# 2002–03 Brentford F.C. season

During the 2002–03 English football season, Brentford competed in Football League Second Division. Despite an unbeaten start and topping the table, the club won just four of the final 21 matches of the season and slumped to a 16th-place finish.

## Season summary

After defeat in the 2002 Second Division play-off final, the nucleus of the Brentford starting XI was broken up, with high earners Ívar Ingimarsson, Lloyd Owusu and captain Paul Evans released. Manager Steve Coppell resigned in June 2002 and was replaced by his assistant, Wally Downes. The squad was reinforced with free transfer and non-contract players. The loss of forwards Lloyd Owusu and the return of loanee Ben Burgess to Blackburn Rovers led to the loan signing of youngster Rowan Vine from Portsmouth and a chance for Mark McCammon as a first-choice. A number of youth products were also promoted to the first team squad.
Throughout the season, a need to balance the books in the wake of the ITV Digital collapse saw no transfer fees paid out and a reduction of the wage bill. The cash crisis heightened in the week leading up to the beginning of the season, when a deadline of 7 August 2002 was set, on which Griffin Park would be sold to developers Wimpey or if the deal fell through, Brentford would be entered into administration. The deal hit a stumbling block, but administration was staved off by the £400,000 sale of central defender Darren Powell on the eve of the season. The financial state of affairs left Brentford £4 million in debt and led Managing Director Gary Hargreaves to state that the club would "have to sell the freehold of Griffin Park without any guarantee of a return to the borough in the near future". In September 2002, Richard Thompson's £7 million bid to buy the club was turned down by supporters' trust Bees United.
Despite the turmoil, rookie manager Downes had a dream start, going unbeaten for the first seven league matches of the season, topping the table and winning the Manager of the Month award. The rot set in mid-September, with the Bees losing five of six matches, which included heavy successive defeats to Peterborough United in the league and Middlesbrough in the League Cup. The team began to recover in mid-October, losing just four of the following 17 matches, including two wins in the Football League Trophy and three in the FA Cup, with First Division Derby County being beaten at Griffin Park in the FA Cup third round on 4 January 2003.
Brentford limped through the remainder of the season, winning just four and losing 13 of the remaining 24 matches of the season. The goalscoring problem was compounded by the release of Mark McCammon on deadline day in March. Absences due to injuries and international call-ups also mounted, with Martin Rowlands, Leo Roget, Jay Smith, Stephen Evans, Jamie Fullarton and Eddie Hutchinson all spending time on the treatment table. Also in March, Ron Noades resigned as chairman and director, citing that "the death of the transfer market has prevented us from covering our trading losses incurred at Griffin Park" and revealing that the wage bill would be slashed from £706,000 for the 2002–03 season to £476,000 for 2003–04. Eddie Rogers was appointed as chairman in April 2003. Brentford finished the season in 16th place.

## League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 14 | Stockport County | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 65 | 70 | −5 | 55 |
| 15 | Notts County | 46 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 62 | 70 | −8 | 55 |
| 16 | Brentford | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 47 | 56 | −9 | 54 |
| 17 | Port Vale | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 54 | 70 | −16 | 53 |
| 18 | Wycombe Wanderers | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 59 | 66 | −7 | 52 |

## Results

    Brentford's goal tally listed first.

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Pre-season

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| 13 July 2002 | Aldershot Town | N | 0–1 | n/a | |
| 14 July 2002 | Darlington | N | 0–1 | n/a | |
| 16 July 2002 | Watford | H | 1–0 | 1,595 | Somner |
| 20 July 2002 | Maidenhead United | A | 2–0 | n/a | Hutchinson, Peters |
| 23 July 2002 | Crawley Town | A | 6–0 | 604 | Constantine (3, 1 pen), Dobson, O'Connor (pen), McCammon |
| 30 July 2002 | Molesey | A | 2–5 | n/a | Diallo, Itonga |
| 31 July 2002 | Ipswich Town | H | 0–3 | 1,683 | |
| 3 August 2002 | Millwall | A | 1–2 | n/a | Hunt |

