2002–03 New Jersey Devils season, Playoffs, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (E2) New Jersey Devils vs. (E3) Tampa Bay Lightning
The series opened at Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey, where the Devils scored three third-period goals to break a scoreless tie en route to a 3–0 game one victory with goalie Martin Brodeur posting a 15-save shutout in the process. Game two was a little tenser, with New Jersey rallying from a third-period deficit and winning the game 2:09 into overtime, 3–2, on a goal by Jamie Langenbrunner.


2002–03 New Jersey Devils season, Playoffs, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (E2) New Jersey Devils vs. (E3) Tampa Bay Lightning
In game three at St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, the Lightning jumped out to a 3–0 first-period lead. Then, Scott Stevens was injured by a puck that hit him in the face from a slapshot by Pavel Kubina. Following that, New Jersey tied the score before scoring in the third period on a goal by Dave Andreychuk to win the game, 4–3 for Tampa. Stevens recovered and returned for game four, and the Devils responded by winning, 3–1, to push the Lightning to the brink. The Devils ended the series with a 2–1 triple-overtime victory in game five, with Grant Marshall scoring the game-winning goal 11:12 into the sixth period.


2002–03 New Jersey Devils season, Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals, (E1) Ottawa Senators vs. (E2) New Jersey Devils
The series opened at Corel Centre in Ottawa, where the Senators took game one in overtime, 3–2, when Shaun Van Allen tipped in a pass from Martin Havlát 3:08 into overtime. New Jersey tied the series, 1–1, with a crucial victory in game two, 4–1. It marked the first time Ottawa goalie Patrick Lalime allowed more than two goals in twelve postseason games.


2002–03 New Jersey Devils season, Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals, (E1) Ottawa Senators vs. (E2) New Jersey Devils
Game three at the Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey saw an amazing defensive battle, but New Jersey won the game, 1–0, on a first-period goal by Sergei Brylin. Martin Brodeur posted a 24-save shutout for the Devils in the process. New Jersey appeared to have the series in control when they broke a 2–2 tie in game four with three third-period goals en route to a 5–2 win, and they led in the series, 3–1. But, it wasn't over yet, as Minnesota (twice) and Vancouver rebounded from 3–1 series deficits earlier in the playoffs.


2002–03 New Jersey Devils season, Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals, (E1) Ottawa Senators vs. (E2) New Jersey Devils
Ottawa returned home for game five, not wanting to lose in front of their fans. They staved off elimination with a 3–1 victory. The tense action resumed back in New Jersey for game six, as the teams entered overtime tied, 1–1, and all the Devils needed was a goal to knock out the Senators. The death blow did not come in game six, as Chris Phillips scored the game-winning goal 15:52 into overtime in the 2–1 Senators victory. This would be the Devils only home loss of the playoffs.


2002–03 New Jersey Devils season, Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals, (E1) Ottawa Senators vs. (E2) New Jersey Devils
Determined not to suffer the same misfortunes as Colorado, St. Louis, and Vancouver, the Devils broke through in game seven, winning the game, 3–2, as Jeff Friesen knocked in the series-winning goal with just over two minutes to play to send New Jersey to the Stanley Cup Finals. In the decisive game, the Devils benefited from a two-goal performance by Jamie Langenbrunner, his first goals of the series.


2002–03 New Jersey Devils season, Stanley Cup Finals
For the Devils, this was their fourth Stanley Cup Finals appearance, after making the Finals previously in 1995, 2000, and 2001. As for the Mighty Ducks, it was their first ever Stanley Cup Finals appearance in franchise history after defeating the Detroit Red Wings, Dallas Stars, and Minnesota Wild. The Devils had a strong start in game one at the Meadowlands as they shut out the Ducks 3–0. Game two was pretty much Deja Vu for the Devils as they once again blanked the Ducks 3–0.


2002–03 New Jersey Devils season, Stanley Cup Finals
Down 2–0 in the series, the Ducks responded at home in Anaheim with a 3–2 overtime victory. Then, in game four, Anaheim tied the series at two in a 1–0 overtime win. Back at the Meadowlands, game five was much more competitive and high tempo. While both teams went back and forth with three goals each, the Devils would add three more goals to win 6–3. Facing elimination in game six, the Ducks did not disappoint their fans as they won game six 5–2.


2002–03 New Jersey Devils season, Stanley Cup Finals
However, during that game, Scott Stevens laid a vicious check on Paul Kariya, knocking him to the ground. Kariya quickly recovered and scored the game-winning goal, tying the series at three games apiece. The Devils ended the series with an exclamation mark as they shut out the Ducks 3–0 once more to capture their third Stanley Cup championship in nine seasons. While the Devils did win the cup, Jean-Sébastien Giguère of Anaheim won the Conn Smythe Trophy, making it the first time in sixteen years that a player from the losing team won the Conn Smythe Trophy.


2002–03 New Jersey Devils season, Media
Television coverage was carried on Fox Sports Net New York with Mike Emrick and Chico Resch with the play-by-play calling while Matt Loughlin served as the color commentator. The radio broadcasts were on WABC–AM 770, with John Hennessy handling the play-by-play duties with Randy Velischek color commentating.


2002–03 New Jersey Devils season, Player statistics, Playoffs
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals      MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T/OT = Ties/overtime losses; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Shots saved; SV% = Save percentage;


2002–03 New Jersey Devils season, 53rd NHL All-Star Game
New Jersey Devils NHL All-Star representatives at the 53rd NHL All-Star Game in Sunrise, Florida, at the Office Depot Center.


2002–03 New Jersey Devils season, Draft picks
The Devils' draft picks at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario.


2002–03 New Jersey Nets season
The 2002–03 New Jersey Nets season was the Nets' 36th season in the National Basketball Association, and 27th season in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Nets entered the season as runners-up in the 2002 NBA Finals, where they were swept by the two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in four games. During the offseason, the Nets acquired All-Star center Dikembe Mutombo from the Philadelphia 76ers, and signed free agent Rodney Rogers. However, Mutombo only played just 24 games due to a wrist injury.


2002–03 New Jersey Nets season
The Nets got off a solid start with a 26–9 record, while posting a ten-game winning streak between December and January. The team finished their season first place in the Atlantic Division with a 49–33 record, while posting a successful 33–8 home record. Jason Kidd was selected for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game, leading the Nets with 18.7 points, 8.9 assists and 2.2 steals per game.


2002–03 New Jersey Nets season
In the first round of the playoffs, they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in six games, then swept the 6th-seeded Boston Celtics in four straight games in the semi-finals, and then defeated the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in another four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals. For the second consecutive year, they made it to the NBA Finals. However, they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in a six-game series. Following the season, Mutombo was released and signed as a free agent with the New York Knicks.


2002–03 New Jersey Nets season, Offseason
On August 1, the Nets re-signed Chris Childs as a free agent. Five days later, the organization traded Todd MacCulloch and F Keith Van Horn to the Philadelphia 76ers for Dikembe Mutombo. On August 14, the Nets signed Rodney Rogers as a free agent. On October 25, they signed Anthony Johnson as a free agent. Their final offseason transaction would come three days later, when they waived Donny Marshall.


2002–03 New Orleans Hornets season
The 2002–03 NBA season marked the return of the National Basketball Association to New Orleans. Decades after the Jazz relocated to Salt Lake City, the NBA returned to New Orleans as the New Orleans Hornets were established from the Shinn organization that once made up the Charlotte Hornets.


2002–03 New Orleans Hornets season
Originally reckoned as the 15th season of the franchise, the second incarnation of the Charlotte Hornets' reclaiming the heritage of the original Hornets has since retroactively deemed this season as the inaugural season for the franchise that would eventually become the Pelicans.


2002–03 New Orleans Hornets season
Baron Davis was hampered by injuries and he was only able to play just 50 games. At midseason, the Hornets traded center Elden Campbell to the Seattle SuperSonics for point guard Kenny Anderson. Jamal Mashburn played all 82 games for the first time in his career. He was also voted to play in the 2003 NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta, his only All-Star Game of his career. He finished with 10 points as a reserve for the East.


2002–03 New Orleans Hornets season
The Hornets won their final five games finishing third in the Central Division with a decent 47–35 record, and qualified for the playoffs as the #5 seed in the Eastern Conference. A six-game defeat to Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round knocked New Orleans out of the playoffs. Following the season, head coach Paul Silas was fired, and Anderson signed as a free agent with the Indiana Pacers.


2002–03 New Orleans Hornets season, Playoffs
At the start of the playoffs, Baron Davis would struggle with back pain. Jamal Mashburn would suffer a dislocated finger in Game 2 of the first round series against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Hornets would force a 6th game, but Davis and Mashburn played hurt. The 76ers would eliminate the Hornets in the sixth game. After the season, the Hornets would stun their fans and most experts by firing Coach Paul Silas.


2002–03 New York Islanders season
The 2002–03 New York Islanders season was the 31st season in the franchise's history.


2002–03 New York Islanders 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 New York Islanders season, Regular season, Final standings
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast


2002–03 New York Islanders season, Regular season, Final standings
P –  Clinched Presidents Trophy; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2002–03 New York Islanders season, Playoffs
The Islanders lost in the first round to the Ottawa Senators 4-1.


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


2002–03 New York Knicks season
The 2002–03 New York Knicks season was the 57th season for the Knicks in the National Basketball Association. After missing the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, the Knicks received the seventh pick in the 2002 NBA draft, and selected Brazilian basketball star Nenê Hilario, who was soon traded to the Denver Nuggets for Antonio McDyess. However, the team's hopes for a rebound season took a hit before the start of the season, as McDyess needed knee surgery and was lost for the entire season.


