Wikipedia

2002–03 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season

During the 2002–03 English football season, Blackburn Rovers competed in the FA Premier League.

Blackburn Rovers
2002–03 season
ManagerScotland Graeme Souness
Premier League6th
FA CupFourth round
League CupSemi-finals
UEFA CupSecond round
Top goalscorerLeague: Damien Duff (9)
All: Dwight Yorke (13)[1]
Highest home attendance30,475 (vs. Manchester United, 22 December 2002)
Lowest home attendance21,096 (vs. Fulham, 30 November 2002)
Average home league attendance26,225[2]

Season summary edit

After a season of consolidation in the Premiership the previous season (capped with victory in the League Cup), Blackburn Rovers enjoyed their best season since winning the title in 1995, finishing in sixth place and qualifying for the UEFA Cup for the second year in a row. While their UEFA Cup campaign was not especially impressive (only beating CSKA Sofia on away goals before being knocked out by eventual runners-up Celtic), their continued progress under Graeme Souness gave the fans much hope for the following season. Blackburn also embarked on another strong run in the League Cup for the second successive year, although they failed to defend their title after suffering a 4-2 aggregate defeat to Manchester United in the semi-finals. The star man for Blackburn this season was American goalkeeper Brad Friedel, who was named as the goalkeeper in the PFA Team of the Year.

Final league table edit

Main article: 2002–03 FA Premier League
Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
4 Chelsea 38 19 10 9 68 38 +30 67 Qualification for the Champions League third qualifying round
5 Liverpool 38 18 10 10 61 41 +20 64 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round[a]
6 Blackburn Rovers 38 16 12 10 52 43 +9 60
7 Everton 38 17 8 13 48 49 −1 59
8 Southampton 38 13 13 12 43 46 −3 52 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round[b]
Source: Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Notes:
  1. ^ Since Liverpool qualified for the UEFA Cup via the league, their place in the UEFA Cup as League Cup winners reverted to the league and was awarded to Blackburn Rovers as the highest-placed team not already qualified for European competitions.
  2. ^ Since Arsenal qualified for the Champions League, their place in the UEFA Cup as FA Cup winners went to Southampton, who were the FA Cup runners-up.

First-team squad edit

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   USA Brad Friedel
2 DF   AUS Lucas Neill
3 MF   TUR Tugay Kerimoğlu
4 DF   ENG Andy Todd
6 DF   ENG Craig Short
7 MF   ENG Garry Flitcroft
8 MF   ENG David Dunn
9 FW   ENG Andrew Cole
10 FW   ENG Matt Jansen
11 MF   IRL Damien Duff
12 FW   ITA Corrado Grabbi
13 GK   IRL Alan Kelly
14 DF   SWE Nils-Eric Johansson
15 FW   ENG Craig Hignett
16 MF   IRL Alan Mahon
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 DF   ENG John Curtis
18 MF   NIR Keith Gillespie
19 FW   TRI Dwight Yorke
20 MF   ENG David Thompson
21 DF   ENG Martin Taylor
22 FW   NOR Egil Østenstad
23 DF   GER Sebastian Pelzer
25 DF   NOR Henning Berg
26 DF   SVK Vratislav Greško (on loan from Parma)
29 MF   IRL Jonathan Douglas
31 FW   SCO Paul Gallagher
33 FW   TUR Hakan Şükür
34 DF   ENG Jay McEveley
35 MF   ENG Neil Danns
36 FW   ENG Marc Richards

Left club during season edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
5 DF   NOR Stig Inge Bjørnebye (retired)
10 FW   ENG Matt Jansen (on loan to Coventry City)
No. Pos. Nation Player
20 MF   TUR Hakan Ünsal (to Galatasaray)
27 GK   ENG Alan Miller (retired)

Reserve squad edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
24 MF   ENG Darren Dunning
30 DF   SCO Gordon Greer
No. Pos. Nation Player
32 GK   ENG Ryan Robinson

