2002–03_Dundee_United_F.C._season

2002–03 Dundee United F.C. season

2002–03 Dundee United F.C. season

Dundee United F.C. 2002–03 football season


The 2002–03 season was the 94th year of football played by Dundee United, and covers the period from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003. United finished the season in eighth place.

Quick Facts Chairman, Manager ...

United were knocked out of the Tennent's Scottish Cup by Hibernian in the third round, and were beaten by Celtic in the CIS Insurance Cup semi-finals.

Review and events

What had begun with optimism and hopes that United could continue the progress made the previous year would end up being statistically the club's worst season since before World War II. Eddie Thompson took over as chairman with the season barely a month old and quickly sacked Alex Smith, though a run of just two wins from the first ten games did not help the manager's cause. After a failed attempt to recruit Ian McCall, Paul Hegarty was put in charge provisionally until the end of the season. While the former club hero got off to a decent start with 7 points from five matches, a dismal run of ten weeks without a win followed, leading to Hegarty being dismissed at the end of January and McCall being successfully recruited.

The key factor in McCall's change of heart was that while his previous club Falkirk were runaway leaders of the First Division, it was by now evident that they were unlikely to be promoted as their ground did not meet the SPL's requirements. McCall still had the task of keeping United off the bottom of the table in the unlikely event that the SPL had a change of heart or one of the chasing pack overhauled Falkirk, and he ultimately managed this with an excellent run of form after the SPL split, leaving them to finish eleventh. However, this good finish could not mask what had been an extremely poor season by any measure, and left McCall facing a major reconstruction job.

Match results

Dundee United played a total of 43 competitive matches during the 2002–03 season.[1] The team finished eleventh in the Scottish Premier League.

In the cup competitions, United were knocked out of the Tennent's Scottish Cup in the third round, losing at home to Hibernian. Celtic knocked United out of the CIS Cup in the semi-finals.

Legend

Win Draw Loss

All results are written with Dundee United's score first.

Bank of Scotland Premierleague

More information Date, Opponent ...

Tennent's Scottish Cup

More information Date, Opponent ...

CIS Insurance Cup

More information Date, Opponent ...

Player details

During the 2002–03 season, United used 32 different players, with a further played named as a substitute who did not make an appearance on the pitch. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player.[2]

More information No., Pos ...
More information Name, League ...

Team statistics

League table

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: Scottish Professional Football League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
Notes:
  1. Teams played each other three times (33 matches), before the league split into two groups (the top six and the bottom six) for the last five matches.
  2. As the First Division champions Falkirk did not have a suitable ground for the SPL, bottom club Motherwell were spared from relegation.

Transfers

More information Date, Player ...

Playing kit

Home colours
Away colours
Third colours

The jerseys were sponsored by Telewest for the last time.

Awards

November 2002

See also


References

  1. "Dundee Utd 2002/2003 player appearances". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2008.
  2. "Dundee Utd 2001/2002 player appearances". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 12 October 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
  3. "Dundee Utd 2002/2003 player appearances". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 12 October 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  4. "McGowne signs at Tannadice". BBC Sport website. 6 July 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  5. "Gunnlaugsson joins Dundee United". BBC Sport website. 30 July 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  6. "Dodds completes Tannadice move". BBC Sport website. 30 December 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  7. "Dundee Utd land Chiarini". BBC Sport website. 10 January 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  8. "United in double swoop". Dundee United F.C. 28 January 2003. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  9. "Latapy joins United". BBC Sport website. 23 February 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  10. "United snap up Robson". BBC Sport website. 16 May 2003. Archived from the original on 13 March 2004. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  11. "United parade new signings". BBC Sport website. 3 June 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  12. "United complete Bullock deal". BBC Sport website. 27 June 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  13. "1st Team: Warren Cummings". Dundee United F.C. Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 4 June 2008.
  14. "Wright joins Scunthorpe". BBC Sport website. 6 September 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  15. "Triple swoop for 'Well". BBC Sport website. 22 July 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  16. "Hasney departs Tannadice". Dundee United F.C. 30 August 2002. Archived from the original on 15 December 2007. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  17. "Rangers get Thompson". BBC Sport website. 31 December 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  18. "United release McGowne and Venetis". BBC Sport website. 16 January 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  19. "New Bosman threat". BBC Sport website. 3 February 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  20. "Duo shown Tannadice exit". BBC Sport website. 7 March 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  21. "Released players in quarter II/2003". Globalsoccertransfers.com. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  22. "Lauchlan signs for Livi". BBC Sport website. 8 September 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  23. "Livi steal Lilley". BBC Sport website. 4 July 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  24. "Slow start to Scots' transfers". BBC Sport website. 1 January 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  25. "Davidson on loan to Stirling Albion". Dundee United F.C. 14 August 2002. Archived from the original on 15 December 2007. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  26. "Cummings in Tayside move". BBC Sport website. 23 August 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  27. "O'Donnell moves to County". BBC Sport website. 29 June 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2008.

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