2002–03 Dundee United F.C. season
| 2002–03 season | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Jim McLean (until 26 September) Eddie Thompson (from 26 September) |
| Manager | Alex Smith (until 7 October) Paul Hegarty (until 30 January as caretaker) Ian McCall (from 30 January) |
| Bank of Scotland Premierleague | 11th W:7 D:11 L:20 F:35 A:68 P:32 |
| Tennent's Scottish Cup | Third round |
| CIS Insurance Cup | Semi-finals |
| Top goalscorer | League: Jim McIntyre (9) All: Jim McIntyre, Steven Thompson (9) |
| Highest home attendance | 12,402 (vs Dundee, 31 August) |
| Lowest home attendance | 5,572 (vs Livingston, 19 October) |
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.
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[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
| Win | Draw | Loss |
All results are written with Dundee United's score first.
Bank of Scotland Premierleague[edit]
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 August 2002 | Partick Thistle | A | 0–0 | 6,375 | |
| 10 August 2002 | Kilmarnock | H | 1–2 | 6,366 | Thompson |
| 17 August 2002 | Celtic | A | 0–5 | 56,907 | |
| 25 August 2002 | Motherwell | H | 1–1 | 5,795 | McIntyre |
| 31 August 2002 | Dundee | H | 0–0 | 12,402 | |
| 11 September 2002 | Aberdeen | A | 2–1 | 10,724 | Thompson (2) |
| 14 September 2002 | Dunfermline | H | 1–2 | 6,041 | Lilley |
| 21 September 2002 | Hearts | A | 0–2 | 11,532 | |
| 28 September 2002 | Rangers | H | 0–3 | 10,013 | |
| 5 October 2002 | Hibernian | A | 1–2 | 11,532 | Thompson |
| 19 October 2002 | Livingston | H | 2–3 | 5,572 | Lilley, McIntyre |
| 26 October 2002 | Partick Thistle | H | 1–1 | 6,369 | Thompson |
| 2 November 2002 | Kilmarnock | A | 2–1 | 5,417 | Thompson, McIntyre |
| 10 November 2002 | Celtic | H | 0–2 | 10,664 | |
| 16 November 2002 | Motherwell | A | 2–1 | 5,381 | Hamilton (2) |
| 23 November 2002 | Dundee | A | 2–3 | 11,539 | Hamilton, McIntyre |
| 30 November 2002 | Aberdeen | H | 1–1 | 8,621 | Hamilton |
| 4 December 2002 | Dunfermline | A | 1–4 | 4,342 | McIntyre |
| 7 December 2002 | Hibernian | H | 1–1 | 5,673 | Wilson |
| 14 December 2002 | Rangers | A | 0–3 | 47,639 | |
| 21 December 2002 | Hearts | H | 0–3 | 6,025 | |
| 26 December 2002 | Livingston | A | 0–3 | 5,103 | |
| 29 December 2002 | Partick Thistle | A | 0–0 | 5,109 | |
| 2 January 2003 | Kilmarnock | H | 2–2 | 7,183 | Dodds, McIntyre |
| 29 January 2003 | Celtic | A | 0–2 | 55,204 | |
| 1 February 2003 | Motherwell | H | 2–1 | 6,672 | Tod, Miller |
| 9 February 2003 | Dundee | H | 1–1 | 10,457 | |
| 16 February 2003 | Aberdeen | A | 0–3 | 9,146 | |
| 1 March 2003 | Dunfermline | H | 3–0 | 6,004 | Craig Easton, Tod, Ogunmade |
| 9 March 2003 | Hibernian | A | 1–1 | 7,518 | McIntyre |
| 15 March 2003 | Livingston | H | 0–1 | 6,247 | |
| 5 April 2003 | Hearts | A | 1–2 | 9,663 | Griffin |
| 13 April 2003 | Rangers | H | 1–4 | 10,013 | Dodds |
| 26 April 2003 | Hibernian | H | 1–2 | 6,758 | McCracken |
| 3 May 2003 | Motherwell | A | 2–2 | 9,056 | Miller, McIntyre |
| 10 May 2003 | Livingston | A | 2–1 | 6,314 | McIntyre, Miller |
| 17 May 2003 | Partick Thistle | A | 1–0 | 6,357 | Paterson |
| 24 May 2003 | Aberdeen | H | 0–2 | 8,516 |
Tennent's Scottish Cup[edit]
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 January 2003 | Hibernian | H | 2–3 | 8,986 | O'Donnell, Hamilton |
CIS Insurance Cup[edit]
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 September 2002 | Queen's Park | H | 4–1 | 3,600 | O'Donnell (3), Thompson |
| 29 October 2002 | Airdrie United | A | 2–1 | 1,768 | Thompson (2) |
| 13 November 2002 | Livingston | A | 2–0 | 3,592 | Lilley (2) |
| 6 February 2003 | Celtic | N | 0–3 | 18,856 |
Player details[edit]
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]
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Bank of Scotland Premierleague | Tennent's Scottish Cup | CIS Insurance Cup | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 1 | GK |  SCO
|
Paul Gallacher | 38 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 22 | GK | SCO
|
Alan Combe | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | SCO
|
Jamie McCunnie | 21 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | SCO
|
Warren Cummings | 12 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | DF |  NIR
|
Danny Griffin | 17 | 1 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | SCO
|
Kevin McGowne | 13 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | SCO
|
Gary Bollan | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | SCO
|
Jim Lauchlan | 28 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 14 | DF |  ENG
|
Hasney Aljofree | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | DF | SCO
|
David McCracken | 30 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 27 | DF | SCO
|
Mark Wilson | 31 | 1 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 35 | DF |  ITA
|
Daniele Chiarini | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | SCO
|
Andy Tod | 13 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | SCO
|
Craig Easton | 41 | 1 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | SCO
|
Charlie Miller | 38 | 4 | 34 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | SCO
|
Jim Paterson | 38 | 1 | 33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 15 | MF | SCO
|
Stuart Duff | 38 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | NIR
|
Stephen Carson | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | MF |  GRE
|
Tassos Venetis | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | MF |  ISL
|
Arnar Gunnlaugsson | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 21 | MF |  TRI
|
Russell Latapy | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | SCO
|
Stephen O'Donnell | 14 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 9 | FW | SCO
|
Derek Lilley | 37 | 4 | 33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| 10 | FW | SCO
|
Jim McIntyre | 37 | 9 | 32 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 12 | FW | SCO
|