Statistics edit

Appearances and goals edit

No. Pos Nat Player Total Premier League FA Cup League Cup UEFA Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Goalkeepers
1 GK   USA Brad Friedel 47 0 37 0 3 0 3 0 4 0
13 GK   IRL Alan Kelly 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
Defenders
2 DF   AUS Lucas Neill 45 0 34 0 3 0 4 0 4 0
4 DF   ENG Andy Todd 19 1 7+5 1 2 0 4 0 1 0
6 DF   ENG Craig Short 30 1 26+1 1 0 0 1 0 2 0
14 DF   SWE Nils-Eric Johansson 39 0 20+10 0 1+1 0 2+1 0 4 0
17 DF   ENG John Curtis 7 0 5 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
21 DF   ENG Martin Taylor 42 2 29+4 2 3 0 3 0 3 0
23 DF   GER Sebastian Pelzer 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
25 DF   NOR Henning Berg 19 1 15+1 1 1 0 0 0 1+1 0
26 DF   SVK Vratislav Greško 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
34 DF   ENG Jay McEveley 15 0 9 0 2 0 3+1 0 0 0
Midfielders
3 MF   TUR Tugay Kerimoğlu 48 1 32+5 1 2+1 0 4 0 4 0
7 MF   ENG Garry Flitcroft 40 4 33 2 2 2 3+1 0 1 0
8 MF   ENG David Dunn 36 8 26+2 8 2 0 2 0 3+1 0
11 MF   IRL Damien Duff 31 11 26 9 0 0 2 1 3 1
15 MF   ENG Craig Hignett 4 1 1+2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
16 MF   IRL Alan Mahon 3 0 0+2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
18 MF   NIR Keith Gillespie 34 0 10+15 0 0+2 0 2+2 0 0+3 0
20 MF   ENG David Thompson 32 6 23 4 2 0 4 1 3 1
29 MF   IRL Jonathan Douglas 5 0 0+1 0 1+2 0 0+1 0 0 0
35 MF   ENG Neil Danns 6 0 1+1 0 1 0 2 0 1 0
Forwards
9 FW   ENG Andy Cole 43 13 32+2 7 2 2 4 4 2+1 0
10 FW   ENG Matt Jansen 13 2 0+7 0 2 2 1+2 0 0+1 0
12 FW   ITA Corrado Grabbi 15 3 1+10 1 0+1 0 1+1 1 1 1
19 FW   TRI Dwight Yorke 43 13 25+8 8 3 3 4 2 3 0
22 FW   NOR Egil Østenstad 25 2 8+9 1 1+2 0 0+2 0 2+1 1
31 FW   SCO Paul Gallagher 1 0 0+1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
33 FW   TUR Hakan Şükür 9 2 7+2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
36 FW   ENG Marc Richards 1 0 0 0 0 0 0+1 0 0 0
Players transferred out during the season
5 DF   NOR Stig Inge Bjørnebye 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

Last updated: 31 May 2003
Source: [3]

Starting 11 edit

Considering starts in all competitions[4][5]

