# 2002–03 Watford F.C. season

The 2002–03 season marked Watford Football Club's third consecutive season in the Football League First Division, following relegation from the Premier League in the 1999–2000 season. The club was managed by its former reserve team manager Ray Lewington, following the dismissal of Gianluca Vialli at the end of 2001–02. The club finished 13th in the First Division, reached the semi-final of the FA Cup, and were eliminated in the first round of the League Cup. Watford were operating under severe financial constraints following the collapse of ITV Digital, and at the end of the season were forced to offload several first-team players, including Tommy Smith, Gifton Noel-Williams, Stephen Glass, and record signing Allan Nielsen.

## Season review

Over the summer many of the Vialli's signings left the club. Lewington had few funds to strengthen the side. The extent of Watford's financial difficulties was exposed in the autumn, along with many League clubs, following the collapse of ITV Digital. The club was facing administration when the players and staff agreed a 12% wage deferral. Exacerbating the club's difficulties were the large payoffs they had had to make to Vialli and several players on terminating their contracts, and Vialli's decision to sue the club early in 2003. The club started the season well, however, despite the players having to agree to a pay-cut during October, and finished in mid-table. An unexpected run to the FA Cup semi-final, where Watford lost to Premiership Southampton, also generated vital cash.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 11 | Gillingham | 46 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 56 | 65 | −9 | 62 |
| 12 | Preston North End | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 68 | 70 | −2 | 61 |
| 13 | Watford | 46 | 17 | 9 | 20 | 54 | 70 | −16 | 60 |
| 14 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 59 | 52 | +7 | 59 |
| 15 | Rotherham United | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 62 | 62 | 0 | 59 |

## Results

Watford's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 10 August 2002 | Leicester City | A | 0–2 | 31,022 | |
| 13 August 2002 | Millwall | H | 0–0 | 11,187 | |
| 17 August 2002 | Wimbledon | H | 3–2 | 10,292 | Webber, Robinson, Nielsen |
| 24 August 2002 | Portsmouth | A | 0–3 | 17,901 | |
| 26 August 2002 | Coventry City | H | 5–2 | 11,136 | Glass, T Smith, Webber, Nielsen, Robinson |
| 31 August 2002 | Norwich City | A | 0–4 | 20,563 | |
| 7 September 2002 | Walsall | H | 2–0 | 10,528 | T Smith, Foley |
| 14 September 2002 | Nottingham Forest | A | 1–0 | 17,865 | Cox |
| 17 September 2002 | Preston North End | A | 1–1 | 12,408 | Robinson |
| 21 September 2002 | Crystal Palace | H | 3–3 | 12,153 | Ardley, Hyde, Helguson |
| 28 September 2002 | Sheffield United | A | 2–1 | 16,301 | Cox (pen), Helguson |
| 5 October 2002 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 1–0 | 15,305 | Helguson |
| 12 October 2002 | Grimsby Town | H | 2–0 | 13,821 | Foley, T Smith |
| 19 October 2002 | Gillingham | A | 0–3 | 8,728 | |
| 26 October 2002 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 1–0 | 15,058 | Helguson |
| 30 October 2002 | Stoke City | A | 2–1 | 11,215 | Helguson, Cox |
| 2 November 2002 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 1–1 | 16,524 | Cox |
| 9 November 2002 | Rotherham United | A | 1–2 | 6,790 | Foley |
| 17 November 2002 | Ipswich Town | H | 0–2 | 16,184 | |
| 23 November 2002 | Reading | A | 0–1 | 17,465 | |
| 30 November 2002 | Burnley | H | 2–1 | 13,977 | Helguson, T Smith (pen) |
| 7 December 2002 | Derby County | A | 0–3 | 21,653 | |
| 14 December 2002 | Ipswich Town | A | 2–4 | 22,985 | T Smith, Cox |
| 21 December 2002 | Bradford City | H | 1–0 | 12,579 | Cox (pen) |
| 26 December 2002 | Wimbledon | A | 0–0 | 2,643 | |
| 28 December 2002 | Leicester City | H | 1–2 | 16,017 | Helguson |
| 1 January 2003 | Portsmouth | H | 2–2 | 15,048 | Hyde, Cox |
| 11 January 2003 | Millwall | A | 0–4 | 9,030 | |
| 19 January 2003 | Norwich City | H | 2–1 | 13,338 | Nielsen, Helguson |
| 1 February 2003 | Coventry City | A | 1–0 | 17,393 | Hyde |
| 8 February 2003 | Rotherham United | H | 1–2 | 15,025 | T Smith |
| 22 February 2003 | Walsall | A | 0–2 | 7,705 | |
| 25 February 2003 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0–0 | 24,591 | |
| 1 March 2003 | Nottingham Forest | H | 1–1 | 17,934 | Helguson |
| 4 March 2003 | Preston North End | H | 0–1 | 11,101 | |
| 15 March 2003 | Grimsby Town | A | 0–1 | 4,847 | |
| 18 March 2003 | Gillingham | H | 0–1 | 10,492 | |
| 22 March 2003 | Stoke City | H | 1–2 | 12,570 | Helguson |
| 29 March 2003 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 2–2 | 17,086 | T Smith, Norville |
| 5 April 2003 | Burnley | A | 7–4 | 10,208 | Brown, Hyde, Cox, Chopra (4) |
| 8 April 2003 | Crystal Palace | A | 1–0 | 14,051 | Hunt (own goal) |
| 19 April 2003 | Bradford City | A | 1–2 | 11,145 | Helguson |
| 21 April 2003 | Derby County | H | 2–0 | 11,909 | Chopra, Ardley |
| 26 April 2003 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 0–4 | 6,841 | |
| 30 April 2003 | Reading | H | 0–3 | 11,814 | |
| 4 May 2003 | Sheffield United | H | 2–0 | 14,320 | Cox, Fitzgerald |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 4 January 2003 | Macclesfield Town | A | 2–0 | 4,244 | Helguson, Pennant |
| R4 | 25 January 2003 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 1–0 | 16,975 | Helguson |
| R5 | 15 February 2003 | Sunderland | A | 1–0 | 26,916 | T Smith |
| QF | 9 March 2003 | Burnley | H | 2–0 | 20,336 | T Smith, Glass |
| SF | 13 April 2003 | Southampton | N | 1–2 | 42,602 | Gayle |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 | 10 September 2002 | Luton Town | H | 1–2 | 14,171 | Foley |

