2002–03 Argentine Primera División, Torneo Clausura, Top scorers, Tournament review
However, an unexpected home loss to Olimpo on Round 15, made Velez lose the first position as Boca and River won their matches against Huracán and San Lorenzo respectively. At the end of the matchday, Boca Juniors were the new leaders.


2002–03 Argentine Primera División, Torneo Clausura, Top scorers, Tournament review
On June 15, during Round 16, River Plate defeated Lanús and because Velez and Boca tied their games, finished the match day as sole leaders.


2002–03 Argentine Primera División, Torneo Clausura, Top scorers, Tournament review
On June 29, during Round 18, River defeated Olimpo in Bahía Blanca and won the championship, by getting a difference of 4 points to rivals Boca Juniors, with only 1 round to go.


2002–03 Argentine Primera División, Torneo Clausura, Top scorers, Tournament review
This table shows the evolution of the league table, showing team result, overall points and position on the table at the end of each round for the three teams that fought for the championship until the last rounds.


2002–03 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team
The 2002–03 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Arizona during the 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Head coach Lute Olson led the team in his 20th season at Arizona. The team played their home games at McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona as members of the Pacific-10 Conference.


2002–03 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team
The team earned the program's 10th Pacific-10 Conference championship with a record of 17–1 in conference play and 28–4 overall.


2002–03 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team, 2003 NCAA Tournament
Arizona was invited to the NCAA Tournament for the 19th-straight season, receiving the top seed in the West Region. The team advanced to the Elite Eight by defeating (16-seed) Vermont, (9) Gonzaga, and (5) Notre Dame before falling 78-75 to (2) Kansas.


2002–03 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team
The 2002–03 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team represented the University of Arkansas in the 2002–03 college basketball season. The head coach was Stan Heath, serving for his first year. The team played its home games in Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas.


2002–03 Armenian Hockey League season
The 2002–03 Armenian Hockey League season was the second season of the Armenian Hockey League, the first since 2001. Dinamo Yerevan won their first Armenian championship.


2002–03 Arminia Bielefeld season
Arminia Bielefeld played the 2002–03 season in the Bundesliga. They finished in 16th place, and were relegated from the Bundesliga for the sixth time in their history.


2002–03 Arminia Bielefeld season, Player details, First team
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Arminia Bielefeld season, Player details, Reserve team
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season
The 2002–03 season was the 105th season of competitive football played by Arsenal. The club retained the FA Cup, a feat last achieved by Tottenham Hotspur in 1982, but finished runners-up to Manchester United in the Premier League. In the UEFA Champions League, defeat to Valencia in the second group stage meant Arsenal exited the competition at the same round for the second successive year.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season
Arsenal began the new campaign as league and cup double winners, and manager Arsène Wenger sought improvement in the Champions League, a competition the club failed in. The retirement of defender Tony Adams meant French midfielder Patrick Vieira was appointed as captain; Pascal Cygan was signed as a replacement in defence. Other recruitments included defensive midfielders Gilberto Silva and Kolo Touré, while goalkeepers Alex Manninger and Richard Wright departed to join Espanyol and Everton respectively.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season
In the league, a 4–1 win against Leeds United in September meant the club broke the record for scoring in consecutive games (47), and away league games without defeat (22). The club began 2003 in first position, but subsequently floundered; a draw to Aston Villa in April allowed Manchester United to move joint top. A further draw at Bolton Wanderers meant the league championship was, mathematically, out of Arsenal's hands and defeat to Leeds a week after ended their chances of retaining the league. Consolation came in retaining the FA Cup; a solitary goal scored by midfielder Robert Pires was enough to beat Southampton in the 2003 final.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season
30 different players represented the club in five competitions and there were 17 different goalscorers. Arsenal's top goalscorer was Thierry Henry, who scored 32 goals in 55 appearances.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Background
Arsenal began the 2001–02 season in good form and a win against Liverpool in December 2001 – having gone down to ten men in the first half, helped them move second in the table. A draw against Southampton on 2 February 2002 started a run of 13 consecutive league wins – a new record, beginning against Everton. Arsenal won the league away to Manchester United at Old Trafford on 8 May 2002; the winning goal was scored by Sylvain Wiltord in the second half. The result meant the team were unbeaten away from home all season, and in scoring four goals against Everton on the final day, became the first team to score in every league match they played. Arsenal completed the double, having beaten Chelsea 2–0 in the 2002 FA Cup Final.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Background
Wenger hoped his team's success would begin an era of dominating English football for years to come, citing a "shift of power". He moreover aimed for significant improvement in the Champions League, a competition where the club failed to reach higher than the quarter-finals. Such was Arsenal's impressive form in late summer, Wenger commented that his team could go the entire season undefeated.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Background
Arsenal's kit sponsorship with O2 came into action in the 2002–03 season, replacing SEGA Dreamcast.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Background, Transfers
Wenger appointed midfielder Patrick Vieira as captain after Tony Adams announced his retirement from football. Defender Lee Dixon left the club after 14 years, retiring at the age of 38. Arsenal did not spend big in the transfer market unlike their rivals and only made subtle additions to the squad: World Cup winner Gilberto Silva and defender Pascal Cygan. English duo Martin Keown and goalkeeper David Seaman extended their stay at the club for two and one more years respectively.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Background, Transfers
In the January transfer window, defender Matthew Upson was sold to Birmingham City and midfielder Steve Sidwell joined Reading on an undisclosed fee. Goalkeeper Guillaume Warmuz signed a short-term contract with Arsenal, as cover for Seaman, Stuart Taylor and Rami Shaaban.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Pre-season
To prepare for the upcoming season Arsenal played a number of friendlies. On 17 June, they played Stevenage for Paul Fairclough's managerial testimonial, then travelled abroad to play Austrian teams Neuberg, and Rapid Wien, before competing in the Tri-team pre-season tournament, also in Austria, winning matches against both Panathinaikos and Roma. Their last match in Austria consisted of a strong 3–1 win against 1860 Munich, before travelling to Belgium to play Beveren, and eventually back to England, beating Barnet in their final pre-season game.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Pre-season, Mid-Season Friendlies
During the season, Arsenal played a number of friendlies at their training ground in London Colney. The dates and details of these matches are displayed below.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, FA Community Shield
As Premier League and FA Cup winners, Arsenal contested the 2002 FA Community Shield against league runners-up Liverpool. Gilberto, making his debut for Arsenal in the second half as a substitute, scored the winning goal, in a match where the team missed numerous chances.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League
A total of 20 teams competed in the Premier League in the 2002–03 season. Each team played 38 matches; two against every other team and one match at each club's stadium. Three points were awarded for each win, one point per draw, and none for defeats. At the end of the season the top two teams qualified for the group stages of the UEFA Champions League; teams in third and fourth needed to play a qualifier.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, August–October
"We're all fighting for second place now. It was demoralising. They just pass and move, pass and move. You find yourself working for nothing."


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, August–October
Arsenal began the season with a 2–0 home victory against promoted Birmingham City; goals from Thierry Henry and Sylvain Wiltord extended the club's winning run to fourteen matches – a new top-flight record. A late equaliser by Wiltord in their next match at West Ham United earned Arsenal a point, having trailed 2–0 in the first half. Three days later, a 5–2 win against West Bromwich Albion moved Arsenal to the top of the league table.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, August–October
Although they drew to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, having lost captain Vieira through a sending-off, a win against Manchester City meant Arsenal leapfrogged local rivals Tottenham Hotspur to first position. A 3–0 win at Charlton Athletic on 15 September 2002 pleased Wenger, who indicated after the match the league was theirs to lose: "We know we can win the league. We know we can be stronger. At this stage last season we were not as good as we are now." Striker Kanu scored a stoppage time winner against Bolton Wanderers to win their eleventh successive home game.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, August–October
At Elland Road, Leeds United hosted Arsenal on 28 September 2002. Goals from Kolo Touré and Henry and a brace from Kanu ensured Arsenal eclipsed Nottingham Forest's record of 22 away league games without defeat and scored in 47 consecutive league matches, breaking Chesterfield Town's achievement. Wenger hailed the performance as "edging nearer to perfection", adding it evoked memories of the Ajax team in the 1970s: "We are playing great, 'Total Football'. Danger comes from everywhere." Leeds manager Terry Venables agreed: "Manchester United have been exceptional for 10 years – but I've not seen anything as good as that."


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, August–October
Arsenal started October with a 3–1 win against Sunderland, breaking Manchester United's Premier League record of 30 matches unbeaten. They however suffered their first defeat of the season, against Everton; teenager Wayne Rooney scored from long range in the last minute of the match. Wenger used his post-match press conference to praise the striker: "At that age, Rooney is already a complete footballer. The guy can play. He's the best English under-20 I've seen since I came here [in 1996]."


