The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.
Contents |
Overview
Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game.
Leeds United narrowly avoided going into administration, but despite a valiant effort late in the season to claw back lost points, they were unable to avoid relegation and lost their place in the Premiership along with Leicester City and Wolves.
Norwich City won promotion back to the Premiership as Champions after nine years in Division 1. They were joined by runners-up West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace who beat West Ham in the play-off final. Wimbledon completed their controversial relocation to Milton Keynes and moved into the National Hockey Stadium, which would be used as a temporary home until a permanent home was built at Denbigh North. At the end of the season, following the Dons' relegation, club directors changed its name to Milton Keynes Dons. Bradford City and Walsall joined them in relegation to League 1.
Plymouth Argyle were Division Two Champions and ensured that they would be playing in the second tier of English football for the first time in 11 years. QPR joined them with Brighton winning the play-offs. At the bottom Rushden & Diamonds were relegated back down to Division Three along with Grimsby Town who suffered a second straight relegation after losing the last game of the season. Debt-ridden Notts County and Wycombe Wanderers were the other relegation casualties.
Doncaster Rovers were crowned Division Three champions to earn their second successive promotion, having been Conference playoff winners the previous season. They had not played above the league's lowest tier for nearly 20 years. They were joined by Hull City, Torquay United and play-off winners Huddersfield Town. Carlisle United were relegated to the Conference from Division Three. They had spent all but two of the last 17 seasons in the league's fourth tier, but had been members of the top division during the 1974-75 season and topped the league three games into the season despite getting relegated at the end of it. York City also followed them out of the Football League afer a dreadful second half to the season. Meanwhile, Chester City and Shrewsbury Town were promoted back to the Football League from the Nationwide Conference.
Telford United, who had been members of the Conference every season since its formation in 1979, went out of business at the end of a season in which they had reached the Fourth Round of the FA Cup. The club was quickly reformed as A.F.C. Telford United and joined the Northern Premier League.
Diary of the season
- 26 June 2003: Marc-Vivien Foé, who scored 9 goals in 35 games on loan at Manchester City, collapses and dies during a FIFA Confederations Cup tie for Cameroon.
- 1 July 2003: Liverpool sign defender Steve Finnan from Fulham for £3.6million.
- 2 July 2003: David Beckham completes his £25million move from Manchester United to Real Madrid.
- 3 July 2003: Birmingham City pay a club record £5.5million for Blackburn Rovers midfielder David Dunn.
- 9 July 2003: Liverpool sign Leeds United's Harry Kewell for £5million.
- 15 July 2003: Manchester United sign American goalkeeper Tim Howard from MetroStars for £2.3million, while Chelsea pay £6million for 19-year-old West Ham United defender Glen Johnson.
- 16 July 2003: Chelsea sign Cameroon midfielder Geremi from Real Madrid for £7million.
- 21 July 2003: Chelsea sign Southampton defender Wayne Bridge for £7million and Blackburn Rovers winger Damien Duff for a club record £17million.
- 30 July 2003: The Premier League is officially declared the richest football league in Europe.[1]
- 4 August 2003: The Premier League rules out the possibility of Rangers and Celtic gaining membership. [1]
- 6 August 2003: Chelsea sign Juan Sebastian Veron from Manchester United for £15million and Joe Cole from West Ham United for £6.6million.
- 12 August 2003: Manchester United sign 18-year-old Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo for £12.24million from Sporting Lisbon and Brazil's World Cup winning midfielder José Kleberson for £5.93million.
- 14 August 2003: Chelsea sign Romanian striker Adrian Mutu from Parma for £15.8million.
- 25 August 2003: Chelsea sign Russian midfielder Alexei Smertin from Bordeaux for £3.45million and immediately loan him to Portsmouth for the season.
- 26 August 2003: Chelsea sign Argentine striker Hernan Crespo from Inter Milan for £16.8million.
- 29 August 2003: Blackburn Rovers pay £7.5million for Rangers and Scotland midfielder Barry Ferguson.
