# 2002–03 Portsmouth F.C. season

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

## Season summary

Portsmouth led the First Division for most of the season, and eventually finished as champions, six points clear of second-placed Leicester City. As champions, Portsmouth gained promotion to the FA Premier League, returning to the top flight after an absence of 15 years.
Bulgarian striker Svetoslav Todorov silenced his critics by finishing top scorer in the division with 26 goals, overhauling Nottingham Forest's David Johnson with a hat-trick against Bradford City on the last day of the season, in the game that confirmed Portsmouth as Football League champions.

## Kit

Portsmouth continue to produce their own kits under the club's own brand, Pompey Sport.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Portsmouth (C, P) | 46 | 29 | 11 | 6 | 97 | 45 | +52 | 98 | Promotion to 2003–04 FA Premier League |
| 2 | Leicester City (P) | 46 | 26 | 14 | 6 | 73 | 40 | +33 | 92 | Promotion to 2003–04 FA Premier League |
| 3 | Sheffield United | 46 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 72 | 52 | +20 | 80 | Qualification for First Division Playoffs |
| 4 | Reading | 46 | 25 | 4 | 17 | 61 | 46 | +15 | 79 | Qualification for First Division Playoffs |
| 5 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (O, P) | 46 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 81 | 44 | +37 | 76 | Qualification for First Division Playoffs |

## Results

Portsmouth's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 10 August 2002 | Nottingham Forest | H | 2–0 | 18,910 | Burton, Péricard |
| 13 August 2002 | Sheffield United | A | 1–1 | 16,093 | Burton |
| 17 August 2002 | Crystal Palace | A | 3–2 | 18,315 | Foxe, Crowe (2) |
| 24 August 2002 | Watford | H | 3–0 | 17,901 | Merson, Todorov, Burton |
| 26 August 2002 | Grimsby Town | A | 1–0 | 5,770 | Burchill |
| 31 August 2002 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 4–2 | 19,031 | Taylor, Merson (pen), Todorov, Crowe |
| 7 September 2002 | Gillingham | A | 3–1 | 8,717 | Merson, Burchill, O'Neil |
| 14 September 2002 | Millwall | H | 1–0 | 17,201 | Todorov |
| 17 September 2002 | Wimbledon | H | 4–1 | 18,837 | Péricard, Todorov, Williams (own goal), Taylor |
| 21 September 2002 | Norwich City | A | 0–1 | 21,335 | |
| 28 September 2002 | Bradford City | H | 3–0 | 18,459 | Quashie (2), Péricard |
| 5 October 2002 | Rotherham United | A | 3–2 | 8,604 | Péricard, Todorov, Merson (pen) |
| 19 October 2002 | Coventry City | H | 1–1 | 18,837 | Péricard |
| 26 October 2002 | Burnley | A | 3–0 | 15,788 | Quashie, Todorov, Harper |
| 29 October 2002 | Preston North End | H | 3–2 | 18,637 | Stone, Merson, Taylor |
| 2 November 2002 | Leicester City | H | 0–2 | 19,107 | |
| 6 November 2002 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1–1 | 27,022 | Merson |
| 9 November 2002 | Derby County | A | 2–1 | 26,587 | Todorov, Burchill |
| 16 November 2002 | Stoke City | H | 3–0 | 18,701 | Burchill, Péricard, Todorov |
| 23 November 2002 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 3–1 | 16,602 | Todorov (2), O'Neil |
| 30 November 2002 | Walsall | H | 3–2 | 17,701 | Quashie, Todorov, Taylor |
| 7 December 2002 | Reading | A | 0–0 | 23,462 | |
| 14 December 2002 | Stoke City | A | 1–1 | 13,330 | Crowe |
| 21 December 2002 | Ipswich Town | H | 1–1 | 19,130 | Todorov |
| 26 December 2002 | Crystal Palace | H | 1–1 | 19,217 | Merson |
| 28 December 2002 | Nottingham Forest | A | 2–1 | 28,165 | Taylor, Péricard |
| 1 January 2003 | Watford | A | 2–2 | 15,048 | Burton, Harper |
| 13 January 2003 | Sheffield United | H | 1–2 | 18,872 | O'Neil |
| 18 January 2003 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 1–1 | 6,848 | Todorov |
| 1 February 2003 | Grimsby Town | H | 3–0 | 19,248 | Yakubu, Ford (own goal), Quashie |
| 8 February 2003 | Derby County | H | 6–2 | 19,503 | Merson, Yakubu (2), Taylor, Todorov (2) |
| 17 February 2003 | Leicester City | A | 1–1 | 31,775 | Taylor |
| 22 February 2003 | Gillingham | H | 1–0 | 19,521 | de Zeeuw |
| 1 March 2003 | Millwall | A | 5–0 | 9,697 | Yakubu (2), Sherwood, Todorov, Merson (pen) |
| 4 March 2003 | Wimbledon | A | 1–2 | 10,356 | Merson |
| 12 March 2003 | Norwich City | H | 3–2 | 19,221 | Yakubu, Todorov (2) |
| 15 March 2003 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 1–0 | 19,558 | Stone |
| 19 March 2003 | Coventry City | A | 4–0 | 13,922 | Caldwell (own goal), Stone, Harper, Merson |
| 22 March 2003 | Preston North End | A | 1–1 | 16,665 | Yakubu |
| 5 April 2003 | Walsall | A | 2–1 | 7,899 | Harper, Todorov |
| 12 April 2003 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 1–2 | 19,524 | Bradbury |
| 15 April 2003 | Burnley | H | 1–0 | 19,221 | Todorov |
| 18 April 2003 | Ipswich Town | A | 0–3 | 29,396 | |
| 21 April 2003 | Reading | H | 3–0 | 19,535 | Péricard (2), Todorov |
| 27 April 2003 | Rotherham United | H | 3–2 | 19,420 | Merson (pen), Todorov (2) |
| 4 May 2003 | Bradford City | A | 5–0 | 19,088 | Festa, Todorov (3, 1 pen), Stone |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 4 January 2003 | Manchester United | A | 1–4 | 67,222 | Stone |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 | 10 September 2002 | Peterborough United | H | 2–0 | 8,581 | Quashie, Primus |
| R2 | 1 October 2002 | Wimbledon | H | 1–3 | 11,754 | Péricard |

