2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, November–December
Arsenal did not play another game for a fortnight because of the international football break. On the resumption of club football, they played Birmingham City away from home. As suspensions came into action and there were injuries to first-team players, Wenger was forced to reshuffle his team. Clichy was handed his full debut and Pascal Cygan made his first start of the season, partnering Campbell. Ljungberg opened the scoring for Arsenal inside four minutes and further goals by Bergkamp and Pires ensured the team won their third straight match of November.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, November–December
By extending their unbeaten run from the start of the season to 13 league matches, Arsenal set a new Premier League record. They were then held by Fulham to a goalless draw who became the first team to deny Arsenal from scoring in 46 league matches at Highbury. The Guardian correspondent David Lacey summarised Arsenal's football on the day as "strong in the string section but short on percussion" and noted they reverted to the pattern of scoring a perfect goal, instead of being efficient. Chelsea's 1–0 win over Manchester United meant Arsenal moved down to second place on the final day of November.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, November–December
Two more points were dropped in Arsenal's next match, away to Leicester City on the first weekend of December. Henry was absent from the starting team as was captain Vieira. Arsenal had taken the lead at the hour mark through a Gilberto header, but conceded the equaliser in stoppage time. What made matters worse was the dismissal of Cole for a two-footed lunge on Ben Thatcher; he missed the team's next three fixtures as a result.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, November–December
Wenger said afterwards: "It looked like Ashley wanted to get the ball but it was a two-footed tackle that was too high, it was a red card and we have to accept it." A goal from Bergkamp earned Arsenal a 1–0 win the following week, at home to Blackburn Rovers. Chelsea's defeat a day before meant the win for Arsenal was enough to take them back top, a point clear of Manchester United, who were now in second place.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, November–December
Arsenal then travelled to the Reebok Stadium to play Bolton on 20 December 2003, the setting where their title challenge faltered eight months ago. Although they again picked up just a point, Wenger believed it was a useful one: "Provided Bolton keep playing like that, we will look back at this result and feel very happy. They are as good as a team as we have played." On Boxing Day, Henry scored twice for Arsenal in a 3–0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Three days later, the team played Southampton.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, November–December
The only goal of the match came in the first half: Henry's through pass found Pires "who slid the ball beneath the exposed Antti Niemi". The win meant Arsenal had gone half the season without losing and the team according to The Times had begun to "establish an aura of invincibility". Arsenal ended the calendar year in second place, with 45 points from 19 matches. They were one point behind leaders Manchester United and three ahead of Chelsea.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, January–February
On 7 January 2004, Arsenal played Everton at Goodison Park. Wenger made a host of changes: Cygan was recalled in central defence, which meant Touré was shifted onto the right and Lauren was dropped, while Parlour started in place of Gilberto in midfield. Kanu had given Arsenal the lead in the first half, only for Radzinski to score a "richly deserved late equaliser" for Everton with fifteen minutes remaining. Manchester United's victory at Bolton on the same night increased the champions' lead at the top to three points.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, January–February
Three days after the Everton match, Arsenal hosted Middlesbrough and put on a display Wenger described as one of the season's best: "We kept playing our natural game and could have scored more," he said. The 4–1 win meant Arsenal moved back top of the league, albeit alphabetically as their points, goal difference and goals scored were identical to that of Manchester United. A week later Arsenal beat Aston Villa by two goals to nil; both of the team's goals were scored by Henry. Controversy surrounded the Frenchman's first goal, a quickly taken free-kick which prompted confusion amongst Villa's players and brought about a reaction towards referee Mark Halsey, who signalled it was permissible. After 22 games played, Arsenal were in first place, two points clear of Manchester United.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, January–February
"Some people refuse to appreciate new Arsenal. They still believe this is the side that Nick Hornby said stood for boring and lucky and dirty and petulant and rich and mean.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, January–February
The truth is it is a privilege to watch new Arsenal. They are Prozac for those used to the prosaic."


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, January–February
Rick Broadbent's account of Arsenal's win against Wolverhampton Wanderers in The Times, 9 February 2004.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, January–February
Arsenal remained unbeaten throughout February, winning all five matches. In a home match against Manchester City, Reyes made his first appearance for the club, coming on as a substitute in the second half. He had no part in the winning goal, a "crunching, beautifully judged 25-yarder" scored by Henry. Arsenal recorded an away win at Wolverhampton Wanderers on 7 February 2004, their 24th league match, which bettered a club record of games unbeaten from the start of the season (originally held by George Graham's team of 1990–91).


