# 2002–03 AFC Bournemouth season

The 2002–03 AFC Bournemouth season was the club's first season in the English Third Division following relegation the previous year. During the 2002–03 English football season, Bournemouth participated in Division Three, the LDV Vans Trophy, the FA Cup, and the Football League Cup. Bournemouth finished 4th in Division Three and were subsequently promoted via the playoffs. They reached the Fourth Round of the FA Cup, and the Southern Section Semi Final of the LDV Vans Trophy, but were knocked of the League Cup at the first hurdle.

## Season 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 | ENG | Gareth Stewart |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Neil Young |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Stephen Purches |
| 4 | MF | WAL | Marcus Browning |
| 5 | FW | NIR | Warren Feeney |
| 6 | DF | IRL | Shaun Maher |
| 7 | DF | WAL | Carl Fletcher |
| 8 | MF | WAL | Brian Stock |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Chukki Eribenne |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Steve Fletcher |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Wade Elliott |
| 12 | MF | IRL | Garreth O'Connor |
| 13 | GK | Guernsey | Chris Tardif |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 14 | FW | ENG | James Hayter |
| 15 | DF | ENG | Narada Bernard |
| 16 | FW | SCO | Derek Holmes |
| 17 | FW | ENG | Alan Connell |
| 18 | DF | ENG | Jason Tindall |
| 19 | FW | AUS | Scott McDonald (on loan from Southampton) |
| 20 | DF | ENG | Phil Gulliver (on loan from Middlesbrough) |
| 21 | DF | ENG | Karl Broadhurst |
| 22 | MF | ENG | Danny Thomas |
| 25 | GK | ENG | Neil Moss |
| 28 | DF | SCO | Warren Cummings |
| 30 | DF | ENG | John Purches |

### 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 |
| 13 | GK | FRA | Mickaël Ménétrier (Released) |
| 28 | DF | ENG | Liam Ridgewell (on loan from Aston Villa) |
| 19 | FW | ENG | Danny Bloomfield (joined Cambridge City in November 2002) |
| 24 | GK | ENG | Jamie Ashdown (on loan from Reading) |
| 25 | GK | ENG | Alan Blayney (on loan from Southampton) |
| 20 | FW | ENG | Amos Foyewa (joined Woking on 20 March 2003) |
| 26 | DF | ENG | Lewis Buxton (on loan from Portsmouth) |

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 2 | Hartlepool United (P) | 46 | 24 | 13 | 9 | 71 | 51 | +20 | 85 | Promotion to Football League Second Division |
| 3 | Wrexham (P) | 46 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 84 | 50 | +34 | 84 | Promotion to Football League Second Division |
| 4 | Bournemouth (O, P) | 46 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 60 | 48 | +12 | 74 | Qualification for the Third Division play-offs |
| 5 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 68 | 49 | +19 | 72 | Qualification for the Third Division play-offs |
| 6 | Lincoln City | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 46 | 37 | +9 | 70 | Qualification for the Third Division play-offs |

