The 2003–04 season was the 108th season of competitive association football and first season in the Football Conference played by Shrewsbury Town Football Club, a professional football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. Their twenty-fourth-place finish in 2002–03 Football League Third Division meant they were relegated from The Football League – fifty-three years after they joined it – and were playing their first season in Football Conference. The season began on 1 July 2003 and concluded on 30 June 2004.

Jimmy Quinn, who was starting his first full season as player-manager, signed eight players before the summer transfer window closed. Shrewsbury occupied a play-off position for most of the season, and finished the Football Conference season in third place, failing to reach the automatic promotion place but securing a berth in the play-offs. Shrewsbury beat Barnet 5–3 in a penalty shoot-out in the semi-final having drawn 2–2 on aggregate. They won the 2004 Football Conference play-off final, which took place at the Britannia Stadium, by beating Aldershot Town 3–0 on penalties after the match ended in a 1–1 draw; which meant the club was promoted back into The Football League in the newly renamed Football League Two. They lost in their opening round matches in both the 2003–04 FA Cup and Football League Cup, and were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy.

Thirty players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were fifteen different goalscorers. Goalkeeper Scott Howie and defenders David Ridler and Darren Tinson missed only five of the fifty-one competitive matches played over the season. Luke Rodgers finished as leading scorer with fifteen goals, of which thirteen came in league competition and two came in the play-offs.

Background and pre-season

In April 2003 Kevin Ratcliffe resigned as manager of Shrewsbury Town, four years after taking the position, he took responsibility for the club's poor run of where only two league games were won after the turn of the year and their relegation from The Football League was confirmed. Player Mark Atkins was placed in charge for the final game of the season against his original club Scunthorpe United at home which ended in a 2–1 defeat. Released following the end of the 2002–03 season were Nigel Jemson, Peter Wilding, Andy Thompson, Jason van Blerk, Scott Partridge, Nick Evans and Chris Courtney. Andy Tretton, Josh Walker, Greg Rioch, Steve Guinan and Chris Murphy also left the club after departing for Hereford United, Moor Green, Northwich Victoria, Hereford United and Telford United respectively.

Jimmy Quinn was announced as Shrewsbury's manager before the start of the 2003–04 season. New signings ahead of the start of the season comprised five defenders and one of each of the other positions: goalkeeper Scott Howie from Bristol Rovers, midfielder Martin O'Connor from Walsall and forward Colin Cramb from Fortuna Sittard. The five defenders were Ian Fitzpatrick from Halifax Town, David Ridler from Scarborough, Darren Tinson from Macclesfield Town and both Jake Sedgemore and Greg Rioch from Northwich Victoria.

Summary and aftermath +Final Football Conference table (part)Team 1 42 27 11 4 85 34 +51 92 2 42 28 7 7 103 44 +59 91 3 42 20 14 8 67 42 +25 74 4 42 19 14 9 60 46 +14 71 5 42 20 10 12 80 67 +13 70 Shrewsbury spent the whole of the season in the top half of the table, rising as high as second place in September 2003 while never dropping below sixth after the first round of fixtures. Shrewsbury's defensive record was the second best in the Football Conference with forty-two goals conceded, bettered only by the league winners, Chester City (thirty-four). Howler, Ridler and Tinson recorded the highest number of appearances during the season, each appearing in forty-six of Shrewsbury's fifty-one games. Rodgers was Shrewsbury's top scorer in the league and in all competitions, with thirteen league goals and fifteen in total. Three other players, Cramb, Darby and Lowe, reached double figures.

Prior to the club's Football League return, Shrewsbury released Fitzpatrick, Packer, Parker and Thompson. Quinn was also released as a player but remained as the club's manager into the season. New players to join were defender Dave Walton from Derby County and forward John Grant from Telford United. Dunbavin transferred back to Northwich Victoria for free.

Match details League positions are sourced by Statto, attendance numbers are sourced to Soccerbase; while the remaining information is referenced individually. Shrewsbury's score is listed first in the score columns.