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, January–February
Wenger in his post-match press conference played down the record, and said of the unbeaten run: "You need a little bit of luck and mental qualities." Henry reached a personal landmark against Southampton three days later, scoring his 100th and 101st Premier League goals. The victory moved Arsenal five points clear at the top, although they had played one more game than Manchester United.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, January–February
A Saturday lunchtime kick-off against Chelsea saw the return of Henry; he was absent in Arsenal's FA Cup fifth round win against the same opposition. Arsenal found themselves a goal down after 27 seconds, but responded with an equaliser in the 15th minute – Bergkamp's "delicately curving pass" found Vieira on the left side to shoot the ball past goalkeeper Neil Sullivan. The winner came six minutes later: Sullivan misjudged a corner taken by Henry, which allowed Edu to shoot into an empty net. Arsenal's lead was now seven and it represented "a stronger position than any they held last season" according to Wenger. Touré's transition into a defender was highlighted in The Times football supplement:


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, January–February
Combined with Manchester United's loss of Rio Ferdinand, Kolo Touré's emergence as a capable centre half has probably represented a ten-point swing in the Premiership. If Touré and Campbell stay fit, Arsenal should be more than capable of holding on to their seven-point advantage and in Gaël Clichy, they have a promising replacement for Ashley Cole.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, January–February
The final match of the month was against Charlton at Highbury. Arsenal scored twice in the space of the opening four minutes, but by the end were "clinging to their lead like nervous kittens". After 27 games, the team stood in first position and had accumulated 67 points. They were nine points clear of both Chelsea and Manchester United.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
Arsenal carried their good form into March; Henry and Pires scored in the defeat of Blackburn Rovers. It was a laboured performance from the league leaders, one which served a "…reminder of the old maxim that championships are won by teams who can pick up points when they are not playing well." Arsenal then played Bolton Wanderers at home; Wenger made one change from the previous match – Bergkamp replaced Reyes upfront. The blustery conditions forced the game to be delayed by 15 minutes, approximately the same amount of time it took Pires to score Arsenal's opener.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
By the 24th minute, it was 2–0: Henry's cross found Bergkamp who shot the ball past Jussi Jääskeläinen at the first attempt. Although Bolton's performance improved after scoring just before half time, the result was a ninth straight league win for Arsenal and kept them nine points clear at the top.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
The visit of Manchester United on 28 March 2004 provided a stern test for Arsenal; it was both clubs' first meeting since the fiasco at Old Trafford. Cole, injured in the midweek Champions League game against Chelsea, was replaced by Clichy in the starting line-up, while Bergkamp was dropped for Reyes. Henry gave Arsenal the lead, with a long range shot that swerved past goalkeeper Roy Carroll. With five minutes of the game left, Louis Saha evaded the Arsenal defence and scored the equaliser for Manchester United.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
Arsenal came close to a winner in injury time, only for Lauren to have his shot saved. The draw was no good for Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United, who afterwards conceded his team's chances: "They'll (Arsenal) go on to win the league now – I'm sure of that. They are playing with great determination … a very strong team, so should win the league really". In avoiding defeat, Arsenal set a new all-time league record of 30 matches unbeaten from the start of the season, originally held by Leeds and Liverpool. They remained in first position at the end of March and were seven points in front of Chelsea, with eight matches remaining.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
After two cup exits in the space of a week, Arsenal faced Liverpool on Good Friday at Highbury. Hyypiä opened the scoring for the visitors after five minutes, and in spite of Henry's equaliser just after the half-hour mark, Liverpool led again before the interval. Arsenal responded by scoring twice in a minute; Henry's second goal saw the player hold off Dietmar Hamann in midfield, weave through defender Jamie Carragher and place the ball past Jerzy Dudek. The striker completed his hat-trick in the 78th minute, after good work by Bergkamp.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier likened Arsenal to a "wounded animal" after the match and believed Henry was "the man who made the difference … he set the tempo". Arsenal played out a goalless draw with Newcastle United on Bank Holiday Monday, and five days later faced Leeds United. On a night where Henry scored four goals and was described by his manager as "the best striker in the world", Arsenal moved to within two wins of regaining the league title.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
With Chelsea unable to garner maximum points in their next two matches, Arsenal knew before their game away at Tottenham that a draw would guarantee their status as champions. Cole returned for the derby, after sitting out the Leeds match with an ankle injury. Arsenal took an early lead when Vieira finished off a counter-attacking move. Incisive football brought about the second goal, ten minutes before the break. Bergkamp passed the ball to Vieira, who cut it back for Pires to sidefoot.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
Tottenham replied in the second half by scoring twice – the equaliser a penalty – but it did not stop the Arsenal players celebrating at the final whistle "in front of their supporters' White Hart Lane enclave". This marked the second time the club had been crowned league champions at their rivals' ground: the first time had been in 1971. Wenger praised his team for their success, telling the BBC: "We've been remarkably consistent, haven't lost a game and we have played stylish football. We have entertained people who just love football."