Transfers edit

In edit

Out edit

Results edit

Premier League edit

Results by matchday edit

Matchday1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738
GroundHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAHA
ResultDWDLLDWWLWWDDLLWDLWDDWDDLLWWWWLWWLDWDW
Position1099101514109108888899101091011810911121198787777776
Source: worldfootball.net
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
17 August 2002 1 Blackburn Rovers 0–0 Sunderland Blackburn
Report Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 27,122
Referee: David Elleray
24 August 2002 2 Birmingham City 0–1 Blackburn Rovers Birmingham
15:00 BST (UTC+01) Report Yorke   13' Stadium: St. Andrew's
Attendance: 28,563
Referee: Dermot Gallagher
28 August 2002 3 Blackburn Rovers 2–2 Liverpool Blackburn
Dunn   15'
Grabbi   83'		 Report Murphy   31'
Riise   77'		 Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 29,207
Referee: Steve Bennett
31 August 2002 4 Middlesbrough 1–0 Blackburn Rovers Middlesbrough
Job   90' Report Stadium: Riverside Stadium
11 September 2002 5 Blackburn Rovers 2–3 Chelsea Blackburn
David Dunn   18' (pen.)
David Thompson   45'		 Report Jesper Grønkjær   38'
Gianfranco Zola   52', 80'		 Stadium: Ewood Park
15 September 2002 6 Manchester City 2–2 Blackburn Rovers Manchester
15:00 Anelka   80'
Goater   90'
Tiatto   67'		 Report Thompson   26'
Cole   54'		 Stadium: Maine Road
Attendance: 34,130
22 September 2002 7 Blackburn Rovers 1–0 Leeds United Blackburn
Flitcroft   24' Report Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 25,415
Referee: Graham Poll
30 September 2002 8 West Bromwich Albion 0–2 Blackburn Rovers West Bromwich
Report Dwight Yorke   72' (pen.)
Damien Duff   76'		 Stadium: The Hawthorns
6 October 2002 9 Blackburn Rovers 1–2 Tottenham Hotspur Blackburn
Egil Østenstad   59' Report Robbie Keane   6'
Jamie Redknapp   89'		 Stadium: Ewood Park
19 October 2002 10 Blackburn Rovers 5–2 Newcastle United Blackburn
15:00 Dunn   5' (pen.), 8'
Taylor   55', 74'
Griffin   65' (o.g.)		 Report Dabizas   4'
Shearer   36' (pen.), 48'		 Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 27,307
Referee: Alan Wiley
26 October 2002 (2002-10-26) 11 Arsenal 1–2 Blackburn Rovers London
15:00 BST Edu   45'
Henry   83'		 Report Edu   6' (o.g.)
Østenstad   37'
Johansson   45'
Yorke   51'
Flitcroft   70'   79'		 Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,064
Referee: Graham Barber
3 November 2002 12 Blackburn Rovers 0–0 Aston Villa Blackburn
Report Stadium: Ewood Park
9 November 2002 13 Southampton 1–1 Blackburn Rovers Southampton
James Beattie   38' (pen.) Report Andy Cole   90' Stadium: St Mary's Stadium
17 November 2002 14 Blackburn Rovers 0–1 Everton Blackburn
Report Kevin Campbell   19' Stadium: Ewood Park
24 November 2002 15 Charlton Athletic 3–1 Blackburn Rovers Charlton, London
Paul Konchesky   59'
Richard Rufus   74'
Jason Euell   90'		 Report David Thompson   60' Stadium: The Valley
30 November 2002 16 Blackburn Rovers 2–1 Fulham Blackburn
Dwight Yorke   36'
Rufus Brevett   77' (o.g.)		 Report Steve Marlet   60' Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 21,096
7 December 2002 17 Bolton Wanderers 1–1 Blackburn Rovers Horwich
Jay-Jay Okocha   8' Report Craig Short   90' Stadium: University of Bolton Stadium
14 December 2002 18 Everton 2–1 Blackburn Rovers Walton, Liverpool
Lee Carsley   12'
Wayne Rooney   25'		 Report Andy Cole   6' Stadium: Goodison Park
22 December 2002 19 Blackburn Rovers 1–0 Manchester United Blackburn
Garry Flitcroft   40' Report Stadium: Ewood Park
26 December 2002 20 Liverpool 1–1 Blackburn Rovers Liverpool
Riise   17' Report Cole   77' Stadium: Anfield
Attendance: 43,075
Referee: Neale Barry
28 December 2002 21 Blackburn Rovers 2–2 West Ham United Blackburn
Damien Duff   4'
Andy Cole   78'		 Report Martin Taylor   24' (o.g.)
Jermain Defoe   86'		 Stadium: Ewood Park
1 January 2003 22 Blackburn Rovers 1–0 Middlesbrough Blackburn
Dwight Yorke   57' Report Stadium: Ewood Park
11 January 2003 23 Sunderland 0–0 Blackburn Rovers Sunderland
Report Stadium: Stadium of Light
18 January 2003 24 Blackburn Rovers 1–1 Birmingham City Blackburn
15:00 GMT (UTC) Duff   19'
Todd   28'		 Report John   83' Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 23,331
Referee: Clive Wilkes
29 January 2003 25 West Ham United 2–1 Blackburn Rovers Upton Park, London
Paolo Di Canio   58' (pen.)
Jermain Defoe   89'		 Report Dwight Yorke   38' Stadium: Boleyn Ground
2 February 2003 26 Aston Villa 3–0 Blackburn Rovers Aston, Birmingham
Dion Dublin   2', 40'
Gareth Barry   81'		 Report Stadium: Villa Park
8 February 2003 27 Blackburn Rovers 1–0 Southampton Blackburn
David Thompson   26' Report Stadium: Ewood Park
22 February 2003 28 Chelsea 1–2 Blackburn Rovers Fulham, London
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink   90' Report Dwight Yorke   86'
David Dunn   90'		 Stadium: Stamford Bridge
1 March 2003 29 Blackburn Rovers 1–0 Manchester City Blackburn
15:00 Dunn   13' Report Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 28,647
Referee: Steve Dunn
15 March 2003 30 Blackburn Rovers 2–0 Arsenal Blackburn
Duff   22'
Tugay   52'		 Report Stadium: Ewood Park
22 March 2003 31 Newcastle United 5–1 Blackburn Rovers Newcastle upon Tyne
15:00 Solano   24'
Robert   61'
Jenas   85'
Gresko   89' (o.g.)
Bellamy   90'		 Report Duff   54' Stadium: St James' Park
Attendance: 52,106
Referee: Neale Barry
7 April 2003 32 Fulham 0–4 Blackburn Rovers White City, London
Report David Dunn   37' (pen.)
Hakan Şükür   42', 54'
Damien Duff   53'		 Stadium: Loftus Road
12 April 2003 33 Blackburn Rovers 1–0 Charlton Athletic Blackburn
Damien Duff   34' Report Stadium: Ewood Park
19 April 2003 34 Manchester United 3–1 Blackburn Rovers Old Trafford, Manchester
Ruud van Nistelrooy   20'
Paul Scholes   42', 61'		 Report Henning Berg   24' Stadium: Old Trafford
21 April 2003 35 Blackburn Rovers 0–0 Bolton Wanderers Blackburn
Report Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 28,862
Referee: Mike Dean
26 April 2003 36 Leeds United 2–3 Blackburn Rovers Leeds, West Yorkshire
Viduka   21'
Smith   90'		 Report Dunn   38' (pen.)
A. Cole   69'
Todd   78'		 Stadium: Elland Road
3 May 2003 37 Blackburn Rovers 1–1 West Bromwich Albion Blackburn
Damien Duff   11' Report Jason Koumas   54' Stadium: Ewood Park
11 May 2003 38 Tottenham Hotspur 0–4 Blackburn Rovers Tottenham, London
Report Dwight Yorke   5'
Craig Hignett   45'
Damien Duff   48'
Andy Cole   60'		 Stadium: White Hart Lane

