2002–03 in Scottish football

Football in Scotland

Season	2002–03

2002–03 in Scottish football
Premier League champions
Rangers
First Division champions
Falkirk
Second Division champions
Raith Rovers
Third Division champions
Greenock Morton
Scottish Cup winners
Rangers
League Cup winners
Rangers
Challenge Cup winners
Queen of the South
Junior Cup winners
Tayport
Teams in Europe
Aberdeen, Celtic, Livingston, Rangers
Scotland national team
UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying

The 2002–03 season was the 106th season of competitive football in Scotland. ^[1]

League competitions

Scottish Premier League

Main article: 2002–03 Scottish Premier League

The 2002–03 Scottish Premier League was won on goal difference by Rangers by a single goal over Celtic. Both Rangers and Celtic qualified for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League and Hearts got the UEFA Europa League place. Motherwell finished bottom, but there was no relegation from the SPL as Falkirk did not meet SPL stadium criteria. Celtic's trophyless season was in spite of being favourites to clinch the title and reaching the UEFA Cup final, losing in extra time to F.C. Porto.

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation[a]
1	Rangers (C)	38	31	4	3	101	28	+73	97	Qualification for the Champions League third qualifying round
2	Celtic	38	31	4	3	98	26	+72	97	Qualification for the Champions League second qualifying round
3	Heart of Midlothian	38	18	9	11	57	51	+6	63	Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
4	Kilmarnock	38	16	9	13	47	56	−9	57
5	Dunfermline Athletic	38	13	7	18	54	71	−17	46
6	Dundee	38	10	14	14	50	60	−10	44	Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round[b]
7	Hibernian	38	15	6	17	56	64	−8	51
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[c]

Source: Scottish Professional Football League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions
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 Rangers, the 2002–03 Scottish Cup winners, qualified for the UEFA Champions League via their league position, the place in the UEFA Cup was passed onto Dundee, the cup runners-up
3. As the First Division champions Falkirk did not have a suitable ground for the SPL, bottom club Motherwell were spared from relegation.

Note: There was no relegation from the Scottish Premier League.

Scottish First Division

Main article: 2002–03 Scottish First Division

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Falkirk (C)	36	25	6	5	80	32	+48	81
2	Clyde	36	21	9	6	66	37	+29	72
3	St Johnstone	36	20	7	9	49	29	+20	67
4	Inverness CT	36	20	5	11	74	45	+29	65
5	Queen of the South	36	12	12	12	45	48	−3	48
6	Ayr United	36	12	9	15	34	44	−10	45
7	St Mirren	36	9	10	17	42	71	−29	37
8	Ross County	36	9	8	19	42	46	−4	35
9	Alloa Athletic (R)	36	9	8	19	39	72	−33	35	Relegation to the Second Division
10	Arbroath (R)	36	3	6	27	30	77	−47	15

Source: "2002-2003 First Division - SPFL Archive". SPFL. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated

Note: There was no promotion from the Scottish First Division.

Scottish Second Division

Main article: 2002–03 Scottish Second Division

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Raith Rovers (C, P)	36	16	11	9	53	36	+17	59	Promotion to the First Division
2	Brechin City (P)	36	16	7	13	63	59	+4	55
3	Airdrie United	36	14	12	10	51	44	+7	54
4	Forfar Athletic	36	14	9	13	55	53	+2	51
5	Berwick Rangers	36	13	10	13	43	48	−5	49
6	Dumbarton	36	13	9	14	48	47	+1	48
7	Stenhousemuir	36	12	11	13	49	51	−2	47
8	Hamilton Academical	36	12	11	13	43	48	−5	47
9	Stranraer (R)	36	12	8	16	49	57	−8	44	Relegation to the Third Division
10	Cowdenbeath (R)	36	8	12	16	46	57	−11	36

Source: ^[2]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Scottish Third Division