- 31 August 2003: The first month of the league season draws to an end with Arsenal and Manchester United leading the way with three wins from their first three Premier League games, while their nearest challengers are Portsmouth (newly promoted), Manchester City and Chelsea. Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers have lost the first three games of their first top flight campaign for 20 years, while Bolton Wanderers and Middlesbrough complete the bottom three. [2] The race to get into the Premier League is headed by West Bromwich Albion, who are a point ahead of their nearest rivals Reading and Sheffield United at the top of Division One. Wigan Athletic, Crystal Palace and West Ham United complete the top six.[2]
- 1 September 2003: Chelsea sign Real Madrid and France midfielder Claude Makelele for £16.6million.
- 21 September 2003: Tottenham Hotspur sack Glenn Hoddle after two-and-a-half years as manager. Director of football David Pleat takes temporary charge.
- 27 September 2003: Wimbledon relocated to Milton Keynes where they will play at the National Hockey Stadium, but this is very much a temporary measure as there are plans to build a new 25,000-seat stadium at Denbigh North that is expected to be completed in either 2006 or 2007.
- 30 September 2003: September draws to a close with Arsenal leading the Premier League, but their nearest challengers Chelsea and Manchester United are just a point behind. Meanwhile, surprise title contenders Birmingham City and Southampton complete the top five, but there is widespread doubt as to whether they can continue their good form and make a serious challenge to record their first-ever top division titles. Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers are still bottom and looking for their first win of the season, while Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur complete the bottom three. [3] Sheffield United now lead the way in Division One, a point ahead of former leaders West Bromwich Albion. Wigan Athletic, Norwich City, Sunderland and West Ham United occupy the playoff zone. [4]
- 31 October 2003: October draws to a close with Chelsea ahead of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League with equal goal difference but more goals scored, while Manchester United are a point behind in third place. Birmingham City remain fourth, while Fulham have edged into the top five at the expense of Southampton. Leicester City and Middlesbrough now prop up the Premier League after an upturn in fortunes for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, while Leeds United have slipped into the relegation zone as the mass sale of players to help pay off mounting debts has taken its toll on the field. Newcastle United, meanwhile, have surged to eighth place after their terrible first two month of the season. [5] West Bromwich Albion are back on top of Division One, where Wigan Athletic are playing for the first time in their history but looking good bets to reach further new territory as they stand one place behind the midlanders. Norwich City, Sheffield United, Sunderland and West Ham United complete the top six. Ipswich Town are a single goal short of the playoff places. [6]
- 8 November 2003: Senior executives from the 20 Premier League clubs back plans for clubs to be deducted 10 points if they enter receivership. [7]
- 10 November 2003: Peter Reid is sacked after eight months as manager of Leeds United, bottom of the Premier League after losing eight of their opening 12 games. Long-serving coach and former manager Eddie Gray takes over on a temporary basis.
- 30 November 2003: Chelsea lead the Premier League as November draws to a close, one point ahead of Arsenal and four points ahead of Manchester United. The nearest, though distant, threat is from surprise top-five clubs Fulham and Charlton Athletic. Debt-ridden Leeds United now prop up the top flight, joined in the relegation zone by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton. [8] West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City lead the way in Division One. Sheffield United, Ipswich Town, Wigan Athletic and Reading complete the top six. [9]
- 19 December 2003: Rio Ferdinand receives an eight-month ban from football as well as a £50,000 fine as penalty for missing a drugs test on 22 September. The ban commences on 19 January, though Ferdinand is intent on appealing against it.
- 31 December 2003: 2003 draws to a close with Manchester United as the Premier League's new leaders, while their nearest contenders Arsenal (unbeaten) and Chelsea are four points behind. Thriving Charlton Athletic and Fulham complete the top five once more, though Liverpool and Newcastle United are closing in on them. Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United continue to prop up the table, while Everton have climbed comfortably clear of the bottom three at the expense of Tottenham Hotspur. [10] Norwich City have a six-point lead over West Bromwich Albion at the top of Division One. Sheffield United, Sunderland, Ipswich Town and Wigan Athletic complete the top six. [11]
- 9 January 2004: Gordon Strachan announces that he will not renew his contract as Southampton manager when it expires at the end of the season, amid speculation that he will return to his old club Leeds United as their new manager.[12]
- 14 January 2004: Manchester City sign goalkeeper David James from West Ham United for £2million, prompting the retirement of 40-year-old David Seaman.