### Football League Second Division

| No. | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| 1 | 10 August 2002 | Huddersfield Town | A | 2–0 | 9,635 | Fullarton, Vine |
| 2 | 13 August 2002 | Bristol City | H | 1–0 | 7,130 | Hunt (pen) |
| 3 | 17 August 2002 | Oldham Athletic | H | 0–0 | 5,356 | |
| 4 | 24 August 2002 | Colchester United | A | 1–0 | 3,135 | Hunt (pen) |
| 5 | 26 August 2002 | Swindon Town | H | 3–1 | 6,299 | Vine (2), McCammon |
| 6 | 31 August 2002 | Notts County | A | 2–2 | 5,551 | McCammon, Williams |
| 7 | 7 September 2002 | Luton Town | H | 0–0 | 7,145 | |
| 8 | 14 September 2002 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 1–3 | 6,626 | O'Connor |
| 9 | 17 September 2002 | Cardiff City | A | 2–0 | 12,032 | |
| 10 | 21 September 2002 | Wycombe Wanderers | H | 1–0 | 6,172 | Hunt (pen) |
| 11 | 28 September 2002 | Peterborough United | A | 1–5 | 5,066 | Vine |
| 12 | 5 October 2002 | Barnsley | H | 1–2 | 5,394 | McCammon |
| 13 | 12 October 2002 | Northampton Town | A | 2–1 | 5,739 | Sonko, Vine |
| 14 | 19 October 2002 | Port Vale | H | 1–1 | 5,177 | Hunt (pen) |
| 15 | 26 October 2002 | Stockport County | A | 3–2 | 4,601 | McCammon (2), Marshall |
| 16 | 29 October 2002 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 0–0 | 6,431 | |
| 17 | 2 November 2002 | Blackpool | H | 5–0 | 5,888 | Vine, Evans (2), Sonko (2) |
| 18 | 9 November 2002 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 1–2 | 5,663 | Sonko |
| 19 | 23 November 2002 | Wigan Athletic | H | 0–1 | 5,454 | |
| 20 | 30 November 2002 | Cheltenham Town | A | 0–1 | 5,013 | |
| 21 | 14 December 2002 | Chesterfield | H | 2–1 | 5,151 | Hunt, Vine |
| 22 | 21 December 2002 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 1–1 | 15,559 | O'Connor |
| 23 | 26 December 2002 | Swindon Town | A | 1–2 | 6,045 | Vine |
| 24 | 28 December 2004 | Mansfield Town | H | 1–0 | 5,844 | O'Connor |
| 25 | 14 January 2003 | Oldham Athletic | A | 1–2 | 5,039 | O'Connor |
| 26 | 18 January 2003 | Notts County | H | 1–1 | 5,112 | Vine |
| 27 | 4 February 2003 | Mansfield Town | A | 0–0 | 3,735 | |
| 28 | 8 February 2003 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 1–2 | 5,424 | Hunt |
| 29 | 11 February 2003 | Bristol City | A | 0–0 | 9,084 | |
| 30 | 15 February 2003 | Blackpool | A | 0–1 | 6,203 | |
| 31 | 22 February 2003 | Luton Town | A | 1–0 | 6,940 | Vine |
| 32 | 25 February 2003 | Huddersfield Town | H | 1–0 | 4,366 | McCammon |
| 33 | 1 March 2003 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 1–2 | 5,396 | Sonko |
| 34 | 4 March 2003 | Cardiff City | H | 0–2 | 5,727 | |
| 35 | 8 March 2003 | Wycombe Wanderers | A | 0–4 | 5,930 | |
| 36 | 11 March 2003 | Colchester United | H | 1–1 | 3,990 | McCammon |
| 37 | 15 March 2003 | Stockport County | H | 1–2 | 4,790 | Antoine-Curier |
| 38 | 18 March 2003 | Port Vale | A | 0–1 | 3,241 | |
| 39 | 22 March 2003 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 0–3 | 6,835 | |
| 40 | 29 March 2003 | Northampton Town | H | 3–0 | 5,354 | Somner, Rowlands, Hunt |
| 41 | 5 April 2003 | Cheltenham Town | H | 2–2 | 5,011 | Dobson, O'Connor |
| 42 | 12 April 2003 | Wigan Athletic | A | 0–2 | 7,204 | |
| 43 | 19 April 2003 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 1–2 | 9,168 | Peters |
| 44 | 21 April 2003 | Chesterfield | A | 2–0 | 3,296 | Antoine-Curier (2) |
| 45 | 26 April 2003 | Barnsley | A | 0–1 | 9,065 | |
| 46 | 3 May 2003 | Peterborough United | H | 1–1 | 6,687 | Evans |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| R1 | 16 November 2002 | Wycombe Wanderers | A | 4–2 | 5,673 | O'Connor, Somner, Vine (2) |
| R2 | 7 December 2002 | York City | A | 2–1 | 3,517 | McCammon, Hunt |
| R3 | 4 January 2003 | Derby County | H | 1–0 | 8,709 | Hunt |
| R4 | 25 January 2003 | Burnley | H | 0–3 | 9,563 | |

