• 27 June 2002 – Leeds United sack manager
David O'Leary after four years in charge. The sacking is thought by many to be down to a combination of both spending more than £100 million on players but never winning a trophy and the publication of his book "Leeds United on Trial", detailing his experiences as manager during the previous season when both Lee Bowyer and Johnathan Woodgate had been on trial for assault. • 3 July 2002 –
Middlesbrough pay a club record £8.15million for
Empoli and
Italy striker
Massimo Maccarone. • 8 July 2002 – Leeds United appoint
Terry Venables as their new manager. • 10 July 2002 –
AFC Wimbledon, a club founded by former supporters of
Wimbledon following The FA's approval of
the latter club's move to
Milton Keynes, play their first match, losing 4–0 in a preseason friendly to
Sutton United in front of over 4,600 fans. • 11 July 2002 –
Arsenal sign defender
Pascal Cygan from
Lille for £2.1million. • 12 July 2002 – Newcastle United sign 20-year-old defender
Titus Bramble from
Ipswich Town for £5million. • 22 July 2002 –
Manchester United break the English transfer record for the third time in just over a year. They pay
Leeds United £29 million for central defender
Rio Ferdinand, amidst reports that the Yorkshire club are in severe financial difficulties after overspending during the previous 3 seasons, and having a crippling loan debt. • 24 July 2002 –
Everton sign Arsenal goalkeeper
Richard Wright for £3.5million. • 26 July 2002 – Manchester United sell out-of-favour striker
Dwight Yorke to
Blackburn Rovers for £2million, with
Graeme Souness partnering Yorke with his former Manchester United strike partner
Andy Cole. • 30 July 2002 –
Birmingham City, newly promoted to the Premier League, pay a club record £4.25million for
Crystal Palace striker
Clinton Morrison. • 2 August 2002 –
Juninho signs for Middlesbrough for the third time in a £6million move from
Atlético Madrid. • 4 August 2002 –
Leicester City move into their new 32,500-seat
Walkers Stadium after 111 years at
Filbert Street. They drew 1–1 in a friendly with
Athletic Bilbao. • 5 August 2002 – Middlesbrough sign
Aston Villa midfielder
George Boateng for £5million. • 7 August 2002 –
Players' Union chairman
Gordon Taylor calls for the
Football League, currently in a financial crisis following the collapse of
ITV Digital, to combine with the 12
Scottish Premier League clubs to form an expanded Football League. There has recently been talk of
Rangers and
Celtic resigning from the Scottish Premier League to join
Division One of the English league, and for several years it has frequently been suggested by various sources that the two clubs should join the
Premier League. • 8 August 2002 – Leeds United sign Liverpool midfielder
Nick Barmby for £2.75million. • 15 August 2002 – Liverpool sell defender
Stephen Wright to
Sunderland for £3million. • 17 August 2002 – The
FA Premier League season begins.
West Bromwich Albion's first top division game for 17 years ends in a 1–0 away defeat to
Manchester United. • 21 August 2002 – Sunderland sign
Leicester City midfielder
Matt Piper for £3.5million. • 29 August 2002 –
Lee Hughes rejoins
West Bromwich Albion for £2.5million after a year at
Coventry City, and is joined for £2.25million by
Tranmere Rovers midfielder
Jason Koumas. • 30 August 2002 – Sunderland sign striker
Marcus Stewart from Ipswich Town for £3.25million. • 31 August 2002 •
Leeds United sell striker
Robbie Keane to
Tottenham Hotspur for £7 million, as
Glenn Hoddle's team look to push for the Premier League title after three wins and a draw from their opening four games take them to the top of the league as August draws to a close. Arsenal (defending champions), Liverpool, Leeds United and Charlton Athletic complete the top five. Bolton Wanderers, who have lost both of their games this month, prop up the top flight, while winless West Ham United and Southampton complete the bottom three. Sunderland pay a club record £6.75million for
Rangers striker
Tore Andre Flo. West Bromwich Albion beat Fulham 1–0 to record their first top division win since March 1986. •
Portsmouth, who were generally not considered as serious promotion challenge, are the surprise leaders of Division One, with their nearest competition coming from last season's beaten playoff finalists
Norwich City.