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, August–October
In spite of dominating their next match against Blackburn Rovers – "27 goal attempts, 14 on target," Arsenal were beaten 2–1; the winning goal was scored by Dwight Yorke in the second half. It was the team's third consecutive defeat in all competitions, their worst run since November 2000, and moved league leaders Liverpool four points clear at the top of the table.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, November–February
A Steve Marlet own goal gave Arsenal a much-needed 1–0 win against Fulham, ceasing their run of four defeats on 3 November 2002. Another 1–0 win, this time against Newcastle United moved Arsenal one point behind leaders Liverpool. Vieira's performance in particular was plauded in The Guardian as a "demonstration of tackling, control, awareness and movement that was exceptional even by his standards." In the North London derby on 16 November 2002, Arsenal beat Tottenham Hotpsur 3–0 to go back at the top of the league table.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, November–February
The opening goal, scored by Henry was later voted the Goal of the Season by viewers of ITV's The Premiership, having picked up the ball from Arsenal's side of the pitch and running past the opposition defence to shoot past goalkeeper Kasey Keller. At St Mary's Stadium, Arsenal lost 3–2 to Southampton; striker James Beattie scored twice against an Arsenal defence, who conceded three goals in total for the first time since May 2001. Defender Sol Campbell had been sent off in the match, and was suspended for a further game, against Manchester United. Arsenal ended the month with a 3–1 victory over visitors Aston Villa; midfielder Robert Pires scoring for the second successive league match and Henry adding a further two goals.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, November–February
Arsenal faced Manchester United at Old Trafford on 7 December 2002; the home team had beaten title challengers Liverpool the previous weekend. Manchester United opened the scoring in the 21st minute – a poor clearance by Cygan allowed Juan Sebastián Verón to score. Arsenal goalkeeper Rami Shaaban was substituted before the start of the second half, having pulled a thigh muscle. He was replaced by Stuart Taylor, who was helpless to prevent Paul Scholes from scoring a second goal, 15 minutes before the final whistle.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, November–February
A 1–1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur was followed by a win against Middlesbrough; a goal apiece from Campbell and Pires meant Arsenal were top of the table on Christmas. On Boxing Day, Arsenal came from a goal down to beat West Brom 2–1; in doing so, they extended their lead at the top to four points. Three days later, Arsenal's lead was increased to five points, having drawn with Liverpool.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, November–February
In spite of conceding two late goals against Chelsea, Arsenal won by a solitary goal on New Year's Day to maintain their lead. Two goals from Henry against Birmingham City took his total for the club to 100 goals in all competitions; Wenger declared the display – a 4–0 win, as his team's best since beating Leeds United in September.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, November–February
Henry scored a hat-trick for Arsenal against West Ham United on 19 January 2003 but the team drew at Liverpool in spite of a polished performance; Emile Heskey headered the ball into the net, scoring for the home team after 90 minutes. On 1 February 2003, Pires scored a late goal against Fulham, extending Arsenal's lead to six points at the top.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, November–February
This was followed by a 1–1 draw against Newcastle United; manager Sir Bobby Robson after the game criticised referee Neale Barry for his decision to send off midfielder Laurent Robert and Dennis Bergkamp's role in the dismissal, suggesting he "wasn't trying to play the ball to anybody. He kicked the ball against Laurent – I've seen other players do that and I don't like it." Arsenal beat Manchester City 5–1 in their final trip to Maine Road on 22 February 2003. The first four goals, all scored before the half-hour, came at a time when "[Alex] Ferguson ordered the radio to be switched before they reached Old Trafford, presumably in ghastly silence."


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
"I've always plumped for Arsenal, until now. It seemed to me earlier in the season they could score goals whenever they wanted. But they've seen all these points being lost and, without sitting on the fence, I really don't have a clue now. It's all up for grabs."


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
On 2 March 2003, Arsenal opened up an eight-point lead at the top of the table, winning 2–0 against Charlton Athletic. The result was enough for Irish bookmaker Paddy Power to pay out on punters backing Arsenal to retain their lead, despite Manchester United having a game in hand. The gap was cut to two points after Arsenal suffered their first defeat in 2003, against Blackburn Rovers. By the time Arsenal played Everton on 23 March 2003, they were displaced at the top of the table by Manchester United. A goal by Vieira moved the team two points clear once more.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
An own goal scored by Touré meant Freddie Ljungberg's opener against Aston Villa was cancelled out and the match ended in a draw, albeit helping Arsenal back to first position on goal difference. Leading up to the potential championship decider against Manchester United on 16 April 2003, Wenger was adamant his team were mentally ready to retain the title: "We want to be a team who makes history. That's what's really driving us on. We are not worrying about United too much. We are just concentrating on expressing our togetherness, our mental strength and our qualities.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
We have enough players who can win this game." Having conceded a first half goal scored by Ruud van Nistelrooy, Arsenal overturned Manchester United's lead before Ryan Giggs equalised for the away team. The match ended 2–2; Campbell was sent off for elbowing Ole Gunnar Solskjær and was banned the rest of the season, whereas Vieira limped off with an injury. Although the result helped Manchester United move back top, they had played one game more than Arsenal. Arsenal won their next match at Middlesbrough, but squandered a two-goal lead away to Bolton Wanderers in the last ten minutes. The result, "a big blow" for Arsenal's title hopes, meant the championship was now in Manchester United's favour.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
With Manchester United beating Charlton Athletic 4–1 on 3 May 2003, Arsenal, a day later, needed a win against Leeds United to restore any hope of finishing top of the league. In a five-goal match, an 88th-minute goal by Mark Viduka ensured Leeds United's survival in the top division and Manchester United's recapture of the Premiership. Wenger revoked suggestion that the league campaign was a "failure", arguing his team were consistent:


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
Of course we want to win the league but I think the most difficult thing for the club is to be consistent and we have been remarkably consistent. We are in the cup final; we lose the league to a team who spends 50% more money every year – last year they bought a player for £30m pounds when they lost the championship. They will do the same next year and we [have] done miracles just to fight with them.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
Arsenal won their final two matches of the league season, against Southampton – where Pires and Jermaine Pennant both scored a hat-trick – and Sunderland, ending the season with 78 points.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, FA Cup
Arsenal entered the competition in the third round, receiving a bye as a Premier League club. Their opening match was a 2–0 home win against Oxford United on 4 January 2003. Bergkamp scored his 100th goal for the club and an own goal by defender Scott McNiven ensured progression to the next round. Arsenal faced non-league side Farnborough Town but the match switched from Farnborough's ground at Cherrywood Road to Highbury due to concerns over safety.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, FA Cup
Farnborough as the home team began the match in disastrous fashion, conceding a goal scored by Campbell in the 19th minute, and going down to ten men after Christian Lee was sent off for a professional foul. Francis Jeffers scored twice before Rocky Baptiste added a consolation, beating Cygan for pace and despite having his first shot saved by goalkeeper Taylor, he managed to lift the ball over him and into the net. Lauren and Bergkamp each scored in the final 15 minutes to give Arsenal a 5–1 victory.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, FA Cup
Arsenal's fifth round match was away to league rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford on 16 February 2003. After Giggs missed the chance to score past an open goal, midfielder Edu gave Arsenal the lead through a free kick which took a deflection off David Beckham's shoulder. Wiltord scored the second goal of the match in the 52nd minute, running onto a pass from Edu and side-footing the ball past goalkeeper Fabien Barthez. Vieira said of the performance: "We knew when we lost here in the league that we had lost the battle in midfield.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, FA Cup
We had to put that right, and we did." In the sixth round, Arsenal were drawn at home to Chelsea in a repeat of the previous season's final. Chelsea defender John Terry put his team ahead with a header from a set piece before Arsenal responded through Jeffers and Henry. Frank Lampard scored a late equaliser for the visiting team meaning the match was replayed at Stamford Bridge. An own goal by Terry and a strike by Wiltord in the space of seven minutes during the replay gave Arsenal an early lead against Chelsea.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, FA Cup
Despite going down to ten men after Cygan was sent off and Terry scoring from a header, the away team scored a third goal through Lauren to ensure progression into the semi-finals. In the semi-final against Sheffield United on 13 April 2003 at Old Trafford, Ljungberg scored the winning goal to help Arsenal reach their third successive FA Cup final appearance. The match was remembered for Seaman, who on his 1,000th appearance in senior football produced a late save to deny Sheffield United from equalising.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, FA Cup
In the 2003 FA Cup Final against Southampton, a goal from Pires, scored in the first half was enough to ensure Arsenal won their ninth FA Cup, becoming the first team to retain the trophy in over 20 years. Wenger commented after the game that his team "got the trophy we wanted" while defender Martin Keown said the FA Cup win was "the best ever". Winning captain David Seaman felt the disappointment of losing out to Manchester United in the league spurred the team on.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, League Cup
Together, with the other clubs playing in European football, Arsenal entered the Football League Cup in the third round, where they were drawn at home to Premier League club Sunderland. Although Arsenal went two goals ahead in the first half, Sunderland responded, scoring three times in 15 minutes. The result was Wenger's fifth defeat in six matches.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Group stage
Arsenal were drawn in Group A, along with German club Borussia Dortmund, Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven and French side Auxerre. A deflected goal by Bergkamp and a counterattack, finished off by Ljungberg on his comeback from injury gave Arsenal the perfect start in the group stages, at home to Borussia Dortmund. At the Philips Stadion, Arsenal produced an impressive display against PSV, winning 4–0. It was their first win in European football away from home in 19 months and the match set a new club record, as Gilberto scored the fastest goal in the competition at 20.07 seconds.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Group stage
Against Auxerre, Gilberto scored for the second successive matchday to take Arsenal to nine points, but goals from Olivier Kapo and Khalilou Fadiga in the return game inflicted Arsenal's first defeat in the Champions League. In spite of taking the lead against Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 5, Arsenal conceded two goals to lose 2–1. A fourth straight defeat represented the club's worst run in 19 years but with PSV beating Auxerre, Arsenal qualified for the second group stage with a game to spare – that match ending in a 0–0 draw against PSV.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Second group stage
Henry scored his first hat-trick in Europe for Arsenal against Roma on 27 November 2002 with the player stating; "It's wonderful to score a hat-trick but it's even more important that I did so in a game we've won." The result was followed with four consecutive draws – three at home against Roma, Valencia and Ajax. Arsenal only needed a draw to progress into the knockout stages, but lost 2–1 to Valencia at the Mestalla on 19 March 2003. Reflecting later on the Champions League campaign, Wenger commented that "we lost our qualification at home".


