2002–03 Colchester United F.C. season


The 2002–03 season was Colchester United's 61st season in their history and their fifth successive season in the third tier of English football, the Second Division. Alongside competing in the Second Division, the club also participated in the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Football League Trophy.
After a first round FA Cup exit to Conference side Chester City and a seven game winless run, manager Steve Whitton left the club by mutual consent, with Phil Parkinson appointed in his first ever managerial role. He led the club from the relegation zone to a 12th place finish, their highest position for 23 years.

Season overview

Following consecutive seasons of gradual improvement under Steve Whitton, the club found themselves in the relegation zone following a run of seven games without a win and a first round FA Cup exit to non-League Chester City. He left the club by mutual consent in January as former player Geraint Williams stepped up as caretaker manager while putting his name forward for the permanent role. However, with his many contacts at FA board level, chairman Peter Heard made a surprise appointment of Reading's player-coach Phil Parkinson.
Parkinson helped turn around the club's fortunes, lifting them from the relegation zone to 12th place, their best finish for 23 years.
In the League Cup, Colchester were eliminated by Coventry City in the first round, while Cheltenham Town defeated the U's in the first round of the Football League Trophy.
Away from the pitch, following the collapse of ITV Digital which had promised clubs greater television rights finances, a number of clubs found themselves entering administration or suffering lasting financial difficulty as a result of spending the money on players and resources before any had been received. Prudently, Peter Heard had never budgeted more than the club could afford and as such Colchester United were largely unaffected by the collapse.

Players

Transfers

In

Loans out

Match details

Second Division

League table

Results round by round

Matches

Football League Cup

Football League Trophy

FA Cup

Squad statistics

Appearances and goals

!colspan="16"|Players who appeared for Colchester who left during the season

Goalscorers

Disciplinary record

Clean sheets

Number of games goalkeepers kept a clean sheet.

Player debuts

Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match.
NumberPositionNationalityPlayerDateOpponentGroundNotes
8CBMark Warren10 August 2002Stockport CountyLayer Road
31GKRichard McKinney10 August 2002Stockport CountyLayer Road
22CBDanny Steele24 August 2002BrentfordLayer Road
23MFLeke Odunsi26 August 2002Peterborough UnitedLondon Road Stadium
25FBSam Stockley7 September 2002Cheltenham TownLayer Road
24CBPat Baldwin11 September 2002Coventry CityHighfield Road
18FWJustin Richards22 October 2002Cheltenham TownWhaddon Road
25FBSam Stockley9 November 2002Bristol CityLayer Road
21FWMvondo Atangana16 November 2002Chester CityLayer Road
18CBLiam Chilvers25 January 2003BlackpoolLayer Road
23FWGareth Williams25 January 2003BlackpoolLayer Road
26MFJohnnie Jackson11 March 2003BrentfordGriffin Park
28FWBen May29 March 2003Swindon TownLayer Road
29CBMike Edwards5 April 2003Plymouth ArgyleHome Park
27FB/MFGreg Halford21 April 2003Luton TownLayer Road

General

Books
Websites

Specific