Huddersfield Town's 2003–04 campaign was their first competitive campaign in the bottom division since the 1979–80 season. Huddersfield secured a return to the third tier (to be then called Football League One), at the first attempt, by beating Mansfield Town, on penalties, in the Playoff Final on 31 May 2004 at the Millennium Stadium.
Squad at the start of the season The squad at the start of the season was mainly depleted. When Peter Jackson took over in late June 2003, there were only 8 players on the official list of registered players, because of the mass clear-out caused by Town going into administration the previous season.
Review Peter Jackson began his second spell as Huddersfield manager in the summer of 2003 as the Terriers came out of administration under the new ownership of Ken Davy. He again wasted no time in installing Yorath as his assistant. With only eight players turning up to his first training session, and star player Martin Smith defecting to Northampton Town, many supporters would have been happy to see the side consolidate and not slip any further down the league. But some shrewd signings (including Rob Edwards, Tony Carss, Efe Sodje, Steve Yates and goalkeeper Ian Gray), the emergence of a talented group of youngsters, and the prolific form of the previously ineffective Jon Stead made Town among the early pace-setters for the Division. As winter approached, Jackson's young side became more inconsistent and seemed to be fading but a change of formation tightened up the defence. Goalkeeper Paul Rachubka was brought in as the side found a new resilience and the ability to grind out narrow victories. Stead's form saw an offer from Sunderland, that was rejected, but he was snapped up by Premiership Blackburn Rovers for around £1.2 million in January and was replaced by Polish U21 striker Pawel Abbott who had been unable to establish himself at Preston North End.
It took Huddersfield until the end of August to register their first league win of the season in Division 3 (a 2–1 win against Bristol Rovers at the McAlpine Stadium), but they managed to knock out Division 1 side Derby County in the first round of the League Cup and then amazingly beat Sunderland 4–2 in the second round at the Stadium of Light. They then went on a 4-game winning streak, before hitting a bad patch, when they won only one game in 7, including losing in all three cup competitions (1–0 to Reading in the League Cup, 2–0 to Carlisle United in the Football League Trophy & 1–0 to Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup live on BBC One). Then after beating leaders Hull City 3–1, they went on a good run which came to a dramatic halt when they lost 4–0 to Macclesfield Town at Moss Rose. They then went on another good run throughout January 2004, but then they lost their talisman Jon Stead, who was sold to Premier League side Blackburn Rovers for £1.3 million.
With only Andy Booth as a proper striker, Town loaned Preston North End striker Pawel Abbott, who scored 4 goals in his 6 games, they then signed him on a permanent deal for £125,000 and Huddersfield continued their climb up the table and with only 2 games to go, Huddersfield only needed to win one of their last team games to virtually guarantee automatic promotion to Division 2. But on 1 May, they lost their final home game to Mansfield Town 3–1, meaning they had to beat Cheltenham Town at Whaddon Road to ensure automatic promotion ahead of Torquay United. At half-time, all was going well, Huddersfield were 1–0 up thanks to Andy Booth's 100th goal for the club. But then disaster struck when Abbott received the ball just inside his own half and, inexplicably, ran back towards Town's goal and horrendously under hit a backpass that allowed the Robins to equalise with just 15 minutes of the game left. This, together with Torquay's win at Southend United, condemned the Terriers to a Play-Off spot, by virtue of an inferior goal difference.
The play-off semi-final saw Town escape two bruising encounters with Lincoln City with goals from Danny Schofield and Rob Edwards staving off a spirited Lincoln fightback in the second leg, so Town went through 4–3 on aggregate. In the final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, Town rode their luck against a Mansfield Town side who had hit three in each league meeting of the sides. Just before the end of normal time the Stags netted but the linesman controversially ruled that the initiating cross had gone out over the by-line. A penalty shoot-out then followed, which Town won 4–1, saw Town home and out of Division Three at the first attempt, securing their place in the newly named Football League One.
Squad at the end of the season
Results
Pre-season matches DateCompetitionOpponentsHome/AwayResultF – AScorersAttendance16 July 2003Friendly matchWakefield-EmleyA2–0Newby, Booth1,05119 July 2003Friendly matchHalifax TownA3–2Fowler, Newby, Hudson2,18323 July 2003Friendly matchSunderlandH2–0Newby, Stead5,14425 July 2003Friendly matchSheffield WednesdayA2–2Stead 2?26 July 2003Friendly matchFarsley CelticA2–0Scott, McAliskey?30 July 2003Friendly matchGuiseleyA8–0Booth, Ahmed 2, Worthington, Preston, Schofield, Scott, Kenworthy?2 August 2003Friendly matchWrexhamA3–1Carss, Booth, Stead1,8405 August 2003Friendly matchOssett TownA2–2Kenworthy, Ahmed?September 2003Friendly matchSheffield UnitedA1–1Mirfin?
