The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.
Events
Arsenal cruise to title glory
In what had earlier been one of the most closely-fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the season when they beat defending champions Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford. Four days earlier they had also won the F.A. Cup with a 2-0 victory over Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium.
Their top scorer, Thierry Henry, was on target 24 times in the league alone.
One downside to the season was Arsenal's failure to progress to the quarter-finals of the European Cup.
Sir Alex puts off his retirement
Sir Alex Ferguson announced in February that he would be postponing his retirement as Manchester United manager by at least three more seasons after he signed a new contract as manager. The news came just after United completed an impressive revival in the Premiership which saw them rise from ninth to first in the space of two months.
On 8 December, United stood ninth in the Premiership - 11 points behind Liverpool, who had a game in hand - and had lost six of their seven previous games in the aftermath of a 1-0 defeat at home to West Ham United. Even a UEFA Cup place was now looking beyond reach. But a nine-match winning run saw United cruise to the top of the Premiership and they were soon challenging a three-horse race with Liverpool and Arsenal. They remained in the title race until the penultimate game of the season, when they lost 1-0 at home to Arsenal and surrendered the title crown to their opponents.
United's failure was largely put down to the inability to find a suitable replacement for Jaap Stam, the brilliant Dutch central defender who had been sold to Lazio for £16.25million just after the start of the season. Another disappointment was the failure of Juan Sebastián Verón, at £28.1million the most expensive player ever to sign for an English club, to never live up to his hefty price tag. On a positive note, Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy lived up to his £19million price tag by scoring 34 goals in all competitions during his first season at Old Trafford - breaking the club record that had been set by Dennis Viollet 40 seasons earlier.
After the season was over, rumours began to circulate that Sir Alex was about to break the English transfer record once again and bring in Leeds United central defender Rio Ferdinand, in hope that his side would return to their winning ways in 2002-03.
Ipswich fall from grace
A year after qualifying for the UEFA Cup and earning George Burley the Manager of the Year award, Ipswich Town dropped back into Division One. The Suffolk side had looked doomed by Christmas after winning just one of their first 18 Premiership games. Then came a turnaround in form which saw them win seven out of eight fixtures and climb to 12th place, suggesting that they were safe. But another decline set in, and this time Ipswich were unable to halt it. Their relegation was confirmed with a 5-0 defeat away to runners-up Liverpool on the final day of the season.
Joining Ipswich in Division One would be already doomed Derby County and Leicester City, both going down after six seasons in the Premiership - the last of which had seen three different men take charge of the team.
West Brom and Birmingham back in the big time
West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City, who had last played in the top flight in 1985-86, were finally promoted back to the top division with Albion as Division One runners-up and Birmingham as playoff winners. In an ironic twist, Albion had overtaken another local rival - Wolves - in the race for the run for second place by winning seven of their final nine league games. Birmingham's triumph was sealed by a penalty-shoot out win over Norwich at the Millennium Stadium. They followed champions Manchester City, managed by Kevin Keegan, into the Premiership.
Back to back for Brighton
Brighton and Hove Albion secured successive title winning promotions, becoming the first club since Millwall in 1964-66. This was a massive turnaround for the fortunes of the club which had between 1996 and 1998 finished second bottom of the football league.
The Battle of Bramall Lane
One of the seven Albion wins in their promotion run came on 16 March 2002, against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. This match, unfortunately, would turn into one of the most ill-tempered in recent English football history, with three United players sent off, two of them for violent conduct in the second half. The match was abandoned with Albion up 3-0 after two other United players came up injured, reducing them to six players. Ultimately, The FA let the 3-0 scoreline stand.
ITV Digital crisis plunges league clubs into turmoil
The collapse of debt-ridden ITV Digital in May 2002 plunged many Football League clubs into turmoil. The likes of Bradford City, Nottingham Forest, Watford, Barnsley, Lincoln City and Port Vale filed for administration, fearful that the drastic loss of revenue would put them out of business.
Of all the troubled clubs, Bradford City's situation was the most precarious. The West Yorkshire club had debts of £36million and had failed to meet a deadline for a takeover deal. It seemed inevitable that the Bantams, who had gone into liquidation in 1983, would endure a total collapse and lose their place in the Football League. Their only hope was for the Football League to ignore their financial plight and allow them a place in Division One for the 2002-03 season.