Leicester City,
Wolverhampton Wanderers,
Rotherham United and
Nottingham Forest complete the top six. • 10 September 2002 • Sunderland sign goalkeeper
Mart Poom from
Derby County for £2.5million. • A
Kevin Nolan goal gives Bolton Wanderers a surprise 1–0 league win over Manchester United at
Old Trafford. • 14 September 2002 – Manchester United's dismal start to the season continues as they lose 1–0 at Leeds United. They are now ninth in the league, one place below a newly promoted West Bromwich Albion side who have achieved three consecutive league wins. • 16 September 2002 – Birmingham City beat Aston Villa 3–0 at St Andrew's in the first
Second City derby in the league for 15 years, and the first in the top flight for 17 years. • 17 September 2002 – After a slow start to the season, the pressure is growing on Sunderland manager Peter Reid. The
Daily Mirror tips
George Graham to be named as Sunderland manager if Reid is ousted. • 21 September 2002 –
Ruud van Nistelrooy scores the winning goal from the penalty spot as Manchester United get back on track with a 1–0 home league win over Tottenham. • 23 September 2002 – Peter Reid gains unexpected support from Sir Bobby Robson, manager of Sunderland's local rivals Newcastle United, who defends him over the club's recent shortcomings. • 26 September 2002 – A poll among Sunderland supporters names David O'Leary as the man they would most like to see as manager in place of under-fire Peter Reid. • 30 September 2002 – September finishes with defending champions Arsenal top of the Premier League, two points ahead of second-placed Liverpool. Manchester United, held back by two defeats this month, are fourth in the league and level on points with third-placed Middlesbrough who are mounting a surprise title challenge. Chelsea occupy fifth place, with last month's leaders Tottenham Hotspur now down to sixth. West Ham United, Charlton Athletic and Southampton occupy the bottom three places. Portsmouth and Leicester City lead the way in Division One, with the playoff zone being occupied by Norwich City,
Nottingham Forest, Rotherham United and
Sheffield United. • 7 October 2002 –
Peter Reid is sacked by
FA Premier League strugglers
Sunderland after seven-and-a-half years in charge. • 9 October 2002 – Republic of Ireland manager
Mick McCarthy is named as a contender for the Sunderland manager's job. • 10 October 2002 – After just four months as manager of
Stoke City, manager
Steve Cotterill leaves the club with a statement revealing that he has agreed to take a role at another club, sparking speculation that he has been appointed as Sunderland's new manager. Hours later, however, it was revealed that
Howard Wilkinson has ended his five-year role as technical director of
The Football Association to become Sunderland's new manager, with Cotterill as his assistant. • 12 October 2002 –
England open their
Euro 2004 qualifying series with a 2–1 win over
Slovakia in
Bratislava.
David Beckham and
Michael Owen score for England. • 19 October 2002 –
Everton striker
Wayne Rooney becomes the youngest-ever goalscorer in
FA Premier League history when he scores a last-minute winner against
Arsenal, five days before his 17th birthday, to end the opposition's 30-match unbeaten Premiership run. West Ham United winger
Trevor Sinclair takes the pressure off his manager
Glenn Roeder by scoring the only goal in an away league win over Sunderland, who are playing their first game under the management of Howard Wilkinson. • 26 October 2002 – After waiting 12 years to renew old rivalries,
Andrew Johnson scores a hat-trick as Crystal Palace crush Brighton 5–0 in a Division One game at Selhurst Park. • 27 October 2002 –
James Beattie scores a hat-trick as Southampton beat Fulham 4–2 in the league at
St Mary's Stadium. • 30 October 2002 –
Adam Crozier announced his resignation as chief executive of
The Football Association after two years in this role. • 31 October 2002 – October draws to a close with Liverpool having leapfrogged Arsenal into second place, opening up a four-point gap and looking in a stronger position than ever before to end their league title wait that began in 1990. Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur complete the top five. Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion occupy the three relegation places. Portsmouth now have a seven-point lead over nearest rivals Leicester City at the top of
Division One. The play-off zone is occupied by Norwich City, Sheffield United,
Watford and Nottingham Forest. Portsmouth and Leicester City continue to lead the way in Division One. Nottingham Forest, Norwich City,
Reading (newly promoted) and Sheffield United complete the top six. • 7 December 2002 – Manchester United's revival continues with a 2–0 home league win over defending champions Arsenal. • 14 December 2002 – Manchester United continue to close in on the top of the table with a 3–0 home win over West Ham. Sunderland boost their survival challenge with a 2–1 home win over Liverpool, whose title challenge is continuing to fall away.