## First-team squad

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 | TRI | Shaka Hislop |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Jason Crowe |
| 4 | DF | ENG | Eddie Howe |
| 5 | DF | AUS | Hayden Foxe |
| 6 | DF | NED | Arjan de Zeeuw |
| 7 | MF | SCO | Kevin Harper |
| 8 | FW | SCO | Mark Burchill |
| 9 | FW | BUL | Svetoslav Todorov |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Paul Merson |
| 11 | MF | SCO | Nigel Quashie |
| 13 | MF | CIV | Lassina Diabaté |
| 14 | MF | ENG | Matthew Taylor |
| 16 | MF | WAL | Carl Robinson |
| 17 | FW | FRA | Vincent Péricard (on loan from Juventus) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 18 | FW | ENG | Lee Bradbury |
| 19 | MF | ENG | Steve Stone |
| 20 | FW | NGA | Yakubu (on loan from Maccabi Haifa) |
| 21 | DF | ENG | Lewis Buxton |
| 22 | GK | SRB | Saša Ilić |
| 23 | DF | ENG | Carl Tiler |
| 25 | MF | SCO | Richard Hughes |
| 26 | MF | ENG | Gary O'Neil |
| 29 | GK | JPN | Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi |
| 30 | DF | ENG | Linvoy Primus |
| 34 | FW | JAM | Deon Burton |
| 35 | DF | ITA | Gianluca Festa |
| 38 | MF | ENG | Tim Sherwood |

### 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 |
| 19 | FW | ENG | Steve Lovell (to Dundee) |
| 20 | FW | ENG | Rory Allen (released) |
| 22 | MF | ENG | Tom Curtis (to Mansfield Town) |
| 22 | DF | GRE | Efstathios Tavlaridis (on loan from Arsenal) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 24 | DF | ENG | Scott Hiley (to Exeter City) |
| 24 | DF | FIN | Markus Heikkinen (on loan from HJK Helsinki) |
| 38 | DF | SCO | Paul Ritchie (on loan from Manchester City) |

## Reserve squad

    The following players had squad numbers and/or professional contracts but did not make a first-team appearance during the 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 |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Jamie Vincent |
| 15 | MF | ENG | Courtney Pitt |
| 27 | MF | ENG | Neil Barrett |
| 28 | DF | ENG | Shaun Cooper |
| 31 | FW | ENG | Luke Nightingale |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 32 | FW | ENG | Rowan Vine |
| 33 | GK | ENG | Chris Tardif |
| 37 | MF | ENG | Carl Pettefer |
| 39 | MF | ENG | Chris Clark |
| — | DF | ENG | Justin Edinburgh |

## Statistics
### Starting 11

    Considering starts in all competitions
* GK: #1, Shaka Hislop, 49
* RWB: #30, Linvoy Primus, 42
* CB: #4, Hayden Foxe, 31
* CB: #6, Arjan de Zeeuw, 26
* CB: #35, Gianluca Festa, 29
* LWB: #14, Matthew Taylor, 38
* CM: #7, Kevin Harper, 23
* CM: #10, Paul Merson, 47
* CM: #11, Nigel Quashie, 44
* CF: #9, Svetoslav Todorov, 46
* CF: #17, Vincent Péricard, 19 (#19, Steve Stone, also has 19 starts, as a right wing-back)