Dario reaches managerial milestone
On November 20, 2001, Dario Gradi took charge of his 1,000 competitive game in charge of Crewe Alexandra in Division One. Gradi had arrived at Crewe in June 1983, and he reached this landmark just four months into a season which had already seen a total of more than 20 managerial changes in the Premiership, Division One, Division Two and Division Three. Crewe ended the season by being relegated to Division Two but the club's directors showed no intention of parting company with the longest-serving manager at any Football League club.
Wimbledon get go-ahead for Milton Keynes move
Just after the end of the Division one season, a three-man panel of The Football Association gave permission for Wimbledon F.C. to move from their historic South London home to Milton Keynes. The move sparked outrage among Wimbledon supporters, who formed their own club - AFC Wimbledon - in response to the controversial plans of chairman Charles Koppel.
League tables
FA Premier League
- For more detail on the Premiership this season see FA Premier League 2001-02
Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Arsenal | 38 | 26 | 9 | 3 | 79 | 36 | +43 | 87 |
2. | Liverpool | 38 | 24 | 8 | 6 | 67 | 30 | +37 | 80 |
3. | Manchester United | 38 | 24 | 5 | 9 | 87 | 45 | +42 | 77 |
4. | Newcastle United | 38 | 21 | 8 | 9 | 74 | 52 | +22 | 71 |
5. | Leeds United | 38 | 18 | 12 | 8 | 53 | 37 | +16 | 66 |
6. | Chelsea | 38 | 17 | 13 | 8 | 66 | 38 | +28 | 64 |
7. | West Ham United | 38 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 48 | 57 | -9 | 53 |
8. | Aston Villa | 38 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 46 | 47 | -1 | 50 |
9. | Tottenham Hotspur | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 49 | 53 | -4 | 50 |
10. | Blackburn Rovers | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 55 | 51 | +4 | 46 |
11. | Southampton | 38 | 12 | 9 | 17 | 46 | 54 | -8 | 45 |
12. | Middlesbrough | 38 | 12 | 9 | 17 | 35 | 47 | +12 | 45 |
13. | Fulham | 38 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 36 | 44 | -8 | 44 |
14. | Charlton Athletic | 38 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 38 | 49 | -11 | 44 |
15. | Everton | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 45 | 57 | -12 | 43 |
16. | Bolton Wanderers | 38 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 44 | 62 | -18 | 40 |
17. | Sunderland | 38 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 29 | 51 | -22 | 40 |
18. | Ipswich Town | 38 | 9 | 9 | 20 | 41 | 64 | -23 | 36 |
19. | Derby County | 38 | 8 | 6 | 24 | 33 | 63 | -30 | 30 |
20. | Leicester City | 38 | 5 | 13 | 20 | 30 | 64 | -34 | 28 |
Key |
---|
Qualified for the Champions League |
Qualified for the UEFA Cup |
Relegated to Division One |
Nationwide League Division One
Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Manchester City | 46 | 31 | 6 | 9 | 108 | 52 | +56 | 99 |
2. | West Bromwich Albion | 46 | 27 | 8 | 11 | 61 | 29 | +32 | 89 |
3. | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 46 | 25 | 11 | 10 | 76 | 43 | +33 | 86 |
4. | Millwall | 46 | 22 | 11 | 13 | 69 | 48 | +21 | 77 |
5. | Birmingham City | 46 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 70 | 49 | +21 | 76 |
6. | Norwich City | 46 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 60 | 51 | +9 | 75 |
7. | Burnley | 46 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 70 | 62 | +8 | 75 |
8. | Preston North End | 46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 71 | 59 | +12 | 72 |
9. | Wimbledon | 46 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 63 | 57 | +6 | 67 |
10. | Crystal Palace | 46 | 20 | 6 | 20 | 70 | 62 | +8 | 66 |
11. | Coventry City | 46 | 20 | 6 | 20 | 59 | 53 | +6 | 66 |
12. | Gillingham | 46 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 64 | 67 | -3 | 64 |
13. | Sheffield United | 46 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 53 | 54 | -1 | 60 |
14. | Watford | 46 | 16 | 11 | 19 | 62 | 56 | +6 | 59 |
15. | Bradford City | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 69 | 76 | -7 | 55 |
16. | Nottingham Forest | 46 | 12 | 18 | 16 | 50 | 51 | -1 | 54 |
17. | Portsmouth | 46 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 60 | 72 | -12 | 53 |
18. | Walsall | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 51 | 71 | -20 | 51 |
19. | Grimsby Town | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 50 | 72 | -22 | 50 |
20. | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 49 | 71 | -22 | 50 |
21. | Rotherham United | 46 | 10 | 19 | 17 | 52 | 66 | -14 | 49 |
22. | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 47 | 76 | -29 | 49 |
23. | Barnsley | 46 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 59 | 86 | -27 | 38 |