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Player statistics
Arsenal used a total of 30 players during the 2002–03 season and there were 17 different goalscorers. There were also two squad members who did not make a first-team appearance in the campaign. Henry featured in 55 matches, three of which he came on as a substitute.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Player statistics
The team scored a total of 112 goals in all competitions. The highest goalscorer was Henry, with 32 goals, followed by Pires who scored 16 goals. Four Arsenal players were sent off during the season: Vieira, Cygan, Campbell (twice) and Touré.


2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season, Player statistics
Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute. Players with number struck through and marked  left the club during the playing season.


2002–03 Aston Villa F.C. season
The 2002–03 season was Aston Villa's 11th season in the Premier League, and their 15th consecutive season in the top division of English football.


2002–03 Aston Villa F.C. season
Fans had hoped that the return of successful former manager Graham Taylor would spark a serious challenge for honours once more, but the actual result was Villa's worst Premier League campaign in eight years, with the club in serious danger of relegation throughout the season. Survival was only achieved in the penultimate game of the season with a victory over already-doomed Sunderland; Taylor was soon on his way out of the club for good.


2002–03 Aston Villa F.C. season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Aston Villa F.C. season, Players, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Aston Villa F.C. season, Players, Reserve squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Aston Villa F.C. season, Players, U-19 squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Aston Villa F.C. season, Players, U-17 squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Aston Villa F.C. season, Players, Other players
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Atalanta B.C. season
Atalanta B.C. lost its momentum it had built in its first two Serie A seasons in its stint, eventually being relegated following a playoff against Reggina. The championship was such competitive than Atalanta was only four points away from repeating its 9th place from the 2001-02 season, but instead had to face Serie B competition, losing key players such as Cristiano Doni, Luciano Zauri and Ousmane Dabo to bigger clubs.


2002–03 Athletic Bilbao season
The 2002–03 season was the 102nd season in Athletic Bilbao's history and their 72nd consecutive season in La Liga, the top division of Spanish football.


2002–03 Athletic Bilbao season, Season summary
In Jupp Heynckes's second season in charge, Athletic Bilbao made a slight improvement in the league, climbing from ninth to seventh place, their highest placing since finishing as runners-up in 1997–98. They were eliminated from the Copa del Rey at the last 32 stage by Basque rivals Real Unión, who were ranked two divisions below Athletic, in Segunda División B.


2002–03 Athletic Bilbao season, Season summary
Heynckes departed at the end of the season to take up the manager's role at Schalke 04 in his native Germany. He was replaced by former Bilbao player Ernesto Valverde, who was promoted from coaching the B team.


2002–03 Atlanta Hawks season
The 2002–03 NBA season was the Hawks' 54th season in the National Basketball Association, and 35th season in Atlanta. Atlanta hosted the 2003 NBA All-Star Game. In the off-season, the Hawks acquired All-Star forward Glenn Robinson from the Milwaukee Bucks. However, DerMarr Johnson missed the entire season with a broken neck sustained from an offseason car accident.


2002–03 Atlanta Hawks season
With the addition of Robinson, and Theo Ratliff playing his first full season with the team, the Hawks would get off to a 6–4 start, which included a road win over the 3-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, 95–83 at Staples Center on November 12. However, they would proceed to struggle as head coach Lon Kruger was fired after Christmas with the team floundering at 11–16. Under replacement Terry Stotts, the Hawks lost 12 of their next 15 games, including two six-game losing streaks in December and January. Despite winning six of their final eight games in April, they finished fifth in the Central Division with a 35–47 record.


2002–03 Atlanta Hawks season
Robinson led the Hawks in scoring with 20.8 points per game, while Shareef Abdur-Rahim averaged 19.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Jason Terry provided the team with 17.2 points, 7.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game, and Ratliff led them with 3.2 blocks per game. Following the season, Robinson was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers after just one season in Atlanta, Ira Newble signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Johnson and Emanual Davis were both released to free agency.


2002–03 Atlanta Thrashers season
The 2002–03 Atlanta Thrashers season was the Thrashers' fourth season. The Thrashers placed third in the Southeast, eleventh in the East to miss the playoffs.


2002–03 Atlanta Thrashers season, Regular season
The Thrashers struggled defensively, allowing the most goals (284) and the most short-handed goals (14) of any team in the league.


2002–03 Atlanta Thrashers season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.


2002–03 Atlanta Thrashers season, Regular season, Final standings
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast


2002–03 Atlanta Thrashers season, Regular season, Final standings
P –  Clinched Presidents Trophy; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2002–03 Atlanta Thrashers season, Transactions
The Thrashers were involved in the following transactions during the 2002–03 season.


2002–03 Atlanta Thrashers season, Draft picks
Atlanta's draft picks at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario.


2002–03 Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball season
The 2002–03 Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball season marked the 27th season of Atlantic 10 Conference basketball.


2002–03 Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball season, Postseason, Atlantic 10 Tournament
All the games were held at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio.


2002–03 Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball season
The 2002-03 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) men's basketball season was won by Wake Forest, led by their coach Skip Prosser. Maryland Terrapins finished in second place, and defending champions Duke Blue Devils in third. Previously top-ranking teams such as North Carolina and Virginia came further down the table. The ACC Tournament was won by Duke Blue Devils. The ACC also sent four teams to the NCAA Tournament, which was won by Syracuse University, led by All-World Freshman Carmelo Anthony.


2002–03 Atlético Madrid season
Atlético de Madrid returned to La Liga following a two-year absence, having a safe ride in the midfield under Luis Aragonés. The season marked the breakthrough of Fernando Torres, the striker making his La Liga debut by the start of the season, scoring 13 league goals as a teenager. Demetrio Albertini was a key signing before the season, the experienced Italian providing a solid display before departing for Lazio in his home country.


2002–03 Auburn Tigers men's basketball team
The 2002–03 Auburn Tigers men's basketball team represented Auburn University in the 2002–03 college basketball season. The team's head coach was Cliff Ellis, who was in his ninth season at Auburn. The team played their home games at Beard–Eaves–Memorial Coliseum in Auburn, Alabama. They finished the season 22–12, 8–8 in SEC play. They defeated Tennessee to advance to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament where they lost to Kentucky. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament where they defeated Saint Joseph's and Wake Forest to advance to the Sweet Sixteen where they lost to Syracuse.


2002–03 Australia Tri-Nation Series
The 2002–03 Australia Tri-Nation Series (more commonly known as the 2002–03 VB Series) was a One Day International (ODI) cricket tri-series where Australia played host to England and Sri Lanka. Australia and England reached the Finals, which Australia won 2–0.


2002–03 Australia Tri-Nation Series, Gallery
Damien Martyn strikes a four - England vs Australia, Bellerive Oval


2002–03 Australia Tri-Nation Series, Gallery
Brett Lee in the outfield in the 7th match against England at Bellerive Oval


2002–03 Australian Athletics Championships
The 2002–03 Australian Athletics Championships was the 81st edition of the national championship in outdoor track and field for Australia. It was held from 3–6 April 2003 at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre in Brisbane. It served as a selection meeting for Australia at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics. Long-distance events were held separately: the 5000 metres took place at the Melbourne Track Classic on 1 March 2003 while the 10,000 metres was contested at 12 April 2003 in Runaway Bay, Queensland.


2002–03 Australian Figure Skating Championships
The 2002–03 Australian Figure Skating Championships was held in Brisbane from 30 November through 7 December 2002. Skaters competed in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, and ice dancing across many levels, including senior, junior, novice, adult, and the pre-novice disciplines of primary and intermediate.


2002–03 Australian bushfire season
A particularly extensive bushfire season in Australia, ran predominantly from December 2002 to March 2003 and involved over 3,000 separate fires in Victoria alone. The 2003 Canberra bushfires were also particularly severe.


2002–03 Australian bushfire season
The developing drought in Australia and well below-average rainfall through winter and spring of 2002 established conditions conducive to above-average bushfire potential. During the 2002–03 season, there were 5,999 bushfires attended by the relevant agency Australia-wide and 7 fatalities, 4 of those from the January Canberra fires.


2002–03 Australian bushfire season
Perhaps the most well known fire of the season was the Eastern Victorian alpine bushfires that burnt in north-eastern Victoria, the Victorian Alps and Gippsland. This fire was ignited in several locations by multiple lightning strikes and burnt 1.12 million hectares of land over the course of 2 months. Over 15,000 personnel were directly engaged with this fire complex.


2002–03 Australian bushfire season, Overview
While hundreds or thousands of individual fires burn in any given bushfire season, areas of large fires that join and split are referred to as 'fire complexes'. The major fire complexes included:


2002–03 Australian bushfire season, Overview
According to the ABS, in their 1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2004, between 664 and 646 houses were destroyed and 13427 to 14427 stock lost in the 2002-03 bushfire season.


2002–03 Australian bushfire season, Timeline, September–November 2002
The first fires of the 2002–03 season were reported in September 2002 in Victoria. Ongoing drought and lack of spring rain led to the Bureau of Meteorology predicting conditions comparable to that of the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires, and Fire Authorities were subsequently placed on high alert.


2002–03 Australian bushfire season, Timeline, December 2002
On 17 December, multiple lightning strikes in the Big Desert Wilderness Park ignited vegetation, creating a fire complex within the park south of Murrayville and burning until 25 December. The Big Desert Fire was, at the time, the biggest fire in Victoria in 20 years, affecting 181,400 hectares of predominantly public land and requiring significant resources to contain.


2002–03 Australian bushfire season, Timeline, January–March 2003
On 6 January, lightning ignited a fire near Yambulla, north west of Genoa in East Gippsland. The fire was seen as posing a major threat, requiring significant firefighting resources. At the time the main fires started on 8 January, a total of 180 DSE firefighters were allocated to the Yambulla fire, supported by bulldozers and firebombing aircraft. The fire was contained within a few days. This level of resourcing did, however, decrease the local resources available to fight the multiple outbreaks that followed.


