2002–03 Football League Trophy
The 2002–03 Football League Trophy, known as the 2002–03 LDV Vans Trophy for sponsorship reasons, was the 20th staging of the Football League Trophy, a knock-out competition for English football clubs in Second and Third Division. The winners were Bristol City and the runners-up were Carlisle United.
| LDV Vans Trophy | |
| Country | England Wales |
|---|---|
| Teams | 60 |
| Defending champions | Blackpool |
| Champions | Bristol City |
| Runners-up | Carlisle United |
| Matches played | 61 |
| Goals scored | 219 (3.59 per match) |
← 2001–02 2003–04 → | |
The competition began on 22 October 2002 and ended with the final on 6 April 2003 at the Millennium Stadium.
In the first round, there were two sections: North and South. In the following rounds each section gradually eliminates teams in knock-out fashion until each has a winning finalist. At this point, the two winning finalists face each other in the combined final for the honour of the trophy. In addition to the 48 League teams, 12 teams from the Football Conference were also invited to participate in the competition.
First round
Second round
Northern Section
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Southern Section
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Quarter-finals
Northern Section
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Southern Section
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Area semi-finals
Northern Section
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Southern Section
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Area finals
Northern Area final
| Carlisle United | 1–0 | Shrewsbury Town |
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Rundle  22' |
Report |
| Shrewsbury Town | 0–0 | Carlisle United |
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| Report |
Southern Area final
| Bristol City | 4–2 | Cambridge United |
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| Doherty 21' Burnell 64' Murray 67' Robins 77' |
Report | Kitson 34', 54' |
| Cambridge United | 0–3 | Bristol City |
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| Report | Carey 11' Murray 45' Roberts 80' |
Final
      Bristol City
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 Carlisle United
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MATCH RULES
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