## Players
### 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 | Alec Chamberlain |
| 2 | MF | ENG | Neal Ardley |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Paul Robinson |
| 4 | MF | ENG | Paolo Vernazza |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Neil Cox |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Sean Dyche |
| 7 | MF | DEN | Allan Nielsen |
| 8 | MF | JAM | Micah Hyde |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Tommy Smith |
| 10 | DF | ENG | Wayne Brown |
| 11 | MF | SCO | Stephen Glass |
| 12 | MF | ENG | Gavin Mahon |
| 14 | MF | AUS | Richard Johnson |
| 15 | FW | ENG | Gifton Noel-Williams |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Anthony McNamee |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 18 | FW | ISL | Heiðar Helguson |
| 19 | DF | ENG | Jerel Ifil |
| 20 | DF | ENG | Lloyd Doyley |
| 21 | FW | IRL | Dominic Foley |
| 22 | MF | ENG | Lee Cook |
| 23 | MF | ENG | Jamie Hand |
| 24 | FW | TRI | Jason Norville |
| 25 | MF | ENG | Gary Fisken |
| 27 | DF | JAM | Marcus Gayle |
| 28 | MF | ENG | Sam Swonnell |
| 29 | MF | ENG | Jermaine Pennant (on loan from Arsenal) |
| 30 | GK | ENG | Richard Lee |
| 31 | DF | ENG | Jack Smith |
| 32 | MF | CAN | Elliott Godfrey |
| 33 | FW | ENG | Scott Fitzgerald |

### 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 |
| 10 | MF | ENG | Stephen Hughes (released) |
| 13 | GK | NOR | Espen Baardsen (to Everton) |
| 17 | FW | ENG | Nick Wright (retired) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 17 | FW | ENG | Michael Chopra (on loan from Newcastle United) |
| 29 | FW | ENG | Danny Webber (on loan from Manchester United) |

### 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 |
| 26 | MF | BRB | Fabian Forde |