Dundee United F.C.
2002–03 season
ChairmanJim McLean (until 26 September)
Eddie Thompson (from 26 September)
ManagerAlex Smith (until 7 October)
Paul Hegarty (until 30 January as caretaker)
Ian McCall (from 30 January)
Bank of Scotland Premierleague11th
W:7 D:11 L:20 F:35 A:68 P:32
Tennent's Scottish CupThird round
CIS Insurance CupSemi-finals
Top goalscorerLeague: Jim McIntyre (9)
All: Jim McIntyre, Steven Thompson (9)
Highest home attendance12,402 (vs Dundee, 31 August)
Lowest home attendance5,572 (vs Livingston, 19 October)

The 2002–03 season was the 94th year of football played by Dundee United, and covers the period from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003. United finished the season in eighth place.

United were knocked out of the Tennent's Scottish Cup by Hibernian in the third round, and were beaten by Celtic in the CIS Insurance Cup semi-finals.

Review and events

What had begun with optimism and hopes that United could continue the progress made the previous year would end up being statistically the club's worst season since before World War II. Eddie Thompson took over as chairman with the season barely a month old and quickly sacked Alex Smith, though a run of just two wins from the first ten games did not help the manager's cause. After a failed attempt to recruit Ian McCall, Paul Hegarty was put in charge provisionally until the end of the season. While the former club hero got off to a decent start with 7 points from five matches, a dismal run of ten weeks without a win followed, leading to Hegarty being dismissed at the end of January and McCall being successfully recruited.

The key factor in McCall's change of heart was that while his previous club Falkirk were runaway leaders of the First Division, it was by now evident that they were unlikely to be promoted as their ground did not meet the SPL's requirements. McCall still had the task of keeping United off the bottom of the table in the unlikely event that the SPL had a change of heart or one of the chasing pack overhauled Falkirk, and he ultimately managed this with an excellent run of form after the SPL split, leaving them to finish eleventh. However, this good finish could not mask what had been an extremely poor season by any measure, and left McCall facing a major reconstruction job.

Match results

Dundee United played a total of 43 competitive matches during the 2002–03 season.[1] The team finished eleventh in the Scottish Premier League.

In the cup competitions, United were knocked out of the Tennent's Scottish Cup in the third round, losing at home to Hibernian. Celtic knocked United out of the CIS Cup in the semi-finals.

Legend

Win Draw Loss

All results are written with Dundee United's score first.

Bank of Scotland Premierleague

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
3 August 2002Partick ThistleA0–06,375
10 August 2002KilmarnockH1–26,366Thompson
17 August 2002CelticA0–556,907
25 August 2002MotherwellH1–15,795McIntyre
31 August 2002DundeeH0–012,402
11 September 2002AberdeenA2–110,724Thompson (2)
14 September 2002DunfermlineH1–26,041Lilley
21 September 2002HeartsA0–211,532
28 September 2002RangersH0–310,013
5 October 2002HibernianA1–211,532Thompson
19 October 2002LivingstonH2–35,572Lilley, McIntyre
26 October 2002Partick ThistleH1–16,369Thompson
2 November 2002KilmarnockA2–15,417Thompson, McIntyre
10 November 2002CelticH0–210,664
16 November 2002MotherwellA2–15,381Hamilton (2)
23 November 2002DundeeA2–311,539Hamilton, McIntyre
30 November 2002AberdeenH1–18,621Hamilton
4 December 2002DunfermlineA1–44,342McIntyre
7 December 2002HibernianH1–15,673Wilson
14 December 2002RangersA0–347,639
21 December 2002HeartsH0–36,025
26 December 2002LivingstonA0–35,103
29 December 2002Partick ThistleA0–05,109
2 January 2003KilmarnockH2–27,183Dodds, McIntyre
29 January 2003CelticA0–255,204
1 February 2003MotherwellH2–16,672Tod, Miller
9 February 2003DundeeH1–110,457
16 February 2003AberdeenA0–39,146
1 March 2003DunfermlineH3–06,004Craig Easton, Tod, Ogunmade
9 March 2003HibernianA1–17,518McIntyre
15 March 2003LivingstonH0–16,247
5 April 2003HeartsA1–29,663Griffin
13 April 2003RangersH1–410,013Dodds
26 April 2003HibernianH1–26,758McCracken
3 May 2003MotherwellA2–29,056Miller, McIntyre
10 May 2003LivingstonA2–16,314McIntyre, Miller
17 May 2003Partick ThistleA1–06,357Paterson
24 May 2003AberdeenH0–28,516

Tennent's Scottish Cup

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
25 January 2003HibernianH2–38,986O'Donnell, Hamilton

CIS Insurance Cup

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
24 September 2002Queen's ParkH4–13,600O'Donnell (3), Thompson
29 October 2002Airdrie UnitedA2–11,768Thompson (2)
13 November 2002LivingstonA2–03,592Lilley (2)
6 February 2003CelticN0–318,856

Player details

During the 2002–03 season, United used 32 different players, with a further played named as a substitute who did not make an appearance on the pitch. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player.[2]

