*** Welcome to piglix ***

2002–03 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season

Wolverhampton Wanderers
2002–03 season
Chairman Sir Jack Hayward OBE
Manager Dave Jones
Football League First Division 5th
(promoted via play-offs)
FA Cup Quarter-finals
League Cup 2nd Round
Top goalscorer League: Kenny Miller (19)
All: Kenny Miller (24)
Highest home attendance 28,190 (vs Leicester City, 4 May 2003)
Lowest home attendance 23,016 (vs Brighton, 11 November 2002)
Average home league attendance 25,745 (league only)

The 2002–03 season was the 104th season of competitive league football in the history of English football club Wolverhampton Wanderers. They played the season in the second tier of the English football system, the Football League First Division.

The season was a huge success for the club as they were promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs after finishing fifth in the table. It was their first and only success in the play-off system from, to date, six attempts. This ended a nineteen-year top flight absence for the club and a fourteen-year stay in the same division.

In contrast to the heavy spending of the previous close season, Summer 2002 saw the club recruit four players on free transfers. Two of these incoming players were however high-profile deals, with former England captain Paul Ince signing alongside ex-Manchester United stalwart Denis Irwin, on one-year deals.

The season began strongly with an opening day draw at administration-hit Bradford City, followed by three successive victories that put the club at the top of the table. Their form soon dipped though, and the next seven games brought just one win. An upturn saw a 10-game unbeaten run return the team to the play-off positions, aided by the loan addition of striker Carlton Cole. The Christmas/New Year period though brought a return of just two points from a possible 15.

With this drop in form, manager Dave Jones faced criticism from chairman Sir Jack Hayward at the turn of the year, publicly reminding him that he had promised to deliver automatic promotion. With the club lying 10th in the league, some 16 points from the top two, the FA Cup provided a welcome distraction as the team entered their best performance of the campaign to eliminate Premier League high flyers Newcastle United in a thrilling televised tie.


...
Wikipedia

...