Allan Smart | 18 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | FW | SCO
|
Billy Dodds | 16 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 17 | FW | SCO
|
Jim Hamilton | 16 | 5 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | SCO
|
Steven Thompson | 23 | 9 | 20 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 23 | FW | SCO
|
David Winters | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 29 | FW | SCO
|
Daniel Ogunmade | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | FW | SCO
|
Stephen McGowan | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 47 | FW | SCO
|
Aaron Conway | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goalscorers[edit]Thirteen players scored for the United first team with the team scoring 43 goals in total. Steven Thompson and Jim McIntyre were the top goalscorers, scoring nine goals apiece.[3]
|
Discipline[edit]During the 2001–02 season, five United players were sent off, and 20 players received at least one yellow card. In total, the team received six dismissals and 67 cautions.[3]
|
Team statistics[edit]
League table[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Aberdeen | 38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 41 | 54 | −13 | 49 | |
| 9 | Livingston | 38 | 9 | 8 | 21 | 48 | 62 | −14 | 35 | |
| 10 | Partick Thistle | 38 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 37 | 58 | −21 | 35 | |
| 11 | Dundee United | 38 | 7 | 11 | 20 | 35 | 68 | −33 | 32 | |
| 12 | Motherwell | 38 | 7 | 7 | 24 | 45 | 71 | −26 | 28 | Spared from relegation[b] |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
Notes:
- ^ 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.
- ^ As the First Division champions Falkirk did not have a suitable ground for the SPL, bottom club Motherwell were spared from relegation.
Transfers[edit]
In[edit]Six players were signed during the 2002–03 season, with a total (public) transfer cost of around £150,000. Four players were also signed for the following season. In addition, two players were signed on loan. The players that joined Dundee United during the 2001–02 season, along with their previous club, are listed below.
Loans in[edit]
|
Out[edit]Eight players left the club during the season with only one transfer – Steven Thompson to Rangers – bringing in a fee (£200k). Two players were loaned out during the season with six also released before next season. Listed below are the players that were released during the season, along with the club that they joined. Players did not necessarily join their next club immediately.
Loans out[edit]
|
Playing kit[edit]
        Home colours
|
 Away colours
|
 Third colours
|
The jerseys were sponsored by Telewest for the last time.
Awards[edit]
- Mark Wilson
- Scottish Premier League Young Player of the Month: 1
- November 2002
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Dundee Utd 2002/2003 player appearances". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2008.
- ^ "Dundee Utd 2001/2002 player appearances". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 12 October 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
- ^ a b "Dundee Utd 2002/2003 player appearances". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 12 October 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
- ^ "McGowne signs at Tannadice". BBC Sport website. 6 July 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
- ^ "Gunnlaugsson joins Dundee United". BBC Sport website. 30 July 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
- ^ "Dodds completes Tannadice move". BBC Sport website. 30 December 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
- ^ "Dundee Utd land Chiarini". BBC Sport website. 10 January 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
- ^ a b "United in double swoop". Dundee United F.C. 28 January 2003. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
- ^ "Latapy joins United". BBC Sport website. 23 February 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
- ^ "United snap up Robson". BBC Sport website. 16 May 2003. Archived from the original on 13 March 2004. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
- ^ a b "United parade new signings". BBC Sport website. 3 June 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
- ^ a b c "United complete Bullock deal". BBC Sport website. 27 June 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
- ^ "1st Team: Warren Cummings". Dundee United F.C. Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 4 June 2008.
- ^ "Wright joins Scunthorpe". BBC Sport website. 6 September 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
- ^ "Triple swoop for 'Well". BBC Sport website. 22 July 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
- ^ "Hasney departs Tannadice". Dundee United F.C. 30 August 2002. Archived from the original on 15 December 2007. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
- ^ "Rangers get Thompson". BBC Sport website. 31 December 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
- ^ a b c "United release McGowne and Venetis". BBC Sport website. 16 January 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
- ^ "New Bosman threat". BBC Sport website. 3 February 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
- ^ "Duo shown Tannadice exit". BBC Sport website. 7 March 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
- ^ "Released players in quarter II/2003". Globalsoccertransfers.com. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
- ^ "Lauchlan signs for Livi". BBC Sport website. 8 September 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
- ^ "Livi steal Lilley". BBC Sport website. 4 July 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
- ^ "Slow start to Scots' transfers". BBC Sport website. 1 January 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Cummings in Tayside move". BBC Sport website. 23 August 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
- ^ "O'Donnell moves to County". BBC Sport website. 29 June 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
External links[edit]