- 23 January 2004: Manchester United sign Fulham striker Louis Saha for £12.8million.
- 28 January 2004: Arsenal sign Sevilla striker José Antonio Reyes for £10.5million.
- 30 January 2004: Chelsea sign Charlton Athletic midfielder Scott Parker for £10million.
- 31 January 2004: January ends with Manchester United still top of the Premier League, but with unbeaten Arsenal now a point behind with a game in hand, while Chelsea's bid for the title has taken a major setback as they are now third place with a seven-point gap between them and the top spot. Charlton Athletic and Liverpool complete the top five. Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City occupy the bottom three places. [13] Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion are still leading the way at the top of Division One. Sheffield United, Sunderland, Ipswich Town and Wigan Athletic continue to occupy the playoff zone. [14]
- 2 February 2004: Tottenham Hotspur pay £7million for West Ham United striker Jermain Defoe.
- 29 February 2004: Middlesbrough win their first ever trophy as a professional club by beating Bolton Wanderers in the League Cup final. On the Premier League scene, Arsenal are still unbeaten and are now top of the league with a nine-point advantage over Chelsea and Manchester United. Newcastle United and Charlton Athletic complete the top five, with Liverpool and a resurgent Aston Villa cranking up the pressure on them. Leeds United and Leicester City remain in the bottom three, but Wolverhampton Wanderers have climbed out of the drop zone at the expense of Portsmouth. [15] Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion continue to duel at the top of Division One, while West Ham United have edged Sheffield United out of an otherwise unchanged playoff zone. [16]
- 2 March 2004: Gordon Strachan, who was due to depart as Southampton manager at the end of the season, resigns from the club with immediate effect.[17]
- 4 March 2004: Paul Sturrock departs from Division Two leaders Plymouth Argyle to become Southampton's new manager.[18]
- 5 March 2004: Three Leicester City players, Paul Dickov, Keith Gillespie and Frank Sinclair, are charged with sexual assault while on a training camp in La Manga, Spain.
- 31 March 2004: Arsenal, the first team to complete 30 matches unbeaten at the start of a league season, now lead Chelsea by seven points and Manchester United by 12 points as March draws to a close. They are also in contention for the European Cup and FA Cup. Liverpool and Newcastle United now complete the top five as Charlton Athletic's bid for a European place is fading fast and the competition is now coming from Birmingham City and Aston Villa. At the other end of the table, time is running out fast for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United, while Leicester City are still giving the rest of the bottom 10 a good run for their money. [19] Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion are now equal on points at the top of Division One. The playoff zone remains unchanged from last month, except from Millwall having edged Wigan Athletic out of the top six. [20]
- 10 April 2004: Arsenal's double hopes are ended when they lose 1-0 to Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final.