Football Conference

+ Football Conference match detailsDatePositionOpponentsVenueResultScoreScorers7thMargateHD1–1Watts 17'5thBurton AlbionAW1–0Rodgers 73'3rdAccrington StanleyAW1–0Cramb 81'3rdFarnborough TownHW3–0Cramb 34', Jagielka 54', Lowe 85'4thChester CityAL1–2Tolley 53'4thDagenham & RedbridgeHW2–1Tolley 34', Cramb 41'2ndTamworthHW3–1Rodgers (3) 64', 90', 90'3rdAldershot TownAD1–1Cramb 24'3rdWokingAD3–3Rodgers (3) 12', 48' pen., 90'3rdHalifax TownHW2–0Cramb 80', Lowe 88'6thBarnetHL0–15thScarboroughAD1–1Quinn 43'6thMorecambeHW2–0Rodgers 11', Quinn 75'6thStevenageAL0–26thForest Green RoversHW2–0Tolley 47', Quinn 51'6thGravesend & NorthfleetAW3–0Lowe (2) 17', 64', Cramb 90'6thLeigh RMIAD2–2Cramb 46', Street 90'5thHereford UnitedHW4–1O'Connor 13', Cramb 37', Street 55', Darby 81'6thExeter CityAL2–3Rodgers 65', Cramb 90'6thTamworthAD1–1Cramb 14' pen.6thTelford UnitedHD0–04thMargateAW2–0Lowe 83', Banim 90'5thNorthwich VictoriaHW3–1Cramb 39', Lowe 63', Tinson 71'4thNorthwich VictoriaAW2–0Ridler 45', Cramb 58'5thDagenham & RedbridgeAL0–55thAccrington StanleyHD0–05thHalifax TownAD0–05thScarboroughHW4–1Darby (2) 54', 89', Sedgemore 61', O'Connor 73'5thBurton AlbionHW1–0Rodgers 17'5thWokingHW1–0Rodgers 72'3rdLeigh RMIHW3–1Darby 11', Lowe 70', Banim 90'3rdForest Green RoversAD1–1Rogers 68' o.g.5thAldershot TownHL1–2Darby 79'5thHereford UnitedAL1–2Lawrence 4'5thBarnetAW1–0Darby 37'5thExeter CityHD2–2Lawrence 49', Darby 71'5thTelford UnitedAL0–14thFarnborough TownAW3–1Darby (2) 47', 51', Rodgers 76'3rdChester CityHD0–03rdStevenageHW3–1Ridler 66', Lowe 69', Darby 90'3rdGravesend & NorthfleetHD1–1Rodgers 42'3rdMorecambeAD3–3Lowe 7', Sedgemore 23' pen., Quinn 68'

FA Cup

+ FA Cup match detailsDateRoundOpponentsVenueResultScoreScorersQR4MorecambeAW4–2Aiston 46', Quinn 52', Lowe (2) 77', 80'R1Scunthorpe UnitedAL1–2Quinn 87'

Football League Trophy

+ Football League Trophy match detailsDateRoundOpponentsVenueResultScoreScorersR1Scunthorpe UnitedAL1–2Lowe 18'

FA Trophy

+ FA Trophy match detailsDateRoundOpponentsVenueResultScoreScorersR3MorecambeHW2–0Aiston 19', Cramb 58' pen.R4Hucknall TownHW2–1Street 15', Moss 43'R5AltrinchamAW1–0Lowe 84'QFTelford UnitedHD1–1Cramb 64'QF (replay)Telford UnitedAL1–2Darby 64'

Football Conference play-offs + Football Conference play-offs match detailsDateRoundOpponentsVenueResultScoreScorersSF (Leg 1)BarnetAL1–2Rodgers 43' pen.SF (Leg 2)BarnetHW1–0Rodgers 44' pen.FinalAldershot TownND1–1Darby 43'

a. Aggregate score was 2–2; Shrewsbury Town won 5–3 in a penalty shoot-out b. Score remained 1–1 after extra time; Shrewsbury Town won 3–0 in a penalty shoot-out

See also List of Shrewsbury Town F.C. seasons

References

External links 2003–04 Shrewsbury Town F.C. season at Soccerbase 2003–04 Shrewsbury Town F.C. season at Statto.com