### Football League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| R1 | 10 September 2002 | Bournemouth | A | 3–3 (a.e.t.), won 4–2 on pens) | 3,302 | O'Connor (2 pens), Vine |
| R2 | 1 October 2002 | Middlesbrough | H | 1–4 | 7,558 | Sonko |

### Football League Trophy

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| SR2 | 12 November 2002 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 1–0 | 3,565 | Hunt |
| SQF | 10 December 2002 | Kidderminster Harriers | H | 2–1 | 1,541 | Marshall, O'Connor |
| SSF | 21 January 2003 | Cambridge United | H | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | 2,878 | McCammon |
* Sources: Soccerbase, 11v11

## Playing squad

    Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 2002–03 season.
| No | Position | Name | Date of birth (age) | Signed from | Signed in | Notes |
| Goalkeepers ||||||||
| 13 | GK | Paul Smith | (1979-12-17)17 December 1979 (aged 22) | Carshalton Athletic | 2000 | |
| 22 | GK | Alan Julian | (1983-03-11)11 March 1983 (aged 19) | Youth | 2001 | |
| 33 | GK | Barry Marchena | (1984-10-02)2 October 1984 (aged 17) | Youth | 2002 | |
| Defenders ||||||||
| 2 | DF | Michael Dobson (c) | (1981-04-09)9 April 1981 (aged 21) | Youth | 1999 | |
| 6 | DF | Scott Marshall | (1973-05-01)1 May 1973 (aged 29) | Southampton | 1999 | |
| 14 | DF | Matt Somner | (1982-12-08)8 December 1982 (aged 19) | Youth | 2001 | |
| 15 | DF | Jay Lovett | (1978-01-22)22 January 1978 (aged 24) | Crawley Town | 2000 | Loaned to Hereford United and Gravesend & Northfleet |
| 16 | DF | Lee Fieldwick | (1982-01-01)1 January 1982 (aged 20) | Youth | 2000 | |
| 21 | DF | Danny Allen-Page | (1983-10-30)30 October 1983 (aged 18) | Youth | 2002 | |
| 29 | DF | Leo Roget | (1977-08-01)1 August 1977 (aged 25) | Stockport County | 2002 | |
| 30 | DF | Andy Frampton | (1979-09-03)3 September 1979 (aged 22) | Crystal Palace | 2002 | |
| 31 | DF | Ibrahima Sonko | (1981-01-22)22 January 1981 (aged 21) | Grenoble Foot 38 | 2002 | |
| Midfielders ||||||||
| 4 | MF | Jay Smith | (1981-12-29)29 December 1981 (aged 20) | Youth | 2001 | |
