# 2002–03 Walsall F.C. season

During the 2002–03 English football season, Walsall competed in the Football League First Division. It was the club's second consecutive season at that level.

## Season summary

Walsall managed to avoid relegation to extend their stay in English football's second tier to a third season. Much of their success was down to the signing of key players, such as ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Vinny Samways, returning to English football after a six-year spell in Spain.

## Kit

Xara became Walsall's new kit manufacturers. Banks's remained the kit sponsors.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 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 |
| 19 | Bradford City | 46 | 14 | 10 | 22 | 51 | 73 | −22 | 52 |

## Results

Walsall's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 10 August 2002 | Ipswich Town | H | 0–2 | 5,253 | |
| 14 August 2002 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1–3 | 27,904 | Herivelto |
| 17 August 2002 | Sheffield United | A | 1–1 | 14,011 | Corica |
| 24 August 2002 | Nottingham Forest | H | 2–1 | 5,096 | Sonner (pen), Wrack |
| 26 August 2002 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 2–0 | 6,519 | Corica, Leitão |
| 31 August 2002 | Reading | H | 0–2 | 5,327 | |
| 7 September 2002 | Watford | A | 0–2 | 10,528 | |
| 14 September 2002 | Bradford City | H | 0–1 | 4,678 | |
| 17 September 2002 | Rotherham United | H | 3–4 | 4,648 | Zdrilic (2), Leitão |
| 21 September 2002 | Millwall | A | 3–0 | 7,525 | Zdrilic, Wrack, Leitão |
| 28 September 2002 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 1–0 | 6,792 | Simpson |
| 5 October 2002 | Derby County | A | 2–2 | 25,247 | Corica, Aranalde (pen) |
| 12 October 2002 | Burnley | A | 1–2 | 12,907 | Birch |
| 19 October 2002 | Preston North End | H | 3–3 | 6,832 | Leitão, Júnior, Aranalde (pen) |
| 26 October 2002 | Coventry City | A | 0–0 | 14,544 | |
| 29 October 2002 | Crystal Palace | H | 3–4 | 6,368 | Corica, Júnior (2) |
| 2 November 2002 | Stoke City | H | 4–2 | 6,391 | Leitão (2), Júnior, Aranalde (pen) |
| 9 November 2002 | Leicester City | A | 0–2 | 25,243 | |
| 16 November 2002 | Wimbledon | A | 2–3 | 1,255 | Júnior, Sonner (pen) |
| 23 November 2002 | Gillingham | H | 1–0 | 6,630 | Júnior |
| 30 November 2002 | Portsmouth | A | 2–3 | 17,701 | Sonner (2 pens) |
| 7 December 2002 | Grimsby Town | H | 3–1 | 5,888 | Júnior, Leitão, Wrack |
| 14 December 2002 | Wimbledon | H | 2–0 | 6,596 | Wrack, Júnior |
| 21 December 2002 | Norwich City | A | 1–2 | 19,872 | Easton (own goal) |
| 26 December 2002 | Sheffield United | H | 0–1 | 10,459 | |
| 28 December 2002 | Ipswich Town | A | 2–3 | 26,550 | Wrack (2) |
| 1 January 2003 | Nottingham Forest | A | 1–1 | 28,441 | Ainsworth |
| 11 January 2003 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 0–1 | 11,037 | |
| 18 January 2003 | Reading | A | 0–0 | 11,786 | |
| 1 February 2003 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 1–0 | 8,413 | Leitão |
| 8 February 2003 | Leicester City | H | 1–4 | 8,741 | O'Connor |
| 22 February 2003 | Watford | H | 2–0 | 7,705 | Júnior, Leitão |
| 26 February 2003 | Stoke City | A | 0–1 | 10,409 | |
| 1 March 2003 | Bradford City | A | 2–1 | 10,893 | Robinson, Matías |
| 4 March 2003 | Rotherham United | A | 0–0 | 5,792 | |
| 8 March 2003 | Millwall | H | 1–2 | 6,647 | Júnior |
| 15 March 2003 | Burnley | H | 3–2 | 6,327 | Leitão, Carbon, Matías |
| 18 March 2003 | Preston North End | A | 0–5 | 11,170 | |
| 22 March 2003 | Crystal Palace | A | 0–2 | 19,102 | |
| 5 April 2003 | Portsmouth | H | 1–2 | 7,899 | Júnior |
| 12 April 2003 | Gillingham | A | 1–0 | 6,972 | Leitão |
| 15 April 2003 | Coventry City | H | 0–0 | 7,337 | |
| 19 April 2003 | Norwich City | H | 0–0 | 7,018 | |
| 21 April 2003 | Grimsby Town | A | 1–0 | 4,618 | Júnior |
| 26 April 2003 | Derby County | H | 3–2 | 8,416 | Júnior (3) |
| 4 May 2003 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 1–2 | 20,864 | Matías |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 4 January 2003 | Reading | H | 0–0 | 5,987 | |
| R3R | 14 January 2003 | Reading | A | 1–1 (won 4–1 on pens) | 8,767 | Wrack |
| R4 | 25 January 2003 | Wimbledon | H | 1–0 | 6,693 | Zdrilic |
| R5 | 15 February 2003 | Sheffield United | A | 0–2 | 17,510 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 | 10 September 2002 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 1–0 | 3,847 | Leitão |
| R2 | 2 October 2002 | Nottingham Forest | A | 2–1 | 6,343 | Leitão, Júnior |
| R3 | 6 November 2002 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 2–2 (lost 4–5 on pens) | 9,486 | Aranalde (pen), Zdrilic |