2002–03 Australian bushfire season, Timeline, January–March 2003
On 7 January, multiple lightning strikes in north-east Victoria and Gippsland started hundreds of fires in Victoria that would remain uncontained until 7 March, a full 2 months later. In early February, at the peak of the fires, around 3,760 people were involved in the fire effort, excluding local CFA brigades. This figure includes 160 Defence Force staff, over 300 interstate firefighters, 33 alpine firefighting specialists from New Zealand, and 35 personnel from the United States. In total, 15,725 personnel were directly engaged on the Eastern Victorian alpine bushfires.


2002–03 Australian bushfire season, Aftermath
In October 2003, the DSE published a report on the 2002–03 fires, which was considered a formidable task as it had to document over 3,000 separate fires and all the effects and personnel involved. The report concluded that the responses and containment of the fires was commendable. No lives were lost, and stock losses and property damage was kept to a minimum considering the area of land affected by the fires.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season
The 2002–03 Australian region cyclone season included Cyclone Inigo, which tied with Cyclone Gwenda in 1999 as the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Australian basin. It began on 1 November 2002 and ended on 30 April 2003. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a tropical cyclone year separately from a tropical cyclone season, which runs from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season
These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Australian region, which is defined as in the southern hemisphere between 90°E and 180°E. The season's ten tropical depressions existed within these dates, with the first, designated as Tropical Cyclone 07S, entering the basin on 27 December 2002. The last system, Cyclone Epi, dissipated on 6 June 2003. Tropical cyclones in this area were monitored by four Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs): the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) in Perth, Darwin, and Brisbane and one in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season
Tropical cyclogenesis in the season began when a tropical low developed in the Arafura Sea on 5 January and last until 24 January, after meandering over northern and Western Australia. On 1 February, weakening Cyclone Beni entered the Australian region and brought severe flooding to Queensland, before dissipating on 5 February. Severe Tropical Cyclone Fiona formed north of Western Australia on 3 February and later peaked as a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale. Cyclone Graham developed offshore Western Australia on 24 February and made landfall in a rural area of that state on 28 February, producing flooding in the area. Tropical Cyclone Harriet existed offshore of Western Australia from 1 to 11 March.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season
On 1 March, Cyclone Erica formed offshore Queensland and strengthened as it moved in a parabolic path, before leaving the Australian region on 12 March. Erica caused only minor damage in Queensland. Cyclone Craig originated offshore Northern Territory on 8 March. The system subsequently struck the territory and eventually made another landfall in Queensland on 12 March, after crossing the Gulf of Carpentaria. Impact from Craig was generally minor. Cyclone Inigo formed on 30 March and caused severe impact in Indonesia, especially in Flores, Sumba, and West Timor.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season
Inigo later deepened into the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Australian region, tied with Cyclone Gwenda in 1999. Inigo weakened significantly before striking Western Australia on 8 April and dissipating shortly thereafter. The final system, Tropical Cyclone Epi developed east of Papua New Guinea on 5 June and dissipated on the following day. Overall, the tropical cyclones of this season caused 60 deaths and about $12 million (2003 USD) in damage.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Seasonal summary
The season began on 1 November 2002 and ended on 30 April 2003, while the regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a tropical cyclone year from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003. Eight cyclones entered or formed in the Australian region, which was below the 1970–71 to 2001–02 average of 13 per season. There was a major shift in tropical cyclone activity from the Australian region to the South Pacific, because of a moderate El Niño event.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Seasonal summary
Only two cyclones occurred between 125°E and 150°E, which is east of Australia, and six formed between 150°E and 160°E. All of the tropical cyclone developed during Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) pulses or Equatorial Rossby (ER) pulses. Overall, the tropical cyclones of this season resulted in 60 deaths and slightly less than $12 million in damage.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Seasonal summary
Activity began in December 2002, when Tropical Cyclone 07S entered the Australian region from the southwestern Indian Ocean basin on 27 December. In January, an unnamed tropical cyclone existed for more than three weeks over the Arafura Sea, Northern Territory, and Western Australia. The basin became more active in February, with South Pacific Cyclone Beni entering the area on 1 February. This was followed by the development of Fiona on 3 February and Graham on 24 February; both formed north of Western Australia.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Seasonal summary
Two tropical cyclones – Harriet and Erica – both originated on 1 March; the former developed northwest of Western Australia and the latter formed east of Queensland. About a week later, 8 March, Cyclone Craig developed near the coast of Northern Territory. The strongest tropical system of the season, Cyclone Inigo, originated over the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia on 30 March. At peak intensity, Inigo had a minimum barometric pressure of 900 mbar (27 inHg), making the most intense tropical cyclone in the Australian region on record, tied with Cyclone Gwenda in 1999. Activity remained dormant until the development of Cyclone Epi on 5 June, which dissipated on the following day.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Depression 07S
Tropical Cyclone 07S developed in the southwestern Indian Ocean on 25 December, while located about 1345 km (835 mi) west-northwest of Cocos Islands. It initially drifted southwest and then turned eastward on 27 December. Around this time, 07S entered Perth's Area Of Responsibility (AOR). The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) estimated that 07S peaked with 1-minute maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h (35 mph) and a minimum barometric pressure of 1,006 mbar (29.7 inHg). The storm drifted erratically and by 1800 UTC on 28 December, the JTWC issued its final warning on 07S, while situated about 465 km (290 mi) west-northwest of Cocos Islands. However, TCWC Perth continued Tropical Weather Outlooks (TWOs) on the system until 3 January.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone 01U
A tropical low developed over the Arafura Sea on 4 January and strengthened into a tropical cyclone before passing near Elcho Island, Northern Territory. The storm then made landfall in Arnhem Land on 5 January. At 0900 UTC, the system peaked with winds of 95 km/h (60 mph). It meandered over Northern Territory and the Gulf of Carpentaria for a few weeks. The system remained inland until moving offshore Kimberley on 21 January. A deep trough generated wind shear, which inhibited significant intensification. However, deep convection began to develop late on 24 January as it approached the north coast of Western Australia. Around 0300 UTC on 25 January, the storm made landfall near Port Hedland with winds of 65 km/h (40 mph). The system quickly weakened and dissipated by 1200 UTC.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone 01U
Gale-force winds caused damage vegetation, trees, vehicles, and buildings in Elcho Island, Gapuwiyak, Maningrida, and Ramingining. Wind-driven waves at the mouth of the Rose River inundated workshops near Numbulwar. Torrential rains fell in the Roper–McArthur River district, peaking at 880 mm (35 in) at Wollogorang. A temporary evacuation occurred along the Waterhouse River at Beswick. Other rivers that overflowed inundated portions of highways such as the Carpentaria Highway and Tablelands Highway. After regenerating into a tropical cyclone, the storm brought up to 146.6 mm (5.77 in) of rainfall in a 24-hour period in the Port Hedland area. This caused the Yule River to overflow its banks, which flooded the North-West Highway. Operationally, the storm was thought to have been two separate systems and to have remained below tropical cyclone intensity.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Beni
Beni originated from the South Pacific region in late January and its remnants crossed into the Australian region by 1 February. Upon reaching the Coral Sea, the remnants of Beni slowly began to redevelop. After strong convective bands formed, Brisbane TCWC initiated gale warnings. Located offshore Queensland on 4 February, the remnants of Beni regenerated into a tropical cyclone. However, strong vertical wind shear caused Beni to dissipated on 5 February, while situated offshore of Queensland near the city of Mackay.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Beni
Heavy rainfall accompanied Beni and its remnants, reaching 500 mm (20 in) near Gladstone. One person drowned due to the flooding rains. Runoff on the Fitzroy River caused by Cyclone Beni resulted in a moderate flood with an estimated return period of four years at Rockhampton. The cyclone's heavy rains helped ease drought problems in Queensland. Nine shires in Central Queensland were declared disaster areas. Additionally, strong winds left power outages in Agnes Water and 1770. Overall, Beni resulted in damages of at least A$10 million (US$6 million) in Queensland.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Fiona
An area of convection began developing into a tropical low on 3 February, while located about 970 km (600 mi) north of Karratha, Western Australia. Poorly-defined convection was noted as well as good outflow and a weak circulation. The system drifted westward with minimal development until late on 4 February, when satellite imagery showed increasing convection near the center. Subsequently, the JTWC issued a TCFA for the system. With the developing low located in an environment of weak to moderate wind shear, TCWC Perth issued a warning. At 0700 UTC on 5 February, Perth named the system Fiona. The JTWC issued their first advisory on Fiona about five hours later. Fiona strengthened steadily and reached tropical cyclone intensity at 0600 UTC on 6 February. Continuing to intensify, TCWC Perth upgraded the storm to severe tropical cyclone status early on 7 February.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Fiona
Early on 8 February, an eye became embedded within partial concentric convective bands. Later that day, TCWC Perth reported a peak intensity of 175 km/h (110 mph) at 1000 UTC. Shortly thereafter, the storm began weakening as dry air increased. By 1000 UTC on 9 February, TCWC Perth reduced the intensity of Fiona to 170 km/h (105 mph). Deep convection weakened somewhat and the eye had become cloud-filled. Although the eye briefly redeveloped, water vapor imagery showed cooler and drier air entering the southern portion of the storm. Fiona began to turn southwestward as it neared the 90°E longitude.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Fiona
By late 12 February, Fiona weakened below gale force intensity. Moving steadily southward, it then re-curved south-southeastward along the 91°E. With the storm rapidly weakening, JTWC issued their final warning early on 13 February and Perth followed suit four hours later. The remnants of Fiona moved into the Great Australian Bight, leading to significant amounts of rainfall. The Eyre Peninsula and Adelaide recorded more rain in 24 hours than they had in 2002 and 2001 combined. The New South Wales saw major flooding events in towns such as Tamworth. Flooding also closed the Pacific Highway. Over 100 houses along the Gold Coast were damaged due to the torrential rains.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Graham
In late February, an area of convection situated inland for roughly a week emerged over open waters along the northern coast of Australia. A tropical low formed on 24 February, and developed a banding feature by 25 February. Despite strong wind shear, the BOM began issuing warnings while the low was located several hundred kilometers north-northeast of Port Hedland. The disturbance was initially nearly stationary. At 0700 UTC on 27 February, the JTWC designated the storm as Tropical Cyclone Graham.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Graham
According to the JTWC, the storm had intensified late on 28 February, though the BOM noted the slight weakening of the storm. Graham reached its peak intensity that day with winds of 95 km/h (60 mph), while nearing the coast. The storm made landfall at Eighty Mile Beach, Western Australia at 1400 UTC on 28 February. Graham weakened and dissipated on 1 March.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Graham
The storm dropped rainfall in Western Australia, with 175 mm (6.9 in) recorded at Telfer. The heavy rain caused flooding and road closures, and swelled a river passing through Fitzroy Crossing, though the river only topped its banks slightly. In nearby Blue Bush Creek, two men drowned as their group of people attempted to cross floodwaters. Both men were rescued, though one died before emergency services arrived. In addition to the flooding, a number of trees were downed.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Harriet
A tropical low developed southwest of Christmas Island on 28 February. Perth TCWC issued a TWO on 1 March, which indicated an eastward-moving 1,005 mb (29.7 inHg) low. At 0600 UTC on 2 March, the JTWC initiated warnings on Tropical Cyclone 21S, estimating winds of 65 km/h (40 mph). The system maintained a well-defined circulation, although deep convection diminished somewhat on 2 March. Later that day, Perth began issuing gale warnings on the low as it was expected to develop into a tropical cyclone. Moving eastward, convection increased near the center, though dry air inhibited much development. At 0400 UTC on 4 March, the TCWC Perth named the system Tropical Cyclone Harriet.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Harriet
On 5 March, JTWC briefly decreased the intensity of Harriett to 55 km/h (35 mph), as deep convection diminished, probably due to persistent dry air. By late on 5 March, convection increased in coverage. Based on this, TCWC Perth upped their intensity to 80 km/h (50 mph). Late on 5 March, Harriet moved slowly southward and curved west-southwestward. Although convection fluctuated, the cyclone maintained its intensity. After deep convection decreased slightly, the JTWC lowered the intensity of Harriett to 65 km/h (40 mph).