Marc-Vivien Foé scores twice for Manchester City in a 2–2 draw at Charlton Athletic. • 26 December 2002 –
Hull City celebrate their first competitive game at their new
Kingston Communications Stadium with a 2–0 win over
Hartlepool United in
Division Three. • 31 December 2002 – 2002 ends with Arsenal top of the Premier League, four points ahead of second-placed Chelsea and with a game in hand. Manchester United occupy third place, Everton are fourth and Liverpool have declined to fifth place just two months after they had a comfortable lead at the top. Southampton's recent resurgence is putting pressure on the top five as they occupy seventh place and look on course for their highest finish since 1995. West Ham United remain bottom and are still looking for their first home win of the season, while West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland complete the bottom three. Portsmouth and Leicester City's two-horse race at the top of Division One continues, with the playoff zone unchanged from last month. • 4 January 2003 –
Shrewsbury Town beat Everton 2–1 in an FA Cup third round tie at
Gay Meadow. • 12 January 2003 –
Robbie Keane scores a hat-trick as Tottenham beat Everton 4–3 in the league at
White Hart Lane. • 19 January 2003 –
Thierry Henry scores a hat-trick as Arsenal beat West Ham United 3–1 at
Highbury. • 30 January 2003 – Still struggling with debt, Leeds United sell
Robbie Fowler to Manchester City for £6million. • 31 January 2003 – January draws to a close with Arsenal still top of the Premier League, two points above second placed Manchester United and within a game in hand. Newcastle United, Chelsea and Everton complete the top five. Liverpool's decline continues as they occupy eighth place, deepening fears that a side looking all set for title glory three months ago might now not even qualify for the UEFA Cup. Meanwhile, West Bromwich Albion's dismal form continues as they and West Ham United prop up the rest of the top flight on goal difference. Sunderland occupy the last relegation place. Middlesbrough boost their bid for a
UEFA Cup place by spending a total of £8.5million on new signings
Chris Riggott,
Malcolm Christie and
Michael Ricketts. The true extent of Leeds United's financial difficulties becomes public knowledge during a press conference to announce the sale of
Jonathan Woodgate to Newcastle United for £9million, during which Terry Venables states that he had been assured players wouldn't need to be sold. Portsmouth and Leicester City remain in pole position at the top of Division One, and apart from Coventry City edging Reading out of the playoff zone the top six of the division is unchanged from last month. • 9 February 2003 – Manchester United drop two priceless points in the Premier League title race as they can only manage a 1–1 draw with City in the
Manchester derby at Old Trafford. It is the first time since the 1991–92 season that they have failed to beat City in either derby games. • 12 February 2003 – A record of eight black players are capped in the England side's 3–1 home defeated by
Australia at Upton Park. • 16 February 2003 – One of the most decisive games of the season sees Arsenal cancel out Manchester United in
the double race with a 2–0 win at
Old Trafford. After the game,
David Beckham suffers a gash to his face which is reportedly the result of Sir Alex Ferguson throwing a basket full of boots across the changing room after his side's defeat. • 22 February 2003 – Manchester United drop points once again when relegation threatened Bolton hold them to a 1–1 draw at the
Reebok Stadium. • 28 February 2003 – The month-end leaders for February are Arsenal, who now lead Manchester United by five points. Newcastle United, Chelsea and Everton complete the top five. There will now be a place in the UEFA Cup for the Premier League's sixth place team if Manchester United or Liverpool (who contest this weekend's League Cup final) finish in the top five. Currently in sixth place are Charlton Athletic, while Liverpool are still only seventh in a division which they had looked set to win a few months ago. Portsmouth have a two-point lead over Leicester City at the top of Division One. Reading, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United remain in the playoff zone, but an improving Wolverhampton Wanderers side have edged Norwich City out of the top six. Rotherham United are in contention for promotion after an impressive season so far. • 2 March 2003 –
Liverpool win the League Cup for the seventh time in their history thanks to a 2–0 win over
Manchester United in the final at
Millennium Stadium in
Cardiff. On the same day, Arsenal establish an eight-point lead at the top of the league and look all set for a second successive league title. • 5 March 2003 – Manchester United cut Arsenal's Premier League lead to five points with a 2–1 home win over struggling Leeds United. • 10 March 2003 – Howard Wilkinson is sacked as
Sunderland manager (along with his assistant Steve Cotterill) after his team won just two out of 20 Premiership matches under his management. The hunt for his successor begins, with Mick McCarthy, David O'Leary and George Burley the three names being particularly strongly linked with the vacancy. • 12 March 2003 – Sunderland appoint former
Republic of Ireland national coach
