2002–03 Port Vale F.C. season
| 2002–03 season | |||
| Chairman |
Bill Bell (until December) Administrators (December until March) Bill Bratt (March onwards) |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Brian Horton | ||
| Stadium | Vale Park | ||
| Football League Second Division | 17th (53 Points) | ||
| FA Cup | First Round | ||
| League Cup | First Round | ||
| League Trophy | Area Quarter-finalists | ||
| Player of the Year | Sam Collins | ||
| Top goalscorer |
League: Marc Bridge-Wilkinson (9) All: Marc Bridge-Wilkinson (9) |
||
| Highest home attendance | 6,395 vs. Wigan Athletic (26 December 2002) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 2,222 vs. Chesterfield (12 November 2002) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 4,436 | ||
|
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The 2002–03 season was Port Vale's 91st season of football in the Football League, and third successive season (40th overall) in the Second Division. Another poor season, Brian Horton's side avoided relegation with a seventeenth-place finish. Vale exited both the FA Cup and the League Cup at the First Round with defeats to Crewe Alexandra, and reached the Area Quarter-finals of the League Trophy. Financial issues were at the forefront in the minds of Vale fans, as the club entered administration in December. After a successful bid, Bill Bratt's Valiant 2001 group won control of the club, taking the club out of administration.
The pre-season saw Brian Horton make several free signings: Jon McCarthy (Birmingham City); Brett Angell (Rushden & Diamonds); Ian Brightwell (Walsall);Phil Charnock (Crewe Alexandra); Sam Collins (Bury); and Mark Boyd (Newcastle United). Midfielder Dean Keates had a trial at the club over the summer, but was not offered a contract.
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