## First-team squad

    Squad at end of 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 |
| 1 | GK | ENG | Jimmy Walker |
| 2 | MF | ENG | Darren Bazeley |
| 3 | DF | ESP | Zigor Aranalde |
| 4 | DF | ENG | Matt Carbon |
| 5 | DF | NZL | Danny Hay |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Ian Roper |
| 7 | MF | ENG | Darren Wrack |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Martin O'Connor |
| 9 | FW | POR | Jorge Leitão |
| 10 | MF | AUS | Steve Corica |
| 11 | MF | ESP | Pedro Matías |
| 12 | MF | WAL | Carl Robinson (on loan from Portsmouth) |
| 14 | FW | AUS | David Zdrilic |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 15 | DF | ENG | Tony Barras |
| 16 | MF | NIR | Danny Sonner |
| 17 | FW | ENG | Gary Birch |
| 18 | MF | ENG | Gareth Ainsworth (on loan from Wimbledon) |
| 19 | MF | ENG | Mark Wright |
| 24 | MF | ENG | Vinny Samways |
| 25 | FW | BRA | José Júnior (on loan from Treze) |
| 26 | MF | JAM | Fitzroy Simpson |
| 27 | GK | ENG | Gavin Ward |
| 29 | MF | ENG | Chris Shuker (on loan from Manchester City) |
| 29 | MF | JAM | Jamie Lawrence |
| 30 | DF | FRA | Ludovic Pollet (on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers) |
| 33 | MF | ENG | Neil Emblen (on loan from Norwich City) |

### 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 |
| 12 | FW | POR | Dani Rodrigues (to Ionikos) |
| 13 | MF | BRA | Moreira Herivelto (to Ionikos) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 18 | DF | ENG | Matt Gadsby (to Mansfield Town) |
| 24 | MF | ESP | Roberto Martínez (to Swansea City) |

## Reserve 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 |
| 20 | FW | ENG | Karl Hawley |
| 21 | MF | ENG | Craig Stanley |
| 22 | FW | ENG | Andy Bishop |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 23 | MF | ENG | Nick Smith |
| 28 | GK | ENG | Matthew Harris |
| 31 | MF | FRA | Jean-Philippe Javary (on loan from Sheffield United) |