24. | Stockport County | 46 | 6 | 8 | 32 | 42 | 102 | -60 | 26 |
See also: Play-off results
Top Goalscorer: Shaun Goater (Man City) 28 goals.[1]
Key |
---|
Promoted to the Premier League |
Qualified for the promotion playoff |
Relegated to Division Two |
Nationwide League Division Two
Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Brighton & Hove Albion | 46 | 25 | 15 | 6 | 66 | 42 | +24 | 90 |
2. | Reading | 46 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 70 | 43 | +27 | 84 |
3. | Brentford | 46 | 24 | 11 | 11 | 77 | 43 | +34 | 83 |
4. | Cardiff City | 46 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 75 | 50 | +25 | 83 |
5. | Stoke City | 46 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 67 | 40 | +27 | 80 |
6. | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 65 | 47 | +18 | 78 |
7. | Bristol City | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 68 | 53 | +15 | 73 |
8. | Queens Park Rangers | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 60 | 49 | +11 | 71 |
9. | Oldham Athletic | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 77 | 65 | +12 | 70 |
10. | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 66 | 51 | +15 | 64 |
11. | Wycombe Wanderers | 46 | 17 | 13 | 26 | 58 | 64 | -6 | 64 |
12. | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 63 | 60 | +3 | 63 |
13. | Swindon Town | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 46 | 56 | -10 | 59 |
14. | Port Vale | 46 | 16 | 10 | 20 | 51 | 62 | -11 | 58 |
15. | Colchester United | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 65 | 76 | -11 | 57 |
16. | Blackpool | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 66 | 69 | -3 | 56 |
17. | Peterborough United | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 64 | 59 | +5 | 55 |
18. | Chesterfield | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 53 | 65 | -12 | 52 |
19. | Notts County | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 59 | 71 | -12 | 50 |
20. | Northampton Town | 46 | 14 | 7 | 25 | 54 | 79 | -25 | 49 |
21. | Bournemouth | 46 | 10 | 14 | 22 | 56 | 71 | -15 | 44 |
22. | Bury | 46 | 11 | 11 | 24 | 43 | 75 | -32 | 44 |
23. | Wrexham | 46 | 11 | 10 | 25 | 56 | 89 | -33 | 43 |
24. | Cambridge United | 46 | 7 | 13 | 26 | 47 | 93 | -46 | 34 |
Key |
---|
Promoted to Division One |
Qualified for the promotion playoff |
Relegated to Division Three |
Nationwide League Division Three
Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 31 | 9 | 6 | 71 | 28 | +43 | 102 |
2. | Luton Town | 46 | 30 | 7 | 9 | 96 | 48 | +48 | 97 |
3. | Mansfield Town | 46 | 24 | 7 | 15 | 72 | 60 | +12 | 79 |
4. | Cheltenham Town | 46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 66 | 49 | +17 | 78 |
5. | Rochdale | 46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 65 | 52 | +13 | 78 |
6. | Rushden & Diamonds | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 69 | 53 | +16 | 73 |
7. | Hartlepool United | 46 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 74 | 48 | +26 | 71 |
8. | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 74 | 56 | +18 | 71 |
9. | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 64 | 53 | +11 | 70 |
10. | Kidderminster Harriers | 46 | 19 | 9 | 18 | 56 | 47 | +9 | 66 |
11. | Hull City | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 57 | 51 | +6 | 61 |
12. | Southend United | 46 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 51 | 54 | -3 | 58 |
13. | Macclesfield Town | 46 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 41 | 52 | -11 | 58 |
14. | York City | 46 | 16 | 9 | 21 | 54 | 67 | -13 | 57 |
15. | Darlington | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 60 | 71 | -11 | 56 |
16. | Exeter City | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 48 | 73 | -25 | 55 |
17. | Carlisle United | 46 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 48 | 56 | -8 | 52 |
18. | Leyton Orient | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 52 | 71 | -19 | 52 |
19. | Torquay United | 46 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 46 | 53 | -17 | 51 |
20. | Swansea City | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 53 | 76 | -23 | 51 |
21. | Oxford United | 46 | 11 | 14 | 21 | 53 | 62 | -9 | 47 |
22. | Lincoln City | 46 | 10 | 16 | 20 | 44 | 62 | -18 | 46 |
23. | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 40 | 60 | -20 | 45 |
24. | Halifax Town | 46 | 8 | 12 | 26 | 39 | 84 | -45 | 36 |
Key |
---|
Promoted to Division Two |
Qualified for the promotion playoff |
Relegated to Nationwide Conference |
Diary of the season
- 12 July 2001 - Manchester United break the English transfer fee record by paying Lazio £28.1million for Argentina midfielder Juan Sebastián Verón.