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Harriet
However, TCWC Perth suggested otherwise and on 8 March, Harriet peaked with winds of 100 km/h (65 mph), while located over 480 km (300 mi) north-northwest of Carnarvon. Early on 9 March, JTWC issued their final advisory on Harriet. The storm became extratropical at 1000 UTC on 9 March, while located about 580 km (360 mi) west-northwest of Carnarvon. Strong winds from Harriet contributed to a large bushfire near Walpole, Western Australia.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Erica
A monsoon trough strengthened into a tropical low on 1 March. The low then significantly organized and was named Erica on 4 March, just offshore Queensland. Early on 5 March, the JTWC began classifying the system as Tropical Cyclone 22S. Moving slowly southeastward and then northward under the influence of a weak mid-level ridge to the east, Erica attained 10-minute sustained winds of 150 km/h (90 mph). However, Erica soon weakened due to strong wind shear. On 7 March, the cyclone degenerated into a tropical low.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Erica
After the remnants curved eastward and then southeastward, wind shear abated and became favorable for tropical cyclogenesis. As a result, the low regenerated into a tropical cyclone. After attaining the equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale, Erica entered the South Pacific basin on 12 March.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Erica
Severe Tropical Cyclone Erica was a powerful cyclone that severely affected New Caledonia and was considered the worst to affect the country since Cyclone Beti in 1996. Early in its existence while just offshore Queensland, the predecessor to Erica brought strong winds to the coast. Several trees were uprooted, and others were defoliated. Power lines were also damaged.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Craig
TCWC Darwin began monitoring a tropical low that developed west of Darwin on 5 March. Early on 8 March, the JTWC classified the system as Tropical Cyclone 24S. At 0300 UTC on 9 March, the storm became Tropical Cyclone Craig, while situated northwest of Cape Fourcroy. The storm deepened and drifted eastward and then southeastward. On 10 March, Craig made landfall on Melville Island with winds of 95 km/h (60 mph). Upon emerging into the Van Diemen Gulf on 10 March, Craig peaked with sustained winds of 100 km/h (65 mph). Craig struck the Coburg Peninsula and began to slowly weaken inland. The storm reached the Gulf of Carpentaria on 11 March, where it accelerated southeastward. On 12 March at 0600 UTC, the cyclone made landfall south of Kowanyama. After moving inland, the storm quickly weakened and dissipated later that day.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Craig
In advance of the storm, tropical cyclone advisories were issued for communities between Weipa and Mornington Island. The government of the Tiwi Islands evacuated some residents to shelters. In the Darwin area, certain schools were closed temporarily as a precaution. Impact from Craig was generally minor. At Ramingining, 164 mm (6.5 in) of rain fell in just 24 hours. Storm surge ran 2 to 2.5 m (6.6 to 8.2 ft) on Goulburn Island and the Cobourg Peninsula, while tides were estimated at 1.5 m (4.9 ft) at Nhulunbuy. Strong winds at Maningrida and Kowanyama downed numerous trees, with one striking a house in the latter. Craig inflicted minor damage to small craft in the northwestern Gulf of Carpentaria. Throughout the region, roads were cut by the cyclone.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Inigo
An area of disturbed weather was located within the near-equatorial trough near Papua New Guinea in late March. Despite easterly wind shear, a tropical low developed on 30 March, shortly before crossing the island of Flores. Decreasing wind shear allowed the low to strengthen into a tropical cyclone while crossing the Savu Sea on 1 April. Later that day, the JTWC initiated advisories on Tropical Cyclone 26S. On 2 April, BOM classified the low as Tropical Cyclone Inigo. An eye feature gradually organized as winds increased to 130 km/h (80 mph) early on 3 April. As a result, the BOM began classifying Inigo as a severe tropical cyclone. Later on 3 April, low wind shear and strong divergence allowed the cyclone to undergo rapid intensification as the eye became well-defined.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Inigo
At 0600 UTC 4 April, Inigo peaked with sustained winds of 240 km/h (150 mph), according to BOM. Based on the pressure-wind relationship, it was estimated that Inigo reached a minimum barometric pressure of 900 mbar (27 inHg). Thus, the storm tied with Cyclone Gwenda as the most intense tropical cyclone in the Australian cyclone region. Simultaneously, JTWC indicated the Inigo peaked with sustained winds of 260 km/h (160 mph). However, later on 4 April, increasing wind shear began to weaken Inigo. On the following day, the eye became cloud-filled and by 7 April, Inigo weakened to Category 2 status. Inigo made landfall in the Pilbara region of Western Australia on 8 April with winds of 75 km/h (45 mph). The circulation dissipated within 12 hours after moving ashore.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Inigo
The precursor tropical disturbance dropped heavy rainfall in eastern Indonesia. In Kupang on West Timor, the system destroyed hundreds of homes and large fields of corn, bean, and rice crop. Heavy damage was reported near Ende, where flooding and mudslides destroyed 20 houses and destroyed the roads connecting to East Flores. In Ende, a total of 294 animals were killed. In East Flores Regency in eastern Flores Island, the system left 75 destroyed houses, along with 77 severely damaged and a further 56 receiving light damage. Damage in Indonesia totaled less than $6 million, and 102 injuries were reported. In addition, 58 fatalities were reported. In Australia, the storm dropped 128 mm (5.04 in) of rain in 80 minutes.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Epi
In early June, an area of fairly persistent convection stretched from Papua New Guinea to just north of Fiji. Around 0630 UTC on 5 June, Epi developed near Woodlack Island, unusually close to the Equator. Initially, the storm appeared to be undergoing rapid deepening, prompting the JTWC to issue a TCFA. However, strong wind shear caused the system to quickly become less organized and the TCFA was soon cancelled. A very short lived cyclone, a Papua New Guinea warning during the late morning hour of 5 June placed Epi's center about 130 km (80 mi) northeast of Woodlack Island. Never recognized as a tropical cyclone by the JTWC, the third and final warning was issued later that day after winds fell below gale force.


2002–03 Australian region cyclone season, Season effects
This is a table of all of the storms that have formed in the 2002–03 Australian region cyclone season. It includes their duration, names, landfall(s)–denoted by bold location names – damages, and death totals. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave, or a low, and all of the damage figures are in 2003 AUD and USD.


2002–03 Austrian Cup
The 2002–2003 Austrian Cup (German: ÖFB-Cup) was the 69th season of Austria's nationwide football cup competition. It commenced with the matches of the First Round in August 2002 and concluded with the Final on 1 June 2003. The competition was won by Austria Vienna after beating FC Kärnten 3–2. Due to Austria Vienna qualifying for European competition through winning the Bundesliga, Kärnten qualified for the 2003–04 UEFA Cup as cup runners-up.


2002–03 Austrian Football Bundesliga, Overview
It was contested by 10 teams, and FK Austria Wien won the championship.


2002–03 Austrian Hockey League season
The 2002–03 Austrian Hockey League season was the 73rd season of the Austrian Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Austria. Eight teams participated in the league, and the EHC Black Wings Linz won the championship.