- 25 April 2004: Arsenal clinch the Premier League title, and are still unbeaten, after a 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. [21] Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion have had their promotion from Division One confirmed. The playoff places are still being contested between seven clubs - Sunderland, Ipswich Town, West Ham United, Wigan Athletic, Sheffield United, Reading and a resurgent Crystal Palace side who have climbed from 19th to seventh since the appointment of Iain Dowie as manager four months ago. [22]
- 30 April 2004: Arsenal finish April as Premier League champions while Chelsea and Manchester United fight closely for second place. Liverpool and Aston Villa complete the top five, though the seven teams below them still stand a chance of a top-five finish and European qualification. Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City now need something little short of a miracle to avoid relegation, while Leeds United are still giving most of the rest of the bottom 10 a run for their money.[23]
- 1 May 2004: Leicester City's relegation from the Premier League is confirmed just one season after promotion, while Wolverhampton Wanderers now need to win both of their remaining games by a huge margin and hope that Manchester City suffer heavy defeats in both of theirs to survive, despite beating Everton. Leeds United will have to manage at least a draw against Bolton Wanderers tomorrow to stand any reasonable possibility of survival. At the other end of the spectrum, Chelsea now look all set for second place while Manchester United look certain to have to settled for third place, with Liverpool and Newcastle United completing the top five. [24]
- 2 May 2004: Leeds United lose 4-1 to Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium, leaving them needing a similar almost impossible survival act to that needed by Wolverhampton Wanderers to avoid relegation at the expense of Manchester City. [25]
- 15 May 2004: Arsenal complete the Premier League season unbeaten with a 2-1 win over Leicester City, only the third time since the formation of the Football League in 1888 that a team has gone a whole season unbeaten in the league. Joining them in next season's Champions League are Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool (occupying second, third and fourth place respectively), while fifth-placed Newcastle United go into the UEFA Cup with League Cup winners Middlesbrough.
- 16 May 2004: Arsenal signs Dutch winger Robin Van Persie from Feyenoord for £2.75million.
- 17 May 2004: Goalkeeper Paul Robinson leaves relegated Leeds United in a £1.5million move to Tottenham Hotspur.
- 20 May 2004: Birmingham City pay a club record £6.25million for Liverpool striker Emile Heskey.
- 22 May 2004: Manchester United beat Millwall 3-0 to clinch the FA Cup for the 11th time in their history, while the losers have played their first-ever major cup final. However, Manchester United's participation in the Champions League means that Millwall (who have played their first major cup final) will be competing in the UEFA Cup next season, the first time they have ever played in European competition.
- 24 May 2004: Gerard Houllier is sacked after six years as manager of Liverpool. [26]
- 27 May 2004: Telford United, who reached the FA Cup fourth round this season, are liquidated and removed from the Conference as a result. Leeds United sell striker Alan Smith to Manchester United for £7million.
- 29 May 2004: Crystal Palace, who were 19th in Division One when Iain Dowie became manager on 22 December, win promotion to the Premier League with a 1-0 win over West Ham United in the play-off final. Neil Shipperley scores the only goal of the game. Ironically, Dowie is a former player of both of these clubs.
- 1 June 2004: Chelsea sign Rennes and Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Čech for £7million.
- 2 June 2004: José Mourinho takes over as manager of Chelsea, replacing the sacked Claudio Ranieri.
- 11 June 2004: Manchester United sign Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze from Paris St Germain for £6.9million.
- 13 June 2004: England's Euro 2004 campaign begins with a 2-1 defeat by France.
- 16 June 2004: Rafael Benítez takes over as manager of Liverpool.
- 17 June 2004: England confirm their quarter-final qualification with a 3-0 win over Switzerland at Euro 2004.
- 21 June 2004: Wimbledon announce that they will change their name to Milton Keynes Dons, reflecting its highly controversial move from South London to Milton Keynes. England's Euro 2004 group stage campaign finishes with a 4-2 win over Croatia.
- 24 June 2004: England lose on penalties to Euro 2004 hosts Portugal after a 2-2 draw, with penalty misses from David Beckham and Darius Vassell ending their chances of progressing to the semi-finals.
National team
- ECQ - Euro 2004 qualifiers
- ECF - Euro 2004 finals
- F - Friendly; scores are written England first
- FA - FA Summer Tournament (friendly)
- (FT) - Full time
- (aet) - After extra time
- (P) - After penalty shoot out
Honours
European qualification
Competition | Qualifiers | Reason for qualification |
---|---|---|
UEFA Champions League | Arsenal | 1st in FA Premier League |
Chelsea | 2nd in FA Premier League | |
UEFA Champions League Third Qualifying Round | Manchester United | 3rd in FA Premier League |
Liverpool | 4th in FA Premier League | |
UEFA Cup | Newcastle United | 5th in FA Premier League |
Middlesbrough | League Cup Winners | |
Millwall | In lieu of FA Cup winners (qualification awarded as FA Cup runners-up because FA Cup winners Manchester United had already qualified for the Champions League) |
League tables
FA Premier League
The Premiership title race was a three-horse race for most of the season, but Arsenal remained unbeaten all season long and clinched the title with 90 points and an 11-point gap over runners-up Chelsea, who had been most people's favourites for the title after a £100million summer spending spree.