Main article: 2002–03 Scottish Third Division

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion
1	Greenock Morton (C, P)	36	21	9	6	67	33	+34	72	Promotion to the Second Division
2	East Fife (P)	36	20	11	5	73	37	+36	71
3	Albion Rovers	36	20	10	6	62	36	+26	70
4	Peterhead	36	20	8	8	76	37	+39	68
5	Stirling Albion	36	15	11	10	50	44	+6	56
6	Gretna	36	11	12	13	50	50	0	45
7	Montrose	36	7	12	17	35	61	−26	33
8	Queen's Park	36	7	11	18	39	51	−12	32
9	Elgin City	36	5	13	18	33	63	−30	28
10	East Stirlingshire	36	2	7	27	32	105	−73	13

Source: "2002-2003 Third Division - SPFL Archive". SPFL (in Polish). Retrieved 29 April 2021.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted

Other honours

Cup honours

Competition	Winner	Score	Runner-up	Report
Scottish Cup 2002–03	Rangers	1 – 0	Dundee	Wikipedia article
League Cup 2002–03	Rangers	2 – 1	Celtic	Wikipedia article
Challenge Cup 2002–03	Queen of the South	2 – 0	Brechin City	Wikipedia article
Youth Cup	Celtic	3 – 1 (a.e.t.)	Aberdeen
Junior Cup	Tayport	1 – 0	Linlithgow Rose

Individual honours

SPFA awards

Award	Player	Team
Players' Player of the Year	Barry Ferguson	Rangers
Young Player of the Year	James McFadden	Motherwell

SFWA awards

Award	Player	Team
Footballer of the Year	Barry Ferguson	Rangers
Young Player of the Year	Zurab Khizanishvili	Dundee
Manager of the Year	Alex McLeish	Rangers

Scottish clubs in Europe

Summary

Club	Competition(s)	Final round	Coef.
Celtic	UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League	Third qualifying round Runners-Up	22.00
Livingston	UEFA Europa League	First round	3.00
Aberdeen	UEFA Europa League	First round	2.50
Rangers	UEFA Europa League	First round	2.00

Average coefficient – 7.375

Celtic

Date	Venue	Opponents	Score[3]	Celtic scorer(s)	Report
Champions League Third qualifying round
14 August	Celtic Park, Glasgow (H)	FC Basel	3–1	Henrik Larsson (pen.), Chris Sutton, Mohammed Sylla	BBC Sport
28 August	St. Jakob-Park, Basel (A)	FC Basel	0–2		BBC Sport
UEFA Cup First round
19 September	Celtic Park, Glasgow (H)	FK Sūduva	8–1	Henrik Larsson (3), Stilian Petrov, Chris Sutton, Paul Lambert, John Hartson, Joos Valgaeren	BBC Sport
3 October	Sūduva Stadium, Marijampolė (A)	FK Sūduva	2–0	David Fernández, Alan Thompson	BBC Sport
UEFA Cup Second round
31 October	Celtic Park, Glasgow (H)	Blackburn Rovers	1–0	Henrik Larsson	BBC Sport
14 November	Ewood Park, Blackburn (A)	Blackburn Rovers	2–0	Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton	BBC Sport
UEFA Cup Third round
28 November	Celtic Park, Glasgow (H)	Celta de Vigo	1–0	Henrik Larsson	BBC Sport
13 February	Balaídos, Vigo (A)	Celta de Vigo	1–2	John Hartson	BBC Sport
UEFA Cup Fourth round
21 February	Celtic Park, Glasgow (H)	VfB Stuttgart	3–1	Paul Lambert, Shaun Maloney, Stilian Petrov	BBC Sport
27 February	Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart (A)	VfB Stuttgart	2–3	Alan Thompson, Chris Sutton	BBC Sport
UEFA Cup Quarter-final
13 March	Celtic Park, Glasgow (H)	Liverpool	1–1	Henrik Larsson	BBC Sport
20 March	Anfield, Liverpool (A)	Liverpool	2–0	Alan Thompson, John Hartson	BBC Sport
UEFA Cup Semi-final
10 April	Celtic Park, Glasgow (H)	Boavista	1–1	Henrik Larsson	BBC Sport
24 April	Estádio do Bessa, Oporto (A)	Boavista	1–0	Henrik Larsson	BBC Sport
UEFA Cup Final
21 May	Estadio Olímpico de Sevilla, Seville (N)	F.C. Porto	2–3	Henrik Larsson (2)	BBC Sport