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
In May, successive draws at home to Birmingham City and Portsmouth left Arsenal with 84 points from 36 games. Reyes scored the only goal of the match against Fulham; he profited from a mistake by goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar: "The Dutchman tried to go past the Arsenal forward, but instead gifted possession and with it the easiest of open goals." Arsenal's final game of the league season was against Leicester City. They conceded the opening goal, but turned the match around in the second half through goals from Henry and Vieira.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
With 26 wins, 12 draws and no defeats, the team became the first since Preston North End in 1888–89 to go through a league season undefeated. Reviewing the match and overall season, Amy Lawrence of The Observer wrote: "Arsenal's achievement may not make them 'great' in everyone's opinion – those who define greatness only by European Cups, back-to-back titles, and triple cartwheels on the way to every goal – but it is staggering in its own right."


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, FA Cup
The FA Cup is English football's primary cup competition. It was first held in 1871–72 with only 15 teams entering; the growth of the sport and changes to the competition's structure meant that by 2000, more than 600 teams took part. Clubs in the Premier League enter the FA Cup in the third round and are drawn randomly out of a hat with the remaining clubs. If a match is drawn it is replayed, ordinarily at the ground of the team who were away for the first game.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, FA Cup
As with league fixtures, FA Cup matches are subject to change in the event of games being selected for television coverage and this often can be influenced by clashes with other competitions. In the case of Arsenal, all but one of their ties (fourth round) was televised to the British audience.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, FA Cup
Arsenal entered the 2003–04 edition as holders of the cup. The team were undefeated in 14 cup ties since their 2–1 loss to Liverpool in the 2001 FA Cup Final, and aimed to win the competition for a third season in succession, something last achieved by Blackburn Rovers from 1884 to 1886. Henry believed Arsenal's good cup form showed they were "interested" in the competition and hoped their success would continue. The FA Cup was not high in Wenger's priority list – "The [Premier League] and the Champions League are more important," but he clarified this never meant Arsenal intended to neglect the competition: "You win what you can and go as far as you can."


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, FA Cup
Arsenal were drawn to face Leeds United away in the third round; the match was played on the first weekend of January. Wenger made six changes to the team which started at Southampton in the league, including Cole replacing Clichy at left-back after serving his three-match suspension. After eight minutes, Leeds went ahead when Lehmann's goal clearance hit striker Mark Viduka and rebounded into the net. Arsenal equalised through Henry, who converted Ljungberg's cross from the right on a volley. Additional goals from Edu, Pires and Touré inflicted a third consecutive 4–1 defeat for Leeds against Arsenal at Elland Road.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, FA Cup
At home to Middlesbrough in the fourth round, Bergkamp opened the scoring for Arsenal, following good play from Parlour. Joseph-Désiré Job equalised for the away team four minutes after, but Ljungberg restored Arsenal's lead with a shot outside the penalty box and scored a second, direct from a corner. George Boateng was sent off for the visitors in the 86th minute for two bookable offences and substitute David Bentley added a fourth goal for Arsenal, chipping the ball over goalkeeper Schwarzer in the last minute of normal time.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, FA Cup
In the fifth round, Arsenal played Chelsea at Highbury. Five minutes before the end of the first half, striker Adrian Mutu gave Chelsea the lead, with a shot from 20 yards. Reyes, who replaced Henry in the starting eleven for the tie, levelled the scoreline with a long range effort. He beat goalkeeper Sullivan for pace to score his second, which later proved to be the winning goal of the match. The quarter-final pitted Arsenal against Portsmouth at Fratton Park on 6 March 2004.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, FA Cup
Henry opened the scoring in the 25th minute and further goals from himself, Ljungberg and Touré secured the team's passage into the last four of the competition. Edu was singled out for praise by The Guardian correspondent Kevin McCarra, who enthused over the visitors' performance: "Arsenal echoed the Ajax philosophy as players swapped position and kept changing the point of attack before the mesmerised eyes of the opposition."