FA Cup edit

4 January 2003 3 Aston Villa 1–4 Blackburn Rovers
Juan Pablo Angel   41' Matt Jansen  17', 60'
Dwight Yorke  52', 71'		 Attendance: 23,884
25 January 2003 4 Blackburn Rovers 3–3 Sunderland Blackburn
Andrew Cole   14', 73'
Dwight Yorke  90'		 Marcus Stewart   2'
Michael Proctor   52'
Kevin Phillips   70'		 Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 14,315
5 February 2003 4R Sunderland 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(3-0 p)		 Blackburn Rovers
Kevin Phillips   10'
Gavin McCann   79'		 Garry Flitcroft   50', 90' Attendance: 15,745
Penalties
Kevin Phillips  
Kevin Kilbane  
Jody Craddock  
Gavin McCann  		   David Thompson
  Andy Cole
  Corrado Grabbi

League Cup edit

6 November 2002 3 Blackburn Rovers 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(5–4 p)		 Walsall Blackburn
Corrado Grabbi   45'
Ian Roper   105' (o.g.)		 Zigor Aranalde   67' (pen.)
David Zdrilic   98'		 Stadium: Ewood Park
Penalties
John Curtis  
Corrado Grabbi  
David Dunn  
Alan Mahon  
Marc Richards  		   Danny Sonner
  Tony Barras
  Darren Wrack
  Darren Bazeley
  David Zdrilic
4 December 2002 4 Blackburn Rovers 4–0 Rotherham United Blackburn
Yorke   12', 39'
Cole   16'
Duff   43'		 Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 11,220
Referee: Matt Messias
17 December 2002 5 Wigan Athletic 0–2 Blackburn Rovers Wigan
Cole   16', 80' Stadium: JJB Stadium
Attendance: 16,922
Referee: Andy D'Urso
7 January 2003 Semi Final
Leg 1		 Manchester United 1–1 Blackburn Rovers Manchester
20:00 Scholes   58' Report Thompson   61' Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 62,740
Referee: Uriah Rennie
22 January 2003 Semi Final
Leg 2		 Blackburn Rovers 1–3 Manchester United Blackburn
20:00 Cole   12' Report Scholes   30', 42'
van Nistelrooy   77' (pen.)		 Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 29,048
Referee: Jeff Winter

