# 2002–03 Burnley F.C. season

The 2002–03 season was Burnley's 3rd season in the second tier of English football. They were managed by Stan Ternent in his fifth full season since he replaced Chris Waddle at the beginning 1998–99 campaign.

## Season summary

Four straight losses at the beginning of the season saw Burnley bottom of the First Division, before a ten-match unbeaten run lifted the Clarets to the brink of the play-off places. However, that would be as good as it got for the Lancashire club, who spent most of the season hovering in mid-table. A poor finish to the season - 10 losses in the club's final 14 matches - saw them fall to 16th. Burnley's downfall was their poor defence, which was the worst in the league: 5 goals conceded against both Grimsby and Reading, 6 against Rotherham, 7 against Sheffield Wednesday and Watford, and 89 overall, the worst in the First Division and third-worst in the entire Football League.

## Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | First Division | First Division | League Cup | League Cup | FA Cup | FA Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | GRE | Nikolaos Michopoulos | 14 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Dean West | 49 | 5 | 41 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | GUI | Drissa Diallo | 18 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Steve Davis | 32 | 5 | 25+3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Gordon Armstrong | 7 | 0 | 1+5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | ENG | Glen Little | 40 | 7 | 28+5 | 5 | 2+1 | 0 | 1+3 | 2 |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Paul Cook | 31 | 1 | 21+2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 5+1 | 1 |
| 9 | FW | WAL | Gareth Taylor | 48 | 17 | 38+2 | 16 | 3+1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Andy Payton | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Matthew O'Neill | 7 | 0 | 2+5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | MF | ENG | Tony Grant | 44 | 1 | 24+10 | 1 | 3+1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 14 | DF | TRI | Ian Cox | 33 | 1 | 23+3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 |
| 15 | MF | ENG | Graham Branch | 41 | 0 | 31+1 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 16 | FW | ENG | Ian Moore | 52 | 11 | 35+9 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| 17 | FW | ENG | Anthony Shandran | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | MF | ENG | Paul Weller | 40 | 1 | 26+8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1+2 | 1 |
| 19 | DF | ENG | Lee Briscoe | 41 | 2 | 32+1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | ENG | Brad Maylett | 6 | 0 | 1+5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | FW | ENG | Mark Rasmussen | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | GK | ENG | Marlon Beresford | 43 | 0 | 33+1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 23 | DF | ENG | Mark McGregor | 37 | 1 | 25+5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2+2 | 0 |
| 25 | MF | ENG | Lenny Johnrose | 6 | 0 | 5+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | DF | CIV | Arthur Gnohéré | 40 | 2 | 31+2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 27 | FW | ENG | Robbie Blake | 49 | 16 | 34+7 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 3+1 | 2 |
| 28 | MF | IRL | Alan Moore | 36 | 3 | 14+13 | 1 | 1+2 | 0 | 5+1 | 2 |
| 29 | FW | GRE | Dimitrios Papadopoulos | 40 | 6 | 7+27 | 3 | 0+4 | 3 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 30 | MF | ENG | Richard Chaplow | 5 | 0 | 2+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | MF | ENG | Joel Pilkington | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | DF | ENG | Earl Davis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | MF | ENG | Andy Waine | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | DF | ENG | Andrew Leeson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Transfers
### In

| # | Pos | Player | From | Fee | Date |
| 22 | GK | Marlon Beresford | York City | Free | 5 September 2002 |
| 3 | DF | Drissa Diallo | KV Mechelen | Free | 10 January 2003 |

### Out

| # | Pos | Player | To | Fee | Date |
| | MF | Lenny Johnrose | | Released | 24 April 2002 |
| | MF | Kevin Ball | | Retired | 24 April 2002 |
| | DF | John Williamson | | Released | 24 April 2002 |
| | GK | Luigi Cennamo | | Released | 24 April 2002 |
| | DF | Mitchell Thomas | | Retired | 24 April 2002 |
| | MF | Paul Gascoigne | | Released | 16 August 2002 |
| | MF | Tony Ellis | Leigh RMI | Free | 16 August 2002 |
| 1 | GK | Nikolaos Michopoulos | Crystal Palace | Loan | 28 September 2002 |
| 25 | MF | Lenny Johnrose | Bury | Free | 4 October 2002 |
| 32 | DF | Earl Davis | Stalybridge Celtic | Loan | 26 November 2002 |
| 17 | FW | Anthony Shandran | York City | Loan | 31 January 2003 |
| 32 | DF | Earl Davis | Southport | Loan | 7 March 2003 |
| 20 | MF | Brad Maylett | Swansea City | Loan | 15 March 2003 |
| 7 | MF | Glen Little | Reading | Loan | 1 April 2003 |

## Results
### Final league position

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 14 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 59 | 52 | +7 | 59 |
| 15 | Rotherham United | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 62 | 62 | 0 | 59 |
| 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 |