2002–03 Ayr United F.C. season
The 2002–03 season is the 93rd season of competitive football by Ayr United.


2002–03 Azadegan League
The final results of the Azadegan League 2002–03 season were:


2002–03 Azerbaijan Top League
The 2002-03 Azerbaijan Top League The championship was not held due to the conflict between clubs and AFFA at the end of last season. In this regard, our clubs have not been released in the second year of European club tournaments.


2002–03 B Group
The 2002–03 B Group was the 48th season of the Bulgarian B Football Group, the second tier of the Bulgarian football league system. A total of 16 teams contested the league.


2002–03 Bahraini Premier League, Overview
It was contested by 10 teams, and Bahrain Riffa Club won the championship.


2002–03 Bangladeshi cricket season
The 2002–03 Bangladeshi cricket season featured the inaugural Test series in Bangladesh between Bangladesh and West Indies. It was followed by Bangladesh's first home series against South Africa.


2002–03 Bangladeshi cricket season, International tours, The West Indies cricket team in Bangladesh
The West Indies played two Test matches and three limited overs internationals. They won both the Test matches and two of the One Day Internationals, while the remaining ODI was a no result.


2002–03 Bangladeshi cricket season, International tours, South African cricket team in Bangladesh
South Africa played 2 Test matches against Bangladesh and took part in a limited overs tri-series with Bangladesh and India. South Africa won the Test series against Bangladesh, winning both matches convincingly by an innings. The final of the tri-series resulted with the abandonment of the match after the first innings.


2002–03 Barys Astana season
The 2002–03 Barys Astana season was the 4th season of the franchise.


2002–03 Bayer 04 Leverkusen season
Bayer 04 Leverkusen had a shocking season, in which it went from being in the final of the UEFA Champions League the previous season, to finish 15th in Bundesliga, only just escaping relegation to the second tier. It also went out of the Champions League in the second group stage, not even clinching a single point.


2002–03 Bayer 04 Leverkusen season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Bayer 04 Leverkusen season, Players, Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Bayer 04 Leverkusen season, Players, Reserve team
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Belarusian Cup
2002–03 Belarusian Cup was the twelfth season of the Belarusian annual football cup competition. Contrary to the league season, it is conducted in a fall-spring rhythm. The first games were played on 7 August 2002. Winners of the Cup qualified for the UEFA Cup Qualifying Round.


2002–03 Belarusian Cup, First round
17 teams joined competition in this round. Six clubs from Second League were drawn against six clubs from First League. Another five First League teams (Darida Minsk Raion, Naftan Novopolotsk, Kommunalnik Slonim, Torpedo-Kadino Mogilev, Khimik Svetlogorsk) advanced to the next round by drawing of lots. The rest of First and Second League teams did not participate in this edition of the Cup. All games were played on 7 August 2002.


2002–03 Belarusian Cup, Round of 32
15 winners of previous round were joined by 14 clubs from Premier League. Seven clubs advanced to the next round by drawing of lots (Dinamo Minsk, Dnepr-Transmash Mogilev, Gomel, Molodechno-2000, Torpedo-MAZ Minsk, Lokomotiv Minsk (II), Vertikal Kalinkovichi (III)). The games were played on 18 August 2002.


2002–03 Belarusian Cup, Semifinals
The first legs were played on 8 May 2003. The second legs were played on 16 May 2003.


2002–03 Belarusian Extraliga season
The  2002–03 Belarusian Extraliga season was the 11th season of the Belarusian Extraliga, the top level of ice hockey in Belarus. Eight teams participated in the league, and HK Gomel won the championship.


2002–03 Belgian Cup
The 2002–03 Belgian Cup was the 48th season of the main knockout competition in Belgian association football, the Belgian Cup. For the first time the quarter-finals were played in two legs.


2002–03 Belgian Cup, Final rounds
The final phase started in the round of 32 when all clubs from the first division entered the competition (18 clubs plus 14 clubs from the qualifications). All rounds were played in one leg except for the quarter-finals and the semifinals (in two legs). The final game was played at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels and won by Louviéroise against Sint-Truidense.


2002–03 Belgian First Division
The 2002–03 season of the Jupiler League began on August 9, 2002 and ended on May 25, 2003. Club Brugge became champion.


2002–03 Belgian First Division, Promoted teams
These teams were promoted from the second division at the start of the season:


2002–03 Belgian First Division, Relegated teams
These teams were relegated to the second division at the end of the season:


2002–03 Belgian Hockey League season
The 2002–03 Belgian Hockey League season was the 83rd season of the Belgian Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Belgium. Five teams participated in the league, and Phantoms Deurne won the championship.


2002–03 Beşiktaş J.K. season
The 2002–03 season was the club's 44th season in the Turkish Super League and the club's 100th year in existence. After signing Romanian manager Mircea Lucescu, Beşiktaş won the league for the 12th time in Club history. Beşiktaş also had their most successful UEFA Cup run, by becoming a quarter finalist, however the club lost to S.S. Lazio 1–3 on aggregate, therefore eliminating them. Beşiktaş lost to Gençlerbirliği 3–4 in the quarterfinals of the Turkish Cup.


2002–03 Beşiktaş J.K. season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Beşiktaş J.K. season, Competitions, Turkish Cup
Beşiktaş had a bye in the first round and then played Elazığspor in the second round. Beşiktaş lost to Gençlerbirliği in the quarter finals.


2002–03 Beşiktaş J.K. season, Competitions, UEFA Cup
Beşiktaş had their most successful run, by becoming a quarter finalist. In doing so, they became the second Turkish team to achieve the feat (Galatasaray achieved it in 2000).


2002–03 Biathlon World Cup
The 2002–03 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union.


2002–03 Biathlon World Cup
The men's overall World Cup was won by Norway's Ole Einar Bjørndalen, while Martina Glagow of Germany claimed the women's overall World Cup.


2002–03 Biathlon World Cup, Calendar
Below is the World Cup calendar for the 2004–05 season.


2002–03 Birmingham City F.C. season
The 2002–03 season was Birmingham City Football Club's 100th in the English football league system, their 51st in the top tier, and their debut season in the Premier League, having been promoted via the play-offs. Under the management of Steve Bruce, they finished in 13th position in the 20-team league. Birmingham entered the 2002–03 FA Cup at the third round and lost to Fulham in that round, and, having entered the League Cup in the second round, lost to Preston North End in the third.


2002–03 Birmingham City F.C. season
French manufacturers Le Coq Sportif supplied Birmingham's kit for the fifth consecutive season, and mobile phone retailer Phones4U retained the shirt sponsorship. Stern John was top scorer with nine goals in all competitions; if only league goals are considered, Clinton Morrison top-scored with six. Steve Vickers was club captain, but his long absences through injury meant that vice-captain Jeff Kenna usually captained the team.


2002–03 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review
Birmingham's first season in the Premiership was a rollercoaster of a ride that resulted in the team finishing in 13th, although they were favourites to be relegated at the start of the season.


2002–03 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review
Once Birmingham had secured their states in the Premiership after beating Norwich City in the First Division playoff final the year before, manager Steve Bruce started to strengthen the squad. Internationals Robbie Savage of Wales, Kenny Cunningham and Clinton Morrison of Ireland, and Aliou Cissé of Senegal all joined the side.


2002–03 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review
Stern John's penalty in the 1–1 draw with Everton on 28 August 2002 was Birmingham's first goal in the Premiership, and first in the top flight since Robert Hopkins scored against Newcastle United back in the 1985–86 season. The next match secured Birmingham their first three points in the league, as they beat Leeds United 2–1 thanks to goals from Paul Devlin and Damien Johnson.


2002–03 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review
A highlight of the season was the 3–0 victory over local rivals Aston Villa. A first-half goal from Clinton Morrison saw Birmingham in control at half time, before a comedy of errors saw a throw-in by Olof Mellberg roll under the foot of Villa goalkeeper Peter Enckelman and into the net to gift the side a 2–0 lead. Geoff Horsfield added a third later in the game thanks to bad defending from defender Alpay.


2002–03 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review
By the New Year, Birmingham were in 15th position in the table, seven points clear of 18th-placed Sunderland. This did not stop Bruce spending in the winter transfer window, as Stephen Clemence, Jamie Clapham and Matthew Upson all joined the club. These transfers fall into insignificance compared to the impact that French World Cup-winning forward Christophe Dugarry would make.


2002–03 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review
A bad start to 2003 saw Birmingham fall to 16th in the table, only five points separating themselves and 18th-placed West Bromwich Albion. This was before Liverpool's visit to St Andrew's, when Birmingham took a two-goal lead through Clemence and Morrison before Michael Owen added a late consolation goal. This game was followed by the visit to Aston Villa. The game kicked into life when Villa striker Dion Dublin was sent off in the 51st minute for headbutting Savage.


2002–03 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review
In the 74th minute, Australian Stan Lazaridis scored his first goal of the season, and three minutes later, a poor header back by Jlloyd Samuel allowed Horsfield to run onto the ball, beat Enckelman and score from close range. The game ended with another sending off, as Villa's Joey Guðjónsson lunged at Upson with a two-footed tackle.


2002–03 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review
Birmingham were not yet assured of safety by the time they played Sunderland on 12 April, but Bryan Hughes and Christophe Dugarry scored to give Birmingham a 2–0 win. Dugarry went on to score four goals in Birmingham's next three games, including a stunning effort against Middlesbrough where he beat the offside trap before calmly taking the ball out of the air with his knee and volleying it into the net.


2002–03 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review
The last game of the season saw the side entertain West Ham United, who were in real danger of relegation. Birmingham managed a 2–2 draw thanks to goals from Horsfield and John, but it was enough to send the Hammers down.


