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      DIVISION 3    2002/03
     
 

Leading League goalscorer:
Andrew Morrell 
 (Wrexham)
 34  goals

Boston United made their debut in the Football League against Bournemouth on Saturday 10th August 2002 - but only just. Financial irregularities while they were in the Conference almost cost them their promotion to the Football League, minus four points at the start of the season being their punishment.

They say that hope is the one thing every football supporter needs. It needed a last-match 4-2 victory over Hull at the Vetch Field to keep Swansea City in the Football League. Who would have believed that just eight years later they would be playing in a modern stadium in the Premier League. But that progress was slow compared to Hull who were playing in the Premier just 5 years later.

 Ironically the team that won the Division 3 title in 2002/03 - Rushden & Diamonds - were to drop out of the Football League just 3 years later followed soon after by them going bust and soon after that by their magnificent Nene Park stadium being demolished. Tragic!

   P W D L F A Pts
    Results 1 Rushden & Diamonds 46 24 15 7 73 47 87 Promoted
    2 Hartlepool United 46 24 13 9 71 51 85 Promoted
    3 Wrexham 46 23 15 8 84 50 84

Promoted
    Results 4 Bournemouth 46 20 14 12 60 48 74 Promoted
    5 Scunthorpe United 46 19 15 12 68 49 72 Play Off
    6 Lincoln City 46 18 16 12 46 37 70 Play Off
    7 Bury 46 18 16 12 57 56 70 Play Off
    8 Oxford United 46 19 12 15 57 47 69
    9 Torquay United 46 16 18 12 71 71 66
    10 York City 46 17 15 14 52 53 66
    Results 11 Kidderminster Harriers 46 16 15 15 62 63 63
    Results 12 Cambridge United 46 16 13 17 67 70 61
    13 Hull City 46 14 17 15 58 53 59
    14 Darlington 46 12 18 16 58 59 54
    Results 15 Boston United 46 15 13 18 55 56 54 *
    Results 16 Macclesfield Town 46 14 12 20 57 63 54
    17 Southend United 46 17 3 26 47 59 54
    18 Leyton Orient 46 14 11 21 51 61 53
    19 Rochdale 46 12 16 18 63 70 52
    20 Bristol Rovers 46 12 15 19 50 57 51
    Results 21 Swansea City 46 12 13 21 48 65 49
    22 Carlisle United 46 13 10 23 52 78 49
    23 Exeter City 46 11 15 20 50 64 48 Left League
    24 Shrewsbury Town 46 9 14 23 62 92 41

Left League
   
   

* Boston United had a four point deduction after being found guilty of financial irregularities - full details.

Left League Exeter City and Shrewsbury Town were relegated from the League to the Nationwide Conference, being replaced by Conference sides Yeovil Town and Doncaster Rovers (2002/03 Conference table).
   
   
Play Off Semi-Finals    Play Off
1st Leg
Sat May 10 Bury 0 - 0 Bournemouth
Sat May 10 Lincoln City 5 - 3 Scunthorpe United
2nd Leg
Tue May 13 Bournemouth 3 - 1 Bury
Wed May 14 Scunthorpe United 0 - 1 Lincoln City
Aggregate scores
Bournemouth 3 - 1 Bury
Lincoln City 6 - 3 Scunthorpe United
Play Off Final (at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
Sat May

24

 Bournemouth 5 - 2 Lincoln City
Bournemouth were promoted to Division 2.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
     
     

 

Bournemouth
joined the Football League in 1923. For every Bournemouth first team result and League table 
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