2002–03 League of Ireland First Division
| Season | 2002–03 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Waterford United |
| Top goalscorer | Kevin McHugh: 14 (Finn Harps) Willie Bruton: 14 (Cobh Ramblers) [1] |
← 2001–02 2003 → | |
The 2002–03 League of Ireland First Division season was the 18th season of the League of Ireland First Division.
Overview
The First Division was contested by 10 teams and Waterford United won the division. The 2003 season would see the League of Ireland First Division change from a winter league to a summer league. To facilitate this change, the 2002–03 season was a shortened season, utilising a round-robin format. This saw each team play 22 games. [2][3]
Final Table
| Pos | Club | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | |
| 1 | Waterford United | 46 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 37 | 25 | +12 | Promoted to Premier Division |
| 2 | Finn Harps | 41 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 41 | 22 | +19 | Lost promotion/relegation play-off |
| 3 | Galway United | 36 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 34 | 21 | +13 | Lost promotion/relegation play-off |
| 4 | Cobh Ramblers | 35 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 39 | 38 | +1 | Lost promotion/relegation play-off |
| 5 | Kildare County [note 1] | 33 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 32 | 31 | +1 | |
| 6 | Sligo Rovers | 30 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 28 | 27 | +1 | |
| 7 | Dublin City | 28 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 36 | 35 | +1 | |
| 8 | Monaghan United | 26 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 26 | 27 | -1 | |
| 9 | Dundalk | 23 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 28 | 36 | -8 | |
| 10 | Limerick | 23 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 26 | 36 | -10 | |
| 11 | Athlone Town | 21 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 26 | 40 | -14 | |
| 12 | Kilkenny City | 16 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 23 | 38 | -15 |
Notes
- ^ Kildare County replaced Fingal–St. Francis.
Promotion/Relegation Play-off
The promotion/relegation play-off format was changed this season. It now featured four teams, the second, third and fourth placed teams from the First Division plus the ninth placed team from the 2002–03 League of Ireland Premier Division.
Semi-final
- 1st Legs
| 29 January 2003 | Galway United | 2–0 | Finn Harps |
| 29 January 2003 | Cobh Ramblers | 2–2 | Drogheda United |
- 2nd Legs
| 1 February 2003 | Finn Harps | 1–0 | Galway United |
Galway United win 2–1 on aggregate
| 1 February 2003 | Drogheda United | 2–0 | Cobh Ramblers |
Drogheda United win 4–2 on aggregate
Final
| 5 February 2003 | Galway United | 2–0 | Drogheda United |
| 8 February 2003 | Drogheda United | 3–0 | Galway United |
Drogheda United win 3–2 on aggregate and retain their place in the Premier Division. [2][3]
See also
References
- ^ "Ireland - List of Topscorers". www.rsssf.com. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ^ a b Graham, Alex. Football in the Republic of Ireland a Statisical Record 1921–2005. Soccer Books Limited. ISBN 1-86223-135-4.
- ^ a b "(Republic of) Ireland League Tables - Second Level". www.rsssf.com. Retrieved 10 July 2016.