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, FA Cup
Manchester United were Arsenal's opponents for the semi-final, staged at Villa Park on 3 April 2004. Both teams had settled for a draw in the league the previous Sunday, but given this was for a place in the final, the stakes were much higher. United defender Gary Neville described the game as his team's "most important" of the season after they were eliminated from the Champions League and he deemed them "too far behind" in the Premier League. Wenger rested Henry, mindful of the team's upcoming fixture congestion. Although Arsenal started the better of the two teams, it was United midfielder Paul Scholes who scored the only goal of the game which ensured their progress into the final.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, FA Cup
Colour key: Green = Arsenal win; Red = opponents win.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Football League Cup
The Football League Cup is a cup competition open to clubs in the Premier League and Football League. Like the FA Cup it is played on a knockout basis, with the exception of the semi-finals, which are contested over a two-legged tie. Wenger's tenure at Arsenal has seen him use the competition to field younger and lesser known players, something he and Ferguson were initially criticised for in 1997. While Ferguson felt it was an unwanted distraction at the time, Wenger said: "If the competition wants to survive it must offer the incentive of a European place."


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Football League Cup
The winners of the League Cup in the 2003–04 season earnt entry into the UEFA Cup, unless they qualified for the UEFA Champions League through their league position. League Cup matches are subject to change in the event of games being selected for television coverage, inclement weather and potential competition clashes. All rounds up until the final are played in midweek.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Football League Cup
Arsenal entered the League Cup in the third round and were drawn at home to Rotherham United. Wenger handed midfielder Cesc Fàbregas his debut at 16 years and 177 days; as of 2016 is still the youngest player to turn out for the club. Arsenal led from the 11th minute through an Aliadière goal, but conceded an equaliser late on which forced extra time. Rotherham goalkeeper Mike Pollitt was sent off for handling the ball outside his penalty area; his substitute Gary Montgomery denied Wiltord from scoring the winner.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Football League Cup
As there were no further goals, the match was decided on penalties which Arsenal won 9–8 in the shootout. Fellow divisional opponents Wolverhampton Wanderers were defeated 5–1 by Arsenal in the fourth round; Vieira, absent through injury in September and October, made his first team return and played the full match.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Football League Cup
In the fifth round, Arsenal travelled to The Hawthorns to play West Bromwich Albion. Wenger added experience to the side to complement youth, with Parlour, Edu, Kanu and Keown all featuring. Arsenal took the lead in the 25th minute through Kanu. Lauren's cross from the right-hand side deflected in the direction of the striker. His header was saved by goalkeeper Russell Hoult, who was unable to deny Kanu shooting the rebounded ball into the net. Aliadière scored Arsenal's second goal of the match following Hoult's poor clearance.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Football League Cup
Arsenal exited the competition in the semi-finals against Middlesbrough. At Highbury, the setting for the first leg, Juninho scored the only goal of the tie. Arsenal's task of progressing was made more difficult after Keown was sent off in the second leg and Boudewijn Zenden doubled Middlesbrough's aggregate scoreline. Though Edu equalised for Arsenal on the night, Reyes' own goal earnt Middlesbrough the win. Wenger opined of the result: "I don't think we deserved to lose; even when we were down to 10 men we were running the game."


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Football League Cup
Colour key: Green = Arsenal win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League is a continental club football competition organised by UEFA. Founded in the 1950s as the European Champion Clubs' Cup, the competition was open to champion clubs of each country and arranged as a straight knockout tournament. The growth of television rights saw the format rebranded in the 1990s to include a group stage and permit multiple entrants. Arsenal had qualified for every Champions League season since 1998–99, but the club never progressed further than the quarter-final stage. Ahead of the new campaign, Wenger assessed his team needed to perform in the home games, adding: "We are mature enough now and we must add that little bit of sparkle to make the difference."


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Group stage
Arsenal were drawn in Group B, along with Italian club Inter Milan, Lokomotiv Moscow of Russia and Ukraine's Dynamo Kyiv. Wenger believed the trips to Eastern Europe threatened his team's chances of winning the Premier League: "The other English teams have more comfortable groups than we do. It is tough to go to Russia – I always say that if you have to travel more than two hours it is difficult. Sometimes the players pay a high price in the games that follow the Champions League matches."