2002–03 New York Knicks season
Meanwhile, Latrell Sprewell showed up to training camp with a broken hand, and was fined $250,000. In Don Chaney's first full season as head coach, the Knicks lost ten of their first twelve games and missed the NBA Playoffs for the second straight year, finishing tied for fifth in the Atlantic Division with a 37–45 record, which was a 7-game improvement over their previous season. Allan Houston continued to lead the team in scoring averaging 22.5 points per game, while Sprewell averaged 16.4 points per game, and Kurt Thomas provided them with 14.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Following the season, Sprewell was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves.


2002–03 New York Knicks season
On February 4, 2003, in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Sprewell scored 38 points and made each of his nine three-point field goal attempts. His performance set an NBA single-game record for the most three-pointers made without missing a three-point attempt.


2002–03 New York Rangers season
The 2002–03 New York Rangers season was the 77th season for the team in the National Hockey League (NHL). In the regular season, the Rangers posted a 32–36–10–4 record, finishing fourth in the Atlantic Division. The Rangers' ninth-place finish in the Eastern Conference left them out of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the sixth straight season.


2002–03 New York Rangers season
The Rangers entered the season under the supervision of former Colorado Avalanche assistant coach and New York Islanders star Bryan Trottier in his first head coaching role. With the team on the outside of the playoff picture, he was fired after 54 games and replaced with general manager Glen Sather.


2002–03 New York Rangers season
The Rangers saw a major milestone reached as goaltender Mike Richter won his 300th game with the team. Shortly thereafter, he suffered a concussion against the Edmonton Oilers when Todd Marchant accidentally struck his head with his knee. Combined with a skull fracture Richter suffered toward the end of the previous season when hit in the face with a slap shot, it was the second such injury he suffered in the previous eight months and caused him to miss the rest of the season. Richter retired before the start of the next season.


2002–03 New York Rangers 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 New York Rangers season, Regular season, Final standings
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast


2002–03 New York Rangers season, Regular season, Final standings
P –  Clinched Presidents Trophy; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2002–03 New York Rangers season, Playoffs
The Rangers failed to qualify for the 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs, missing the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.


2002–03 New York Rangers season, Player statistics
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Rangers. Stats reflect time with Rangers only. ‡Traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with Rangers only.


2002–03 New York Rangers season, Draft picks
New York's picks at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft in Toronto, Ontario, at the Air Canada Centre.


2002–03 New Zealand Figure Skating Championships
The 2002–03 New Zealand Figure Skating Championships was held at the Ice Sports Club Rink in Gore from 30 September through 3 October 2002. Skaters competed in the disciplines of men's singles and ladies' singles across many levels, including senior, junior, novice, adult, and the pre-novice disciplines of juvenile, pre-primary, primary, and intermediate.


2002–03 New Zealand V8 season
The 2002–03 New Zealand V8 season (the leading motorsport category in New Zealand) consisted of seven rounds beginning on 19–20 October 2002 and ending 29–30 March 2003.


2002–03 Newcastle United F.C. season
During the 2002–03 English football season, Newcastle United F.C. participated in the FA Premier League (known as the FA Barclaycard Premiership for sponsorship reasons).


2002–03 Newcastle United F.C. season, Season summary
After a slow start, the club began putting together the wins and, by the end of March, were in a three-way title race with Manchester United and Arsenal. Consecutive defeats to a resurgent Everton and a 6–2 home thrashing by Alex Ferguson's side killed off Newcastle's title hopes, but Bobby Robson and his team was able to brush off the challenge from Chelsea to finish 3rd in the Premier League, entering the qualification rounds for the Champions League in the 2003–04 season.


2002–03 Newcastle United F.C. season, Season summary
The 2002–03 season was a particularly colourful one for Newcastle on the European stage. In the first group stage, Newcastle lost their first three matches in a row, then, in an astonishing reversal, shocked Italian giants Juventus 1–0 at St James' Park. They then controversially beat Dynamo Kyiv 2–1 in Newcastle before winning the crucial last match, away to Feyenoord, 3–2 in injury time, with striker Craig Bellamy scoring the injury time winner. With Dynamo Kyiv losing at home to Juventus, Newcastle progressed to the second round, in a 'group of death' with Internazionale, Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen.


2002–03 Newcastle United F.C. season, Season summary
Bellamy was sent off for lashing out at Inter defender Marco Materazzi in an off-the-ball incident during the opening minutes of the match. Bellamy was punished further by a three-match ban. Compounding the disaster for Newcastle was the suspension of influential captain Alan Shearer for a similar incident, although the punishment was just a two-match ban. Newcastle went on to lose 1–4 at home.


2002–03 Newcastle United F.C. season, Season summary
Shearer returned in the fourth game in the 4-team group, scoring all three goals in a 3–1 demolition of Bayer Leverkusen at home. Despite a superb performance against Inter in the famous San Siro, only to draw 2–2, Newcastle lost at home 2–0 to Barcelona and dropped out of the Champions League.


2002–03 Newcastle United F.C. season, Team kit
The team kit for the 2002–03 season was produced by Adidas and the main shirt sponsor was NTL.


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


2002–03 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team
The 2002–03 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during the 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Matt Doherty. The team captains for this season were Jonathan Holmes and Will Johnson. The team played its home games in the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.


2002–03 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
The Tar Heels' preseason began with their annual Blue-White Scrimmage. The attendance at the scrimmage was 14,125 people, the most people at one of the Blue-White Scrimmages at that time.


2002–03 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
In between their run in the Preseason NIT, the Tar Heels played, and won, in the first game held in Old Dominion University's Ted Constant Convocation Center.


2002–03 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
The Tar Heels would go on to win that season's Preseason NIT, defeating Kansas, then ranked number two in the AP Poll, and Stanford in the process. By the time the Tar Heels won over Stanford, they had their best start to a season since the 1998-99 season, when the Tar Heels started out with an 8-0 record.


2002–03 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
The Tar Heels didn't fare as well in the ECAC Holiday Festival, getting upset by Iona in the first game. Iona's win against the Tar Heels was the first time Iona won over a ranked team in 23 years. The Tar Heels recovered in the second game, winning against St. John's. After the ECAC Holiday Festival, the Tar Heels would not appear in any other AP Polls that season.


2002–03 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
In addition to the first game held at the Constant Center, the Tar Heels played the first game at what was then known as the University of Miami's Convocation Center. That game ended in an overtime loss for the Tar Heels.


2002–03 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
Several records involving three-point attempts were set this season. Thirty-five three-point attempts were made in the game against Davidson, setting a program record of three-point attempts made in a single game. The Tar Heels would come close to matching that record later that season against Wake Forest in the Dean Smith Center and Clemson at Littlejohn Coliseum. Eight hundred and twenty two three-point goals were attempted and 290 three-point goals were attempted this season, both program-high records.


2002–03 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
The 40-point margin in the away game at Maryland became the third largest margin of defeat in the program's history, after a 43-point loss against Lynchburg Elks in 1915 and a 42-point loss against Kentucky in 1950.


2002–03 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
Despite a winning record at the start of this season, the Tar Heels finished conference play with a 6–10 record. The Tar Heels needed a win in the 2003 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament to advance to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. The Tar Heels fell short of this goal, defeating Maryland in the quarterfinals but falling to Duke in the semifinals.


2002–03 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
The Tar Heels' then 17–15 record was good enough for the 2003 National Invitation Tournament. After defeating DePaul and Wyoming, the Tar Heels would fall to Georgetown in the quarterfinals with a 19–16 record.


2002–03 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
The 16 losses in this season were the second most losses in the program's history at the time. The record would be broken by the 2009-10 season with 17 losses. The losses occurring in the 2009-10 season and this season are second and third, respectfully, to the program's loss record set in the previous season.


2002–03 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
Days after the end of the Tar Heels' NIT campaign, Doherty resigned as head coach on April 1, 2003. On April 14, 2003, Roy Williams would become the next head coach of the Tar Heels men's basketball team.


2002–03 North West Counties Football League
The 2002–03 North West Counties Football League season was the 21st in the history of the North West Counties Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions: Division One and Division Two.


2002–03 North West Counties Football League, Division One
Division One featured two new teams, promoted as runners-up of Division Two:


2002–03 North West Counties Football League, Division Two
Division Two featured two new teams, relegated from Division One:


2002–03 Northern Counties East Football League
The 2002–03 Northern Counties East Football League season was the 21st in the history of Northern Counties East Football League, a football competition in England.


2002–03 Northern Counties East Football League, Premier Division
The Premier Division featured 18 clubs which competed in the previous season, along with two new clubs:


2002–03 Northern Counties East Football League, Division One
Division One featured 15 clubs which competed in the previous season, along with two new clubs, joined from the Central Midlands League:


2002–03 Northern Football League
The 2002–03 Northern Football League season was the 105th in the history of Northern Football League, a football competition in England.


2002–03 Northern Football League, Division One
Division One featured 18 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with three new clubs, promoted from Division Two:


2002–03 Northern Football League, Division Two
Division Two featured 17 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with four new clubs, relegated from Division One:


2002–03 Northern Premier League
The 2002–03 Northern Premier League season was the 35th in the history of the Northern Premier League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.


2002–03 Northern Premier League, Division One, Play-offs
The Division One play-offs saw the third to fifth placed sides in the Division and the team that finished 21st in the Premier Division compete for one place in the Premier Division.


2002–03 Northern Premier League, Promotion and relegation
In the thirty-fifth season of the Northern Premier League Accrington Stanley (as champions) were automatically promoted to the Football Conference. Gateshead, Colwyn Bay and Hyde United were relegated to the First Division; these three clubs were replaced by relegated Conference side Southport, First Division winners Alfreton Town, second placed Spennymoor United and third placed Radcliffe Borough (via a Playoff). In the First Division Eastwood Town and Trafford left the League at the end of the season and were replaced by newly admitted Bridlington Town and Prescot Cables.