| 7 | MF | Stephen Evans | (1980-09-25)25 September 1980 (aged 21) | Crystal Palace | 2002 | |
| 8 | MF | Mark Williams | (1981-10-19)19 October 1981 (aged 20) | Youth | 2000 | |
| 9 | MF | Kevin O'Connor | (1982-02-24)24 February 1982 (aged 20) | Youth | 2000 | |
| 10 | MF | Stephen Hunt | (1981-08-01)1 August 1981 (aged 21) | Crystal Palace | 2001 | |
| 11 | MF | Martin Rowlands | (1979-02-08)8 February 1979 (aged 23) | Farnborough Town | 1998 | |
| 12 | MF | Jay Tabb | (1984-02-21)21 February 1984 (aged 18) | Crystal Palace | 2000 | Loaned to Crawley Town |
| 18 | MF | Eddie Hutchinson | (1982-02-12)12 February 1982 (aged 20) | Sutton United | 2000 | |
| 20 | MF | Rizwan Rehman | (1982-11-19)19 November 1982 (aged 19) | Youth | 2002 | |
| 25 | MF | Stephen Hughes | (1984-01-26)26 January 1984 (aged 18) | Youth | 2002 | |
| 28 | MF | Jamie Fullarton | (1974-07-20)20 July 1974 (aged 28) | Dundee United | 2002 | |
| Forwards ||||||||
| 19 | FW | Mark Peters | (1983-10-04)4 October 1983 (aged 18) | Southampton | 2002 | |
| 23 | FW | Lloyd Blackman | (1983-09-24)24 September 1983 (aged 18) | Youth | 2002 | |
| 24 | FW | Bobby Traynor | (1983-11-01)1 November 1983 (aged 18) | Youth | 2003 | |
| 26 | FW | Leon Constantine | (1978-02-24)24 February 1978 (aged 24) | Millwall | 2002 | |
| 27 | FW | Rowan Vine | (1982-09-21)21 September 1982 (aged 19) | Portsmouth | 2002 | On loan from Portsmouth |
| 34 | FW | Mickaël Antoine-Curier | (1983-03-05)5 March 1983 (aged 19) | Nottingham Forest | 2003 | On loan from Nottingham Forest |
| Players who left the club mid-season ||||||||
| 1 | GK | Ólafur Gottskálksson | (1968-03-12)12 March 1968 (aged 34) | Hibernian | 2000 | Retired |
| 3 | DF | Ijah Anderson | (1975-12-30)30 December 1975 (aged 26) | Southend United | 1995 | Loaned to Wycombe Wanderers and Bristol Rovers Transferred to Bristol Rovers |
| 17 | FW | Mark McCammon | (1978-08-07)7 August 1978 (aged 24) | Charlton Athletic | 2000 | Transferred to Millwall |
| 32 | DF | Ben Chorley | (1982-09-30)30 September 1982 (aged 19) | Arsenal | 2002 | Returned to Arsenal after loan |
* Source: Soccerbase