League Cup winners Middlesbrough qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history, joined by fifth-placed Newcastle United. Seventh-placed Charlton Athletic and eighth-placed Bolton Wanderers both achieved their highest league finishes since the 1950s, while ninth-placed Fulham (many people's pre-season relegation favourites) defied the odds under 33-year-old manager Chris Coleman and achieved the highest league finish of their history. Portsmouth, also considered favourites for relegation pre-season, finished a respectable 13th in their first top-flight season.
Newly promoted Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers both went down after just one season, while Leeds United's financial crisis saw them lose most of their key players and eventually saw them relegated from the top flight after 14 successive seasons among the elite.
- For more detail on the Premiership this season see 2003–04 FA Premier League
Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Arsenal | 38 | 26 | 12 | 0 | 73 | 26 | +47 | 90 |
2. | Chelsea | 38 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 67 | 30 | +37 | 79 |
3. | Manchester United | 38 | 23 | 6 | 9 | 64 | 35 | +29 | 75 |
4. | Liverpool | 38 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 55 | 37 | +18 | 60 |
5. | Newcastle United | 38 | 13 | 17 | 8 | 52 | 40 | +12 | 56 |
6. | Aston Villa | 38 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 48 | 44 | +4 | 56 |
7. | Charlton Athletic | 38 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 51 | 51 | 0 | 53 |
8. | Bolton Wanderers | 38 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 48 | 56 | -8 | 53 |
9. | Fulham | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 52 | 46 | +6 | 52 |
10. | Birmingham City | 38 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 43 | 48 | -5 | 50 |
11. | Middlesbrough | 38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 44 | 52 | -8 | 48 |
12. | Southampton | 38 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 44 | 45 | -1 | 47 |
13. | Portsmouth | 38 | 12 | 9 | 17 | 47 | 54 | -7 | 45 |
14. | Tottenham Hotspur | 38 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 47 | 57 | -10 | 45 |
15. | Blackburn Rovers | 38 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 51 | 59 | -8 | 44 |
16. | Manchester City | 38 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 55 | 54 | +1 | 41 |
17. | Everton | 38 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 45 | 57 | -12 | 39 |
18. | Leicester City | 38 | 6 | 15 | 17 | 48 | 65 | -17 | 33 |
19. | Leeds United | 38 | 8 | 9 | 21 | 40 | 79 | -39 | 33 |
20. | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 38 | 77 | -39 | 33 |
Leading goalscorer: Thierry Henry (Arsenal) - 30
Key |
---|
Qualified for the Champions League |
Qualified for the UEFA Cup |
Relegated to the Championship |
Football League First Division
The top three led the division for most of the season, but Sunderland could not shake off their poor start to the season and lost out to Norwich, returning to the Premiership after nearly a decade, and West Brom, who bounced back to the Premiership after relegation the previous season. Crystal Palace achieved one of the most unlikely promotions of recent times, spending the entire first half of the season in the relegation zone under manager Steve Kember before surging into the play-off places under new manager Iain Dowie.
Wimbledon's move to Milton Keynes took its toll on the club, and they finished bottom of the table in an abysmal final season for the club before it was renamed as MK Dons. Bradford fared little better, despite the presence of former England captain Bryan Robson in the manager's chair. Walsall made a respectable start to the season before slumping somewhat later on, and finally crashing into the relegation zone when just a single point from any of their last three games would have ensured survival.
Millwall qualified for the UEFA Cup for being runners-up in the FA Cup, as winners Manchester United already qualified for the Champions League.