2002–03 Birmingham City F.C. season, FA Cup
Birmingham failed to get past the third round of the FA Cup, losing to Premiership side Fulham.


2002–03 Birmingham City F.C. season, League Cup
Birmingham reached the third round of the League Cup before losing to Preston North End of the First Division.


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


2002–03 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season, Season summary
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. 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.


2002–03 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season, First-team squad, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season, Reserve squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Blackpool F.C. season
The 2002–03 season was Blackpool F.C. 's 95th season (92nd consecutive) in the Football League. They competed in the 24-team Division Two, then the third tier of English league football, finishing thirteenth.


2002–03 Blackpool F.C. season
John Murphy was the club's top scorer for the fourth consecutive season, with nineteen goals (sixteen in the league, two in the FA Cup and one in the League Trophy).


2002–03 Bologna F.C. 1909 season
During the 2002–03 Italian football season, Bologna F.C. 1909 competed in the Serie A.


2002–03 Bologna F.C. 1909 season, Season summary
Bologna F.C. 1909 finished the season in 11th position in the Serie A table. In other competitions, Bologna reached the quarter finals of the Coppa Italia.


2002–03 Bologna F.C. 1909 season, Season summary
Giuseppe Signori was the top scorer for Bologna with 12 goals in all competitions.


2002–03 Bologna F.C. 1909 season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season
The 2002–03 season was the 124th season in Bolton Wanderers F.C. 's existence, and was their second consecutive season in the top-flight. This article covers the period from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003.


2002–03 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Season summary
A home victory over Aston Villa and a memorable 1–0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford got Bolton off to another promising start to the season, but their subsequent form was memorable for all the wrong reasons as they only won 2 of their next 21 games, causing most pundits to write them off by the start of 2003.


2002–03 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Season summary
A 4–2 win over Birmingham City on 1 February finally kickstarted their campaign and the club only lost two more games (away to Chelsea and Liverpool) during the rest of the season, leaving them in control of their destiny on the final day. They achieved survival with a 2–1 victory over Middlesbrough.


2002–03 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, First-team squad, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Reserve squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Statistics, Appearances
Bolton used a total of 32 players during the season.


2002–03 Bonaire League season
The 2002/03 Bonaire League (the top association football league in Bonaire, special municipality of Netherlands) season was delayed and later on cancelled due to some internal problems.


2002–03 Bonaire League season
The FFB later on decided to organise a warm up championship for the 2003/2004 season. The championship was held with a 7 team round robin followed by a final between the top 2 team. All matches were played in the Antonio Trinidat stadium in Rincon. Real Rincon won the final by defeating Juventus 3-0.


2002–03 Bonaire League season, Regular season
Teams face each other 1 time. Top two teams qualify for the final.


2002–03 Borussia Dortmund season
Borussia Dortmund played the 2002–03 season in the Bundesliga. Aside from failing to retain the Bundesliga title, Dortmund failed to reach the Champions League knockout phase, despite winning away from home against eventual champions Milan. In the end, finishing third in Bundesliga was enough to go into the qualifying phase of the Champions League for the coming season.


2002–03 Borussia Dortmund season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Borussia Dortmund season, Players, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Borussia Dortmund season, Players, Reserve team
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup
2002–03 Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup was the ninth season of the Bosnia and Herzegovina's annual football cup, and a third season of the unified competition. The competition started on 6 November 2002 with the First Round and concluded on 27 May 2003 with the Final.


2002–03 Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup, First round
Thirty-two teams entered in the First Round. The first legs were played on 6 November and the second legs were played on 10 November 2002.


2002–03 Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup, Second round
The 16 winners from the prior round enter this round. The first legs were played on 27 November and the second legs were played on 30 November 2002.


2002–03 Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup, Quarterfinals
The eight winners from the prior round enter this round. The first legs were played on 15 February and the second legs were played on 5 March 2003.


2002–03 Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup, Semifinals
The four winners from the prior round enter this round. The first legs will be played on 19 March and the second legs were played on 9 April 2003.


2002–03 Bosnia and Herzegovina Hockey League season
The 2002–03 Bosnia and Herzegovina Hockey League season was the first season of Bosnia and Herzegovina's hockey league, and represents the return of competitive hockey in Bosnia after the dissolution of the Yugoslav Ice Hockey League.


2002–03 Bosnia and Herzegovina Hockey League season, League business
The 2002–03 season is the first season of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Hockey League. Four teams entered the season. HK Bosna which was formed in 1980 played in their first league competition since the 1987–88 Yugoslav Ice Hockey League season. The three other teams were formed in 2002. HK Ilidža 2010 was based in Ilidža, HK Jahorina in Pale, and HK Šampion in Sarajevo. Each team played 16 games before the top two teams entered into a three game playoff.


2002–03 Bosnia and Herzegovina Hockey League season, League business
The formation of the four team league also allowed the Bosnia and Herzegovina Ice Hockey Federation to meet the prerequisite of entering the Ice Hockey World Championships.


2002–03 Bosnia and Herzegovina Hockey League season, League business
Following the end of the season two of the newly formed clubs, HK Jahorina and HK Šampion, folded causing the 2003–04 season to be cancelled and the Bosnia and Herzegovina Hockey League to go into a six year hiatus until the 2009–10 season.


2002–03 Bosnia and Herzegovina Hockey League season, Playoffs
HK Bosna and HK Ilidža 2010 qualified for the playoffs after finishing first and second in the regular season standings respectively. HK Bosna won the best of three playoff series in two games.


2002–03 Boston Bruins season
The 2002–03 Boston Bruins season was the Boston Bruins's 79th season of operation.


2002–03 Boston Bruins season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.


2002–03 Boston Bruins season, Regular season, Final standings
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast


2002–03 Boston Bruins season, Regular season, Final standings
P –  Clinched Presidents Trophy; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2002–03 Boston Bruins season, Draft picks
Boston's draft picks at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario.


2002–03 Boston Celtics season
The 2002–03 NBA season was the 57th season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. During the offseason, the Celtics acquired Vin Baker and Shammond Williams from the Seattle SuperSonics, and signed free agent and undrafted rookie J.R. Bremer. The Celtics posted a six-game winning streak after losing their first two games, and got off to a solid 16–7 start. At midseason, Williams was traded to the Denver Nuggets for former Celtics center Mark Blount. However, the Celtics lost six straight games in March, and finished third in the Atlantic Division with a 44–38 record.


2002–03 Boston Celtics season
The team made the playoffs for the second time with team captain Paul Pierce, but this time as the #6 seed in the Eastern Conference. Pierce averaged 25.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.4, assists and 1.8 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, while Antoine Walker averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Pierce and Walker were both selected for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game, while Bremer was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.


2002–03 Boston Celtics season
After defeating the 3rd-seeded Indiana Pacers four games to two in the Eastern Conference First Round, the Celtics were unable to stop the New Jersey Nets as they were swept in four straight Eastern Conference Semifinal games. This was also Walker's final season with the Celtics, as he was traded along with Tony Delk to the Dallas Mavericks the following offseason. He would return to Boston midway during the 2004–05 season. Also following the season, Bremer was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.


2002–03 Boston Celtics season
The franchise gained new owners that season when Paul Gaston sold the team to the Boston Basketball Partners, represented by Wyc Grousbeck, in the fall of 2002.


2002–03 Botola
The 2002–03 Botola is the 47th season of the Moroccan Premier League. Hassania Agadir are the holders of the title.


2002–03 Bradford City A.F.C. season
During the 2002–03 English football season, Bradford City competed in the Football League First Division.


2002–03 Bradford City A.F.C. season, Season summary
Just after the end of the previous season, Bradford had been placed into administration, as a result of the collapse of ITV Digital, "six weeks of madness" in the transfer market in 2000 and the collapse of the sale of Benito Carbone (on weekly wages of £40,000) to Middlesbrough. The only way for Bradford, £13 million into debt, to move forward was to going into administration to try and save the club and find a buyer. Cuts had to be made, the most drastic being the cancelling of the contracts of sixteen members of the professional squad, leaving manager Nicky Law with five professionals with a handful of senior appearances among them and sixteen scholars.


2002–03 Bradford City A.F.C. season, Season summary
After a summer of uncertainty, on 1 August the administrators managed to get creditors to accept a Creditors Voluntary Agreement, which would reschedule debts and reinstate the players, who had gone unpaid since April. One player not to return was Benito Carbone, who sacrificed a large chunk of the money owed to him on his contract and moved back to Italy. Chairman Richmond resigned from the board of directors on 10 August, after a reign of eight years. He was replaced as chairman by theme park magnate and new co-owner Gordon Gibb, who, along with Julian Rhodes, had completed a take-over of the club at the 11th hour before Bradford were due to lose their Football League status.


2002–03 Bradford City A.F.C. season, Season summary
On 30 August, agreement was finally reached with the Professional Footballers' Association over payment owed to the players. With agreement having already been made with the creditors, this now allowed the Football League to return Bradford City's share in the League, effectively bringing the club out of administration.


2002–03 Bradford City A.F.C. season, Season summary
With a transfer embargo in place, manager Nicky Law had to show an eye for a bargain and unearthed some raw talent. Youngsters Danny Forrest and Simon Francis emerged while Law worked the loan system to cope with an horrific list of injuries.


2002–03 Bradford City A.F.C. season, Season summary
Bradford eventually finished the season in 19th place; given all that had happened off the field, this was to be considered a success.


2002–03 Bradford City A.F.C. season, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Bradford City A.F.C. season, First-team squad, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Bradford City A.F.C. season, Reserve squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Brentford F.C. season
During the 2002–03 English football season, Brentford competed in Football League Second Division. Despite an unbeaten start and topping the table, the club won just four of the final 21 matches of the season to slump to a 16th-place finish.