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Group stage
Arsenal opened their Champions League campaign with a 3–0 defeat against Inter Milan. Goals from Julio Ricardo Cruz, Andy van der Meyde and Obafemi Martins all in the first half extended Arsenal's run of six home games in the competition without a win. Wenger said afterwards: "We can complain and cry the whole night but that will not change the result. The only thing we can do is to respond." The team, without Campbell and Vieira, earned a draw away to Lokomotiv Moscow, but remained bottom of the group.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Group stage
Arsenal lost to Dynamo Kyiv in late October; Wenger's decision to shift from his preferred 4–4–2 formation caused the team to play more narrow than usual. Cole scored the winning goal in the reverse fixture at Highbury. A cross by Wiltord was flicked on by Henry in the direction of an incoming Cole, who dived to head the ball past goalkeeper Oleksandr Shovkovskyi.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Group stage
The team scored four goals in the second half against Inter Milan and won 5–1. Wenger felt the result showed there was "…a special mental strength in the team", while Cole compared it to England's victory against Germany in 2001 but added "this was even better." Arsenal won 2–0 against Lokomotiv Moscow to top Group B. Jacob Lekgetho's dismissal in the eighth minute meant the visitors played the remainder of the match with ten men.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Group stage
Colour key: Green = Arsenal win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Knockout phase, Round of 16
Arsenal were paired up against Celta Vigo in the last 16 stage and the first leg was held at the Balaídos. Although they conceded two goals from set pieces, Arsenal scored three times to win the game which put the team in a favourable position given the away goals rule. Their passage was secured with a 2–0 win on 10 March 2004; Henry scored both goals for the team.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Knockout phase, Round of 16
Colour key: Green = Arsenal win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Knockout phase, Quarter-finals
In the quarter-finals, Arsenal met fellow English club Chelsea. The draw disappointed vice-chairman Dein: "One of the joys of playing in Europe is playing teams from overseas – and having played Chelsea three times, it is a bit anti-climactic." The first leg, played at Stamford Bridge ended in a draw with Guðjohnsen and Pires scoring for their respective clubs. Arsenal were unable to take advantage of Marcel Desailly's dismissal in the second half, but Wenger felt his team were in a good position to progress: "Our main aim will be to win the game at Highbury and we know we can do that."


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Knockout phase, Quarter-finals
Henry, rested for the FA Cup semi-final match, started alongside Reyes for the second leg. It was the latter forward who gave Arsenal the lead in injury time of the first half, but Frank Lampard equalised for Chelsea in the 51st minute. With three minutes remaining of the match, defender Wayne Bridge scored to eliminate Arsenal from the competition.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Knockout phase, Quarter-finals
Colour key: Green = Arsenal win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Player statistics
Arsenal used a total of 34 players during the 2003–04 season and there were 15 different goalscorers. There were also three squad members who did not make a first-team appearance in the campaign. The team played in a 4–4–2 formation throughout the season, with two wide midfielders. Touré featured in 55 matches – the most of any Arsenal player in the campaign and Lehmann started in all 38 league matches.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Player statistics
The team scored a total of 114 goals in all competitions. The highest scorer was Henry, with 39 goals, followed by Pires who scored 19 goals. Three of Arsenal's goals in the 2003–04 season (Henry against Manchester City and Liverpool, Vieira against Tottenham Hotspur) were shortlisted for Goal of the Season by viewers of ITV's The Premiership. Five Arsenal players were sent off during the season: Jeffers, Vieira, Campbell, Cole and Keown.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Player statistics
Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute. Players with name struck through and marked  left the club during the playing season.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Awards
In recognition of the team's achievement, Wenger was awarded the Barclaycard Manager of the Year. A spokesperson of the awards panel said of the decision: "Arsène Wenger is a very worthy recipient of this accolade and has sent his team into the history books. Arsenal have played exciting attacking football throughout the season and finishing it unbeaten is a feat that may not be repeated for another 100 years." Henry was given the accolade of PFA Players' Player of the Year by his fellow peers and the FWA Footballer of the Year by football writers for the second consecutive season. He came runner-up in both the 2003 FIFA World Player of the Year and the 2003 Ballon d'Or.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Awards
Three Arsenal players received the Premier League Player of the Month award – Henry twice in January and April 2004, and Bergkamp and Edu shared the accolade in February 2004 after the judges "felt it was appropriate that we make a joint award". Wenger was the Premier League Manager of the Month in August 2003 and February 2004.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Aftermath and legacy
A day after the Leicester City match, Arsenal paraded the Premier League trophy on an open-top bus, in front of more than 250,000 fans. The victory parade commenced at Highbury and ended at Islington Town Hall. At the town hall balcony, Vieira addressed the crowd: "It has been a fantastic season. We achieved something unbelievable but we couldn't have done it without the fans." In an interview with the BBC, Dein added: "We've seen history made and I'd be surprised if it happens again. It's just been a privilege to watch Arsenal this season."