Mick McCarthy as their new manager. • 15 March 2003 – Arsenal are now just two points ahead of Manchester United at the top of the league, after they lose 2–0 at Blackburn and their rivals win 1–0 at Aston Villa. • 19 March 2003 – Two goals in three minutes for Forest sets them on their way to a 3–0 victory over Derby County. • 21 March 2003 –
Leeds United, 16th in the
FA Premier League and £120million in debt, sack
Terry Venables after eight months in charge. Peter Reid is named as his successor on a temporary contract until the end of the season, but it is far from clear whether Reid will get the job on a permanent basis. • 22 March 2003 •
Derby County (in
Division One) suspend manager
John Gregory over allegations of misconduct and replace him with
George Burley as interim manager. • Manchester United beat Fulham 3–0 at Old Trafford, with Ruud van Nistelrooy scoring all three goals, to go top of the Premier League just three weeks after their title hopes had appeared dead. • 23 March 2003 – Arsenal return to the top of the Premier League with a narrow 2–1 win over Everton. • 31 March 2003 – March draws to a close with Manchester United now leading the Premier League just a month after Arsenal looked to have won it, though
Arsène Wenger's team are only a point behind with a
game in hand. Three points now separate Portsmouth and Leicester City at the top of Division One. Sheffield United, Reading, Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers remain in the play-off zone. Ipswich Town's resurgence has seen them creep to the fringe of the top six, but Rotherham United's playoff hopes are evaporating. • 5 April 2003 – Manchester United seize the initiative in the title challenge by beating Liverpool 4–0 at Old Trafford as Arsenal can only manage a 1–1 draw at Aston Villa. Leeds United move closer to survival with a 6–1 away win over a Charlton side which effectively ends their opposition's hopes of
European qualification. • 12 April 2003 –
Paul Scholes scores a hat-trick as Manchester United beat Newcastle United 6–2 on
Tyneside to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League. Newcastle's neighbours Sunderland's relegation is confirmed by a 2–0 defeat at Birmingham City. • 16 April 2003 – The much-anticipated "title decider" between Arsenal and Manchester United at
Highbury ends in a 2–2 draw, meaning that Arsenal are now three points behind Manchester United but with a game in hand and a remotely superior goal difference. • 19 April 2003 – Paul Scholes is on the scoresheet twice as a 3–1 home win over Blackburn Rovers edges Manchester United closer to their eighth Premier League title in 11 seasons, despite Arsenal's 2–0 win at Middlesbrough. West Bromwich Albion are relegated despite a 2–1 away win over already relegated Sunderland.
Leicester City seal promotion to the Premier League with a 2–0 win over Brighton. • 21 April 2003 – West Ham manager Glenn Roeder is hospitalised with a suspected stroke; director of football
Trevor Brooking is placed in charge of the first team until Roeder is well enough to resume control. • 26 April 2003 –
Arsenal suffer a huge blow to their double hopes, as they surrender a 2–0 lead in their game-in-hand to draw 2–2 with
Bolton at the
Reebok Stadium – well and truly shifting the title race in
Manchester United's favour with three games to go. • 27 April 2003 –
Portsmouth defeated
Rotherham 3–2 to win the Division One championship and gain promotion to the Premier League for the first time since the league's inception. Apart from the
1987–88 season, they have not played top division football since the 1950s. On the same day,
Alan Shearer receives the Premier League "Player of the Decade" award at a
PFA ceremony. • 29 April 2003 – Glenn Roeder's illness is diagnosed as a brain tumour which will be operated upon shortly. • 30 April 2003 – Sunderland, without a point since January and win since December, end the month, and West Bromwich Albion, with only six wins in their first top division campaign for nearly 20 years, end April with their relegation battle lost. West Ham United complete the
Premier League bottom three but their survival bid is still very much alive as they are posing a threat to Bolton Wanderers, Birmingham City, Fulham, Aston Villa and a Leeds United team who began the season among the teams expected to challenge for the title but are now battling relegation as well as huge debts. Ninth-placed Manchester City bid farewell to
Maine Road after 80 years, their last game before relocation to the
City of Manchester Stadium being watched by a 35,000 capacity crowd as they lost 1–0 to eighth placed Southampton. The final goal at the stadium is scored by Saints defender
Michael Svensson. • 17 May 2003 –
Arsenal ease their Premier League disappointment by winning the FA Cup for the ninth time in their history, beating
Southampton 1–0 at the
Millennium Stadium courtesy of a first-half
Robert Pires goal. • 22 May 2003 –
Everton sign
Joseph Yobo from
Olympique Marseille for £3.5million. • 26 May 2003 –
Wolverhampton Wanderers return to the top flight after a 19-year exile by beating
Sheffield United 3–0 in the
Division One play-off final. • 4 June 2003 – After 13 years as goalkeeper for Arsenal,
David Seaman joins Manchester City on a free transfer, signing a one-year contract. • 17 June 2003 –
David Beckham agrees to join
Real Madrid in a £25 million deal after 12 years at Manchester United. • 26 June 2003 –
Marc-Vivien Foé, who spent the 2002–03 season on loan to
Manchester City, collapses and dies at the age of 28 during a
Confederations Cup tie for
Cameroon. ==
England national team==