## Coaching staff

| Name | Role |
| Wally Downes | Manager |
| Garry Thompson | Assistant Manager |
| Jim Stannard | First Team Coach |
| Roberto Forzoni | Coach |
| Phil McLoughlin | Physiotherapist |
| Colin Martin | Medical Officer |
| John Griffin | Chief Scout |

## Statistics
### Appearances and goals

    Substitute appearances in brackets.
| No | Pos | Nat | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | FL Trophy | FL Trophy | Total | Total |
| No | Pos | Nat | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 2 | DF | | Michael Dobson | 45 (1) | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 53 (1) | 0 |
| 3 | DF | | Ijah Anderson | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | | Jay Smith | 24 (2) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (1) | 0 | 28 (3) | 0 |
| 6 | DF | | Scott Marshall | 23 (2) | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 31 (2) | 2 |
| 7 | MF | | Stephen Evans | 20 (3) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 (4) | 3 |
| 8 | MF | | Mark Williams | 4 (18) | 1 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 (20) | 1 |
| 9 | MF | | Kevin O'Connor | 45 (1) | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 53 (1) | 9 |
| 10 | MF | | Stephen Hunt | 42 (1) | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 (1) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 49 (2) | 10 |
| 11 | MF | | Martin Rowlands | 13 (5) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 17 (5) | 1 |
| 12 | MF | | Jay Tabb | 1 (4) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 2 (6) | 0 |
| 14 | DF | | Matt Somner | 40 (1) | 1 | 1 (2) | 1 | 0 (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 (4) | 2 |
| 15 | DF | | Jay Lovett | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | DF | | Lee Fieldwick | 6 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 (1) | 0 |
| 17 | FW | | Mark McCammon | 31 (5) | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 36 (5) | 9 |
| 18 | MF | | Eddie Hutchinson | 21 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 23 (3) | 0 |
| 19 | FW | | Mark Peters | 3 (8) | 1 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (9) | 1 |
| 22 | GK | | Alan Julian | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 23 | FW | | Lloyd Blackman | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 24 | FW | | Bobby Traynor | 0 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 (3) | 0 |
| 25 | MF | | Stephen Hughes | 2 (1) | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 3 (3) | 0 |
| 26 | FW | | Leon Constantine | 2 (15) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (16) | 0 |
| 28 | MF | | Jamie Fullarton | 23 (5) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 28 (5) | 1 |
| 29 | DF | | Leo Roget | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| 30 | DF | | Andy Frampton | 9 (6) | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | 15 (6) | 0 |
| 31 | DF | | Ibrahima Sonko | 38 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 6 |
| | Players loaned in during the season | Players loaned in during the season | Players loaned in during the season | Players loaned in during the season | Players loaned in during the season | Players loaned in during the season | Players loaned in during the season | Players loaned in during the season | Players loaned in during the season | Players loaned in during the season | Players loaned in during the season | Players loaned in during the season | Players loaned in during the season |
| 27 | FW | | Rowan Vine | 38 (5) | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 (1) | 1 | 3 | 0 | 45 (6) | 13 |
| 32 | DF | | Ben Chorley | 2 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 |
| 34 | FW | | Mickaël Antoine-Curier | 11 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 3 |
* Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
* Source: Soccerbase

### Goalscorers

| No | Pos | Nat | Player | FL2 | FAC | FLC | FLT | Total |
| 27 | FW | | Rowan Vine | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 13 |
| 10 | MF | | Stephen Hunt | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 17 | FW | | Mark McCammon | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| 9 | MF | | Kevin O'Connor | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
| 31 | DF | | Ibrahima Sonko | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 34 | FW | | Mickaël Antoine-Curier | 3 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 7 | MF | | Stephen Evans | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | MF | | Scott Marshall | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 14 | DF | | Matt Somner | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | DF | | Michael Dobson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 28 | MF | | Jamie Fullarton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 19 | FW | | Mark Peters | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | MF | | Martin Rowlands | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | MF | | Mark Williams | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 47 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 62 |
* Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
* Source: Soccerbase

### Discipline

| No | Pos | Nat | Player | FL2 | FL2 | FAC | FAC | FLC | FLC | FLT | FLT | Total | Total | Pts |
| 27 | FW | | Rowan Vine | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 13 |
| 28 | MF | | Jamie Fullarton | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 12 |
| 7 | MF | | Stephen Evans | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 29 | DF | | Leo Roget | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 31 | DF | | Ibrahima Sonko | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 30 | DF | | Andy Frampton | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 6 | MF | | Scott Marshall | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 11 | MF | | Martin Rowlands | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 10 | MF | | Stephen Hunt | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 17 | FW | | Mark McCammon | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | MF | | Jay Smith | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 19 | FW | | Mark Peters | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 18 | MF | | Eddie Hutchinson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 14 | DF | | Matt Somner | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | MF | | Kevin O'Connor | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 34 | FW | | Mickaël Antoine-Curier | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | MF | | Jay Tabb | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | DF | | Michael Dobson | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 51 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 62 | 8 | 86 |
* Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
* Source: ESPN FC

### Management

| Name | Nat | From | To | Record All Comps | Record All Comps | Record All Comps | Record All Comps | Record All Comps | Record League | Record League | Record League | Record League | Record League |
| Name | Nat | From | To | P | W | D | L | W % | P | W | D | L | W % |
| Wally Downes | | 10 August 2002 | 3 May 2003 | 55 | 19 | 13 | 23 | 034.55| | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 030.43 |