- 4 August 2001 - Portsmouth goalkeeper Aaron Flahavan, 25, is killed in a car crash just outside Bournemouth.
- 16 August 2001 - Oxford United move into their new 12,500-seat Kassam Stadium after six years of waiting, but their arrival is soured by a 2-1 home defeat against Rochdale in Division Three.
- 19 August 2001 - Former Coventry City, Luton Town, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Blackpool and West Ham United goalkeeper Les Sealey dies of a heart attack at the age of 43.
- 25 August 2001 - Southampton lose 2-0 to Chelsea in their first competitive game at the new 32,000-seat St Mary's Stadium.
- 31 August 2001 - The first month of the league season ends with newly promoted Bolton Wanderers, tipped by many to go straight back down this season, as Premier League leaders with three straight wins including a 5-0 away win over bottom placed Leicester City. Everton, Leeds United, Arsenal and Manchester United complete the top five, while Leicester City are joined in the bottom three by Middlesbrough and Southampton. [1]
- 27 September 2001 - Michael Owen signs a new four-year contract with Liverpool, with a £70,000 weekly wage making him the most highly-paid player in the club's history. [2]
- 29 September 2001 - Tottenham Hotspur surrender a 3-0 home lead over Manchester United in the FA Premier League and end up losing the game 5-3.
- 30 September 2001 - Leicester City sack manager Peter Taylor after 15 months in charge. His team have finished September in bottom place (they were top of the league this time last year before a late season slump dragged them into the bottom half of the table), in the Premier League relegation zone along with Derby County and West Ham United. At the top end of the table, Arsenal lead over Manchester United on goal difference, while Leeds United, Bolton Wanderers and Sunderland complete the top five. [3]
- 6 October 2001 - A late equaliser by David Beckham against Greece gains England automatic qualification for next summer's World Cup.
- 7 October 2001 - Jim Smith resigns after six years as manager of Derby County and is replaced by his assistant Colin Todd.
- 9 October 2001 - Grimsby Town knock holders Liverpool out of the Worthington Cup 2-1 at the third round stage. This was the first ever victory at Anfield for the Mariners. The winning goal was scored in the last minute of extra time, a stunning long-range strike by Liverpudlian Phil Jevons.
- 10 October 2001 - Dave Bassett is named as Leicester City's new manager, with Brighton & Hove Albion manager Micky Adams being appointed as his assistant.
- 13 October 2001 - Liverpool boss Gérard Houllier is taken to hospital after complaining about chest pains, during the home draw against Leeds United. He undergoes emergency heart surgery and leaves Phil Thompson in sole control at Anfield, until April.
- 17 October 2001 - Just over two weeks after being sacked by Leicester City, Peter Taylor returns to management with Brighton & Hove Albion.
- 22 October 2001 - Bertie Mee, the manager of Arsenal's 1971 double-winning team, dies aged 82.
