Huddersfield Town F.C. season 2002-03

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Season 2002–03
Huddersfield Town
Manager	Mick Wadsworth (until March 26, 2003) Mel Machin (from March 27, 2003)
Chairman	David Taylor
League	Division Two
Final league position	22nd (relegated)
FA Cup	First Round
Worthington Cup	Second Round
LDV Vans Trophy	First Round
Top goalscorer	League: Martin Smith (17) All: Martin Smith (17)
Highest home attendance	13,769 vs Wigan Athletic (19 April 2003)
Lowest home attendance	3,810 vs Darlington (10 September 2002)

Huddersfield Town's 2002-03 campaign saw them relegated to the bottom division for the first time since the 1979-80 season. Huddersfield endured a dreadful season under Mick Wadsworth. That season saw Wadsworth sacked twice, but on the first attempt of him being sacked, he was re-hired because the club couldn't pay him off. Mel Machin took over for the last month of the season, but couldn't stop the Terriers relegating to the Football League Third Division. Town's main worry during the season was administration, which nearly saw the club liquidated.

1 Squad at the start of the season
2 Review
3 Squad at the end of the season
4 Results

[edit] Squad at the start of the season

No.	Position	Player
1	GK	Scott Bevan (on loan from Southampton)
2	DF	Steve Jenkins
4	DF	Nathan Clarke
5	DF	Adie Moses
6	MF	Chris Holland
7	MF	Danny Schofield
8	MF	Kenny Irons
9	FW	Andy Booth
10	MF	John Thorrington
11	MF	Simon Baldry
14	FW	Jon Stead

No.	Position	Player
15	FW	Scott McDonald (on loan from Southampton)
17	DF	Eddie Youds
19	FW	Martin Smith
20	DF	Thomas Heary
22	DF	Kevin Sharp
23	DF	Jon Dyson
27	DF	Nat Brown
28	DF	Paul Scott
29	MF	Jon Worthington
31	FW	Paul Macari
33	MF	Dwayne Mattis

[edit] Review

Mick Wadsworth was appointed manager of the Terriers during the close season with many people predicting Town would have as good a season as the previous season, which saw them lose in the play-offs to Brentford, but Wadsworth's new 4-3-3 formation wasn't pleasing fans and players alike. During the early part of the season, Town had a run of scoring 1 goal in 6 matches. The only highlight of the early part of the season was taking Division 1 Burnley to extra time in the second round of the Worthington Cup, before losing 1-0.

Christmas and New Year also bore little joy to the Terriers and went on a run of 5 losses from 6, before a mini revival which sawe them unbeaten in 5 matches, before another dip which saw them lose another 5 in 6. That saw Wadsworth lose his job in late March, which then saw Mel Machin take over as caretaker manager and after managing to draw with eventual champions Wigan Athletic, many thought that Town might survive, but bad consecutive losses to Stockport County and Port Vale saw Town go down.

[edit] Squad at the end of the season

No.	Position	Player
4	DF	Nathan Clarke
5	DF	Adie Moses
6	MF	Chris Holland
7	MF	Danny Schofield
8	MF	Kenny Irons
9	FW	Andy Booth
10	MF	John Thorrington
11	MF	Simon Baldry
12	FW	Gianfranco Labarthe Tome
14	FW	Jon Stead
15	DF	Jason Gavin (on loan from Middlesbrough)
17	DF	Eddie Youds

No.	Position	Player
19	FW	Martin Smith
20	DF	Thomas Heary
22	DF	Kevin Sharp
23	DF	Jon Dyson
27	DF	Nat Brown
28	DF	Paul Scott
29	MF	Jon Worthington
31	FW	Paul Macari
33	MF	Dwayne Mattis
35	GK	Phil Senior
37	DF	John McCombe
38	DF	David Mirfin