2002–03 Northern Premier League, Cup Results
President's Cup: 'Plate' competition for losing teams in the NPL Cup.


2002–03 Northern Premier League, Cup Results
Chairman's Cup: 'Plate' competition for losing teams in the NPL Cup.


2002–03 Northern Premier League, Cup Results
Peter Swales Shield: Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the NPL Cup.


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


2002–03 Norwich City F.C. season, Season summary
In the 2002–03 season, the Canaries made an impressive start with just one defeat in their first 14 league games, picking up 29 points from the possible 42 which saw them amongst the candidates for promotion but an inconsistent run towards the end of the season saw Norwich miss out on a play-off spot after only 7 league wins at the end of Christmas.


2002–03 Norwich City 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 Norwich City 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 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team
The 2002–03 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Men's Basketball Team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by head coach Mike Brey, the Irish finished with a record of 24–10 and battled their way to the Sweet Sixteen of the 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.


2002–03 Nottingham Forest F.C. season
During the 2002–03 English football season, Nottingham Forest competed in the Football League First Division.


2002–03 Nottingham Forest F.C. season, Season summary
Nottingham Forest rebounded from the previous season's disappointment to finish 6th in the First Division, setting up a play-off  with third-placed Sheffield United. Forest were beaten 5–4 on aggregate over two epic semi-final legs, consigning the club to another season in English football's second tier.


2002–03 Nottingham Forest 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 Nottingham Forest 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 OB I bajnoksag season
The 2002–03 OB I bajnokság season was the 66th season of the OB I bajnokság, the top level of ice hockey in Hungary. Six teams participated in the league, and Alba Volan Szekesfehervar won the championship.


2002–03 OGC Nice season
The 2002–03 season was the 99th season in the existence of OGC Nice and the club's first season back in the top-flight of French football. In addition to the domestic league, Nice participated in this season's editions of the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue.


2002–03 OHL season
The 2002–03 OHL season was the 23rd season of the Ontario Hockey League. The North Bay Centennials relocated to Saginaw, Michigan, becoming the Saginaw Spirit. Due to the move, several teams changed divisions; the Saginaw Spirit were placed in the west division, the London Knights moved to the midwest division, and the Brampton Battalion moved to the central division. The London Knights moved into the new John Labatt Centre, which replaced the London Ice House. The Tim Adams Memorial Trophy was inaugurated as the MVP of the OHL Cup. Twenty teams each played 68 games. The Mississauga Icedogs qualified for the playoffs for the first time in their existence. The Kitchener Rangers won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Ottawa 67's in the final.


2002–03 OHL season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: DIV = Division; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime Losses; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched conference title


2002–03 OHL season, 2003 OHL Priority Selection
On May 3, 2003, the OHL conducted the 2003 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection. The Saginaw Spirit held the first overall pick in the draft, and selected Patrick McNeill from the Strathroy Rockets. McNeill was awarded the Jack Ferguson Award, awarded to the top pick in the draft.


2002–03 OHL season, 2003 OHL Priority Selection
Below are the players who were selected in the first round of the 2003 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.


2002–03 OHL season, 2003 CHL Import Draft
On June 26, 2003, the Canadian Hockey League conducted the 2003 CHL Import Draft, in which teams in all three CHL leagues participate in. The Owen Sound Attack held the first pick in the draft by a team in the OHL, and selected Stefan Ruzicka from Slovakia with their selection.


2002–03 OHL season, 2003 CHL Import Draft
Below are the players who were selected in the first round by Ontario Hockey League teams in the 2003 CHL Import Draft.


2002–03 OK Liga
The 2002–03 OK Liga was the 34th season of the top-tier league of rink hockey in Spain.


2002–03 OK Liga
Barcelona finished the league as champion, after beating Noia Freixenet 3–0 in the finals. Noia Freixenet ended in the 12th position at the end of the regular season.


2002–03 OK Liga, Competition format
Sixteen teams joined the league. The three first teams at the end of the regular season qualified directly for the quarterfinals while teams from fourth to 13th joined the round of 16.


2002–03 OK Liga, Playoffs
Quarterfinals were played with a best-of-three format, while semifinals and final were played with a best-of-five series.


2002–03 OK Liga, Playoffs
Seeded teams played games 1, 2 and 5 of the series at home.


2002–03 OK Liga, Copa del Rey
The 2003 Copa del Rey was the 60th edition of the Spanish men's roller hockey cup. It was played in Vilanova i la Geltrú between the seven first qualified teams after the first half of the season and Vilanova RMS as host team.


2002–03 OPJHL season
The 2002–03 OPJHL season is the tenth season of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (OPJHL). The thirty-five teams of the North, South, East, and West divisions competed in a 49-game schedule.


2002–03 OPJHL season
Come February, the top eight teams of each division competed for the Frank L. Buckland Trophy, the OPJHL championship. The winner of the Buckland Cup, the Wellington Dukes, went on to win the Dudley Hewitt Cup as Central Canadian Champions. The Dukes were not successful in winning the 2003 Royal Bank Cup.


2002–03 OPJHL season, Final standings
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime Losses; SL = Shootout Losses; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched conference title


2002–03 OPJHL season, Dudley Hewitt Cup Championship
Hosted by Fort Frances Borderland Thunder in Fort Frances, Ontario. Wellington Dukes won the event.


2002–03 OPJHL season, 2003 Royal Bank Cup Championship
Hosted by Charlottetown Abbies in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The Wellington Dukes lost in the semi-final.


2002–03 OPJHL season, Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty Minutes


2002–03 Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team
The 2002–03 Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team represented Ohio University in the college basketball season of 2002–03. The team was coached by Tim O'Shea and played their home games at the Convocation Center.


2002–03 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team
The 2002–03 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball finished 8th in the Big Ten regular season standing but made it the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament for the second consecutive time. The Buckeyes went to the NIT where they lost to Georgia Tech in the first round.


2002–03 Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team
The 2002–03 Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team represented the University of Oklahoma as a member of the Big 12 Conference during the 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by head coach Kelvin Sampson and played its home games in the Lloyd Noble Center.


2002–03 Olympiacos F.C. season
The 2002–03 season was Olympiacos's 42nd consecutive season in the Alpha Ethniki and their 6th consecutive season in the UEFA Champions League. In the beginning of the summertime Olympiacos named Greek Takis Lemonis coach.


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


2002–03 Olympiacos F.C. season, Competitions, UEFA Champions League, Group stage
1All matches played at GSP Stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus after UEFA banned international matches from being played in Israel.


2002–03 Olympique Lyonnais season
The 2002–03 season was the 104th season in the existence of Olympique Lyonnais and the club's 14th consecutive season in the top flight of French football. They participated in the Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the Coupe de la Ligue, the Trophée des Champions, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup.


2002–03 Olympique Lyonnais 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 Olympique Lyonnais 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 Olympique de Marseille season
Olympique de Marseille almost won the French League for the first time in 11 years, having a remarkable run to third place, having only scored five goals more than it conceded. The most praised player was central defender Daniel Van Buyten, who was able to tighten up the defence, and also helping out with scoring several important goals. Without Marseille's goalscoring woes, it could have sustained a more serious title assault. Therefore it signed late-blooming starlet Didier Drogba from En Avant Guingamp, a move that was set to be among the best financial deals in the clubs' history.


2002–03 Omani League
The 2002–03 Omani League was the 27th edition of the top football league in Oman. Al-Oruba SC were the defending champions, having won the previous 2001–02 Omani League season. Dhofar S.C.S.C. emerged as the champions of the 2002–03 Omani League with a total of 65 points.


2002–03 Omani League, Teams
This season the league had increased from 10 to 14 teams. There was no relegation in the 2001–02 season. Second Division League teams Ruwi Club, Saham SC, Al-Salam SC and Nizwa Club were promoted to this season.


2002–03 Oregon Ducks men's basketball team
The 2002–03 Oregon Ducks men's basketball team competed in the Pac-10 Conference, achieving a record of 10-8 within the conference, and a record of 23-10 overall. The team was coached by Ernie Kent.


2002–03 Oregon Ducks men's basketball team
The Ducks were champions of the 2003 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, beating USC in the final, 74-66. Oregon entered the 2003 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament as a #8 seed in the Midwest Region. The team lost in the first round of the tournament, being upset by #9 Utah, 58-60.


2002–03 Orlando Magic season
The 2002–03 NBA season  was the 14th season for the Orlando Magic in the National Basketball Association. During the offseason, the Magic signed free agent All-Star forward Shawn Kemp. The rise of Tracy McGrady into a superstar was completed as he won his first scoring title with 32.1 points per game, while being selected for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game. McGrady finished in fourth place in MVP voting with 4 first-place votes.


2002–03 Orlando Magic season
However, with Grant Hill playing just 29 games due to injury, and Horace Grant only playing just five games with a sore left knee, it seemed as if he was all alone again. Midway through the season, the Magic traded Mike Miller to the Memphis Grizzlies for rookies Drew Gooden and Gordan Giriček, as they finished fourth in the Atlantic Division with a record of 42–40. However, in the first round of the playoffs, they lost to the top-seeded Detroit Pistons four games to three after taking a 3–1 series lead. Following the season, Kemp retired, Darrell Armstrong signed as a free agent with the New Orleans Hornets, and Grant re-signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.


2002–03 Orlando Magic season
After the playoff defeat, the Magic entered a state of rebuilding and did not return to the playoffs until 2007.


2002–03 Országos Bajnokság I (men's water polo)
2002–03 Országos Bajnokság I (men's water polo) was the 97th water polo championship in Hungary.