- 31 October 2001 - October finishes with Aston Villa top of the Premier League for the first time in nearly three years. The top five is completed by Leeds United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United. Leicester City, still with only one win this season, remain bottom of the Premier League with Derby County and Southampton also in the relegation zone. [4]
- 30 November 2001 - Liverpool are the month-end Premier League leaders, with Leeds United, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Aston Villa completing the top five. Manchester United, however, occupy a disappointing sixth place - the result of a series of dismal performances in recent weeks. Ipswich Town, who finished fifth in the league last season, are now bottom of the table with just one win so far, while Leicester City and Derby County remain in the drop zone - but only level on goal difference with Southampton. [5]
- 1 December 2001 - Sir Alex Ferguson writes off Manchester United's chances of a unique fourth successive league title triumph after the latest of several defeats sees them lose 3-0 at home to Chelsea.
- 8 December 2001 - Manchester United lose 1-0 at home to West Ham United, completing a dismal run of six defeats from seven Premiership fixtures, leaving them ninth in the league - 11 points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.
- 12 December 2001 - After weeks of predominantly dismal results, Manchester United get back to their winning ways with a comprehensive 5-0 win over struggling Derby County.
- 31 December 2001 - 2001 draws to a close with Arsenal leading the Premier League on goal difference ahead of Newcastle United, with third placed Leeds United just a point off the top, while fourth placed Liverpool are two points off the top with a game in hand. A resurgent Manchester United are now fifth and just three points off the top - three weeks after being ninth in the league and 11 points off the top. [6]
- 4 January/5 January 2002 - The third round of the FA Cup produces some memorable results. Derby County lose 3-1 at home to Division Three strugglers Bristol Rovers, which is yet more trauma for a club who are deep in the Premier League relegation mire. Leeds United, chasing the Premier League title, are knocked out of the FA Cup by Division Two side Cardiff City. Manchester United, meanwhile, beat Aston Villa 3-2 after being 2-0 down with 15 minutes remaining.
- 14 January 2002 - Colin Todd is sacked after three months as Derby County manager.
- 24 January 2002 - John Gregory resigns after four years as manager of Aston Villa.
- 30 January 2002 - John Gregory returns to management six days after leaving Aston Villa when he is named as the new manager of Derby County.
- 31 January 2002 - January ends with top place in the Premier League going to Manchester United, who were ninth in the table less than two months ago. In second place are Arsenal, who are four points behind with two games in hand. Bracketed together, one point behind Arsenal, are Liverpool and Newcastle United. Leeds United complete the top five. A terrible month for Leicester City has left them bottom of the table and eight points adrift of safety, with Derby County just one places and two points above them. Ipswich Town remain in the drop zone despite a recent run of good results, while a mere three points separate the next seven clubs - Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, Southampton, Middlesbrough, Everton, West Ham United and Sunderland. [7]
- 24 February 2002 - Blackburn Rovers beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at the Millennium Stadium to win the League Cup for the first time in their history.
- 28 February 2002 - Sir Alex Ferguson changes his mind about retiring as Manchester United manager at the end of the season and signs a new contract which will keep him at the club for at least another three seasons. His team are still top of the Premier League, followed by Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Chelsea. Leicester City are sinking deeper into relegation trouble at the other end of the table, while an upturn in fortunes for Derby County is suggesting that John Gregory is their saviour. Blackburn Rovers, meanwhile, have little time to saviour their recent League Cup glory - they are still in the relegation zone. [8]
- 20 March 2002 - Gérard Houllier returns to Liverpool after a six month spell out. He watches his side defeat Roma in the Champions League.
- 31 March 2002 - The Premier League title race remains in full swing as March draws to a close. Liverpool are now top, Manchester United are second, and Arsenal are third - though Arsenal are two points off the top with two games in hand. The threat from the other top six clubs - Chelsea, Leeds United and Newcastle United - is now virtually non existent. Meanwhile, Leicester City's relegation is looking almost certain, while they and Derby County have been joined in the relegation zone by an Ipswich Town side whose resurgence in late winter appeared to have saved their Premier League status. [9]
- 4 April 2002 - Dave Bassett becomes director of football at Leicester City and he hands managerial duties over to his assistant Micky Adams.
- 6 April 2002 - Leicester City's relegation is confirmed as they lost 1-0 at home to Manchester United, whose crucial win keeps their title challenge alive.
- 21 April 2002 - West Bromwich Albion clinch promotion to the FA Premier League with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace which ends their 16-year exile from the top flight.
