2002–03 Stoke City F.C. season


The 2002–03 season was Stoke City's 96th season in the Football League and the 36th in the second tier.
Stoke now back in the First Division appointed young manager Steve Cotterill prior to the start of the season. Cotterill had got an impressive reputation following his success with Cheltenham Town but after just 13 matches in charge he shocked the club by quitting in favour of becoming assistant manager at Sunderland. Dave Kevan took over as caretaker until Tony Pulis was appointed in November. His task was to ensure Stoke survived which looked a tough ask as Stoke went 16 matches without a win and when Stoke did manage to get a positive result they lost 6–0 at Nottingham Forest. Following that defeat Pulis improved his defence and results were slowly being ground out and it went to the final day of the season against Reading, with Stoke knowing that if they win they will stay up and thanks to Ade Akinbiyi they won 1–0 and finished four points above the relegation zone.

Season review

League

With Gudjon Thordarson failing to gain a new contract the Stoke board moved to appoint Steve Cotterill from Cheltenham Town. Cotterill was seen as one of the best young managers in the country and it was hoped that he would be a long term appointment. He brought in Chris Greenacre a striker from Mansfield Town where he had been a prolific goalscorer. The season started with a 0–0 draw away at Sheffield Wednesday and their first win came at home to Bradford City. This was followed by a 4–3 defeat at Preston North End and defeats by Derby and Burnley. Stoke then went five matches unbeaten to lift them away from danger but the club was shocked on 10 October 2002 as Cotterill quit the club in favour of becoming assistant manager at Sunderland.
Dave Kevan assumed a caretaker manager role and in his four matches in charge Stoke lost them all to start a worrying run of results. The board had expected to appoint George Burley as manager but somewhat surprisingly Tony Pulis was the man given the job. Pulis had previously turned down the chance to manage the club in 1999 and his appointment was not a popular one with the supporters. In his first match in charge away at Walsall he received a less than warm welcome and Stoke crashed to a 4–2 defeat. It took Pulis' team nine more matches to register a victory and after it looked as though Stoke could start pulling away from relegation they suffered humiliation by losing 6–0 at Nottingham Forest and the survival bid looked grim.
But Pulis signed a number of players on loan which included Ade Akinbiyi, Paul Warhurst, Lee Mills, and goalkeepers Steve Banks and Mark Crossley. Pulis made Stoke a difficult team to beat and after three hard-fought goalless draws against teams trying to gain promotion Stoke gained vital victories against Watford, Rotherham United, Wimbledon and Coventry City. This took the relegation fight to the last day of the season with Stoke needing a victory against Reading to ensure their stay in First Division would be extended. A 55th-minute strike from Ade Akinbiyi sealed the win they needed and Stoke could start building for the future.

FA Cup

Two 3–0 wins against Wigan Athletic and Bournemouth set up a tie against Premier League Chelsea and two second half goals gave the Londoners a 2–0 victory.

League Cup

Stoke lost in the first round to Bury 1–0 at Gigg Lane.

Final league table

Key: P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Pre-Season Friendlies

Football League First Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersReports
110 August 2002Sheffield WednesdayA0–026,746
214 August 2002Leicester CityH0–114,028
317 August 2002Bradford CityH2–112,424Cooke 4', Marteinsson 34'
424 August 2002Preston North EndA3–415,422Clarke 7', 65', Cooke 90+2'
526 August 2002Norwich CityH1–113,931Commons 74'
631 August 2002Derby CountyA0–221,723
714 September 2002BurnleyA1–214,244Guðjónsson 74'
817 September 2002Brighton & Hove AlbionA2–16,369Mooney 17', Cooke 90'
921 September 2002Ipswich TownH2–114,587Shtanyuk 17', Cooke 80'
1025 September 2002Nottingham ForestH2–214,554Shtanyuk 13', Goodfellow 72'
1128 September 2002ReadingA1–113,646Vandeurzen 39'
125 October 2002Crystal PalaceH1–114,214Iwelumo 85'
1319 October 2002Wolverhampton WanderersH0–216,885
1423 October 2002Sheffield UnitedA1–215,163Greenacre 84'
1526 October 2002Rotherham UnitedA0–47,078
1630 October 2002WatfordH1–211,215Mooney 72'
172 November 2002WalsallA2–46,391Cooke 77', 81'
189 November 2002Grimsby TownH1–211,488Mooney 50'
1916 November 2002PortsmouthA0–318,701
2023 November 2002MillwallH0–113,776
2130 November 2002GillinghamA1–18,150Clarke 56'
227 December 2002Coventry CityH1–212,760Hoekstra 35'
2314 December 2002PortsmouthH1–113,330Gunnarsson 34'
2421 December 2002WimbledonA1–11,697Iwelumo 88'
2526 December 2002Bradford CityA2–414,575Marteinsson 9', Henry 23'
2628 December 2002Sheffield WednesdayH3–216,042Iwelumo 16', 66', Gunnarsson 90+4'
271 January 2003Preston North EndH2–114,862Gunnarsson 43', Hoekstra 45'
2811 January 2003Leicester CityA0–025,058
2918 January 2003Derby CountyH1–317,308Greenacre 63'
301 February 2003Norwich CityA2–220,186Gunnarsson 63', Mills 88'
318 February 2003Grimsby TownA0–25,657
3222 February 2003Nottingham ForestA0–624,085
3326 February 2003WalsallH1–010,409Mills 19'
341 March 2003BurnleyH0–112,874
355 March 2003Brighton & Hove AlbionH1–021,023Greenacre 83'
368 March 2003Ipswich TownA0–024,547
3715 March 2003Sheffield UnitedH0–014,449
3818 March 2003Wolverhampton WanderersA0–025,235
3922 March 2003WatfordA2–112,570Hoekstra 34' 49',
405 April 2003GillinghamH0–012,746
419 April 2003Rotherham UnitedH2–019,553Warhurst 21', Cooke 40'
4212 April 2003MillwallA1–38,725Shtanyuk 73'
4319 April 2003WimbledonH2–112,587Gunnarsson 29', Akinbiyi 45'
4421 April 2003Coventry CityA1–012,675Montgomery 87'
4526 April 2003Crystal PalaceA0–116,604
464 May 2003ReadingH1–020,477Akinbiyi 55'

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersReport
R34 January 2003Wigan AthleticH3–09,618Greenacre 20', 67' Iwelumo 31'
R425 January 2003BournemouthH3–012,004Iwelumo 45', 51', Hoekstra 84'
R516 February 2003ChelseaH0–226,615

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersReport
R110 September 2002BuryA0–12,581

Squad statistics