2002–03 Brentford F.C. season, Season summary
After defeat in the 2002 Second Division play-off Final, the team was broken up, with high earners Ívar Ingimarsson, Lloyd Owusu and captain Paul Evans released. Manager Steve Coppell resigned in June 2002 and was replaced by his assistant, Wally Downes. The squad was reinforced with free transfer and non-contract players. The loss of Lloyd Owusu up front and the return of loanee Ben Burgess to Blackburn Rovers led to the loan signing of youngster Rowan Vine from Portsmouth and a chance for Mark McCammon as a first-choice striker. A number of youth products were also promoted to the first team squad.


2002–03 Brentford F.C. season, Season summary
Throughout the season, a need to balance the books in the wake of the ITV Digital collapse saw no transfer fees paid out and a reduction of the wage bill. The cash crisis heightened in the week leading up to the beginning of the season, when a deadline of 7 August 2002 was set, on which Griffin Park would be sold to developers Wimpey or if the deal fell through, Brentford would be entered into administration.


2002–03 Brentford F.C. season, Season summary
The deal hit a stumbling block, but administration was staved off by the £400,000 sale of central defender Darren Powell on the eve of the season. The financial state of affairs left Brentford £4 million in debt and led Managing Director Gary Hargreaves to state that the club would "have to sell the freehold of Griffin Park without any guarantee of a return to the borough in the near future". In September 2002, Richard Thompson's £7 million bid to buy the club was turned down by supporters' trust Bees United.


2002–03 Brentford F.C. season, Season summary
Despite the turmoil, rookie manager Downes had a dream start, going unbeaten for the first seven league matches of the season, topping the table and winning the Manager of the Month award. The rot set in mid-September, with the Bees losing five of six matches, which included heavy successive defeats to Peterborough United in the league and Middlesbrough in the League Cup.


2002–03 Brentford F.C. season, Season summary
The team began to recover in mid-October, losing just four of the following 17 matches, including two wins in the Football League Trophy and three in the FA Cup, with First Division Derby County being beaten at Griffin Park in the FA Cup third round on 4 January 2003. Brentford limped through the remainder of the season, winning just four and losing 13 of the remaining 24 matches of the season.


2002–03 Brentford F.C. season, Season summary
The goalscoring problem was compounded by the release of Mark McCammon on deadline day in March and injuries and international call-ups had mounted up, with Martin Rowlands, Leo Roget, Jay Smith, Stephen Evans, Jamie Fullarton and Eddie Hutchinson all spending time on the treatment table. Also in March, Ron Noades resigned as chairman and director, citing that "the death of the transfer market has prevented us from covering our trading losses incurred at Griffin Park" and revealing that the wage bill would be slashed from £706,000 for the 2002–03 season to £476,000 for 2003–04. Brentford finished the 2002–03 season in 16th place.


2002–03 Brescia Calcio season
During the 2002–03 Italian football season, Brescia competed in the Serie A.


2002–03 Brescia Calcio season, Kit
Brescia's kit was manufactured by British sports retailer Umbro and sponsored by Banca Lombarda.


2002–03 Brescia Calcio season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2002–03 Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. season
The 2002–03 season saw Brighton & Hove Albion compete in the Football League First Division where they finished in 23rd position with 45 points and were relegated to the Second Division.


2002–03 Bristol City F.C. season
The 2002–03 season was Bristol City Football Club's 105th season in English football, and their fourth consecutive season in the Second Division. It was Danny Wilson's third year in charge of the club since his arrival in July 2000. A third place saw Bristol City reach the play-offs, but a 1–0 defeat to Cardiff City in the semi-finals, ended their hopes of league promotion.


2002–03 Bristol City F.C. season
However, the club saw some success, after reaching the final in the Football League Trophy, where they beat Carlisle United 2–0, but failed to repeat this throughout the rest of the season, as they exited in the third round of the FA Cup, losing to Leicester City, and the first round of the League Cup against Oxford United.


2002–03 Bristol City F.C. season
The club's leading goalscorer was Scott Murray, with 27 goals in all competitions.


2002–03 Bristol City F.C. season, Matches, League Cup
Bristol City entered the first round of the League Cup, where they were drawn against Oxford United.


2002–03 British Basketball League season
The 2002–03 season was the 16th campaign in the history of the British Basketball League.


2002–03 British Basketball League season, BBL Trophy
This season's BBL Trophy featured all 11 BBL teams plus one invited teams from the English Basketball League, the Teesside Mohawks to bring the total number of teams divided evenly. The First Round saw all 12 teams split into four regionalised groups with the top finishing team advancing to the Semi-finals.


2002–03 British Collegiate American Football League
The 2002–03 British Collegiate American Football League season was the 18th full season of the BCAFL, organised by the British Students American Football Association (BSAFA, now the BAFA).


2002–03 British Collegiate American Football League, Changes from last season
This meant the number of teams in BCAFL stayed at 29.


2002–03 British National League season
The 2002–03 British National League season was the seventh season of the British National League, the second level of ice hockey in Great Britain. 10 teams participated in the league, and the Coventry Blaze won the championship.


2002–03 Brown Bears women's ice hockey season
The 2002-03 Brown Bears women's ice hockey team represented Brown University.


2002–03 Brown Bears women's ice hockey season, Regular season
Jessica Link led the Bears in scoring with 39 points (20 goals and 19 assists). Link's 20 goals led the team and her 19 assists were good enough for third overall. Link tied for the ECAC lead in short-handed points with three. After two seasons, Link climbed to 24th on Brown's all-time scoring list.


2002–03 Buffalo Sabres season
The 2002–03 Buffalo Sabres season was the 33rd season of operation for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on May 22, 1970. The 72 points accumulated in the regular season was the lowest total for the franchise since the 1986–87 season.


2002–03 Buffalo Sabres season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.


2002–03 Buffalo Sabres season, Regular season, Final standings
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast


2002–03 Buffalo Sabres season, Regular season, Final standings
P –  Clinched Presidents Trophy; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2002–03 Buffalo Sabres season, Playoffs
The Sabres failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season.


2002–03 Buffalo Sabres season, Draft picks
Buffalo's draft picks at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario.


2002–03 Bulgarian Cup
The 2002–03 Bulgarian Cup was the 63rd season of the Bulgarian Cup. Levski Sofia won the competition, beating Litex Lovech 2–1 in the final at the Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia.


2002–03 Bulgarian Cup, First Round
In this round entered winners from the preliminary rounds together with the teams of B Group.


2002–03 Bulgarian Cup, Second Round
In this round entered winners from the First Round together with the teams of A Group.


2002–03 Bulgarian Cup, Final
The final match of the 2002–03 edition of the Bulgarian Cup was held on 21 May 2003 at the Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia. Levski Sofia beat Litex Lovech 2–1.


2002–03 Bulgarian Hockey League season
The 2002–03 Bulgarian Hockey League season was the 51st season of the Bulgarian Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Bulgaria. Four teams participated in the league, and HK Levski Sofia won the championship.


2002–03 Bundesliga
The 2002–03 Bundesliga was the 40th season of the Bundesliga. It began on 9 August 2002 and concluded on 24 May 2003. This was the first season where the defending champions kicked–off the opening match.


2002–03 Bundesliga, Champion squad
Goalkeepers: Oliver Kahn (captain; 33); Stefan Wessels (1). Defenders: Thomas Linke (32); Bixente Lizarazu  (26 / 2); Robert Kovač  (24); Willy Sagnol  (23 / 2); Samuel Kuffour  (20 / 1). Midfielders: Zé Roberto  (31 / 1); Jens Jeremies (29); Michael Ballack (26 / 10); Owen Hargreaves  (25 / 1); Mehmet Scholl (18 / 4); Niko Kovač  (18 / 1); Hasan Salihamidžić  (12 / 2); Michael Tarnat (11); Markus Feulner (10); Thorsten Fink (10); Sebastian Deisler (8); Pablo Thiam  (4). Forwards: Giovane Élber  (33 / 21); Claudio Pizarro  (31 / 15); Roque Santa Cruz  (14 / 5); Bastian Schweinsteiger (14); Alexander Zickler (12 / 4); Piotr Trochowski (3); Zvjezdan Misimović  (1). (league appearances and goals listed in brackets)


2002–03 Bundesliga, Champion squad
On the roster but have not played in a league game: Bernd Dreher, Philipp Lahm.


2002–03 Bundesliga, Champion squad
Transferred out during the season: Pablo Thiam  (to VfL Wolfsburg).


2002–03 Burnley F.C. season
The 2002–03 season was Burnley's 3rd season in the second tier of English football. They were managed by Stan Ternent in his fifth full season since he replaced Chris Waddle at the beginning 1998–99 campaign.


2002–03 Burnley F.C. season, Season summary
Four straight losses at the beginning of the season saw Burnley bottom of the First Division, before a ten-match unbeaten run lifted the Clarets to the brink of the play-off places. However, that would be as good as it got for the Lancashire club, who spent most of the season hovering in mid-table. A poor finish to the season - 10 losses in the club's final 14 matches - saw them fall to 16th. Burnley's downfall was their poor defence, which was the worst in the league: 5 goals conceded against both Grimsby and Reading, 6 against Rotherham, 7 against Sheffield Wednesday and Watford, and 89 overall, the worst in the First Division and third-worst in the entire Football League.


2002–03 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team
The 2002–03 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Butler University in the 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Todd Lickliter, serving his 2nd year. The Bulldogs played their home games at Hinkle Fieldhouse.


2002–03 C.D. Marathón season
The 2002–03 C.D. Marathón season in the Honduran football league was divided into two halves, Apertura and Clausura. Marathón was capable to win one tournament, having achieved the fourth championship in their history.