9
Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Norwich City | 46 | 28 | 10 | 8 | 79 | 39 | 94 | |
2. | West Bromwich Albion | 46 | 25 | 11 | 10 | 64 | 42 | 86 | |
3. | Sunderland | 46 | 22 | 13 | 11 | 62 | 45 | 79 | |
4. | West Ham United | 46 | 19 | 17 | 10 | 67 | 45 | 74 | |
5. | Ipswich Town | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 84 | 72 | 73 | |
6. | Crystal Palace | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 72 | 61 | 73 | |
7. | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 60 | 45 | 71 | |
8. | Sheffield United | 46 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 65 | 56 | 71 | |
9. | Reading | 46 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 55 | 57 | 70 | |
10. | Millwall | 46 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 55 | 48 | 69 | |
11. | Stoke City | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 58 | 55 | 66 | |
12. | Coventry City | 46 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 67 | 54 | 65 | |
13. | Cardiff City | 46 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 68 | 58 | 65 | |
14. | Nottingham Forest | 46 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 61 | 51 | 60 | |
15. | Preston North End | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 69 | 71 | 59 | |
16. | Watford | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 54 | 68 | 57 | |
17. | Rotherham United | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 53 | 61 | 54 | |
18. | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 57 | 66 | 53 | |
19. | Burnley | 46 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 60 | 77 | 53 | |
20. | Derby County | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 53 | 67 | 52 | |
21. | Gillingham | 46 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 48 | 67 | 51 | |
22. | Walsall | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 45 | 65 | 51 | |
23. | Bradford City | 46 | 10 | 6 | 30 | 38 | 69 | 36 | |
24. | Wimbledon (Soon to be Milton Keynes Dons) | 46 | 8 | 5 | 33 | 41 | 89 | 29 |
Leading goalscorer: Andrew Johnson (Crystal Palace) - 27
(Note: relegated clubs in the first division missed out on chance of championships football).
Football League Second Division
Plymouth Argyle finished top of the division, though they lost manager Paul Sturrock to Southampton. Queens Park Rangers grabbed the second spot from under the noses of Bristol City, who proceeded to lose the play-off final to Brighton & Hove Albion, another side who bounced back from relegation the previous season.
Tony Adams, previously suggested by many as a possible future manager of Arsenal and England, failed to keep Wycombe Wanderers up, ending their ten-year spell in the division. Notts County nearly went bankrupt during the course of the season and the effect on the club was evident, as they slipped into Division Three (or League Two, as it would be called the next season), and Rushden & Diamonds' years of success came to a grinding halt as they crashed back out of the division after being promoted the previous year. Grimsby Town filled the final relegation spot, resulting in their second consecutive relegation for admin entrance.
P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | 1 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 26 | 12 | 8 | 85 | 41 | +44 | 90 |
P | 2 | Queens Park Rangers | 46 | 22 | 17 | 7 | 80 | 45 | +35 | 83 |
3 | Bristol City | 46 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 58 | 37 | +21 | 82 | |
P | 4 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 46 | 22 | 11 | 13 | 64 | 43 | +21 | 77 |
5 | Swindon Town | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 76 | 58 | +18 | 73 | |
6 | Hartlepool United | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 76 | 61 | +15 | 73 | |
7 | Port Vale | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 73 | 63 | +10 | 73 | |
8 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 59 | 56 | +3 | 67 | |
9 | A.F.C. Bournemouth | 46 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 56 | 51 | +5 | 66 | |
10 | Luton Town | 46 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 69 | 66 | +3 | 66 | |
11 | Colchester United | 46 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 52 | 56 | -4 | 64 | |
12 | Barnsley | 46 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 54 | 58 | -4 | 62 | |
13 | Wrexham | 46 | 17 | 9 | 20 | 50 | 60 | -10 | 60 | |
14 | Blackpool | 46 | 16 | 11 | 19 | 58 | 65 | -7 | 59 | |
15 | Oldham Athletic | 46 | 12 | 21 | 13 | 66 | 60 | +6 | 57 | |
16 | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 48 | 64 | -18 | 53 | |
17 | Brentford | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 52 | 69 | -17 | 53 | |
