The 2002–03 season was the 106th season of competitive football in Scotland.
League competitions
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.
Note: There was no relegation from the Scottish Premier League.
Scottish First Division
Note: There was no promotion from the Scottish First Division.
Scottish Second Division
Scottish Third Division
Other honours
Cup honours
CompetitionWinnerScoreRunner-upReportScottish Cup 2002–03Rangers1 – 0DundeeWikipedia articleLeague Cup 2002–03Rangers2 – 1CelticWikipedia articleChallenge Cup 2002–03Queen of the South2 – 0Brechin CityWikipedia articleYouth CupCeltic3 – 1 AberdeenJunior CupTayport1 – 0Linlithgow Rose
Individual honours
SPFA awards AwardPlayerTeamPlayers' Player of the Year Barry Ferguson RangersYoung Player of the Year James McFadden Motherwell
SFWA awards
AwardPlayerTeam 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 ClubCompetition(s)Final roundCoef.CelticUEFA Champions League UEFA Europa LeagueThird qualifying round Runners-Up22.00LivingstonUEFA Europa LeagueFirst round3.00AberdeenUEFA Europa LeagueFirst round2.50RangersUEFA Europa LeagueFirst round2.00
Average coefficient – 7.375
Celtic DateVenueOpponentsScoreThe score of the Scottish team is shown first.Celtic scorer(s)ReportChampions League Third qualifying round14 AugustCeltic Park, Glasgow (H) FC Basel3–1Henrik Larsson (pen.), Chris Sutton, Mohammed SyllaBBC Sport28 AugustSt. Jakob-Park, Basel (A) FC Basel0–2BBC SportUEFA Cup First round19 SeptemberCeltic Park, Glasgow (H) FK Sūduva8–1Henrik Larsson (3), Stilian Petrov, Chris Sutton, Paul Lambert, John Hartson, Joos ValgaerenBBC Sport3 OctoberSūduva Stadium, Marijampolė (A) FK Sūduva2–0David Fernández, Alan ThompsonBBC SportUEFA Cup Second round31 OctoberCeltic Park, Glasgow (H) Blackburn Rovers1–0Henrik LarssonBBC Sport14 NovemberEwood Park, Blackburn (A) Blackburn Rovers2–0Henrik Larsson, Chris SuttonBBC SportUEFA Cup Third round28 NovemberCeltic Park, Glasgow (H) Celta de Vigo1–0Henrik LarssonBBC Sport13 FebruaryBalaídos, Vigo (A) Celta de Vigo1–2John HartsonBBC SportUEFA Cup Fourth round21 FebruaryCeltic Park, Glasgow (H) VfB Stuttgart3–1Paul Lambert, Shaun Maloney, Stilian PetrovBBC Sport27 FebruaryGottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart (A) VfB Stuttgart2–3Alan Thompson, Chris SuttonBBC SportUEFA Cup Quarter-final13 MarchCeltic Park, Glasgow (H) Liverpool1–1Henrik LarssonBBC Sport20 MarchAnfield, Liverpool (A) Liverpool2–0Alan Thompson, John HartsonBBC SportUEFA Cup Semi-final10 AprilCeltic Park, Glasgow (H) Boavista1–1Henrik LarssonBBC Sport24 AprilEstádio do Bessa, Porto (A) Boavista1–0Henrik LarssonBBC SportUEFA Cup Final21 MayEstadio Olímpico de Sevilla, Seville (N) F.C. Porto2–3Henrik Larsson (2)BBC Sport
Rangers DateVenueOpponentsScoreRangers scorer(s)ReportUEFA Cup First round17 SeptemberFK Viktoria Stadion, Czech Republic (A) Viktoria Zizkov0–2BBC Sport3 OctoberIbrox Stadium, Glasgow (H) Viktoria Zizkov3–1 Ronald de Boer (2), Neil McCannBBC Sport
Livingston DateVenueOpponentsScoreLivingston scorer(s)ReportUEFA Cup Qualifying round13 AugustRheinpark Stadion, Vaduz (A) FC Vaduz1–1Óscar RubioBBC Sport29 AugustAlmondvale, Livingston (H) FC Vaduz0–0BBC SportUEFA Cup First round19 SeptemberArnold Schwarzenegger Stadium, Graz (A) Sturm Graz2–5Rolando Zarate, Stuart LovellBBC Sport3 OctoberAlmondvale, Livingston (H) Sturm Graz4–3Barry Wilson (2), Marvin Andrews, Davide XausaBBC Sport
Aberdeen DateVenueOpponentsScoreAberdeen Scorer(s)ReportsUEFA Cup Qualifying round15 AugustPittodrie, Aberdeen (H) Nistru Otaci1–0Darren MackieBBC Sport29 AugustStadionul Călărăşăuca, Otaci (A) Nistru Otaci0–0BBC SportUEFA Cup First round17 SeptemberPittodrie, Aberdeen (H) Hertha Berlin0–0BBC Sport1 OctoberOlympic Stadium, Berlin Hertha Berlin0–1BBC Sport
Scotland national team
DateVenueOpponentsCompetitionScotland scorer(s)Report21 AugustHampden Park, Glasgow (H)0–1FriendlyBBC Sport7 SeptemberSvangaskarð, Toftir (A)2–2ECQG5Paul Lambert, Barry FergusonBBC Sport12 OctoberLaugardalsvollur, Reykjavík (A)2–0ECQG5Christian Dailly, Gary NaysmithBBC Sport15 OctoberEaster Road, Edinburgh (H)3–1FriendlyStevie Crawford (2), Steven ThompsonBBC Sport20 NovemberEstadio Primeiro de Maio, Braga (A)0–2FriendlyBBC Sport12 FebruaryHampden Park, Glasgow (H)0–2FriendlyBBC Sport29 MarchHampden Park, Glasgow (H)2–1ECQG5Kenny Miller, Lee WilkieBBC Sport2 AprilS Dariaus ir S.Gireno SC, Kaunas (A)0–1ECQG5BBC Sport30 AprilHampden Park, Glasgow (H)0–2FriendlyBBC Sport27 MayTynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh (H)1–1FriendlyStevie CrawfordBBC Sport7 JuneHampden Park, Glasgow (H)1–1ECQG5Kenny MillerBBC Sport
Key: (H) = Home match (A) = Away match ECQG5 = European Championship Qualifying – Group 5
Notes and references
no:Skotsk Premier League 2002–2003