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Aftermath and legacy
Arsenal's achievement of going through the league season unbeaten received considerable praise from those involved in football. Derek Shaw, the chairman of Preston offered his congratulations as they equalled his club's record of completing a league season without defeat, set 115 years previously. Brazilian Roberto Carlos likened Arsenal's style of play to "samba football" while Michel Platini applauded the team's "great flair and spirit". Former Arsenal manager George Graham attributed the success to defensive improvements, since mistakes the previous season had proved costly and former striker Alan Smith felt the team were "certainly the best Highbury's ever seen".


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Aftermath and legacy
"Without a doubt going the whole season unbeaten is my greatest achievement. If you win the championship you feel someone else can come in and do better than you. It was always my dream to go the whole season unbeaten because there's not much more anyone can do to beat that."


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Aftermath and legacy
The British press unanimously praised Arsenal's feat once the season drew to a close; the News of the World branded the team as "Immortals", while The Sunday Times led with the headline "Arsenal the New Invincibles". In an otherwise positive reflection of Arsenal's season, Glenn Moore wrote for The Independent: "There may thus have been some truth in Arsène Wenger's declaration that Arsenal's achievement was a greater triumph than winning the Champions' League. Arsenal's prolonged celebrations reflected the scale of this landmark and yet, when they reflect in the summer break, how many players will agree with Wenger? ".


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Aftermath and legacy
A one-off golden replica trophy was commissioned by the Premier League thereafter; it was awarded to Arsenal before their first home game of the following season. The team eclipsed the league record of 42 matches without defeat (set by Nottingham Forest) against Blackburn Rovers and went seven more matches unbeaten until they lost – away to Manchester United in October 2004. Although Arsenal regained the FA Cup – on penalties against United – they finished second to Chelsea in the league. The move to the Emirates Stadium in 2006 coincided with a transitional phase for the club. Several experienced first teamers were displaced in favour of youth and the style of football shifted more towards ball retention. Arsenal have since failed to regain the league title; they nevertheless remained a fixture in the Champions League under Wenger's stewardship in the years after.


2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season, Aftermath and legacy
The title win at White Hart Lane came third in a list of Arsenal's Greatest 50 Moments, and the performance at the San Siro was ranked tenth. In 2012, the Arsenal team of 2003–04 won the "Best Team" category in the Premier League 20 Seasons Awards.


2003–04 Asia League Ice Hockey season
The 2003–04 Asia League Ice Hockey season was the first season of Asia League Ice Hockey. Five teams participated in the league, and the Nippon Paper Cranes won the championship.


2003–04 Aston Villa F.C. season
During the 2003–04 English football season, Aston Villa competed in the Premier League. Former Leeds United manager David O'Leary was appointed Villa manager in the summer of 2003.


2003–04 Aston Villa F.C. season
Under O'Leary, Villa made a very sluggish start to the campaign and found themselves in the relegation zone after winning just two of their first 13 league fixtures. They were still in the bottom three in mid-December before O'Leary galvanized them and they gradually climbed the table. Villa had a fantastic second half of the season and, with two matches remaining, had a chance of qualifying for the Champions League. After extending their unbeaten run to eight games by drawing at Southampton, defeat against Manchester United at Villa Park consigned them to sixth place. The Villains finished five points short of a Champions League place and were edged out of a UEFA Cup spot on goal difference by Newcastle United.


2003–04 Aston Villa F.C. season
Nevertheless, it was still a great achievement by O'Leary, who appeared to get the best out of the likes of Gareth Barry, Lee Hendrie, Jlloyd Samuel and 16-goal Juan Pablo Ángel. The Colombian was the club's leading scorer, while Darius Vassell bagged 9 goals to cement his place in England's Euro 2004 squad. Thomas Sørensen and Gavin McCann both had excellent seasons after moving from Sunderland, while Nolberto Solano quickly became a fans' favourite after his mid-season move from Newcastle.