No. Pos Nat Player TotalBank of Scotland PremierleagueTennent's Scottish CupCIS Insurance Cup
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
1 GK Scotland SCO Paul Gallacher 3803401030
22 GK Scotland SCO Alan Combe 60500010
2 DF Scotland SCO Jamie McCunnie 2101701030
3 DF Scotland SCO Warren Cummings 1201100010
4 DF Northern Ireland NIR Danny Griffin 1711710000
5 DF Scotland SCO Kevin McGowne 1301200010
5 DF Scotland SCO Gary Bollan 1301300000
6 DF Scotland SCO Jim Lauchlan 2802401030
14 DF England ENG Hasney Aljofree 10100000
24 DF Scotland SCO David McCracken 3012511040
27 DF Scotland SCO Mark Wilson 3112611040
35 DF Italy ITA Daniele Chiarini 50401000
18 DF Scotland SCO Andy Tod 1321320000
7 MF Scotland SCO Craig Easton 4113611040
8 MF Scotland SCO Charlie Miller 3843441030
11 MF Scotland SCO Jim Paterson 3813311040
15 MF Scotland SCO Stuart Duff 3803400040
16 MF Northern Ireland NIR Stephen Carson 70700000
18 MF Greece GRE Tassos Venetis 20200000
21 MF Iceland ISL Arnar Gunnlaugsson 70600010
21 MF Trinidad and Tobago TRI Russell Latapy 70700000
28 MF Scotland SCO Stephen O'Donnell 1441101123
9 FW Scotland SCO Derek Lilley 3743320042
10 FW Scotland SCO Jim McIntyre 3793291040
12 FW Scotland SCO Allan Smart 1801700010
14 FW Scotland SCO Billy Dodds 1621421010
17 FW Scotland SCO Jim Hamilton 1651341120
19 FW Scotland SCO Steven Thompson 2392060033
23 FW Scotland SCO David Winters 20100010
29 FW Scotland SCO Daniel Ogunmade 41410000
39 FW Scotland SCO Stephen McGowan 10100000
47 FW Scotland SCO Aaron Conway 10100000

Team statistics

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation[lower-alpha 1]
8 Aberdeen 38 13 10 15 41 54 13 49
9 Livingston 38 9 8 21 48 62 14 35
10 Partick Thistle 38 8 11 19 37 58 21 35
11 Dundee United 38 7 11 20 35 68 33 32
12 Motherwell 38 7 7 24 45 71 26 28 Spared from relegation[lower-alpha 2]
Source: Scottish Professional Football League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
Notes:
  1. Teams played each other three times (33 matches), before the league split into two groups (the top six and the bottom six) for the last five matches.
  2. As the First Division champions Falkirk did not have a suitable ground for the SPL, bottom club Motherwell were spared from relegation.

Transfers

Playing kit

Home colours
Away colours
Third colours

The jerseys were sponsored by Telewest for the last time.

Awards

November 2002

See also

References

  1. "Dundee Utd 2002/2003 player appearances". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2008.
  2. "Dundee Utd 2001/2002 player appearances". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 12 October 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
  3. 1 2 "Dundee Utd 2002/2003 player appearances". Soccerbase. Archived from the original on 12 October 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  4. "McGowne signs at Tannadice". BBC Sport website. 6 July 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  5. "Gunnlaugsson joins Dundee United". BBC Sport website. 30 July 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  6. "Dodds completes Tannadice move". BBC Sport website. 30 December 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  7. "Dundee Utd land Chiarini". BBC Sport website. 10 January 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  8. 1 2 "United in double swoop". Dundee United F.C. 28 January 2003. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  9. "Latapy joins United". BBC Sport website. 23 February 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  10. "United snap up Robson". BBC Sport website. 16 May 2003. Archived from the original on 13 March 2004. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  11. 1 2 "United parade new signings". BBC Sport website. 3 June 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  12. 1 2 3 "United complete Bullock deal". BBC Sport website. 27 June 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  13. "1st Team: Warren Cummings". Dundee United F.C. Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 4 June 2008.
  14. "Wright joins Scunthorpe". BBC Sport website. 6 September 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  15. "Triple swoop for 'Well". BBC Sport website. 22 July 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  16. "Hasney departs Tannadice". Dundee United F.C. 30 August 2002. Archived from the original on 15 December 2007. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  17. "Rangers get Thompson". BBC Sport website. 31 December 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  18. 1 2 3 "United release McGowne and Venetis". BBC Sport website. 16 January 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  19. "New Bosman threat". BBC Sport website. 3 February 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  20. "Duo shown Tannadice exit". BBC Sport website. 7 March 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  21. "Released players in quarter II/2003". Globalsoccertransfers.com. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  22. "Lauchlan signs for Livi". BBC Sport website. 8 September 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  23. "Livi steal Lilley". BBC Sport website. 4 July 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  24. "Slow start to Scots' transfers". BBC Sport website. 1 January 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  25. "Davidson on loan to Stirling Albion". Dundee United F.C. 14 August 2002. Archived from the original on 15 December 2007. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  26. "Cummings in Tayside move". BBC Sport website. 23 August 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  27. "O'Donnell moves to County". BBC Sport website. 29 June 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2008.

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