## Competitions
### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Results

| Game | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| 1 | 10 August 2002 | Boston United | York Street | 2–2 | 4,184 | Maher 9' Stock 54' |
| 2 | 13 August 2002 | Kidderminster Harriers | Dean Court | 0–0 | 4,771 | |
| 3 | 17 August 2002 | Cambridge United | Dean Court | 1–1 | 4,315 | Feeney 65' |
| 4 | 24 August 2002 | Swansea City | Vetch Field | 0–2 | 4,325 | |
| 5 | 27 August 2002 | Oxford United | Dean Court | 1–1 | 4,842 | Holmes 42' |
| 6 | 31 August 2002 | Macclesfield Town | Moss Rose | 1–0 | 1,795 | Connell 41' |
| 7 | 7 September 2002 | Exeter City | St James Park | 3–1 | 4,466 | Connell 36' Elliott pen 41' O'Connor 73' |
| 8 | 14 September 2002 | Bury | Dean Court | 1–2 | 4,851 | O'Connor 71' |
| 9 | 17 September 2002 | Rushden & Diamonds | Dean Court | 3–1 | 4,527 | Purches 22' Maher 58' Connell 85' |
| 10 | 21 September 2002 | Darlington | Feethams | 2–2 | 2,950 | Holmes 27' Connell 82' Connell pen 77' Stock 86' |
| 11 | 28 September 2002 | Carlisle United | Dean Court | 3–1 | 5,103 | Tindall 62' |
| 12 | 5 October 2002 | Lincoln City | Sincil Bank | 2–1 | 3,273 | Purches 13' Connell 62' |
| 13 | 13 October 2002 | Hartlepool United | Dean Court | 2–1 | 5,998 | Elliott 61' Widdrington O.G. 85' |
| 14 | 19 October 2002 | Leyton Orient | Brisbane Road | 0–0 | 5,622 | |
| 15 | 26 October 2002 | York City | Dean Court | 1–0 | 5,755 | S. Fletcher 78' |
| 16 | 29 October 2002 | Torquay United | Plainmoor | 0–4 | 3,543 | |
| 17 | 2 November 2002 | Bristol Rovers | Dean Court | 1–0 | 6,924 | S. Fletcher 16' |
| 18 | 9 November 2002 | Wrexham | Racecourse Ground | 2–3 | 3,105 | Danny Thomas 30' Hayter 54' |
| 19 | 23 November 2002 | Southend United | Roots Hall | 1–0 | 4,221 | O'Connor pen 71' |
| 20 | 30 November 2002 | Scunthorpe United | Dean Court | 2–1 | 6,527 | Broadhurst 59'Hayter 66' |
| 21 | 14 December 2002 | Shrewsbury Town | Gay Meadow | 0–0 | 2,869 | |
| 22 | 21 December 2002 | Hull City | Dean Court | 0–0 | 6,098 | |
| 23 | 26 December 2002 | Oxford United | Kassam Stadium | 0–3 | 8,349 | |
| 24 | 28 December 2002 | Rochdale | Dean Court | 3–3 | 6,240 | Browning 6' S. Fletcher 45' O'Connor pen 87' |
| 25 | 18 January 2003 | Macclesfield Town | Dean Court | 2–2 | 5,840 | Elliott 68' Hayter 73' |
| 26 | 1 February 2003 | Boston United | Dean Court | 2–1 | 5,180 | Feeney 90' Redfearn O.G. 90' |
| 27 | 4 February 2003 | Kidderminster Harriers | Aggborough | 0–1 | 2,157 | |
| 28 | 8 February 2003 | Wrexham | Dean Court | 2–0 | 5,445 | Feeney 52' 55' |
| 29 | 11 February 2003 | Swansea City | Dean Court | 3–0 | 5,511 | Hayter 45'O'Connor pen 89' pen 90' |
| 30 | 15 February 2003 | Bristol Rovers | Memorial Stadium | 0–0 | 6,347 | |
| 31 | 22 February 2003 | Exeter City | Dean Court | 2–0 | 6,674 | Holmes 36'O'Connor 80' |
| 32 | 1 March 2003 | Bury | Gigg Lane | 1–2 | 2,914 | Feeney 12' |
| 33 | 4 March 2003 | Rushden & Diamonds | Nene Park | 1–2 | 4,353 | Feeney 43' |
| 34 | 8 March 2003 | Darlington | Dean Court | 2–0 | 5,758 | O'Connor 28'Hayter 67' |
| 35 | 11 March 2003 | Rochdale | Spotland | 1–1 | 1,958 | C. Fletcher 31' |
| 36 | 15 March 2003 | York City | Bootham Crescent | 0–1 | 3,642 | |
| 37 | 18 March 2003 | Leyton Orient | Dean Court | 3–1 | 5,078 | Jones O.G. 9' Joseph O.G. 17' Feeney 60' |
| 38 | 22 March 2003 | Torquay United | Dean Court | 1–1 | 7,181 | Clist O.G. '90 |
| 39 | 22 March 2003 | Cambridge United | Abbey Stadium | 1–2 | 2,885 | S. Fletcher 42' |
| 40 | 29 March 2003 | Hartlepool United | Victoria Park | 0–0 | 5,625 | |
| 41 | 5 April 2003 | Scunthorpe United | Glanford Park | 2–0 | 4,488 | Hayter '49 Danny Thomas 77' |
| 42 | 12 April 2003 | Southend United | Dean Court | 1–0 | 6,767 | Purches 9' |
| 43 | 19 April 2003 | Hull City | KC Stadium | 1–3 | 15,816 | S. Fletcher 5' |
| 44 | 21 April 2003 | Shrewsbury Town | Dean Court | 2–1 | 7,102 | McDonald 22' Elliott 45' |
| 45 | 26 April 2003 | Lincoln City | Dean Court | 0–1 | 7,578 | |
| 46 | 3 May 2003 | Carlisle United | Brunton Park | 2–0 | 7,402 | Hayter 86' 90' |

### Third Division Playoffs

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| Semi Final Leg 1 | 10 May 2003 | Bury | Gigg Lane | 0–0 | 5,782 | |
| Semi Final Leg 2 | 13 May 2003 | Bury | Dean Court | 3–1 | 7,945 | O'Connor 21' Hayter 38' 60' |
| Final | 24 May 2003 | Lincoln City | Millennium Stadium | 5–2 | 32,148 | S. Fletcher 29' C. Fletcher 45' 77' Purches 56' O'Connor 60' |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers | Other |
| 1 | 10 September 2002 | Brentford | Dean Court | 3–3 | 3,302 | Thomas 3' 40'Connell 15' | A.E.T – Brentford won 4–2 on penalties |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers | Other |
| 1 | 16 November 2002 | Doncaster Rovers | Dean Court | 2–1 | 5,371 | Thomas 38' Elliott 73' |
| 2 | 7 December 2002 | Southend United | Roots Hall | 1–1 | 5,721 | Broadhurst 41' |
| 2R | 17 December 2002 | Southend United | Dean Court | 3–2 | 5,456 | S. Fletcher 39' Holmes 80' Browning '89 |
| 3 | 4 January 2003 | Crewe Alexandra | Dean Court | 0–0 | 7,252 | |
| 3R | 14 January 2003 | Crewe Alexandra | Gresty Road | 2–2 | 4,540 | Hayter 38'S. Fletcher '98 | Bournemouth won 3–1 on penalties |
| 4 | 26 January 2003 | Stoke City | Britannia Stadium | 0–3 | 12,004 | |

### Football League Trophy

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers | Other |
| 1 | 22 October 2002 | Oxford United | Kassam Stadium | 3–2 | 4,663 | S. Fletcher '24 Hayter 34' Purches 38' |
| 2 | 12 November 2002 | Leyton Orient | Dean Court | 1–0 | 2,724 | Feeney '90 |
| SQF | 10 December 2002 | Cardiff City | Dean Court | 2–1 | 3,615 | Elliott '79 Hayter 114' | Bournemouth won via Golden Goal |
| SSF | 21 January 2003 | Bristol City | Dean Court | 1–3 | 5,125 | C. Fletcher 31' |