18 | Peterborough United | 46 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 58 | 58 | 0 | 52 | |
19 | Stockport County | 46 | 11 | 19 | 16 | 62 | 70 | -8 | 52 | |
20 | Chesterfield | 46 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 49 | 71 | -22 | 51 | |
R | 21 | Grimsby Town | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 55 | 81 | -26 | 50 |
R | 22 | Rushden & Diamonds | 46 | 13 | 9 | 24 | 60 | 74 | -14 | 48 |
R | 23 | Notts County | 46 | 10 | 12 | 24 | 50 | 78 | -28 | 42 |
R | 24 | Wycombe Wanderers | 46 | 6 | 19 | 21 | 50 | 75 | -25 | 37 |
Leading goalscorer: Leon Knight (Brighton & Hove Albion) and Stephen McPhee (Port Vale) - 25
Football League Third Division
Doncaster earned a second successive promotion, showing that the club was firmly back on track after the years of struggle and scandal the club endured in the late 90s. Hull's expensive investment in players finally paid off, and the team was promoted. Torquay, traditionally strugglers, snatched the last automatic promotion spot from Huddersfield on the last day of the season. Huddersfield would make up for this by beating Mansfield in the play-off final.
York started the season brightly, but only managed to gain nine points between November 1 and the end of the season and lost their 80-year old League status. Carlisle started the season horrendously, but a late run saw them finish 23rd. A few years ago this would have seen them complete an amazing escape from relegation, but with the introduction of two relegation places from the League it was no longer sufficient, and they dropped into the Conference.
P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | 1 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 27 | 11 | 8 | 79 | 37 | +42 | 92 |
P | 2 | Hull City | 46 | 25 | 13 | 8 | 82 | 44 | +38 | 88 |
P | 3 | Torquay United | 46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 68 | 44 | +24 | 81 |
P | 4 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 68 | 52 | +16 | 81 |
5 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 76 | 62 | +14 | 75 | |
6 | Northampton Town | 46 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 58 | 51 | +7 | 75 | |
7 | Lincoln City | 46 | 19 | 17 | 10 | 68 | 47 | +21 | 74 | |
8 | Yeovil Town | 46 | 23 | 5 | 18 | 70 | 57 | +13 | 74 | |
9 | Oxford United | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 55 | 44 | +11 | 71 | |
10 | Swansea City | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 58 | 61 | -3 | 59 | |
11 | Boston United | 46 | 16 | 11 | 19 | 50 | 54 | -4 | 59 | |
12 | Bury | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 54 | 64 | -10 | 56 | |
13 | Cambridge United | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 55 | 67 | -12 | 56 | |
14 | Cheltenham Town | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 57 | 71 | -14 | 56 | |
15 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 50 | 61 | -11 | 55 | |
16 | Kidderminster Harriers | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 45 | 59 | -14 | 55 | |
17 | Southend United | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 51 | 63 | -12 | 54 | |
18 | Darlington | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 53 | 61 | -8 | 53 | |
19 | Leyton Orient | 46 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 48 | 65 | -17 | 53 | |
20 | Macclesfield Town | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 54 | 69 | -15 | 52 | |
21 | Rochdale | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 49 | 58 | -9 | 50 | |
22 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 11 | 16 | 19 | 69 | 72 | -3 | 49 | |
R | 23 | Carlisle United | 46 | 12 | 9 | 25 | 46 | 69 | -23 | 45 |
R | 24 | York City | 46 | 10 | 14 | 22 | 35 | 66 | -31 | 44 |
Leading goalscorer: Steve MacLean (Scunthorpe United) - 23
National league system
Cup competitions
Competition | Winners |
---|---|
FA Trophy | Hednesford Town |
FA Vase | Winchester City |
FA National League System Cup | Mid Cheshire League |
Football Conference
- Champions:
- Playoff winners:
- Relegated:
- Margate (forced relegation to Conference South due to failing ground requirements)
Northern Premier League
- Champions:
- Also promoted (to Conference North):
Southern League
- Champions:
- Also promoted (to Conference North):
- Also promoted (to Conference South):
- Weymouth, Newport County, Cambridge City, Welling United, Weston-super-Mare, Eastbourne Borough, Havant & Waterlooville, Dorchester Town (playoff winners)
Isthmian League
- Champions:
- Also promoted (to Conference South):
- Also promoted (to Conference North):
Other leagues
Transfer deals
Summer transfer window
The summer transfer window ran from the end of the previous season until 31 August 2003.
