2003–04 Derby County F.C. season

During the 2003–04 English football season, Derby County F.C. competed in the First Division.

Derby County
2003–04 season
ChairmanEngland Lionel Pickering (until October)
England John Sleightholme
ManagerScotland George Burley
StadiumPride Park Stadium
First Division20th
FA CupThird round
Carling CupFirst round
Top goalscorerLeague: Ian Taylor (11)
All: Taylor (12)
Average home league attendance22,199

Season summary

George Burley's first full season in charge brought little joy as Derby recorded a 20th-placed finish in the 2003–04 season, just 1 point clear of relegation with safety not confirmed until the penultimate game of the season with a 2–0 win over Millwall. With no money for players and the need to slash the club's wage bill, big names such as Fabrizio Ravanelli, Georgi Kinkladze and Craig Burley left the club with the gaps of their departure shored up by free signings; Candido Costa was taken on a season long loan whilst seven others – including Mathias Svensson and Leon Osman – were recruited on short term loans, as Derby used a club record 36 different players in the course of the season. There was also the continued introduction of academy players to the side, with Tom Huddlestone and Marcus Tudgay making significant contributions alongside players such as Lee Grant and Lee Holmes. Burley achieved safety against a background of boardroom uncertainty – Chairman Lionel Pickering, after putting temporary faith in former Coventry City chairman Bryan Richardson and a notional £30m bond, was removed from the chair after the club temporarily entered receivership by The Co-operative Bank, who instantly installed a new board composed of John Sleightholme, Jeremy Keith and Steve Harding, for the cost of £1 each.

Final league table
Main article: 2003–04 Football League
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
18 Crewe Alexandra 46 14 11 21 57 66 −9 53
19 Burnley 46 13 14 19 60 77 −17 53
20 Derby County 46 13 13 20 53 67 −14 52
21 Gillingham 46 14 9 23 48 67 −19 51
22 Walsall (R) 46 13 12 21 45 65 −20 51 Relegation to Football League One
Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated

Results

Derby County's score comes first[1]

Legend
Win Draw Loss

Football League First Division
DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
9 August 2003Stoke CityH0–321,517
16 August 2003GillinghamA0–07,850
23 August 2003ReadingH2–318,970Taylor (pen), Svensson
25 August 2003Cardiff CityA1–415,091Svensson
30 August 2003West Bromwich AlbionH0–121,499
13 September 2003WalsallA1–08,726Júnior
17 September 2003WatfordH3–218,459Taylor, Svensson, Júnior
20 September 2003SunderlandH1–122,535Taylor
27 September 2003Nottingham ForestA1–129,059Júnior
30 September 2003Bradford CityA2–110,143Morris (2)
4 October 2003West Ham UnitedH0–122,810
11 October 2003Wigan AthleticH2–219,151Taylor (pen), Morris
14 October 2003Crystal PalaceA1–122,810Zavagno
18 October 2003Crewe AlexandraA0–38,656
21 October 2003Norwich CityA1–216,346Taylor (pen)
25 October 2003Coventry CityH1–321,641Holmes
1 November 2003Preston North EndA0–312,839
8 November 2003Ipswich TownH2–219,976Kennedy, Dichio
15 November 2003BurnleyH2–030,359Morris, Taylor (pen)
22 November 2003MillwallA0–010,308
29 November 2003WimbledonH3–122,025Herzig (own goal), Tudgay, Holmes
6 December 2003Ipswich TownA1–225,018Tudgay
13 December 2003Rotherham UnitedA0–07,320
26 December 2003West Bromwich AlbionA1–126,412Costa
28 December 2003Norwich CityH0–423,783
10 January 2004Stoke CityA1–216,402Morris
17 January 2004GillinghamH2–120,473Vincent, Edwards
28 January 2004Sheffield UnitedH2–026,603Tudgay, McLeod
31 January 2004ReadingA1–314,382Johnson
7 February 2004Cardiff CityH2–220,958Taylor, Osman
14 February 2004Wigan AthleticA0–29,146
21 February 2004Crystal PalaceH2–121,856Manel, Osman
28 February 2004Coventry CityA0–216,042
3 March 2004Crewe AlexandraH0–019,861
13 March 2004Rotherham UnitedH1–021,741Peschisolido
16 March 2004WatfordA1–213,931Peschisolido
20 March 2004Nottingham ForestH4–232,390Taylor, Peschisolido (2), Tudgay
23 March 2004Sheffield UnitedA1–121,351Taylor (pen)
27 March 2004SunderlandA1–230,838Taylor (pen)
3 April 2004WalsallH0–123,574
10 April 2004West Ham UnitedA0–028,207
12 April 2004Bradford CityH3–221,593Osman, Taylor, Combe (own goal)
17 April 2004Preston North EndH5–124,162Manel (2), Tudgay (2), Júnior
24 April 2004BurnleyA0–116,189
1 May 2004MillwallH2–026,056Bolder, Reich
9 May 2004WimbledonA0–16,509