2002–03 Ottawa Senators season
The 2002–03 Ottawa Senators season was the 11th season of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). This season saw the Senators reach the highest point in the playoffs until the 2006–07 season. They were eliminated by the New Jersey Devils, the eventual Stanley Cup winning team in the Eastern Conference final. On top of their larger success, with their total 113 points they won the Presidents' Trophy, the Northeast Division title and the Eastern Conference title.


2002–03 Ottawa Senators season
After their long history of debt problems, the Senators filed for bankruptcy on January 9, 2003. They continued regular season play after receiving emergency financing from the NHL. Despite the off-ice problems, they had a successful year, compared to their early day woes. The Presidents' Trophy awarded to the Senators made them the first Canadian team to win it since the Calgary Flames in their championship season of 1989, and the first Eastern Conference team to win it since the New York Rangers' title in the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. In the playoffs, they defeated their former teammate Alexei Yashin and his New York Islanders, then the Philadelphia Flyers before coming within one game of making it into the Finals, falling to the New Jersey Devils.


2002–03 Ottawa Senators season, Regular season
Right winger Marian Hossa led Ottawa in scoring, just eclipsing Yashin's previous record of 44 goals. Without the goaltending issues that had plagued Senators teams of the past, Patrick Lalime showed one of his best seasons, with career bests in goals against average (GAA) and wins.


2002–03 Ottawa Senators season, Regular season
After a slow start to the season after an even .500 ratio, the Senators turned around their game with a ten-game unbeaten streak. Fans were concerned whether their start was due to off-ice problems. These worries, however, were soon irrelevant to fans when the Senators again clinched a playoff berth. Before the playoffs, the Senators addressed toughness concerns through separate trades to the Buffalo Sabres for grinders Vaclav Varada and Rob Ray respectively, plus two-way forward Bryan Smolinski from the Los Angeles Kings.


2002–03 Ottawa Senators season, Regular season, Division 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 Ottawa Senators season, Regular season, Division standings
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast


2002–03 Ottawa Senators season, Regular season, Division standings
P –  Clinched Presidents Trophy; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2002–03 Ottawa Senators season, Playoffs
In the first round of the playoffs, the team played the New York Islanders, facing former team captain Alexei Yashin for the first time in the playoffs. Yashin played well in the first game and the Islanders won the first game at the Corel Centre 3–0. The loss by the Senators was attributed to paying too much attention to stopping Yashin and not enough on the rest of the Islanders. The Senators adjusted their play for the next game winning it and the next three games in a row to win the series 4–1.


2002–03 Ottawa Senators season, Playoffs
In the second round, the team faced the Philadelphia Flyers who had defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round. The Senators won the series on the basis of their strong defence, holding the Flyers to only ten goals in the six games, advancing to the Eastern Conference final series against the New Jersey Devils to decide the Prince of Wales Trophy.


2002–03 Ottawa Senators season, Playoffs
The first two games of the series were in Ottawa and the wins were split between the Senators and Devils. In New Jersey, the Devils won both games to put the Senators at the brink of elimination. However, the Senators came back, winning the fifth game at home and the sixth game in New Jersey to force a seventh and deciding game at home.


2002–03 Ottawa Senators season, Playoffs
In the seventh game, Ottawa got out to a 1-0 lead on a goal by Magnus Arvedson. The Devils would score the next two on goals in the second period by Jamie Langenbrunner. Going into the third down 2-1 the Sens tied it on a goal by Radek Bonk and dominated play in the third, when with two minutes remaining, Devils' forward Jeff Friesen deked out Patrick Lalime and shot over his leg pad, into the net, to score the series-winning goal.


2002–03 Ottawa Senators season, Draft picks
Ottawa's draft picks from the 2002 NHL Entry Draft held on June 22 and June 23, 2002 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario.


2002–03 PAOK FC season
The 2002–03 season was PAOK Football Club's 77th in existence and the club's 44th consecutive season in the top flight of Greek football. The team will enter the Greek Football Cup in the First round and will also enter in UEFA Cup  starting from the First round.


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


2002–03 PAOK FC season, Statistics, Squad statistics
Appearances denote players in the starting lineup, with the numbers in parentheses denoting appearances as substitute.


2002–03 PFC Cherno More Varna season
This page covers all relevant details regarding PFC Cherno More Varna for all official competitions inside the 2002–03 season. These are A Group and Bulgarian Cup.


2002–03 PSV Eindhoven season
During the 2002–03 Dutch football season, PSV Eindhoven competed in the Eredivisie.


2002–03 PSV Eindhoven season, Season summary
PSV won the title, pipping Ajax by a single point. There was less success in Europe: they finished bottom of their group, and also suffered the indignity of conceding the fastest goal in Champions League history, with Gilberto Silva scoring 21 seconds after kick-off in PSV's 4-0 home loss to Arsenal.


2002–03 PSV Eindhoven 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 PSV Eindhoven 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 Panathinaikos F.C. season
In the 2002–03 season, Panathinaikos played for 48th consecutive time in Greece's top division, Super League. They also competed in UEFA Cup and Greek Cup. Their season started with Sergio Markarián as team manager.


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


2002–03 Panonian League season
The 2002–2003 Panonian League Season was the first season of the multinational Panonian league. Teams from Hungary, Romania and Croatia participated. At the end of the season the playoffs were held. The top two teams in the regular season qualified for the playoffs. The season lasted from November 12, 2002 to February 5, 2003.


2002–03 Panonian League season, Playoffs
Ferencvárosi TC swept SC Miercurea Ciuc 2-0 in a best of three series.


2002–03 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season
The 2002–03 season was Paris Saint-Germain's 33rd season in existence. PSG played their home league games at the Parc des Princes in Paris, registering an average attendance of 38,481 spectators per match. The club was presided by Laurent Perpère and the team was coached by Luis Fernández. Mauricio Pochettino was the team captain.


2002–03 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Competitions, UEFA Cup, First round
The draw for the first round was held on 30 August 2002.


2002–03 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Competitions, UEFA Cup, Second round
The draw for the second round was held on 8 October 2002.


2002–03 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Competitions, UEFA Cup, Final phase
The draw for the third round was held on 15 November 2002.


2002–03 Parma A.C. season
Parma Associazione Calcio regained its respect following a lacklustre Serie A and Champions League performance the year before. Under new coach Cesare Prandelli, Parma played an offensive 4–3–3 formation, in which new offensive signings Adrian Mutu and Adriano starred. Both made up for the departure of Marco Di Vaio to Juventus. Mutu scored 18 goals from the left wing, and Parma accepted a multimillion-pound offer from Chelsea in the summer, which meant the Romanian international only spent a year at the club. Also impressing were goalkeeper Sébastien Frey and young centre-halves Matteo Ferrari and Daniele Bonera, who proved to be acceptable replacements for departed captain Fabio Cannavaro, who had joined Inter in late August 2002.


2002–03 Parma A.C. season
Parma finished fifth in Serie A and missed out on Champions League qualification to Lazio by four points. It had the upper hand on Udinese for fifth on goal difference, and was one point clear of Chievo in seventh. That solitary point qualified Parma for European football in 2003–04. Parma also spent part of pre-season playing in the 2002 Amsterdam Tournament.


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


2002–03 Partick Thistle F.C. season
The 2002–03 season saw Partick Thistle compete in the Scottish Premier League where they finished in 10th position with 35 points.


2002–03 Persepolis F.C. season
The 2002–03 season was the Persepolis's 2nd season in the Pro League, and their 20th consecutive season in the top division of Iranian Football. They were also be competing in the Hazfi Cup & AFC Champions League. Persepolis was captained by Afshin Peyrovani.


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


2002–03 Persepolis F.C. season, Competitions, Hazfi Cup
Malavan 2–2 Persepolis on aggregate. Malavan won the game on penalties (3–0)


2002–03 Philadelphia 76ers season
The 2002–03 NBA season was the 76ers 54th season in the National Basketball Association, and 40th season in Philadelphia. During the offseason, the Sixers acquired Keith Van Horn from the New Jersey Nets. Van Horn was originally drafted by the Sixers as the second pick in the 1997 NBA draft. The Sixers got off to a fast start winning 15 of their first 19 games, but would then lose 14 of their next 18 games.


2002–03 Philadelphia 76ers season
The team improved on their last season posting a nine-game winning streak at midseason, finishing second in the Atlantic Division with a 48–34 record, with the #4 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers defeated the New Orleans Hornets led by Baron Davis in six games in the first round of the playoffs, but they could not go further in the next round as they lost to the Detroit Pistons in six games. Following the season, Van Horn was traded to the New York Knicks.


2002–03 Philadelphia 76ers season
This season was head coach Larry Brown's last in Philadelphia as he resigned on Memorial Day, 2003. Brown would later go on to coach the Detroit Pistons, where he helped the team win the 2004 NBA Championship. He led the team to another Finals appearance in 2005. As of 2019, the Sixers have advanced past the first round of the playoffs three times since this 2003 playoff victory over New Orleans (2012, Bulls; 2018, Celtics; 2019, Raptors)


2002–03 Philadelphia 76ers season
For the first time in his career, Allen Iverson played a full 82-game season. He would have another in 2007–08 while with the Denver Nuggets. He was also selected for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game.


2002–03 Philadelphia 76ers season, Offseason
In the 2002 NBA draft, the 76ers drafted Czech swingman Jiří Welsch and forward-center Sam Clancy (Clancy would not play in any games in the NBA). The Sixers also made three trades on draft day. Their first trade was with the Golden State Warriors. They traded their first round pick, Jiří Welsch, for a 2004 2nd round draft pick and a 2005 1st round draft pick. In their second trade, they traded Speedy Claxton to the San Antonio Spurs for Mark Bryant, Randy Holcomb, and John Salmons. Their third and final trade of the night was with the Atlanta Hawks. They traded a 2004 2nd round draft pick and a 2006 2nd round draft pick to the Hawks for Efthimios Rentzias.