January transfer window
The mid-season transfer window runs from 1 January to 31 January 2004.
For subsequent transfer deals see 2004-05 in English football.
Retirements
- David Seaman (Manchester City)
- Marco Gabbiadini (Hartlepool United)
- Denis Irwin (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Famous debutants
- Anton Ferdinand, 18-year-old defender, makes his debut for West Ham United in their 2-1 away win over Preston North End on 9 August 2003.[27]
- Darren Fletcher - 19-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for Manchester United in their 4-1 win over Leicester City at Walkers Stadium on 27 September 2003.[28]
- Ashley Young - 18-year-old winger, makes his debut for Watford in their 3-1 home win over Millwall on 13 September 2003.[29]
- Aaron Lennon - 16-year-old winger, makes his debut for Leeds United in their 2-2 home draw with Newcastle United on 17 August 2003.[30]
Retirements
- 13 January 2004: David Seaman, 40, retires from playing halfway through a one-year contract at Manchester City, having joined them seven months ago after 13 years at Arsenal. He was England's regular goalkeeper for a decade. [31]
- 15 May 2004: Denis Irwin, 38, retires from playing after a two-year spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers after joining them from Manchester United where he spent 12 years. Was a regular for the Republic of Ireland national football team in the 1990s and also had spells playing for Leeds United and Oldham Athletic. [32]
Deaths
- 9 August 2003: Jimmy Davis, 21, Manchester United and England U-21 striker, died in a car crash on the M40 just hours before he was due to play his first game for Watford on a season-long loan deal. He had played once for Manchester United in a League Cup game, and had spent part of the 2001-02 season on loan to Swindon Town.
- 9 August 2003: Ray Harford, 58, was best remembered for his managerial and coaching career - he was manager of Luton Town when they won the League Cup in 1988 and assistant manager of Blackburn Rovers when they were Premiership champions in 1995. He was promoted from the role of assistant manager to the manager's seat at three clubs - Luton Town, Wimbledon and Blackburn Rovers. He also had spells in charge of Fulham, West Bromwich Albion and finally Queens Park Rangers. His last post was as first-team coach at Millwall, and helped them win the Division Two title in 2001. He was still on the club's payroll at the time of his death from lung cancer.
- 1 February 2004: Bob Stokoe, 73, was manager of the Sunderland side who achieved a shock F.A Cup victory over Leeds United in the 1973 final. He later managed Carlisle United and returned to Sunderland during the 1986-87 season, but quit after failing to save them from relegation to the old Third Division for the first time in their history.
- 14 February 2004: Steve Cooper, 39, former striker who played nine Football League clubs during his career, most notably Tranmere Rovers and Plymouth Argyle, where he was a key member of promotion-winning sides. Later joined Scottish side Airdrie where he was a member of the side that surprisingly reached the Scottish FA Cup final in 1995.
- 21 February 2004: John Charles, 72, was the most famous Leeds United player in the pre Don Revie era. His exploits for Leeds United and the Welsh national team attracted attention from all over the world and he was sold to Italian side Juventus in 1958.
References
- ^ Harris, Nick (31 July 2003). "Premiership clubs top of Europe's financial tree". The Independent (London). Archived from the original on 2009-05-14. http://www.webcitation.org/5gm7c4yII. Retrieved 2009-04-08.
- ^ Entertainment & Sports Agency Limited. "Norwich City FC News - Norwich City Mad". Archived from the original on 2009-05-28. http://www.webcitation.org/5h6xJ4ejf. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
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