Division Three DateOpponentsHome/AwayResultF – AScorersAttendanceLeagueposition9 August 2003Cambridge UnitedH2–2Stead [30, 59]10,31912th16 August 2003Boston UnitedA2–2Stead , Hughes 3,45213th23 August 2003York CityH0–19,85017th25 August 2003Doncaster RoversA1–1Booth 7,36719th30 August 2003Bristol RoversH2–1Edwards , Stead 8,48616th6 September 2003BuryA1–2Scott 4,59218th13 September 2003Northampton TownH3–0Stead [17, 35], Carss [33 (pen)]8,28512th16 September 2003RochdaleA1–1Worthington 4,62613th20 September 2003Swansea CityA0–28,04817th27 September 2003Leyton OrientH3–0Yates , Scott , Booth 8,94213th30 September 2003Kidderminster HarriersH1–0Stead 8,27511th4 October 2003Southend UnitedA2–1Booth , Schofield 4,2059th11 October 2003Torquay UnitedH1–0Carss 9,1176th18 October 2003Lincoln CityA1–3Booth 5,7187th21 October 2003Yeovil TownA1–2Stead 5,2749th25 October 2003Carlisle UnitedH2–1Booth , Stead 9,0597th1 November 2003Scunthorpe UnitedA2–6Booth [46, 72]4,7159th15 November 2003Hull CityH3–1Stead , Booth , Schofield 13,8938th22 November 2003Mansfield TownA3–3Schofield , Stead [31, 64]5,82810th29 November 2003Cheltenham TownH0–08,44210th13 December 2003Macclesfield TownA0–43,05910th20 December 2003Oxford UnitedH1–1Stead 9,36810th26 December 2003DarlingtonA1–0Booth 6,2059th28 December 2003BuryH1–0Swailes [31 (og)]10,2179th3 January 2004Doncaster RoversH3–1Stead [42, 69], Worthington 13,0447th10 January 2004Cambridge UnitedA2–1Stead [44 (pen)], Worthington 3,6676th17 January 2004Boston UnitedH2–0Sodje , Lloyd 9,6036th25 January 2004York CityA2–0Schofield , Mirfin 6,9695th7 February 2004DarlingtonH0–211,0147th14 February 2004Torquay UnitedA1–0Clarke 3,8216th17 February 2004Bristol RoversA1–1Abbott 6,2626th21 February 2004Lincoln CityH2–1Sodje , Abbott 11,5535th2 March 2004Yeovil TownH3–1Abbott , Schofield [46, 60]9,3954th6 March 2004Oxford UnitedA1–0Sodje 7,2784th9 March 2004Carlisle UnitedA0–14,7824th13 March 2004Macclesfield TownH4–0Booth , Abbott , Sodje , McAliskey 9,7293rd16 March 2004RochdaleH1–1Lloyd 10,8843rd20 March 2004Northampton TownA0–1Match abandoned after 39 minutes due to high winds.27 March 2004Swansea CityH3–0Schofield [51, 85], Lloyd 11,2503rd3 April 2004Leyton OrientA1–1Booth 4,1373rd10 April 2004Southend UnitedH1–0Abbott 10,6803rd12 April 2004Kidderminster HarriersA1–2Sall [84 (og)]4,0513rd17 April 2004Scunthorpe UnitedH3–2Mirfin , McAliskey [87, 90]12,1083rd20 April 2004Northampton TownA1–0Booth 6,8733rd24 April 2004Hull CityA0–023,4953rd1 May 2004Mansfield TownH1–3McAliskey 18,6333rd8 May 2004Cheltenham TownA1–1Booth 5,8144th
Division 3 Play-offs DateRoundOpponentsHome/AwayResultF – AScorersAttendance15 May 2004Semi-Final 1st LegLincoln CityA2–1Onuora , Mirfin 9,20219 May 2004Semi-Final 2nd LegLincoln CityH2–2Schofield [60 (pen)], Edwards 19,467 Huddersfield won 4–3 on aggregate.
Playoff Final
FA Cup DateRoundOpponentsHome/AwayResultF – AScorersAttendance9 November 2003Round 1Accrington StanleyA0–13,129
Carling Cup DateRoundOpponentsHome/AwayResultF – AScorersAttendance12 August 2003Round 1Derby CountyH2–1Stead , Thorrington 6,67223 September 2003Round 2SunderlandA4–2Carss , Stead , Holdsworth , Booth 13,51628 October 2003Round 3ReadingA0–111,892
Football League Trophy DateRoundOpponentsHome/AwayResultF – AScorersAttendance4 November 2003Round 1 NorthCarlisle UnitedA0–21,346
Appearances and goals Squad No.NameNationalityPositionLeagueFA CupLeague CupFootball League TrophyPlay-offsTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1Ian GrayGK170103010002202Martyn BootyDF3 (1)0000000003 (1)03Rob EdwardsDF11 (6)10010002 (1)114 (7)24Lee FowlerMF27 (2)00030000 (1)030 (3)05Steve YatesDF351003000304116Ian HughesDF12 (1)10010100014 (1)17Tyrone ThompsonMF1 (1)0000000001 (1)08Tony CarssMF35 (1)20031001039 (1)39Pawel AbbottFW710000001 (1)08 (1)19Jon SteadFW261610321000311810Jon NewbyFW10 (4)00010000011 (4)011Danny SchofieldMF38 (2)81030103146 (2)912Gary HarkinsMF1 (2)0000000001 (2)012Chris HollandMF0 (3)0100010002 (3)013Phil SeniorGK1600 (1)000000016 (1)014Iffy OnuoraFW0 (3)0000000212 (3)114John ThorringtonMF3 (2)0001100004 (2)115Nathan ClarkeDF25 (1)11010000027 (1)116Efe SodjeDF37 (2)410200 (1)03043 (3)417Paul ScottDF16 (3)21010100 (1)019 (4)218Jon WorthingtonMF36 (3)31020103043 (3)319Dwayne MattisMF2 (3)00 (1)00000002 (4)020Nat BrownDF13 (8)00 (1)00 (2)00 (1)00013 (12)021Andy HoldsworthDF31 (5)01021103038 (5)123Andy BoothFW36 (1)131021103043 (1)1424Anthony LloydDF30 (1)31000103035 (1)325Pawel AbbottFW5 (1)4000000005 (1)426Adnan AhmedMF0 (1)0000000000 (1)027David MirfinDF15 (6)20010103120 (6)329Fola OnibujeFW0 (2)0000000000 (2)029Paul RachubkaGK1300000003016031John McAliskeyFW5 (3)40000000 (2)05 (5)4
References