2002–03 Philadelphia 76ers season, Offseason
On July 25, the 76ers signed Greg Buckner and Monty Williams.


2002–03 Philadelphia 76ers season, Offseason
On August 6, the Sixers traded Dikembe Mutombo to the New Jersey Nets for Todd MacCulloch and Keith Van Horn. This trade marked the beginning of MacCulloch's second tenure with the franchise.


2002–03 Philadelphia 76ers season, Offseason
On September 30, the Sixers signed Art Long and William Avery. Avery would not play any games with Philadelphia.


2002–03 Philadelphia 76ers season, Offseason
On October 11, the Sixers waived Alvin Jones. On the 23rd, they waived Damone Brown.


2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers season
The 2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers' 36th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers lost in the second round of the 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs to the Ottawa Senators in six games.


2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers season, Off-season
The Flyers hired former Dallas Stars and Stanley Cup-winning head coach Ken Hitchcock to replace the fired Bill Barber.


2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season
In 2002–03, Roman Cechmanek had a club record 1.83 goals against average (GAA) and the Flyers acquired Sami Kapanen and Tony Amonte prior to the trade deadline; however, they fell one point short of a second straight Atlantic Division title.


2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season
The Flyers had reliable goaltending. They tied the New Jersey Devils for the fewest goals allowed with just 166 and Roman Cechmanek and Robert Esche combined for eight shutouts.


2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season, Season 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 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season, Season standings
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast


2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season, Season standings
P –  Clinched Presidents Trophy; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers season, Playoffs
The Flyers endured a very long and brutal seven game first round match-up with the Toronto Maple Leafs that featured three multiple overtime games, all in Toronto. After winning Game 7, 6–1, the Flyers fought the Ottawa Senators in the second round with equal vigor as they split the first four games of the series, Cechmanek earning shutouts in both wins. Cechmanek's inconsistency showed through, however, as he allowed ten goals in the final two games and Ottawa advanced in six games. Cechmanek was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for a 2004 second round draft pick during the off-season despite having the second-best GAA in the NHL over his three years in Philadelphia.


2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers season, Schedule and results, Regular season
Win (2 points)  Loss (0 points)  Tie/overtime loss (1 point)


2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions
The Flyers were involved in the following transactions from June 14, 2002, the day after the deciding game of the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals, through June 9, 2003, the day of the deciding game of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals.


2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Signings, Free agency
The following players were signed by the Flyers via free agency. Two-way contracts are marked with an asterisk (*).


2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Signings, Internal
The following players were either re-signed by the Flyers or, in the case of the team's selections in the NHL Entry Draft, signed to entry level contracts. Two-way contracts are marked with an asterisk (*).


2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Waivers
The Flyers were involved in the following waivers transactions. They were not involved in any selections during the 2002 NHL Waiver Draft, which was held on October 4, 2002. The Flyers protected the following players: goaltenders Roman Cechmanek and Neil Little; defensemen Eric Desjardins, Kim Johnsson, Chris McAllister, Dan McGillis, Chris Therien and Eric Weinrich; and forwards Donald Brashear, Todd Fedoruk, Simon Gagne, Mark Greig, Michal Handzus, Kirby Law, John LeClair, Marty Murray, Keith Primeau, Paul Ranheim, Mark Recchi and Jeremy Roenick. The Flyers left the following players unprotected: defensemen David Harlock, John Slaney and Brad Tiley; and forwards Tomas Divisek, Ian MacNeil, Andre Savage and Pete Vandermeer.


2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Departures
The following players left the team via free agency, release, or retirement. Players who were under contract and left the team during the season are marked with an asterisk (*).


2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers season, Draft picks
Philadelphia's picks at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, which was held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, on June 22–23, 2002. The Flyers traded their original first, 26th overall, second, 59th overall, and third-round picks, 92nd overall, and Maxime Ouellet to the Washington Capitals for Adam Oates on March 19, 2002. They also traded the Canucks' sixth-round pick, 184th overall, and their seventh-round pick, 225th overall, to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the Blue Jackets' 2003 fifth-round pick on June 23, 2002, and their eighth-round pick, 256th overall, to the Carolina Hurricanes for Paul Ranheim on May 31, 2000.


2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers season, Farm teams
The Flyers were affiliated with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League and the Trenton Titans of the ECHL.


2002–03 Philippine Basketball League season, 2002-03 Challenge Cup, Team standings
Welcoat Paintmasters is the top team in the eliminations and will enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage against the fourth finisher in the crossover semis. Welcoat will meet the winner of ICTSI and LBC-Batangas. Blu Detergent and Dazz finished with identical 7-4 won-loss cards and will play in the other crossover semis.


2002–03 Philippine Basketball League season, 2002-03 Challenge Cup, Crossover semifinals
Welcoat and Dazz had a twice-to-beat advantage against the two other semifinalist and they made it to the championship round.


2002–03 Philippine Basketball League season, 2002-03 Challenge Cup, Finals
Comebacking Welcoat Paintmasters completed a three-game sweep over Dazz. Coach Leo Austria now won three PBL titles, two of which came when he was a Shark Energy Drink mentor. The Welcoat franchise won their fifth PBL championship, and all their series victories were via sweeps.


2002–03 Philippine Basketball League season, 2003 Sunkist-Unity Cup
Two new teams joined the league, replacing Cheeseballs-Shark and Sunkist-Pampanga, these are Viva Mineral Water, coach by Koy Banal, and Nutrilicious, handled by Monel Kallos.


2002–03 Philippine Basketball League season, 2003 Sunkist-Unity Cup
Hapee (formerly Dazz) and Viva Mineral Water advances to the championship after the double-round semifinals among the top four teams in the eliminations.


2002–03 Philippine Basketball League season, 2003 Sunkist-Unity Cup, Finals
Hapee Toothpaste won their first title since the 1996 Reinforced Conference, denying Viva Mineral Water a championship in their very first try. Hapee mentor Junel Baculi won his sixth title as a coach.


2002–03 Phoenix Coyotes season
The 2002–03 Phoenix Coyotes season was their seventh season in the National Hockey League, the franchise's 24th season in the NHL and 31st overall.


2002–03 Phoenix Coyotes season, Regular season
The Coyotes finished the regular season having allowed the most power-play goals of all 30 NHL teams, with 77.


2002–03 Phoenix Coyotes 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 Phoenix Coyotes season, Playoffs
The Coyotes failed to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2000-01 season.


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


2002–03 Phoenix Suns season
The 2002–03 NBA season was the 35th season for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association. Frank Johnson returned as head coach, posting eight additional wins from the previous season to finish at 44–38. The Suns returned to the playoffs after snapping a streak of 13 seasons in a row the year before, a franchise record, and were supplanted by the play of rookie high school draft pick Amar'e Stoudemire. America West Arena hosted Suns home games.


2002–03 Phoenix Suns season
Point guard Stephon Marbury and forward Shawn Marion provided a pair of 20–20 scorers, with Marbury leading the team at 22.3 points per game. The versatile Marion finished the season third in the league in minutes played, behind Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant, and third in steals per game while Marbury finished fourth in the NBA in assists per game.


2002–03 Phoenix Suns season
The 20-year-old Stoudemire was drafted to balance out a team that had been deep at the guard position in years past, averaging 13.5 points as a power forward per game and grabbing nearly nine rebounds per game (although Marion again was tops with 9.5). Marion would earn a trip to the All-Star Game along with Marbury, who ended the season a member of the All-NBA Third Team.


2002–03 Phoenix Suns season
The Suns earned the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot and were matched against the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs. The Suns won Game 1 on the road, 96–95, but lost the series to the eventual league champions, four games to two.


2002–03 Phoenix Suns season
In Stoudemire, who earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honors and became the first high school draft pick to become NBA Rookie of the Year, the Suns had drafted an athletic big man to join the equally athletic Marion for the coming seasons.


2002–03 Phoenix Suns season, Player statistics, Season
† – Minimum 300 field goals made. ^ – Minimum 125 free throws made.


2002–03 Phoenix Suns season, Player statistics, Playoffs
† – Minimum 20 field goals made. ^ – Minimum 5 three-pointers made. # – Minimum 10 free throws made.


2002–03 Piacenza Calcio season
Piacenza Calcio were relegated in the second season in the top echelon of Italian football. Coach Andrea Agostinelli was soon sacked, but Luigi Cagni could not save Piacenza from going down.


2002–03 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team
The 2002–03 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. This was Pitt's first season playing in the Petersen Events Center. Led by head coach Ben Howland, the Panthers finished with a record of 28–5 and battled their way to the Sweet Sixteen of the 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. Following the Season, Coach Howland would depart to become head coach of UCLA.


2002–03 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team, Tournament results, Big East Tournament
3/13/03 @ Madison Square Garden, New York, NY Vs. Providence W, 67–593/14/03 @ Madison Square Garden, New York, NY Vs. Boston College W, 61–483/15/03 @ Madison Square Garden, New York, NY Vs. Connecticut W, 74–56


2002–03 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team, Tournament results, NCAA Tournament
3/21/03 @ TD Garden, Boston, MA Vs. Wagner W, 87–613/23/03 @ TD Garden, Boston, MA Vs. Indiana W, 74–513/27/03 @ Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN Vs. Marquette L, 74–77


2002–03 Pittsburgh Penguins season
The 2002–03 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the Penguins' 36th season. The team finished fifth and last in the Atlantic Division and did not qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs.


2002–03 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Regular season
The Penguins were shut out an NHL-high ten times, tied with the Calgary Flames, Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators.


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


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


2002–03 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Player statistics
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Penguins. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only. ‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.


