* Chris Riggott and Malcolm Christie– Middlesbrough, 31 January, £3,000,000 combined
* Danny Higginbotham – Southampton, 31 January, £1,500,000
* Bjørn Otto Bragstad – released (later joined SW Bregenz)
* Horacio Carbonari – released (later joined Rosario Central)

### Loan out

* Deon Burton – Portsmouth, 9 August
* François Grenet – Rennes, 29 August
* Mart Poom – Sunderland, 15 November
* Marvin Robinson – Tranmere Rovers, 29 November