# 2002–03 Sheffield Wednesday F.C. season

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

## Season summary

After the Owls made a terrible start to the 2002–03 season, manager Terry Yorath resigned in October and Hartlepool manager Chris Turner - a former Owls goalkeeper - was appointed as his replacement. Turner made a big effort to rejuvenate the side and there were some impressive results during the final weeks of the season, but a failure to beat Brighton in the penultimate game of the season condemned them to relegation.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 20 | Coventry City | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 46 | 62 | −16 | 50 | |
| 21 | Stoke City | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 45 | 69 | −24 | 50 | |
| 22 | Sheffield Wednesday (R) | 46 | 10 | 16 | 20 | 56 | 73 | −17 | 46 | Relegation to 2003–04 Second Division |
| 23 | Brighton & Hove Albion (R) | 46 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 49 | 67 | −18 | 45 | Relegation to 2003–04 Second Division |
| 24 | Grimsby Town (R) | 46 | 9 | 12 | 25 | 48 | 85 | −37 | 39 | Relegation to 2003–04 Second Division |

## Results

Sheffield Wednesday's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 10 August 2002 | Stoke City | H | 0–0 | 26,746 | |
| 13 August 2002 | Reading | A | 1–2 | 13,638 | Sibon |
| 17 August 2002 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–4 | 21,129 | |
| 24 August 2002 | Rotherham United | H | 1–2 | 22,873 | Armstrong |
| 27 August 2002 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 2–2 | 27,096 | Kuqi (2) |
| 1 September 2002 | Sheffield United | H | 2–0 | 27,075 | Owusu, Kuqi |
| 14 September 2002 | Preston North End | A | 2–2 | 13,632 | Kuqi, McLaren |
| 18 September 2002 | Coventry City | A | 1–1 | 14,178 | Knight |
| 21 September 2002 | Leicester City | H | 0–0 | 22,219 | |
| 25 September 2002 | Crystal Palace | H | 0–0 | 16,112 | |
| 28 September 2002 | Walsall | A | 0–1 | 6,792 | |
| 5 October 2002 | Burnley | H | 1–3 | 17,004 | Donnelly |
| 12 October 2002 | Ipswich Town | A | 1–2 | 23,410 | Donnelly |
| 19 October 2002 | Bradford City | H | 2–1 | 17,191 | Sibon (2, 1 pen) |
| 26 October 2002 | Watford | A | 0–1 | 15,058 | |
| 30 October 2002 | Millwall | H | 0–1 | 16,791 | |
| 2 November 2002 | Derby County | H | 1–3 | 19,747 | Hamshaw |
| 9 November 2002 | Norwich City | A | 0–3 | 20,667 | |
| 16 November 2002 | Gillingham | A | 1–1 | 8,028 | Knight |
| 23 November 2002 | Portsmouth | H | 1–3 | 16,602 | Knight |
| 30 November 2002 | Wimbledon | A | 0–3 | 2,131 | |
| 7 December 2002 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 1–1 | 18,008 | Kuqi |
| 14 December 2002 | Gillingham | H | 0–2 | 17,715 | |
| 21 December 2002 | Grimsby Town | A | 0–2 | 8,224 | |
| 26 December 2002 | Nottingham Forest | H | 2–0 | 26,362 | Sibon, Johnston |
| 28 December 2002 | Stoke City | A | 2–3 | 16,042 | Sibon, Proudlock |
| 1 January 2003 | Rotherham United | A | 2–0 | 11,480 | Kuqi, Proudlock |
| 11 January 2003 | Reading | H | 3–2 | 17,715 | Quinn, Sibon, Johnston |
| 17 January 2003 | Sheffield United | A | 1–3 | 28,179 | Quinn |
| 1 February 2003 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 0–4 | 21,381 | |
| 8 February 2003 | Norwich City | H | 2–2 | 19,114 | Robinson, Quinn |
| 15 February 2003 | Derby County | A | 2–2 | 26,311 | Barton (own goal), Crane |
| 22 February 2003 | Crystal Palace | A | 0–0 | 16,707 | |
| 1 March 2003 | Preston North End | H | 0–1 | 18,912 | |
| 5 March 2003 | Coventry City | H | 5–1 | 19,536 | Reddy, Kuqi (2), McLaren, Bradbury |
| 8 March 2003 | Leicester City | A | 1–1 | 27,463 | McLaren |
| 15 March 2003 | Ipswich Town | H | 0–1 | 24,726 | |
| 18 March 2003 | Bradford City | A | 1–1 | 14,452 | Crane |
| 22 March 2003 | Millwall | A | 0–3 | 7,338 | |
| 29 March 2003 | Watford | H | 2–2 | 17,086 | Bradbury (pen), Maddix |
| 5 April 2003 | Wimbledon | H | 4–2 | 17,649 | Reddy, Owusu (2), Bradbury |
| 12 April 2003 | Portsmouth | A | 2–1 | 19,524 | Westwood, Reddy |
| 19 April 2003 | Grimsby Town | H | 0–0 | 26,082 | |
| 21 April 2003 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 1–1 | 6,928 | Holt |
| 26 April 2003 | Burnley | A | 7–2 | 17,435 | McLaren, Westwood, Wood, R Evans, Haslam, Gnohéré (own goal), Quinn |
| 4 May 2003 | Walsall | H | 2–1 | 20,864 | Owusu, Quinn |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 7 January 2003 | Gillingham | A | 1–4 | 6,434 | Sibon |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 | 11 September 2002 | Rochdale | H | 1–0 | 8,815 | Sibon |
| R2 | 2 October 2002 | Leicester City | H | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | 10,472 | Sibon |