2002–03 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Transactions
The Penguins have been involved in the following transactions during the 2002–03 season:


2002–03 Plymouth Argyle F.C. season
The 2002–03 football season was Plymouth Argyle Football Club's 99th consecutive season as a professional club. It began on 1 July 2002, and concluded on 30 June 2003, although competitive games were only played between August and May.


2002–03 Plymouth Argyle F.C. season, Season summary
The club began the 2002–03 season in the Football League Second Division, following their promotion from the Third Division. They finished in a creditable 8th position, with a record of 17 wins, 14 draws, and 15 defeats, from 46 games. Their leading goalscorer was Marino Keith with 12 goals in all competitions. The club reached the Third Round of the FA Cup, drawing 2–2 at home with Dagenham & Redbridge before losing the replay 2–0. They entered the League Cup at the First Round stage and were eliminated away to Crystal Palace 2–1 after extra-time. They also competed in the Football League Trophy where they reached the Second Round before being defeated 2–0 at home by Brentford. Notable players to begin their careers with the Pilgrims this season included David Norris, Tony Capaldi, Hasney Aljofree, and Nathan Lowndes.


2002–03 Plymouth Argyle F.C. season, Season summary, League Table
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points


2002–03 Plymouth Argyle 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 Plymouth Argyle 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 Plymouth Argyle F.C. season, Statistics, Appearances and goals
# = Squad number; Pos = Playing position; P = Number of games played; G = Number of goals scored;  = Yellow cards;  = Red cards; GK = Goalkeeper; DF = Defender; MF = Midfielder; FW = Forward


2002–03 Plymouth Argyle F.C. season, Statistics, Appearances and goals
Statistics do not include minor competitions or games played for other clubs. All players who were provided a squad number during the 2002–03 season are included.


2002–03 Polish Volleyball League
2002–03 Polish Volleyball League was the 67th season of Polish Championship (3rd season as professional league) organized by Professional Volleyball League SA (Polish: Profesjonalna Liga Piłki Siatkowej S.A.) under the supervision of Polish Volleyball Federation (Polish: Polski Związek Piłki Siatkowej).


2002–03 Polish Volleyball League
GTPS Gorzów Wielkopolski and Polska Energia Sosnowiec were promoted to Polish Volleyball League in this season.


2002–03 Polish Volleyball League
In season 2002/2003 Mostostal-Azoty Kędzierzyn-Koźle and Galaxia AZS Częstochowa played in CEV Champions League, Skra Bełchatów, Gwardia Wrocław and Jastrzębie Borynia played in CEV Challenge Cup.


2002–03 Polska Liga Hokejowa season
The 2002–03 Polska Liga Hokejowa season was the 68th season of the Polska Liga Hokejowa, the top level of ice hockey in Poland. Eight teams participated in the league, and Unia Oswiecim won the championship.


2002–03 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2002–03 season was Port Vale's 91st season of football in the English Football League, and third successive season (40th overall) in the Second Division. Another poor season, Brian Horton's side avoided relegation with a seventeenth-place finish. Vale exited both the FA Cup and the League Cup at the First Round with defeats to Crewe Alexandra, and reached the Area Quarter-finals of the League Trophy. Financial issues were at the forefront in the minds of Vale fans, as the club entered administration in December. After a successful bid, Bill Bratt's Valiant 2001 group won control of the club, taking the club out of administration.


2002–03 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Second Division
The pre-season saw Brian Horton make several free signings: Jon McCarthy (Birmingham City); Brett Angell (Rushden & Diamonds); Ian Brightwell (Walsall); Phil Charnock (Crewe Alexandra); Sam Collins (Bury); and Mark Boyd (Newcastle United). Midfielder Dean Keates had a trial at the club over the summer, but was not offered a contract.


2002–03 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Second Division
The season started poorly with four straight defeats and only one goal scored from open play, causing fans to barrack Horton. Their form changed with a 1–0 win over Wigan Athletic at the JJB Stadium – the first in a sequence of five consecutive victories. Following this run victories were sparse for the Vale, and they picked up just four league victories until the beginning of March. The club agreed to sell Stephen McPhee to Wigan Athletic for £300,000, though the deal fell through over personal terms. In October, Lee Ashcroft arrived on loan from Wigan Athletic.


2002–03 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Second Division
Meanwhile, Jon McCarthy was released, and signed with Doncaster Rovers. The next month Brett Angell also departed after rejecting a new deal with the club, and instead joined Queens Park Rangers. A mini-revival began in the new year, as Vale were unbeaten in their three January league games. In February, defender Peter Clarke arrived on a three-month loan deal from Everton. Adrian Littlejohn also joined the club on a monthly contract, having left Lincoln City. There was a turnaround in form following a 1–0 win over Blackpool on 8 March, as eighteen points from the final twelve games of the season were enough to see off the fan's fears of relegation. Horton still remained unpopular with some sections of the Vale's supporters.


2002–03 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Second Division
They finished in seventeenth place with 53 points, just five points above Cheltenham Town in the relegation zone. They finished 33 points and 15 places behind Crewe, who were promoted as runners-up. The end of season table was unusual, in that 15 points separated 7th and 8th, whilst 17 points separated 8th and 21st. Marc Bridge-Wilkinson was the club's top-scorer with just nine goals in all competitions.


2002–03 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Second Division
At the end of the season a number of players left the club on free transfers: Matt Carragher (Macclesfield Town); Paul Byrne (Barry Town); Phil Charnock (Bury); Sean McClare (Rochdale); John Durnin (Accrington Stanley); and Rae Ingram (Bangor City).


2002–03 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Finances, administration & a change of ownership
Talks of Bell selling the club circulated at the start of the season, as Staffordshire Police were forced to write off £100,000 worth of debt. Meanwhile, Marketing executive Terry Smith resigned after just six weeks in the job. Bell told the press that the Lorne Street stand would be open at the start of the season, though work never got going on the project. Director Jim Lloyd resigned in September, leaving the club with just Bell and two directors (only one of whom was allowed to vote; Bell had the casting vote in the event of a tie). The club's financial crisis came to a head in the season, the club £2.4 million in debt and posting £500,000 a year losses. On 25 November, Bell put his shares up for sale at £10 each.


2002–03 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Finances, administration & a change of ownership
The club entered administration on 16 December, with £600,000 owed to Inland Revenue and the Customs & Excise; Birmingham-based administration firm Poppleton & Appleby took control. Assistant manager Mark Grew and Ray Williams were both laid off in order to save money. The club approached millionaire pop star and Vale fan Robbie Williams, who rejected the opportunity to invest in the club. Rumours circulated of a possible merger with rivals Stoke City and a ground-share at the Britannia Stadium, fuelled by the belief that a 'mystery bidder' was in fact the Icelandic owners of Stoke City.


2002–03 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Finances, administration & a change of ownership
Stoke Holdings, the Icelandic company which owned Stoke City, offered Bill Bell £50,000 to buy his debt and thereby take control of the club by bypassing the administrators; however Bell rejected the offer. Valiant2001 eventually agreed to rent the club shop off Bell as an incitement for him to accept their offer (his vote was needed as he was the club's biggest creditor). The administrators received a number of bids for the club, and received interest from Mo Chaudry (owner of WaterWorld), Summerbank Management (Tunstall based consultancy firm), and property developing duo Steve Ball and Iain McIntosh.


2002–03 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Finances, administration & a change of ownership
A late bid from Gianni Paladini seemed likely to succeed, however Bill Bratt's 'Valiant 2001' fan-based consortium's bid was accepted in March, and the group took control the following month. The group had had a £1 million bid rejected by Bell the previous year. The total cost of administration was £255,000, and Bratt said "It has been a ride of terror".


2002–03 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Finances, administration & a change of ownership
In May, the club announced a new two year £200,000 shirt sponsorship deal with local mobile phone company Tricell, ending ten years of sponsorship from Tunstall Assurance. The new board also appointed former player Andy Porter as youth coach, and got the club's transfer embargo lifted in July.


2002–03 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Cup competitions
In the FA Cup, Vale were knocked out by nearby Crewe Alexandra with a Dean Ashton goal.


2002–03 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Cup competitions
In the League Cup, Crewe made the first of their three visits to Vale Park (all of which they won), and advanced with a 2–0 victory, both goals scored by Rodney Jack.


2002–03 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Cup competitions
In the League Trophy, Vale advanced through the opening rounds with home wins over Hull City and Chesterfield (after a penalty shootout). In the Northern Section Quarter-Finals they faced Shrewsbury Town at Gay Meadow, and lost 2–1.


2002–03 Portland Trail Blazers season
The 2002–03 NBA season was the 33rd season for the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association. During the offseason, Arvydas Sabonis came out of his retirement and returned to play for the Blazers, who got off to a mediocre 10–11 start, but then posted an 8-game winning streak in December. The team finished 50–32, making the playoffs for the 21st consecutive year and 26th year of the last 27. In the playoffs, the 6th-seeded Blazers battled the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, and fell four games to three.


2002–03 Portland Trail Blazers season
(The NBA had changed all playoff series to be best-of-seven; previously first-round series had been best-of-five). The Blazers remain the last team to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-0 in a best-of-seven series after the 1950-51 Knicks in the NBA Finals and the 1993-94 Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals, though no team has come back to win an NBA playoff series after trailing 3-0.


2002–03 Portland Trail Blazers season
The Blazers' 107–95 Game 7 loss to the Mavericks in Dallas would be the venerable franchise's last playoff game for six years, as the historic postseason streak ended in 2003–04 with a mediocre 41–41 record; two seasons followed in which they failed to win even 30 games. Following the season, Scottie Pippen re-signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls, and Sabonis retired for the second time.


2002–03 Portland Trail Blazers season
For the season, the Blazers changed their logo which only lasted for just one season, and added red road alternate uniforms.


