The 2003–04 Scottish Premier League was won by Celtic.
As league champions, Celtic qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stage, with runners-up Rangers also qualifying to the third qualifying round. Third-placed Hearts qualified for the UEFA Cup, as did Dunfermline Athletic, who took the Scottish Cup place despite losing the final to Celtic.
During the season, Celtic set a Scottish record of 25 successive wins.
Partick Thistle were relegated, and First Division winners Inverness Caledonian Thistle were promoted.
Celtic's Henrik Larsson was the top scorer with 30 goals.
Teams Promotion and relegation from 2002–03 Motherwell finished bottom of the 2002–03 Scottish Premier League but were spared relegation, as 2002–03 Scottish First Division champions Falkirk were denied promotion due to their lack of an appropriate stadium for the Scottish Premier League.
Stadia and locations
Aberdeen Celtic Dundee Dundee United Pittodrie Stadium Celtic Park Dens Park Tannadice Park Capacity: 20,866 Capacity: 60,411 Capacity: 11,506 Capacity: 14,223 Dunfermline Athletic Heart of Midlothian East End Park Tynecastle Park Capacity: 12,509 Capacity: 17,420 Hibernian Kilmarnock Easter Road Rugby Park Capacity: 16,531 Capacity: 17,889 Livingston Motherwell Partick Thistle Rangers Almondvale Stadium Fir Park Firhill Stadium Ibrox Stadium Capacity: 10,016 Capacity: 13,677 Capacity: 13,300 Capacity: 50,817
Personnel
Team Manager Aberdeen Steve Paterson Celtic Martin O'Neill Dundee Jim Duffy Dundee United Ian McCall Dunfermline Athletic Jimmy Calderwood Heart of Midlothian Craig Levein Hibernian Tony Mowbray Kilmarnock Jim Jefferies Livingston David Hay Motherwell Terry Butcher Partick Thistle Gerry Britton Derek Whyte (co-managers) Rangers Alex McLeish
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Date of vacancy Manner of departure Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointment Partick Thistle John Lambie24 May 2003RetiredPre-season Gerry Collins25 May 2003 Livingston Jim Leishman4 June 2003Resigned Márcio Máximo4 June 2003 Livingston Márcio Máximo14 October 20038th David Hay15 October 2003 Partick Thistle Gerry Collins30 November 2003Sacked12th Gerry Britton Derek Whyte (co-managers)30 November 2003 (interim)23 December 2003 (permanent) Hibernian Bobby Williamson20 April 2004Signed by Plymouth Argyle7th Tony Mowbray24 May 2004
League table
Results Matches 1–22 During matches 1–22 each team played every other team twice (home and away).
Matches 23–33 During matches 23–33 each team played every other team once (either at home or away).
Matches 34–38 During matches 34–38 each team played every other team in their half of the table once.
Top six
Bottom six
Top scorers Player Club Goals Henrik Larsson Celtic 30 Chris Sutton Celtic 19 Nacho Novo Dundee 19 James Grady Partick Thistle 15 Kris Boyd Kilmarnock 15 Derek Riordan Hibernian 15 Stevie Crawford Dunfermline Athletic 13 Mark de Vries Hearts 13 Derek Lilley Livingston 12 Shota Arveladze Rangers 12 David Clarkson Motherwell 11 Alan Thompson Celtic 11
Source: SPL official website
Attendances The average attendances for SPL clubs during the 2003/04 season are shown below:
TeamAverageCeltic 57,657Rangers 48,992Hearts 11,947Aberdeen 10,389Hibernian 9,137Dundee United 7,785Dundee 7,089Kilmarnock 6,966Dunfermline Athletic 6,235Motherwell 6,225Livingston 5,116Partick Thistle 4,710
Source: SPL official website
Awards
Monthly awards
MonthManagerPlayerYoung PlayerAugust Alex McLeish (Rangers) Michael Ball (Rangers) Mikel Arteta (Rangers)September Alex McLeish (Rangers) Shota Arveladze (Rangers) Zurab Khizanishvili (Rangers)October Martin O'Neill (Celtic) Roddy McKenzie (Livingston) Liam Miller (Celtic)November Martin O'Neill (Celtic) Chris Sutton (Celtic) Stephen Hughes (Rangers)December Steve Paterson (Aberdeen) Craig Brewster (Dunfermline Athletic) Craig Gordon (Hearts)January Jim Duffy (Dundee) Stilian Petrov (Celtic) David Clarkson (Motherwell)February Terry Butcher (Motherwell) Steven Pressley (Hearts) Alexander Diamond (Aberdeen)March Ian McCall (Dundee United) Neil Lennon (Celtic) David Marshall (Celtic)April Jimmy Calderwood (Dunfermline Athletic) Barry Nicholson (Dunfermline Athletic) Derek Riordan (Hibernian)
Annual awards
Player awards
AwardWinnerClubPFA Players' Player of the Year CelticPFA Young Player of the Year CelticSFWA Footballer of the Year CelticSFWA Young Player of the Year Heart of Midlothian
Manager awards
AwardWinnerClubSFWA Manager of the Year Martin O'NeillCeltic
See also 2003–04 Celtic F.C. season 2003–04 Rangers F.C. season 2003–04 Dundee United F.C. season
References