- 30 April 2002 - April draws to a close with Arsenal top of the Premier League with Manchester United and Liverpool still in contention, while Leicester City and Derby County have both been relegated. Ipswich Town occupy the last relegation place but will need to win their final game of the season and hope that Sunderland lose theirs if Premier League football is to be played at Portman Road and not the Stadium of Light next season. [10]
- 2 May 2002 - 45 police officers are injured when Millwall fans riot at the end of the Division One playoff fixture against Birmingham City. [11]
- 4 May 2002 - Arsenal clinch the eighth FA Cup victory of their history with a 2-0 win over Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium.
- 8 May 2002 - Arsenal beat defending champions Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford to complete their second double in five seasons.
- 12 May 2002 - The FA Premier League season ends with Arsenal as champions, and the other three UEFA Champions League places going to Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United. Chelsea and Leeds United go into the UEFA Cup. Ipswich Town, Derby County and Leicester City are relegated. The promoted sides are Manchester City, West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City.
- 21 May 2002 - The Premier League and Football League officials announce their opposition to FIFA's plans to operate a transfer window system which could see mid-season transfers only permitted to take place during one month of the season. [12]
Promoted teams
From Division One to The Premier League:
From Division Two to Division One:
From Division Three to Division Two:
From The Football Conference to Division Three:
Relegated teams
From The Premier League to Division One:
From Division One to Division Two:
From Division Two to Division Three:
From Division Three to The Football Conference:
Transfer deals
- Christian Ziege from Liverpool to Tottenham Hotspur, £4m
- John Hartson from Coventry City to Celtic, £6.5m
- Fabrizio Ravanelli from Lazio to Derby County, free
- Jon Harley from Chelsea to Fulham, £3.5m
- Lee Hughes from West Bromwich Albion to Coventry City, £5m
- Laurent Robert from Paris Saint-Germain to Newcastle United, £10.5m
- Edwin van der Sar from Juventus to Fulham, £7m
- Boudewijn Zenden from Barcelona to Chelsea, £7.5m
- Steed Malbranque from Lyon to Fulham, £5m
- Kasey Keller from Rayo Vallecano to Tottenham Hotspur, free
- Bosko Balaban from Dinamo Zagreb to Aston Villa, £6m
- Jerzy Dudek from Feyenoord to Liverpool, £4.85m
- Don Hutchison from Sunderland to West Ham United, £5m
- Chris Kirkland from Coventry City to Liverpool, £6m
- Laurent Blanc from Internazionale to Manchester United, free
- Steve Marlet from Lyon to Fulham, £13.5m
- Tomas Repka from Fiorentina to West Ham United, £5.5m
- Dean Richards from Southampton to Tottenham Hotspur, £8.1m
- Seth Johnson from Derby County to Leeds United, £7m
- Robbie Fowler from Liverpool to Leeds United, £11m
- Claudio Reyna from Rangers to Sunderland, £4.5m
- Milan Baroš from Banik Ostrava to Liverpool
- Andy Cole from Manchester United to Blackburn Rovers, £7.5m
- Diego Forlán from Independiente to Manchester United, £7.5
- Abel Xavier from Everton to Liverpool, £800,000
- Jermaine Jenas from Nottingham Forest to Newcastle United, £5m
- Kolo Touré from ASEC Mimosas to Arsenal, Undisclosed
- Jon Macken from Preston North End to Manchester City, £4m
- Paul Gascoigne from Everton to Burnley, free
- Peter Crouch from Portsmouth to Aston Villa, £4m
- Jamie Redknapp from Liverpool to Tottenham Hotspur, free
For subsequent transfer deals see 2002-03 in English football.
