During the 2003–04 English football season, West Bromwich Albion F.C. competed in the First Division.

Season summary

The club had been managed by Gary Megson since March 2000, who oversaw promotion to the Premier League in 2002 and subsequent relegation back to the First Division in the 2002–03 season. The club spent £1.5 million in the summer transfer window, including the £750,000 of Rob Hulse from Crewe Alexandra.

In the 2003–04 season, Albion had their best League Cup run for 22 years, beating Newcastle United and Manchester United before losing to Arsenal in the quarter-finals. The team also enjoyed good form in the league, remaining in the top two from mid-October until the end of the season, winning promotion back to the Premiership, again as runners-up, at the first attempt.

Albion unveiled the Astle Gates outside their home ground, The Hawthorns, in July 2003. The gates are a tribute to the club's former striker, Jeff Astle, who died in January 2002.

Final league table

Results West Bromwich Albion's score comes first

Legend WinDrawLoss

Football League First Division DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 9 August 2003 WalsallA1–411,030 (2,400)Koumas 16 August 2003 BurnleyH4–122,489 (945)Šakiri, Hulse, Hughes (2) 23 August 2003 WatfordA1–015,023Hughes 25 August 2003 Preston North EndH1–024,402Hughes (pen) 30 August 2003 Derby CountyA1–021,499Hulse 13 September 2003 Ipswich TownH4–124,954 (1,407)Gaardsøe, Hulse (2), Diallo (own goal) 16 September 2003 Wigan AthleticA0–112,874 20 September 2003 Crystal PalaceA2–217,477 (1,843)Hulse, Koumas 27 September 2003 Stoke CityH1–024,297 (1,479)Dobie 30 September 2003 MillwallH2–122,909 (768)Koumas, Dobie 4 October 2003 GillinghamA2–08,883 (1,600)Dobie, Clement 14 October 2003 Sheffield UnitedH0–227,195 18 October 2003 Norwich CityH1–024,966 (2,001)Koumas 21 October 2003 WimbledonH0–122,048 (24) 25 October 2003 Rotherham UnitedA3–07,815 (2,324)Barker (own goal), Hulse (2) 1 November 2003 SunderlandH0–026,135 8 November 2003 West Ham UnitedA4–330,359 (2,993)Hulse (2), Deane (own goal), Hughes 22 November 2003 ReadingH0–022,839 25 November 2003 Cardiff CityA1–117,678 (1,600)Koumas 29 November 2003 Nottingham ForestA3–027,331 (4,834)Koumas (2), Louis-Jean (own goal) 6 December 2003 West Ham UnitedH1–126,194Mullins (own goal) 9 December 2003 Bradford CityA1–011,198Dobie 13 December 2003 Crewe AlexandraH2–222,825Haas, Gregan 20 December 2003 Coventry CityA0–117,616 26 December 2003 Derby CountyH1–126,412 (1,887)Gaardsøe 28 December 2003 WimbledonA0–06,376 9 January 2004 WalsallH2–024,558 (2,178)Koumas, Horsfield 17 January 2004 BurnleyA1–113,106Horsfield 31 January 2004 WatfordH3–123,958 (828)Horsfield (2), Hughes 7 February 2004 Preston North EndA0–316,569 (2,800) 14 February 2004 Cardiff CityH2–125,196 (2,312)Clement, Hughes 21 February 2004 Sheffield UnitedA2–124,805Moore, Gaardsøe 28 February 2004 Rotherham UnitedH0–124,104 2 March 2004 Norwich CityA0–023,223 (1,077) 6 March 2004 Coventry CityH3–025,414 (2,190)Horsfield, Hulse, Kinsella 13 March 2004 Crewe AlexandraA2–18,335Johnson, Hughes 16 March 2004 Wigan AthleticH2–126,215Hughes (pen), Gaardsøe 27 March 2004 Crystal PalaceH2–024,990 (907)Moore, Dyer 4 April 2004 Ipswich TownA3–224,608 (1,723)Koumas, Dyer, Horsfield 10 April 2004 GillinghamH1–024,524 (684)Hughes 12 April 2004 MillwallA1–113,304 (2,123)Johnson 18 April 2004 SunderlandA1–032,201 (2,721)Koumas 24 April 2004 Bradford CityH2–026,143 (565)Horsfield, Hughes 1 May 2004 ReadingA0–120,619 4 May 2004 Stoke CityA1–418,352Dobie 9 May 2004 Nottingham ForestH0–226,821

FA Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR33 January 2004 Nottingham ForestA0–111,843

League Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR112 August 2003 BrentfordH4–010,490Hulse (2), Haas, DobieR223 September 2003 Hartlepool UnitedA2–15,265Clement, HulseR329 October 2003 Newcastle UnitedA2–146,932Ameobi (own goal), HughesR43 December 2003 Manchester UnitedH2–025,282 (2,593)Haas, DobieR516 December 2003 ArsenalH0–220,369 (1,688)

Players First-team squad

Left club during season

Transfers

In +DatePositionNameClub FromTransfer FeeReference11 July 2003FWRob HulseCrewe Alexandra£750,00011 July 2003MFJames O'ConnorStoke City£250,00014 July 2003DFBernt HaasSunderland£500,00031 July 2003DFThomas GaardsøeIpswich Town£500,00031 July 2003MFArtim ŠakiriCSKA SofiaNominal7 August 2003DFJoost VolmerAZ AlkmaarFree18 December 2003FWGeoff HorsfieldWigan Athletic£1,000,00015 January 2004MFMark KinsellaAston VillaFreeDFSékou BerthéTroyes

Out DatePositionNameClub ToTransfer FeeReference30 June 2003DFDes LyttleFree AgencyReleased30 June 2003MFJordãoFree AgencyReleased30 June 2003GKBrian JensenBurnleyFree9 July 2003DFIgor BališFree AgencyMutual Consent11 July 2003MFDerek McInnesDundee UnitedFree19 August 2003FWBob TaylorCheltenham TownFreeFWJason RobertsWigan Athletic

Notes

References