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


2002–03 Portsmouth F.C. season, Season summary
Portsmouth led the First Division for most of the season, and eventually finished as champions, six points clear of second-placed Leicester City. As champions, Portsmouth gained promotion to the FA Premier League, returning to the top flight after an absence of 15 years.


2002–03 Portsmouth F.C. season, Season summary
Bulgarian striker Svetoslav Todorov silenced his critics by finishing top scorer in the division with 26 goals, overhauling Nottingham Forest's David Johnson with a hat-trick against Bradford City on the last day of the season, in the game that confirmed Portsmouth as Football League champions.


2002–03 Portsmouth F.C. season, Kit
Portsmouth continue to produce their own kits under the club's own brand, Pompey Sport.


2002–03 Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth 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 Powergen Cup
The 2002–03 Powergen Cup was the 32nd edition of England's rugby union club competition. Gloucester won the competition defeating Northampton Saints in the final. The event was sponsored by Powergen and the final was held at Twickenham Stadium.


2002–03 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The 2002–03 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina was the third season since its establishment and distinguishes itself from previous seasons by having expanded the country-wide league to include the clubs from Republika Srpska in the competition. This season began on 3 August 2002 and ended on 24 May 2003.


2002–03 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The league was won by FK Leotar after a dramatic last round where they defeated away team Rudar Ugljevik (2–1). Široki Brijeg defended successfully against the defending home champions Željezničar (1–0).


2002–03 Premier Soccer League
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by Frietjes (talk | contribs) at 15:38, 14 April 2020 (expand templates per Fb team TfD outcome and Fb competition TfD outcome and Fb cl TfD outcome and Fb rbr TfD outcome). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


2002–03 Premier Soccer League
The title was won by Orlando Pirates, their second championship in three seasons.


2002–03 Premiership Rugby
The 2002-03 Zurich Premiership was the 16th season of the top flight of the English domestic rugby union competitions.


2002–03 Premiership Rugby
The Zurich Championship which had been competed for in seasons 2000–01 and 2001–02 was dropped from this season.


2002–03 Premiership Rugby, Table
Wasps won the 2002–03 Parker Pen Challenge Cup therefore automatically qualifying for the 2003–04 Heineken Cup. With Leicester Tigers winning the Zurich Wildcard Final, the final 2003–04 Heineken Cup berth was awarded to Leeds Tykes, placed fifth in the league.


2002–03 Premiership Rugby, Zurich Wildcard
Meanwhile, Leeds (5th place), Leicester (6th), Harlequins (7th), Saracens (8th) played for a Zurich Wildcard to the 2003–04 Heineken Cup:


2002–03 Premiership Rugby, Zurich Wildcard, Semi-finals, Second leg
Leicester advanced to the wildcard final due to a superior aggregate score of 51-39


2002–03 Premiership Rugby, Zurich Wildcard, Semi-finals, Second leg
Saracens advanced to the wildcard final due to a superior aggregate score of 70-48


2002–03 Premiership Rugby, Leading scorers
Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under World Rugby eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who have not earned international senior caps. Players may hold one or more non-WR nationalities.


2002–03 Preston North End F.C. season
The 2002–03 season saw Preston North End compete in the Football League First Division where they finished in 12th position with 61 points.


2002–03 Primeira Liga
The 2002–03 Primeira Liga was the 69th edition of top flight of Portuguese football. It started on 25 August 2002 with a match between Varzim and Paços de Ferreira, and ended on 1 June 2003. The league was contested by 18 clubs with Sporting CP as the defending champions.


2002–03 Primeira Liga
Porto won the league and qualified for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League group stage, along with Benfica, who qualified for the third round. Sporting and União de Leiria qualified for the 2003–04 UEFA Cup. In opposite, Varzim, Santa Clara and Vitória de Setúbal were relegated to the Segunda Liga. Faye Fary was the top scorer with 18 goals.


2002–03 Primeira Liga, Promotion and relegation, Teams relegated to Segunda Liga
Salgueiros, Farense and Alverca, were consigned to the Segunda Liga following their final classification in 2001–02 season.


2002–03 Primeira Liga, Promotion and relegation, Teams promoted from Segunda Liga
The other three teams were replaced by Moreirense, Académica and Nacional from the Segunda Liga.


2002–03 Primera B Nacional
The 2002–03 Argentine Primera B Nacional was the 17th season of second division professional of football in Argentina. A total of 20 teams competed; the champion and runner-up were promoted to Argentine Primera División.


2002–03 Primera B Nacional, Promotion Playoff
This leg was played between the Apertura and the Clausura winner, but  as Atlético de Rafaela won both tournaments, was declared champion and was automatically promoted to 2003–04 Primera División, so the match was played between the best teams placed in the overall standings under Atlético de Rafaela; Argentinos Juniors and Quilmes. The winning team was promoted to 2003–04 Primera División and the losing team played the Promotion Playoff Primera División-Primera B Nacional.


2002–03 Primera B Nacional, Promotion Playoff Primera División-Primera B Nacional
The Promotion playoff loser (Argentinos Juniors) and the team placed 4th in the overall standings (San Martín (M)) played against the 18th and the 17th placed of the Relegation Table of 2002–03 Primera División.


2002–03 Primera B Nacional, Relegation
Note: Clubs with indirect affiliation with AFA are relegated to the Torneo Argentino A, while clubs directly affiliated face relegation to Primera B Metropolitana. Clubs with direct affiliation are all from Greater Buenos Aires, with the exception of Newell's, Rosario Central, Central Córdoba and Argentino de Rosario, all from Rosario, and Unión and Colón from Santa Fe.


2002–03 Primera Divisió, Overview
It was contested by 9 teams, and FC Santa Coloma won the championship.


2002–03 Primera División A season
Primera División A (Méxican First A Division) is a Mexican football tournament. This season was composed of Invierno 2002 and Verano 2003. Irapuato was the winner of the promotion to First Division after winning León in the promotion playoff.


2002–03 Primera División A season, Promotion final
The promotion final faced Irapuato against León to determine the winner of the First Division Promotion. Irapuato was the winner. Before the celebration of the games a controversy was unleashed, because it was made believe that the board of the Club Leon had acquired the Irapuato. Subsequently, an armed command supposedly paid by the owners of the León occupied the Sergio León Chávez stadium, a few days later the fans recovered the building accompanied by police and military elements.


2002–03 QMJHL season
The 2002–03 QMJHL season was the 34th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league discontinues the AutoPro Plaque and Philips Plaque as those sponsorships expire. The St-Clair Group Plaque is renamed the Jean Sawyer Trophy. Sixteen teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The Baie-Comeau Drakkar finished first overall in the regular season winning their first Jean Rougeau Trophy. The Hull Olympiques won their fifth President's Cup, defeating the Halifax Mooseheads in the finals.


2002–03 QMJHL season, Final standings
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OL = Overtime loss; PTS = Points; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against


2002–03 QMJHL season, Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes


2002–03 QSPHL season
The 2002–03 QSPHL season was the seventh season of the Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League, a minor professional league in the Canadian province of Quebec. 15 teams participated in the regular season, and the Chiefs de Laval won the league title.


2002–03 Qatar Stars League, Overview
It was contested by 10 teams, and Qatar SC won the championship.


2002–03 RC Lens season
The 2002–03 season was RC Lens's 97th season in existence and the club's 12th consecutive season in the top flight of French football. In addition to the domestic league, Lens participated in this season's editions of the Coupe de France and the Coupe de la Ligue.


2002–03 RCD Mallorca season
During the 2002–03 Spanish football season, RCD Mallorca competed in the La Liga.


2002–03 RCD Mallorca season, Season summary
Mallorca finished the season in 9th position in the La Liga table. In other competitions, Mallorca winner of the Copa del Rey.


2002–03 RCD Mallorca season, Season summary
Samuel Eto'o and Walter Pandiani was the top scorer for Mallorca with 14 goals in all competitions.


2002–03 RK Zamet season
The 2002–03 season was the 46th season in RK Zamet’s history. It is their 2nd successive season in the 1.HRL, and 26th successive top tier season.


2002–03 Radivoj Korać Cup
The 2003 Radivoj Korać Cup was the inaugural season of the Radivoj Korać Cup, a competition formerly known as the Yugoslav Cup.


2002–03 Rangers F.C. season
The 2002–03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football by Rangers.


2002–03 Rangers F.C. season, Overview
Rangers played a total of 50 competitive matches during the 2002–03 season. They won their seventh domestic treble in manager Alex McLeish's first full season in charge, having taken over from Dick Advocaat the previous season. The league championship was won on goal difference in the last match of the season with a 6–1 win against Dunfermline Athletic. The club finished on +73 GD, just one ahead of Celtic.


2002–03 Rangers F.C. season, Overview
The League Cup was won with a 2–1 final win against Celtic and the Scottish Cup with a 1–0 win against Dundee. Despite domestic success, Rangers crashed out of Europe at the first round stage to little known Czech team Victoria Zizkov losing on the away goals rule.


2002–03 Rangers F.C. season, Matches, Scottish Premier League
Last updated: 25 May 2003Source: Wikipedia article1Rangers goals come first.National flags for Ground and Opponent columns are only shown when different from that of Rangers.M = Match; Ground: H = Home, A = Away, N = Neutral, HR = Home replacement, AR = Away replacement.


2002–03 Rangers F.C. season, Matches, UEFA Cup
Last updated: 3 October 2002Source: Wikipedia article1Rangers goals come first.National flags for Ground and Opponent columns are only shown when different from that of Rangers.M = Match; Ground: H = Home, A = Away, N = Neutral, HR = Home replacement, AR = Away replacement.


2002–03 Rangers F.C. season, Matches, Scottish Cup
Last updated: 31 May 2003Source: Wikipedia article1Rangers goals come first.National flags for Ground and Opponent columns are only shown when different from that of Rangers.M = Match; Ground: H = Home, A = Away, N = Neutral, HR = Home replacement, AR = Away replacement.