UEFA Cup edit

19 September 2002 Round 1
Leg 1		 Blackburn Rovers 1–1 CSKA Sofia Blackburn
Corrado Grabbi   27' Velizar Dimitrov   23' Stadium: Ewood Park
Referee: Bruno Coué (France)
3 October 2002 Round 1
Leg 2		 CSKA Sofia 3–3 Blackburn Rovers
Emil Gargorov   66', 88' (pen.)
Agnaldo   69'		 David Thompson   30'
Egil Østenstad   56'
Damien Duff   58'		 Referee: Alon Yefet (Israel)
31 October 2002 Round 2
Leg 1		 Celtic 1–0 Blackburn Rovers
Henrik Larsson   85' Referee: Hermann Albrecht (Germany)
14 November 2002 Round 2
Leg 2		 Blackburn Rovers 0–2 Celtic Blackburn
Henrik Larsson   15'
Chris Sutton   68'		 Stadium: Ewood Park
Referee: Cosimo Bolognino (Italy)

Scores Overview edit

  Win   Draw   Loss

Opposition Home score Away score Double
Arsenal 2–0 2–1 4–1
Aston Villa 0–0 0–3 0–3
Birmingham City 1–1 1–0 1–0
Bolton Wanderers 0–0 1–1 1–1
Charlton Athletic 1–0 1–3 2–3
Chelsea 2–3 2–1 4–4
Everton 0–1 1–2 1–3
Fulham 2–1 4–0 6–1
Leeds United 1–0 3–2 4–2
Liverpool 2–2 1–1 3–3
Manchester City 1–0 2–2 3–2
Manchester United 1–0 1–3 2–3
Middlesbrough 1–0 0–1 1–1
Newcastle United 5–2 1–5 6–7
Southampton 1–0 1–1 2–1
Sunderland 0–0 0–0 0–0
Tottenham Hotspur 1–2 4–0 5–2
West Bromwich Albion 1–1 2–0 3–1
West Ham United 2–2 1–2 3–4

References edit

  1. ^ "Blackburn Rovers | Match | Club Statistics | Goalscorers". Rovers.co.uk. Retrieved 3 August 2012.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "Blackburn Rovers | Match | Club Statistics | Attendance". Rovers.co.uk. Retrieved 3 August 2012.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "All Blackburn Rovers players: 2003".
  4. ^ "Blackburn Rovers | Match | Club Statistics | Appearances". Rovers.co.uk. Retrieved 3 August 2012.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "Blackburn Rovers in FA Premier League 2002/2003 analysis and predictions". football-lineups.com.
  6. ^ "Football | Teams | Blackburn Rovers | Todd signs for Blackburn". BBC Sport. 22 May 2002. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  7. ^ "Football | Teams | Blackburn Rovers | Blackburn bag Pelzer". BBC Sport. 25 June 2002. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  8. ^ "Football | Teams | Blackburn Rovers | Blackburn sign Yorke". BBC Sport. 26 July 2002. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  9. ^ "Football | Teams | Blackburn Rovers | Blackburn grab Thompson". BBC Sport. 29 August 2002. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  10. ^ Souness on Sukur (4 December 2002). "Football | Teams | Blackburn Rovers | Blackburn sign Sukur". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  11. ^ "Football | Teams | Blackburn Rovers | Gresko seals Blackburn move". BBC Sport. 11 February 2003. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  12. ^ "Football | Hughes faces retirement". BBC Sport. 13 May 2002. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  13. ^ "Football | Teams | Blackpool | Blackpool sign Grayson". BBC Sport. 19 July 2002. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  14. ^ "Football | Football Transfers". BBC Sport. 1 August 2002. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  15. ^ John Williams,Rovers chief executive (18 February 2003). "Football | Teams | Coventry City | Jansen completes Coventry move". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  16. ^ "Football | My Club | Blackburn Rovers | Bjornebye quits football". BBC Sport. 11 March 2003. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  17. ^ "Football | My Club | Blackburn Rovers | Miller forced to retire". BBC Sport. 7 April 2003. Retrieved 3 August 2012.

External links edit

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