Managerial changes
August
- August 3, 2001 - Roy Evans and Neil Ruddock take over at Swindon Town, replacing Andy King (sacked August 1)
September
- September 13 - Colin Addison takes over at Swansea City, replacing John Hollins (sacked September 12)
October
- October 8 - Denis Smith takes over at Wrexham, replacing Brian Flynn
- October 8 - Colin Todd takes over at Derby County, replacing Jim Smith (resigned same day)
- October 10 - Dave Bassett takes over at Leicester City, replacing Peter Taylor (sacked September 30)
- October 10 - Coach Gary Brazil takes over at Notts County, replacing Jocky Scott (sacked October 10)
- October 12 - Alan Little takes over at Halifax Town, replacing Paul Bracewell (resigned August 30)
- October 15 - Paul Brush takes over at Leyton Orient, replacing Tommy Taylor
- October 16 - Roland Nilsson takes over at Coventry City, replacing Gordon Strachan (resigned September 10)
- October 17 - Peter Taylor takes over at Brighton & Hove Albion
- October 22 - Gordon Strachan takes over at Southampton, replacing Stuart Gray (sacked October 21)
- October 22 - Caretaker manager Rob Newman takes over at Southend United, replacing David Webb (resigned October 9)
- October 25 - Kevin Broadhurst takes over at Northampton Town, replacing Kevin Wilson (sacked September 26)
- October 25 - Tommy Taylor takes over at Darlington until the end of the season, replacing Gary Bennett (resigned October 24)
- October 30 - John Cornforth takes over at Exeter City, replacing Noel Blake (sacked September 23)
November
- November 6 - Carlton Palmer takes over at Stockport County, replacing Andy Kilner (sacked October 29)
- November 7 - Mick Wadsworth takes over at Oldham Athletic
- November 8 - David Moss takes over at Macclesfield Town
- November 9 - Steve Parkin takes over at Barnsley, replacing Nigel Spackman (sacked October 25)
- November 14 - Terry Yorath takes over at Sheffield Wednesday, replacing Peter Shreeves (left October 17)
- November 30 - Trevor Francis takes over at Crystal Palace, replacing Steve Bruce (resigned November 2)
- November 30 - Ian Atkins takes over at Oxford United, replacing Mark Wright (resigned)
December
- December 11 - John Hollins takes over at Rochdale, replacing Steve Parkin
- December 12 - Steve Bruce takes over at Birmingham City, replacing Trevor Francis (left October 15)
- December 22 - Andy King is reappointed at Swindon Town, replacing Roy Evans (resigned as Director of Football December 20)
- December 28 - Garry Thompson takes over at Bristol Rovers for the second time, replacing Gerry Francis (resigned December 24)
- December 28 - Paul Groves takes over at Grimsby Town, replacing Lennie Lawrence (resigned)
January
- January 1 - Nicky Law takes over at Bradford City, replacing Jim Jefferies (resigned December 24)
- January 6 - John Taylor takes over at Cambridge United, replacing John Beck (resigned November 22)
- January 7 - Billy Dearden takes over at Notts County, replacing Gary Brazil (steps back down to coach)
- January 9 - Assistant manager Stuart Watkiss takes over at Mansfield Town, replacing Billy Dearden (resigned January 6)
- January 23 - Colin Lee takes over at Walsall, replacing Ray Graydon (sacked January 22)
- January 30 - John Gregory takes over at Derby County, replacing Colin Todd (sacked January 14 after just 98 days as manager)
February
- February 5 - Non-executive director Graham Taylor takes over as manager at Aston Villa, replacing John Gregory (resigned January 24)
- February 18 - Director of Football Lennie Lawrence takes over as manager at Cardiff City, replacing Alan Cork (resigned)
- February 22 - Dave Rushbury takes over at Chesterfield, replacing Nicky Law (resigned January 1)
March
- March 14 - David Moyes takes over at Everton, replacing Walter Smith (left March 12)
- March 25 - Director of Football Harry Redknapp takes over at Portsmouth, replacing Graham Rix (sacked)
April
- April 4 - Micky Adams takes over at Leicester City, replacing Dave Bassett (becomes Director of Football)
- April 4 - Jan Mølby takes over at Hull City, replacing Brian Little (left February 27)
- April 24 - Gary McAllister takes over at Coventry City, replacing Roland Nilsson (sacked April 16)
- April 25 - Ray Graydon takes over at Bristol Rovers, replacing Garry Thompson (sacked April 9)