FA Cup
Main article: 2003–04 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R33 January 2004Ipswich TownA0–316,159

League Cup
Main article: 2003–04 Football League Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R113 August 2003Huddersfield TownA1–26,672Taylor

Squad
Squad at end of season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK England ENG Andy Oakes
2 DF Wales WAL Rob Edwards[notes 1] (on loan from Aston Villa)
3 DF England ENG Jamie Vincent
4 DF England ENG Dave Walton
5 DF Republic of Ireland IRL Jeff Kenna
6 DF England ENG Pablo Mills
7 MF England ENG Ian Taylor (captain)
8 MF Portugal POR Cândido Costa (on loan from Porto)
9 FW Spain ESP Manel
10 DF Jamaica JAM Michael Johnson[notes 2]
11 FW Canada CAN Paul Peschisolido
13 GK England ENG Lee Grant
14 DF England ENG Richard Jackson
15 MF England ENG Adam Bolder
16 DF France FRA Youl Mawéné
17 DF England ENG Paul Boertien
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 FW England ENG Izale McLeod
19 MF England ENG Nathan Doyle
20 MF England ENG Lewis Hunt
21 MF Scotland SCO Gary Twigg
22 FW Germany GER Marco Reich
23 FW England ENG Marcus Tudgay
24 GK England ENG Lee Camp[notes 3]
26 DF England ENG Chris Palmer
27 DF England ENG James Turner
28 MF Finland FIN Kris Weckström
29 DF England ENG Tom Huddlestone
30 MF England ENG Lee Holmes
31 FW Peru PER Gianfranco Labarthe
32 MF England ENG Leon Osman (on loan from Everton)
33 FW Brazil BRA José Júnior
34 FW England ENG Noel Whelan

Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF England ENG Warren Barton (to Queens Park Rangers)
3 DF Argentina ARG Luciano Zavagno (to A.C. Ancona)
5 DF England ENG Steve Elliott (to Blackpool)
9 FW England ENG Lee Bradbury (on loan from Portsmouth)
9 FW England ENG Danny Dichio (on loan from West Bromwich Albion)
11 MF England ENG Lee Morris (to Leicester City)
12 MF Finland FIN Simo Valakari (to FC Dallas)
No. Pos. Nation Player
22 MF England ENG Adam Murray (to Burton Albion)
22 FW England ENG Lee Bradbury (on loan from Portsmouth)
25 MF Republic of Ireland IRL Barry Molloy (to Drogheda United)
32 MF Scotland SCO Gary Caldwell (on loan from Newcastle United)
32 MF Northern Ireland NIR Peter Kennedy (on loan from Wigan Athletic)
34 FW Sweden SWE Mathias Svensson (on loan from Charlton Athletic)

References
  1. "Derby County 2003–2004 Home". statto.com. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2012.

Notes
  1. Edwards was born in Madeley, England, but also qualified to represent Wales internationally through his parents and made his international debut for Wales in March 2003.
  2. Johnson was born in Nottingham, England, but also qualified to represent Jamaica internationally and made his international debut for Jamaica in 1999.
  3. Camp was born in Derby, England, and represented them at U-21 level, but also qualifies to represent Northern Ireland internationally and would make his full international debut for Northern Ireland in March 2011.
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