2002–03 AFC Bournemouth season

The 2002-03 AFC Bournemouth season was the club's first season in the English Third Division following relegation the previous year.^[7] During the 2002–03 English football season, Bournemouth participated in Division Three, the LDV Vans Trophy, the FA Cup, and the Football League Cup. Bournemouth finished 4th in Division Three^[1] and were subsequently promoted via the playoffs.^[8] They reached the Fourth Round of the FA Cup, and the Southern Section Semi Final of the LDV Vans Trophy, but were knocked of the League Cup at the first hurdle.^[9]

Bournemouth

2002-03 season
Manager	Sean O'Driscoll
Ground	Dean Court
Third Division	4th^[1]
FA Cup	Fourth Round^[2]
Football League Cup	First Round^[3]
Football League Trophy	Southern Section Semi Final^[4]
Top goalscorer	League: James Hayter/Garreth O'Connor (8) ^[6] All: James Hayter^[5]
← 2001-02 2003–04 →

Season 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 ^[10] 1 GK   ENG Gareth Stewart 2 DF   ENG Neil Young 3 DF   ENG Stephen Purches 4 MF   WAL Marcus Browning 5 FW   NIR Warren Feeney 6 DF   IRL Shaun Maher 7 DF   WAL Carl Fletcher 8 MF   WAL Brian Stock 9 FW   ENG Chukki Eribenne 10 FW   ENG Steve Fletcher 11 MF   ENG Wade Elliott 12 MF   IRL Garreth O'Connor 13 GK   Guernsey Chris Tardif

No. Pos. Nation Player 14 FW   ENG James Hayter 15 DF   ENG Narada Bernard 16 FW   SCO Derek Holmes 17 FW   ENG Alan Connell 18 DF   ENG Jason Tindall 19 FW   AUS Scott McDonald (on loan from Southampton) 20 DF   ENG Phil Gulliver (on loan from Middlesbrough) 21 DF   ENG Karl Broadhurst 22 MF   ENG Danny Thomas 25 GK   ENG Neil Moss 28 DF   SCO Warren Cummings 30 DF   ENG John Purches

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 13 GK   FRA Mickaël Ménétrier (Released) 28 DF   ENG Liam Ridgewell (on loan from Aston Villa) 19 FW   ENG Danny Bloomfield (joined Cambridge City in November 2002^[11]) 24 GK   ENG Jamie Ashdown (on loan from Reading) 25 GK   ENG Alan Blayney (on loan from Southampton) 20 FW   ENG Amos Foyewa (joined Woking on 20 March 2003) 26 DF   ENG Lewis Buxton (on loan from Portsmouth)

Final league table

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
2	Hartlepool United (P)	46	24	13	9	71	51	+20	85	Promoted
3	Wrexham (P)	46	23	15	8	84	50	+34	84
4	AFC Bournemouth (O, P)	46	20	14	12	60	48	+12	74	Participated in play-offs
5	Scunthorpe United	46	19	15	12	68	49	+19	72
6	Lincoln City	46	18	16	12	46	37	+9	70

Source:^{[citation needed]}
Rules for classification: In the Football League goals scored (GF) takes precedence over goal difference (GD).
(O) Play-off winner; (P) Promoted

Competitions

^[9]

