2002–03 Derby County F.C. season

Derby County 2002–03 football season

During the 2002–03 English football season, Derby County competed in the Football League First Division, following relegation from the FA Premier League the previous season.

Season summary

Derby were expected to make a bid for an immediate return to the Premiership, but struggled all season which resulted in manager John Gregory being sacked in March and replaced by former Ipswich Town manager George Burley, who led the team to a secure but disappointing 18th-place finish.

Kit

Derby retained the previous season's home kit, manufactured by Italian company Erreà and sponsored by Pedigree.

Final league table

Updated to match(es) played on 11 May 2003. Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Results

Derby County's score comes first^[1]

Legend

Football League First Division

FA Cup

League Cup

Players

First-team squad

Squad at end of season^[2]

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

Left club during season

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

Transfers

In

• Paul Ritchie – Manchester City, loan
• Tommy Mooney – Birmingham City, loan
• Nick Chadwick – Everton, loan

Out

• Darryl Powell – released (later joined Birmingham City on 12 September)^[3]
• Brian O'Neil – released, 27 November^[4] (later joined Preston North End)
• Fiachra McArdle – released, 27 November
• Deon Burton – Portsmouth, 11 December, £250,000
• Mart Poom – Sunderland, 10 January, £2,500,000^[5]
• Chris Riggott and Malcolm Christie– Middlesbrough, 31 January, £3,000,000 combined^[6]
• Danny Higginbotham – Southampton, 31 January, £1,500,000^[7]
• Bjørn Otto Bragstad – released (later joined SW Bregenz)
• Horacio Carbonari – released (later joined Rosario Central)

Loan out

• Deon Burton – Portsmouth, 9 August
• François Grenet – Rennes, 29 August
• Mart Poom – Sunderland, 15 November
• Marvin Robinson – Tranmere Rovers, 29 November

References

1. "Derby County results for the 2002-2003 season - Statto.com". Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
2. "FootballSquads - Derby County - 2002/03".
3. "Blues complete Powell signing". 12 September 2002.
4. "Rams release two more". 27 November 2002.
5. "Sunderland seal Poom deal". 10 January 2003.
6. "Boro grab Derby pair". 13 February 2003. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
7. "Saints seal Higginbotham deal". 13 February 2003.

Notes

1. Strupar was born in Zagreb, SFR Yugoslavia (now Croatia) but became a naturalised Belgian citizen and made his international debut for Belgium in 1999.
2. Camp was born in Derby, England, and represented them at U-21 level, but also qualifies to represent Northern Ireland internationally and would make his full international debut for Northern Ireland in March 2011.
3. Higginbotham was born in Manchester, England, but also qualified to represent Gibraltar internationally through his maternal grandmother and would make his international debut for Gibraltar in November 2013.
4. Burton was born in Reading, England, but also qualified to represent Jamaica internationally and made his international debut for Jamaica in September 1997.