## 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 | Kevin Pressman |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Jon Beswetherick |
| 4 | MF | ENG | Paul McLaren |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Leigh Bromby |
| 6 | MF | NOR | Trond Egil Soltvedt |
| 7 | MF | IRL | Alan Quinn |
| 9 | FW | FIN | Shefki Kuqi |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Lloyd Owusu |
| 11 | FW | ENG | Leon Knight (on loan from Chelsea) |
| 12 | DF | ENG | Steve Haslam |
| 13 | GK | ENG | Chris Stringer |
| 14 | DF | ENG | Craig Armstrong |
| 15 | DF | ENG | David Burrows |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Matt Hamshaw |
| 18 | MF | SCO | Simon Donnelly |
| 19 | DF | WAL | Ryan Green |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 20 | MF | ENG | Tony Crane |
| 21 | DF | ENG | Ashley Westwood |
| 22 | DF | IRL | Derek Geary |
| 23 | GK | RSA | Paul Evans |
| 24 | MF | SCO | Phil O'Donnell |
| 25 | DF | ENG | Danny Maddix |
| 26 | FW | ITA | Michele Di Piedi |
| 28 | FW | ENG | Grant Holt |
| 32 | FW | ENG | Jon Shaw |
| 33 | DF | ENG | Richard Wood |
| 34 | MF | ENG | Matt Shaw |
| 35 | MF | JAM | Darryl Powell |
| 37 | FW | IRL | Michael Reddy (on loan from Sunderland) |
| 38 | MF | IRL | Brian Barry-Murphy |
| 39 | DF | ENG | Dean Smith |
| 40 | MF | WAL | Richard Evans |

### 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 |
| 28 | FW | NGA | Efan Ekoku (to Brentford) |
| 28 | FW | ENG | Adam Proudlock (on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers) |
| 8 | FW | NED | Gerald Sibon (to SC Heerenveen) |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Ian Hendon (to Peterborough United) |
| 36 | MF | WAL | Carl Robinson (on loan from Portsmouth) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 17 | FW | NIR | Owen Morrison (to Sheffield United) |
| 27 | DF | ENG | Garry Monk (on loan from Southampton) |
| 30 | FW | ENG | Lee Bradbury (on loan from Portsmouth) |
| 29 | MF | SCO | Allan Johnston (on loan from Middlesbrough) |