Legend

Win

Draw

Loss

Third Division

Results

Game	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
1	10 August 2002	Boston United	York Street	2-2	4,184	Maher 9' Stock 54'
2	13 August 2002	Kidderminster Harriers	Dean Court	0-0	4,771
3	17 August 2002	Cambridge United	Dean Court	1-1	4,315	Feeney 65'
4	24 August 2002	Swansea City	Vetch Field	0-2	4,325
5	27 August 2002	Oxford United	Dean Court	1–1	4,842	Holmes 42'
6	31 August 2002	Macclesfield Town	Moss Rose	1-0	1,795	Connell 41'
7	7 September 2002	Exeter City	St James Park	3-1	4,466	Connell 36' Elliott pen 41' O'Connor 73'
8	14 September 2002	Bury	Dean Court	1-2	4,851	O'Connor 71'
9	17 September 2002	Rushden & Diamonds	Dean Court	3-1	4,527	Purches 22' Maher 58' Connell 85'
10	21 September 2002	Darlington	Feethams	2-2	2,950	Holmes 27' Connell 82' Connell pen 77' Stock 86'
11	28 September 2002	Carlisle United	Dean Court	3-1	5,103	Tindall 62'
12	5 October 2002	Lincoln City	Sincil Bank	2-1	3,273	Purches 13' Connell 62'
13	13 October 2002	Hartlepool United	Dean Court	2-1	5,998	Elliott 61' Widdrington O.G. 85'
14	19 October 2002	Leyton Orient	Brisbane Road	0-0	5,622
15	26 October 2002	York City	Dean Court	1-0	5,755	S. Fletcher 78'
16	29 October 2002	Torquay United	Plainmoor	0-4	3,543
17	2 November 2002	Bristol Rovers	Dean Court	1-0	6,924	S. Fletcher 16'
18	9 November 2002	Wrexham	Racecourse Ground	2-3	3,105	Danny Thomas 30' Hayter 54'
19	23 November 2002	Southend United	Roots Hall	1-0	4,221	O'Connor pen 71'
20	30 November 2002	Scunthorpe United	Dean Court	2-1	6,527	Broadhurst 59'Hayter 66'
21	14 December 2002	Shrewsbury Town	Gay Meadow	0-0	2,869
22	21 December 2002	Hull City	Dean Court	0-0	6,098
23	26 December 2002	Oxford United	Kassam Stadium	0–3	8,349
24	28 December 2002	Rochdale	Dean Court	3-3	6,240	Browning 6' S. Fletcher 45' O'Connor pen 87'
25	18 January 2003	Macclesfield Town	Dean Court	2-2	5,840	Elliott 68' Hayter 73'
26	1 February 2003	Boston United	Dean Court	2–1	5,180	Feeney 90' Redfearn O.G. 90'
27	4 February 2003	Kidderminster Harriers	Aggborough	0-1	2,157
28	8 February 2003	Wrexham	Dean Court	2-0	5,445	Feeney 52' 55'
29	11 February 2003	Swansea City	Dean Court	3-0	5,511	Hayter 45'O'Connor pen 89' pen 90'
30	15 February 2003	Bristol Rovers	Memorial Stadium	0-0	6,347
31	22 February 2003	Exeter City	Dean Court	2-0	6,674	Holmes 36'O'Connor 80'
32	1 March 2003	Bury	Gigg Lane	1-2	2,914	Feeney 12'
33	4 March 2003	Rushden & Diamonds	Nene Park	1–2	4,353	Feeney 43'
34	8 March 2003	Darlington	Dean Court	2–0	5,758	O'Connor 28'Hayter 67'
35	11 March 2003	Rochdale	Spotland	1-1	1,958	C. Fletcher 31'
36	15 March 2003	York City	Bootham Crescent	0-1	3,642
37	18 March 2003	Leyton Orient	Dean Court	3-1	5,078	Jones O.G. 9' Joseph O.G. 17' Feeney 60'
38	22 March 2003	Torquay United	Dean Court	1-1	7,181	Clist O.G. '90
39	22 March 2003	Cambridge United	Abbey Stadium	1-2	2,885	S. Fletcher 42'
40	29 March 2003	Hartlepool United	Victoria Park	0-0	5,625
41	5 April 2003	Scunthorpe United	Glanford Park	2-0	4,488	Hayter '49 Danny Thomas 77'
42	12 April 2003	Southend United	Dean Court	1-0	6,767	Purches 9'
43	19 April 2003	Hull City	KC Stadium	1-3	15,816	S. Fletcher 5'
44	21 April 2003	Shrewsbury Town	Dean Court	2-1	7,102	McDonald 22' Elliott 45'
45	26 April 2003	Lincoln City	Dean Court	0-1	7,578
46	3 May 2003	Carlisle United	Brunton Park	2-0	7,402	Hayter 86' 90'

Third Division Playoffs

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
Semi Final Leg 1	10 May 2003	Bury	Gigg Lane	0-0	5,782
Semi Final Leg 2	13 May 2003	Bury	Dean Court	3-1	7,945	O'Connor 21' Hayter 38' 60'
Final	24 May 2003	Lincoln City	Millennium Stadium	5-2	32,148	S. Fletcher 29' C. Fletcher 45' 77' Purches 56' O'Connor 60'

League Cup

Main article: 2002–03 Football League Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers	Other
1	10 September 2002	Brentford	Dean Court	3-3	3,302	Thomas 3' 40'Connell 15'	A.E.T - Brentford won 4–2 on penalties

FA Cup

Main article: 2002–03 FA Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers	Other
1	16 November 2002	Doncaster Rovers	Dean Court	2-1	5,371	Thomas 38' Elliott 73'
2	7 December 2002	Southend United	Roots Hall	1-1	5,721	Broadhurst 41'
2R	17 December 2002	Southend United	Dean Court	3-2	5,456	S. Fletcher 39' Holmes 80' Browning '89
3	4 January 2003	Crewe Alexandra	Dean Court	0-0	7,252
3R	14 January 2003	Crewe Alexandra	Gresty Road	2-2	4,540	Hayter 38'S. Fletcher '98	Bournemouth won 3–1 on penalties
4	26 January 2003	Stoke City	Britannia Stadium	0-3	12,004

Football League Trophy

Main article: 2002-03 Football League Trophy

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers	Other
1	22 October 2002	Oxford United	Kassam Stadium	3-2	4,663	S. Fletcher '24 Hayter 34' Purches 38'
2	12 November 2002	Leyton Orient	Dean Court	1-0	2,724	Feeney '90
SQF	10 December 2002	Cardiff City	Dean Court	2-1	3,615	Elliott '79 Hayter 114'	Bournemouth won via Golden Goal
SSF	21 January 2003	Bristol City	Dean Court	1-3	5,125	C. Fletcher 31'

References

1. Division 3. 2002/03 Football Site. Retrieved 26 December 2022
2. "AFC Bournemouth match record: FA Cup 2003". www.11v11.com.
3. "AFC Bournemouth match record: League Cup 2003". www.11v11.com.
4. "AFC Bournemouth match record: LDV Vans Trophy 2003". www.11v11.com.
5. "All AFC Bournemouth players: 2003". www.11v11.com.
6. "AFC Bournemouth players: League Division 2 2003". www.11v11.com.
7. "Bournemouth relegated". 20 April 2002 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
8. "Bournemouth win seals promotion". 24 May 2003 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
9. "AFC Bournemouth match record: 2003". www.11v11.com.
10. "FootballSquads - Bournemouth - 2002/03". www.footballsquads.co.uk.
11. "Flown From the Nest - Danny Bloomfield". www.ex-canaries.co.uk.