2002 FA Cup Final at 4.1 million (44.4%). By comparison ITV's coverage of the 2002 UEFA Champions League Final averaged 6.8 million viewers, though with a lower viewing share (33.3%). The cup final ratings, a record low, were defended by the FA spokesman Paul Newman: "We are very pleased because the final peaked at 7.4m which is pretty good for a hot Saturday in the middle of a bank holiday weekend." A list compiled by the "London Evening Standard" showed the 2002 final came bottom in the season's top 10 viewed football matches. Four days later Arsenal defeated Manchester United to complete their third
2002–03 FA Cup qualifying rounds See 2002-03 FA Cup for details of the rounds from the First Round Proper onwards. 2002–03 FA Cup qualifying rounds The 2002–03 FA Cup Qualifying Rounds opened the 122nd season of competition in England for 'The Football Association Challenge Cup' (FA Cup), the world's oldest association football single knockout competition. The large number of clubs entering the tournament from lower down (Levels 5 through 10) in the English football pyramid meant that the competition started with six rounds of preliminary (2) and qualifying (4) knockouts for these non-League teams. The 32 winning teams from Fourth Round Qualifying progressed to the