[edit] Results

[edit] Division Two

Date	Opponents	Home/ Away	Result F - A	Scorers	Attendance	League position
10 August 2002	Brentford	H	0 - 2		9,635	23rd
13 August 2002	Plymouth Argyle	A	1 - 2	Thorrington [89]	8,953	21st
17 August 2002	Peterborough United	A	1 - 0	Mattis [10]	5,205	19th
24 August 2002	Crewe Alexandra	H	1 - 1	Booth [26]	8,467	18th
26 August 2002	Tranmere Rovers	A	1 - 2	McDonald [44]	7,534	19th
31 August 2002	Blackpool	H	0 - 0		9,506	20th
7 September 2002	Barnsley	H	1 - 0	Smith [59]	11,989	17th
14 September 2002	Northampton Town	A	0 - 0		4,679	17th
17 September 2002	Queens Park Rangers	A	0 - 3		11,010	?
21 September 2002	Luton Town	H	0 - 1		9,249	21st
28 September 2002	Oldham Athletic	A	0 - 4		7,643	?
5 October 2002	Port Vale	H	2 - 2	Smith [12], Baldry [17]	9,091	22nd
12 October 2002	Notts County	H	3 - 0	Stead [15, 73], Moses [25]	9,984	19th
19 October 2002	Mansfield Town	A	2 - 0	Smith [53, 61]	4,998	17th
26 October 2002	Colchester United	H	1 - 1	Stead [90]	8,924	16th
29 October 2002	Bristol City	A	0 - 1		11,494	17th
2 November 2002	Cheltenham Town	A	0 - 1		4,322	19th
9 November 2002	Wycombe Wanderers	H	0 - 0		8,695	?
23 November 2002	Swindon Town	H	2 - 3	Smith [36], Stead [90]	8,334	22nd
30 November 2002	Chesterfield	A	0 - 1		4,194	23rd
14 December 2002	Stockport County	H	2 - 1	Smith [27, 83]	7,978	22nd
21 December 2002	Wigan Athletic	A	0 - 1		6,013	23rd
26 December 2002	Tranmere Rovers	H	1 - 2	Smith [78]	11,002	24th
29 December 2002	Cardiff City	A	0 - 4		13,703	24th
1 January 2003	Blackpool	A	1 - 1	Booth [75]	7,184	24th
11 January 2003	Peterborough United	H	0 - 1		9,022	24th
18 January 2003	Crewe Alexandra	A	0 - 1		5,819	24th
25 January 2003	Cardiff City	H	1 - 0	Booth [80]	9,462	23rd
4 February 2003	Plymouth Argyle	H	1 - 0	Smith [82 (pen)]	7,294	?
8 February 2003	Wycombe Wanderers	A	0 - 0		5,886	23rd
15 February 2003	Cheltenham Town	H	3 - 3	Irons [54], Smith [56, 59]	9,309	?
22 February 2003	Barnsley	A	1 - 0	Booth [26]	12,474	21st
25 February 2003	Brentford	A	0 - 1		4,366	21st
1 March 2003	Northampton Town	H	2 - 0	Baldry [44], Smith [45]	9,661	?
4 March 2003	Queens Park Rangers	H	0 - 3		8,695	20th
8 March 2003	Luton Town	A	0 - 3		6,122	21st
15 March 2003	Colchester United	A	0 - 2		3,835	23rd
18 March 2003	Mansfield Town	H	1 - 1	Smith [51]	8,756	24th
22 March 2003	Bristol City	H	1 - 2	Smith [20 (pen)]	9,467	24th
29 March 2003	Notts County	A	2 - 3	Booth [19], Schofield [37]	5,872	24th
5 April 2003	Chesterfield	H	4 - 0	Smith [17, 53], Stead [23, 66]	9,098	?
12 April 2003	Swindon Town	A	1 - 0	Smith [87]	4,760	22nd
19 April 2003	Wigan Athletic	H	0 - 0		13,769	22nd
21 April 2003	Stockport County	A	1 - 2	Booth [3]	7,159	22nd
26 April 2003	Port Vale	A	1 - 5	Gavin [45]	5,925	22nd
3 May 2003	Oldham Athletic	H	1 - 1	Schofield [26]	11,271	22nd