2002–03 Rangers F.C. season, Matches, League Cup
Last updated: 16 March 2003Source: Wikipedia article1Rangers goals come first.National flags for Ground and Opponent columns are only shown when different from that of Rangers.M = Match; Ground: H = Home, A = Away, N = Neutral, HR = Home replacement, AR = Away replacement.


2002–03 Rangers F.C. season, Matches, Friendlies
Last updated: 18 January 2003Source:1Rangers goals come first.National flags for Ground and Opponent columns are only shown when different from that of Rangers.M = Match; Ground: H = Home, A = Away, N = Neutral, HR = Home replacement, AR = Away replacement.


2002–03 Ranji Trophy
The 2002–03 Ranji Trophy was the 69th season of the Ranji Trophy. Mumbai defeated Tamil Nadu by 141 runs in the final.


2002–03 Ranji Trophy, Format
The major change in the format of the tournament was the introduction of the Elite and Plate divisions. The 15 teams which qualified from the Zonal league in the previous season were placed in two groups in the upper Elite division. The top two teams from each group qualified for the semifinal and then played for the Ranji title. The remaining twelve teams played each other in two groups in the Plate division. They played the Plate semifinal and the final. The finalists qualified for the Elite division in the next year while the two lowest placed teams in the Elite division were demoted.


2002–03 Ranji Trophy, Format
Karnataka and Kerala were promoted to the Elite division for 2003-04. This meant that five of the six South Zone teams played in the Elite division. Himachal Pradesh and Orissa were demoted to the Plate.


2002–03 Reading F.C. season
The 2002–03 season was Reading's first season back in the First Division, since their promotion from the Second Division in 2002.


2002–03 Reading F.C. season, 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 Reading F.C. season, Competitions
Updated to match played match played 4 May 2003Source: Competitions


2002–03 Reading F.C. season, Team kit
Reading's kit for the 2002–03 was manufactured by Kit@, and the main sponsor was .


2002–03 Real Betis season
During the 2002–03 season, Betis finished eighth in the La Liga.


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


2002–03 Real Madrid CF season
The 2002–03 season was Real Madrid's 72nd season in La Liga. This article shows statistics of the club's players in the season, and also lists all matches that the club played in the 2002–03 season. This season marked the return of their purple away kits, and a new sponsor, Siemens Mobile, to be shown on their kits.


2002–03 Real Madrid CF season, Summary
Real Madrid returned to domestic league glory under Vicente del Bosque after a 3–1 victory against Athletic Bilbao in the last game of the season. But Real Madrid surprisingly sacked Vicente del Bosque shortly after winning the La Liga title after del Bosque was not offered his new contract and being replaced by surprise candidate Carlos Queiroz. Real Madrid were also on course to retain their UEFA Champions League La Decima title before being eliminated by eventual Italian league champions Juventus. In the domestic cup, Real Madrid were also eliminated by eventual Copa del Rey champions RCD Mallorca with a 1–5 aggregate loss.


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


2002–03 Real Madrid CF season, 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 Real Sociedad season, Season summary
During the 2002–03 season, Real Sociedad were involved in a title race for the first time in decades.


2002–03 Real Sociedad season, Season summary
After a series of impressive performances, stretching from September to February the club reached the top of the table. During February  and March their  league form faltered, and the title challenge looked over. However the club managed to re-establish itself back at the top in April. An emphatic 4-2 defeat of Real Madrid’s galacticos at Anoeta in April was the team’s signature performance.


2002–03 Real Sociedad season, Season summary
The turning point came in early June. Failing to beat Valencia and losing away to Celta de Vigo- who were after a UCL qualification spot- meant that the Guipuscoan club missed on the league trophy. On the last match day a home victory against Atlético Madrid was sterile, as Real Madrid defeated Athletic Bilbao and thus became league champions. A home draw against Villareal in March is also blamed for this outcome.


2002–03 Real Sociedad season, Season summary
The club’s fanbase and the entire province paid tribute to the squad regardless of their failure to win the trophy.


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


2002–03 Real Sociedad season, 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 Real Valladolid season
During the 2002–03 Spanish football season, Real Valladolid competed in the La Liga.


2002–03 Real Valladolid season, Season summary
Valladolid finished the season in 14th position in the La Liga table. In other competitions, Valladolid reached the fourth round of the Copa del Rey.


2002–03 Real Valladolid season, Season summary
David Aganzo was the top scorer for Valladolid with 9 goals in all competitions.


2002–03 Real Valladolid season, Kit
Valladolid's kit was manufactured by British sports retailer Umbro and sponsored by Agroinnova.


2002–03 Red Stripe Bowl
The 2002–03 Red Stripe Bowl was the 29th edition of what is now the Regional Super50, the domestic limited-overs cricket competition for the countries of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). It ran from 14 August to 1 September 2002, with matches played in Jamaica and Saint Lucia.


2002–03 Red Stripe Bowl
Ten teams contested the competition, including several first-time participants. For a second consecutive season, the Leeward and Windward Islands teams were each broken up into two teams – Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines entered separate teams, with players from the remaining countries playing for "Rest of Leeward Islands" and "Rest of Windward Islands" teams. A University of the West Indies team entered for the first time, while Canada were invited as a guest team.


2002–03 Red Stripe Bowl
The semi-finals and final of the competition were all held in Discovery Bay, Jamaica, with Barbados eventually defeating Jamaica in the final to win their fifth domestic one-day title (and first since the 1987–88 season). Barbadian batsman Floyd Reifer led the tournament in runs, while Merv Dillon of Trinidad and Tobago and Daren Powell of Jamaica were the equal leading wicket-takers.


2002–03 Red Stripe Bowl, Statistics, Most runs
The top five run scorers (total runs) are included in this table.


2002–03 Red Stripe Bowl, Statistics, Most wickets
The top five wicket takers are listed in this table, listed by wickets taken and then by bowling average.


2002–03 Reggina Calcio season
Reggina Calcio just renewed its Serie A contract, thanks to a late surge in the league competition and a successful spareggio against Atalanta. Reggina drew 0-0 at home, and then turned around a deficit to win 2-1 away from home, with Francesco Cozza and Emiliano Bonazzoli being the match-winners. The player who got the most headlines during the season was  Japanese playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura, who scored seven goals and created several others. He also helped Reggina to get onto the Asian market, so the signing was largely hailed as a genial manoeuvre by president Pasquale Foti.


2002–03 Regionalliga
The 2002–03 Regionalliga season was the ninth season of the Regionalliga at tier three (III) of the German football league system.


2002–03 Regionalliga
The Regionalliga was split into two divisions, the Regionalliga Nord and the Regionalliga Süd. The league champions, Erzgebirge Aue and SpVgg Unterhaching, and the runners-up in both divisions, VfL Osnabrück and Jahn Regensburg, were promoted to the 2003–04 2. Bundesliga.


2002–03 Regionalliga, Teams
SV Babelsberg 03, 1. FC Saarbrücken, 1. FC Schweinfurt 05 and SpVgg Unterhaching came down from the 2001–02 2. Bundesliga, replacing VfB Lübeck, Eintracht Braunschweig, Wacker Burghausen and Eintracht Trier.


2002–03 Regionalliga, Teams
Borussia Dortmund (A), Dynamo Dresden, Hamburger SV (A), 1. FC Köln (A), FC Augsburg, Eintracht Frankfurt (A) Borussia Neunkirchen and SC Pfullendorf were promoted from the Oberliga, replacing 1. FC Magdeburg, Fortuna Düsseldorf, Fortuna Köln, VfR Mannheim, VfB Stuttgart (A), SpVgg Ansbach and Borussia Fulda.


2002–03 Regionalliga, Regionalliga Süd
Five teams were due to be relegated, but Stuttgarter Kickers and Sportfreunde Siegen were reprieved because two of the relegated teams from the 2. Bundesliga, SSV Reutlingen and SV Waldhof Mannheim, could not achieve a Regionalliga license, and dropped another level, to the Oberliga.


2002–03 Rochdale A.F.C. season
The 2002–03 Rochdale A.F.C. season was the club's 82nd season in the Football League, and the 29th consecutive season in the fourth tier (League Division Three).


2002–03 Romanian Hockey League season
The 2002–03 Romanian Hockey League season was the 73rd season of the Romanian Hockey League. Four teams participated in the league, and Steaua Bucuresti won the championship.


2002–03 Rotherham United F.C. season
The 2002–03 season saw Rotherham United compete in the Football League First Division where they finished in 15th position with 45 points.


2002–03 Rugby Pro D2 season
The 2002–03 Rugby Pro D2 season was the 2002–03 second division of French club rugby union. There is promotion and relegation in Pro Rugby D2, and after the 2002–03 season, CA Brive and Montpellier RC were promoted to the top level, and US Marmande and Aubenas Vals were relegated to third division.


2002–03 Rugby Union County Championship
The 2002–03 Tetley's Bitter Rugby Union County Championship was the 103rd edition of England's County Championship rugby union club competition.


2002–03 Rugby Union County Championship
Lancashire won their 17th title after defeating Gloucestershire in the final.


2002–03 Russian Superleague season
The 2002–03 Russian Superleague season was the seventh season of the Russian Superleague, the top level of ice hockey in Russia. 18 teams participated in the league, and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl won the championship for the second season in a row.


2002–03 Russian Superleague season, Playoffs
3rd place: HC Lada Togliatti – Avangard Omsk 2:0 (4:1, 4:1)


2002–03 S.L. Benfica season
The 2002–03 season was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 99th season in existence and the club's 69th consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football. During the season, which lasted from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003, Benfica competed in the Primeira Liga and the Taça de Portugal.