- April 25 - Ian Britton takes over at Kidderminster Harriers, replacing Jan Molby (resigned April 4)
- April 29 - Craig Brown takes over at Preston North End, replacing David Moyes (left March 14)
May
- May 5 - Caretaker Keith Alexander takes over at Lincoln City, replacing Alan Buckley (left April 25)
- May 9 - Leroy Rosenior takes over at Torquay United, replacing Roy McFarland (sacked April 23)
- May 27 - Steve Cotterill takes over at Stoke City, replacing Gudjon Thordarson (sacked May 16)
- May 29 - Paul Simpson takes over at Rochdale, replacing John Hollins (sacked May 13)
- May 30 - Coach Graham Allner takes over at Cheltenham Town, replacing Steve Cotterill (resigned May 16)
- May 31 - Coach Iain Dowie takes over at Oldham Athletic, replacing Mick Wadsworth (sacked)
June
- June - Stuart Murdoch takes over at Wimbledon, replacing Terry Burton (left April 25)
- June 28 - Assistant Wally Downes takes over at Brentford, replacing Steve Coppell (resigned June 6)
July
- July 1 - Mick Wadsworth takes over at Huddersfield Town, replacing Lou Macari
- July 11 - Ray Lewington takes over at Watford, replacing Gianluca Vialli
- July - Chris Wilder takes over at Halifax Town, replacing caretaker Neil Redfearn (resigned May 23), who replaced Alan Little (left April 8)
- July 15 - Youth director Martin Hinshelwood takes over at Brighton & Hove Albion, replacing Peter Taylor (resigned April 29)
- July - Terry Venables takes over at Leeds United, replacing David O'Leary (sacked June 27)
Famous Debutants
- Future England Striker Darren Bent, 17, appears for Ipswich Town in their 3-1 victory away at Helsingborgs IF in the Uefa Cup 2nd Round in November 2001.
- Future England winger Stewart Downing, 17, appears for Middlesbrough in their 1-0 defeat by Ipswich Town in April 2002.
Deaths
- 5 August 2001: Aaron Flahavan, 25, Portsmouth goalkeeper who had played 93 first-team games since 1996, died in a car crash in west Hampshire just before the start of the season.
- 8 August 2001: Paul Vaessen, 39, former Arsenal striker whose career was cut short by injury. Most famous for scoring the goal that earned Arsenal a place in the 1980 Cup Winners' Cup final.
- 19 August 2001: Les Sealey, 43, who kept goal for Manchester United in their 1990 F.A. Cup and 1991 Cup Winners Cup triumphs, died of a heart attack in north London. He had also played for Coventry City, Luton Town, Aston Villa, Birmingham City (on loan), Blackpool and West Ham United, and at the time of his death had been working for West Ham United as goalkeeping coach.
- 20 August 2001: Tom Staniforth, 20, Sheffield Wednesday defender, collapsed and died on a night out in York. He was a promising young defender for the club and a son of former footballer Gordon Staniforth.
- 1 September 2001: Brian Moore, 69, former BBC Radio and ITV commentator, died of cancer three years after retiring from football commentary.
- 17 September 2001: Ray Gill, 76, the record Football League appearance holder for Chester City.
- 22 October 2001: Bertie Mee, 80, Arsenal double-winning manager 1970-71, died after a long illness. He also guided Arsenal to European Fairs Cup glory, achieved one year before the double triumph. From 1976 to 1986 he was assistant manager to Graham Taylor at Watford, and remained at the club as a director until his retirement in 1991.
- 19 January 2002: Jeff Astle, 59, West Bromwich Albion and England striker, died suddenly in Burton-upon-Trent. He is best remembered for his appearances on the T.V. series 'Fantasy Football' and for scoring Albion's winning goal against Everton in the 1968 F.A. Cup final.
- 16 February 2002: Sir Walter Winterbottom, 88, the first England manager. Managed England from 1946 until 1962, when he made way for Alf Ramsey.
- 26 March 2002: Kenneth Wolstenholme, 81, BBC television commentator, who famously commentated England's 1966 World Cup triumph and is best remembered for saying 'They think it's all over... it is now' when Geoff Hurst scored England's last-minute winner.
- 16 April 2002: Billy Ayre, 49, former Halifax, Blackpool, Scarborough, Southport and Cardiff City manager, died after a long battle with cancer of the lymph node. He guided Blackpool to two successive Wembley play-off finals, in 1990-91 and 1991-92.
References
- ^ http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/engtops.html RSSSF Archive of English League Top Goalscorers