Rangers

Date	Venue	Opponents	Score[3]	Rangers scorer(s)	Report
UEFA Cup First round
17 September	FK Viktoria Stadion, Czech Republic (A)	Viktoria Zizkov	0–2		BBC Sport
3 October	Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow (H)	Viktoria Zizkov	3–1 (a.e.t.)	Ronald de Boer (2), Neil McCann	BBC Sport

Livingston

Date	Venue	Opponents	Score[3]	Livingston scorer(s)	Report
UEFA Cup Qualifying round
13 August	Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz (A)	FC Vaduz	1–1	Óscar Rubio	BBC Sport
29 August	Almondvale, Livingston (H)	FC Vaduz	0–0		BBC Sport
UEFA Cup First round
19 September	Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium, Graz (A)	Sturm Graz	2–5	Rolando Zarate, Stuart Lovell	BBC Sport
3 October	Almondvale, Livingston (H)	Sturm Graz	4–3	Barry Wilson (2), Marvin Andrews, Davide Xausa	BBC Sport

Aberdeen

Date	Venue	Opponents	Score[3]	Aberdeen Scorer(s)	Reports
UEFA Cup Qualifying round
15 August	Pittodrie, Aberdeen (H)	Nistru Otaci	1–0	Darren Mackie	BBC Sport
29 August	Stadionul Călărăşăuca, Otaci (A)	Nistru Otaci	0–0		BBC Sport
UEFA Cup First round
17 September	Pittodrie, Aberdeen (H)	Hertha Berlin	0–0		BBC Sport
1 October	Olympic Stadium, Berlin	Hertha Berlin	0–1		BBC Sport

Scotland national team

Main article: Scotland national football team 2000–19 results

Date	Venue	Opponents	Score[4]	Competition	Scotland scorer(s)	Report
21 August	Hampden Park, Glasgow (H)	Denmark	0–1	Friendly		BBC Sport
7 September	Svangaskarð, Toftir (A)	Faroe Islands	2–2	ECQG5	Paul Lambert, Barry Ferguson	BBC Sport
12 October	Laugardalsvollur, Reykjavík (A)	Iceland	2–0	ECQG5	Christian Dailly, Gary Naysmith	BBC Sport
15 October	Easter Road, Edinburgh (H)	Canada	3–1	Friendly	Stevie Crawford (2), Steven Thompson	BBC Sport
20 November	Estadio Primeiro de Maio, Braga (A)	Portugal	0–2	Friendly		BBC Sport
12 February	Hampden Park, Glasgow (H)	Republic of Ireland	0–2	Friendly		BBC Sport
29 March	Hampden Park, Glasgow (H)	Iceland	2–1	ECQG5	Kenny Miller, Lee Wilkie	BBC Sport
2 April	S Dariaus ir S.Gireno SC, Kaunas (A)	Lithuania	0–1	ECQG5		BBC Sport
30 April	Hampden Park, Glasgow (H)	Austria	0–2	Friendly		BBC Sport
27 May	Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh (H)	New Zealand	1–1	Friendly	Stevie Crawford	BBC Sport
7 June	Hampden Park, Glasgow (H)	Germany	1–1	ECQG5	Kenny Miller	BBC Sport

Key:

• (H) = Home match
• (A) = Away match
• ECQG5 = European Championship Qualifying – Group 5

Notes and references

1. "2002/03 - The Scottish Football League". Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
2. "2002/03 Scottish Division Two Table / Standings". ESPN. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
3. The score of the Scottish team is shown first.
4. Scotland's score is shown first.