### Summary

| Games played | 55 (46 Second Division, 4 FA Cup, 2 League Cup, 3 Football League Trophy) |
| Games won | 19 (14 Second Division, 3 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 2 Football League Trophy) |
| Games drawn | 13 (12 Second Division, 0 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 0 Football League Trophy) |
| Games lost | 23 (20 Second Division, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 1 Football League Trophy) |
| Goals scored | 62 (47 Second Division, 7 FA Cup, 4 League Cup, 4 Football League Trophy) |
| Goals conceded | 72 (56 Second Division, 6 FA Cup, 7 League Cup, 3 Football League Trophy) |
| Clean sheets | 17 (15 Second Division, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 1 Football League Trophy) |
| Biggest league win | 5–0 versus Blackpool, 2 November 2002 |
| Worst league defeat | 4–0 versus Wycombe Wanderers, 8 March 2003; 5–1 versus Peterborough United, 28 September 2002 |
| Most appearances | 54, Michael Dobson & Kevin O'Connor (each 46 Second Division, 4 FA Cup, 2 League Cup, 2 Football League Trophy) |
| Top scorer (league) | 10, Rowan Vine |
| Top scorer (all competitions) | 13, Rowan Vine |

## Transfers & loans

Players transferred in :
| Date | Pos. | Name | Previous Club | Fee | Ref. |
| 9 August 2002 | FW | Leon Constantine | Millwall | Free | |
| 9 August 2002 | DF | Jamie Fullarton | Dundee United | Non-contract | |
| 9 August 2002 | DF | Leo Roget | Stockport County | Non-contract | |
| 9 August 2002 | DF | Ibrahima Sonko | Grenoble Foot 38 | Non-contract | |
| 28 October 2002 | DF | Andy Frampton | Crystal Palace | Free | |
| 27 March 2003 | FW | Efan Ekoku | Sheffield Wednesday | Non-contract | |
| Players loaned in ||||||
| Date from | Pos. | Name | From | Date to | Ref. |
| 8 August 2002 | FW | Rowan Vine | Portsmouth | End of season | |
| 14 August 2002 | DF | Ben Chorley | Arsenal | 4 October 2002 | |
| 10 March 2003 | FW | Mickaël Antoine-Curier | Nottingham Forest | End of season | |
| Players transferred out ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Fee | Ref. |
| 9 August 2002 | DF | Darren Powell | Crystal Palace | £400,000 | |
| 17 February 2003 | DF | Ijah Anderson | Bristol Rovers | Free | |
| 27 March 2003 | MF | Mark McCammon | Millwall | Free | |
| Players loaned out ||||||
| Date from | Pos. | Name | To | Date to | Ref. |
| 27 November 2002 | DF | Ijah Anderson | Wycombe Wanderers | 3 January 2003 | |
| 16 January 2003 | DF | Jay Lovett | Hereford United | 17 March 2003 | |
| 8 February 2003 | DF | Ijah Anderson | Bristol Rovers | 16 February 2003 | |
| 11 February 2003 | MF | Jay Tabb | Crawley Town | End of season | |
| 20 March 2003 | MF | Jay Lovett | Gravesend & Northfleet | 26 April 2003 | |
| Players released ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Join date | Ref. |
| 15 November 2002 | GK | Ólafur Gottskálksson | Grindavík | November 2002 | |
| 30 June 2003 | FW | Leon Constantine | Southend United | 21 August 2003 | |
| 30 June 2003 | FW | Efan Ekoku | Dublin City | August 2004 | |
| 30 June 2003 | DF | Jamie Fullarton | Southend United | 22 July 2003 | |
| 30 June 2003 | DF | Jay Lovett | Farnborough Town | 1 July 2003 | |
| 30 June 2003 | DF | Scott Marshall | Wycombe Wanderers | 26 November 2003 | |
| 30 June 2003 | MF | Rizwan Rehman | Molesey | 1 July 2003 | |
| 30 June 2003 | MF | Martin Rowlands | Queens Park Rangers | 31 July 2003 | |
| 30 June 2003 | MF | Mark Williams | Barnet | 1 July 2003 | |

## Kit

Supplier: TFG Sponsor(s): GMB
| Home | Away |
Source: Brentford F.C.

## Awards

* Supporters' Player of the Year: Paul Smith
* Football League Second Division Manager of the Month: Wally Downes (August 2002)