2003–04 Aston Villa F.C. season
Among the men to represent Villa for the last time during 2003–04 was Dion Dublin, who netted 48 goals in 155 league games. O'Leary's side reached the last four of the Football League Cup by knocking out Wycombe Wanderers, Leicester City, Crystal Palace and Chelsea. The semi-final first leg, at Bolton, ended in a disappointing 5–2 defeat. Villa Park goals by Thomas Hitzlsperger and Samuel were not quite enough to prevent the Trotters from clinching a place in the final.


2003–04 Aston Villa F.C. season
Manchester United came from behind to knock Villa out of the FA Cup in a third round tie at Villa Park. Despite narrowly missing out on qualifying for Europe, the mood around Villa Park was extremely positive in the summer of 2004. With the likes of Liam Ridgewell, Steven Davis, Peter Whittingham and the Moore brothers (Stefan and Luke) forcing open the first team door, David O'Leary had an abundance of young talent at his disposal.


2003–04 Aston Villa F.C. season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Aston Villa F.C. season, Players, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Aston Villa F.C. season, Reserve squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Aston Villa F.C. season, Youth squad, Under-19s
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Aston Villa F.C. season, Youth squad, Under-17s
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Aston Villa F.C. season, Other players
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Atalanta B.C. season
Atalanta B.C. was promoted to Serie A, despite finishing only 5th in Serie B. The reason for the promotion was the expansion of the top domestic division from 18 to 20 teams. That offered a reprieve to an underperforming Atalanta side that failed to keep up with Palermo following Christmas.


2003–04 Athletic Bilbao season
The 2003–04 season was the 103rd season in Athletic Bilbao's history and their 73rd consecutive season in La Liga, the top division of Spanish football.


2003–04 Athletic Bilbao season, Season summary
At the end of the previous season, head coach Jupp Heynckes left his position to return to his native Germany as manager of Schalke 04. B team coach Ernesto Valverde, who also represented Athletic during his playing career, was promoted in his place.


2003–04 Athletic Bilbao season, Season summary
Valverde's first season in charge saw a successful La Liga campaign, as Bilbao finished in fifth place and qualified for the 2004–05 UEFA Cup. This constituted their best league placing and first European qualification for six years.


2003–04 Athletic Bilbao season, Season summary
Athletic were somewhat less successful in the Copa del Rey, suffering a humiliating defeat in their first match at the hands of Segunda División B side Gimnástica de Torrelavega. This marked their earliest exit from the cup since 1993–94.


2003–04 Atlanta Hawks season
The 2003–04 NBA season was the Hawks' 55th season in the National Basketball Association, and 36th season in Atlanta. During the offseason, the Hawks signed free agent Stephen Jackson, while re-signing Jacque Vaughn after one season with the Orlando Magic. The Hawks continued to struggle losing eight of their first eleven games. At midseason, they traded Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Theo Ratliff to the Portland Trail Blazers for All-Star forward Rasheed Wallace. However, Wallace only played just one game for the Hawks before being traded to the Detroit Pistons for Bob Sura.


2003–04 Atlanta Hawks season
Wallace would win a championship with the Pistons as they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the NBA Finals. The team also traded Nazr Mohammed to the New York Knicks, and acquired Joel Przybilla from the Milwaukee Bucks, while Dion Glover was released to free agency and signed with the Toronto Raptors.


2003–04 Atlanta Hawks season
With the lack of big men on the team, and with Przybilla only playing just twelve games due to a knee injury, the Hawks signed free agent center Jason Collier in March. The team finished seventh in the Central Division with a 28–54 record. Jackson led the Hawks in scoring with 18.1 points per game, while Jason Terry averaged 16.8 points, 5.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game.


2003–04 Atlanta Hawks season
Following the season, head coach Terry Stotts was fired, Jackson was traded to the Indiana Pacers, Terry and longtime Hawks forward Alan Henderson were both dealt to the Dallas Mavericks, Sura signed as a free agent with the Houston Rockets, Vaughn signed with the New Jersey Nets, and Przybilla signed with the Portland Trail Blazers.


2003–04 Atlanta Thrashers season
The 2003–04 Atlanta Thrashers season was the Thrashers' fifth season.


2003–04 Atlanta Thrashers season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.


2003–04 Atlanta Thrashers season, Regular season, Final standings
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast


2003–04 Atlanta Thrashers season, Regular season, Final standings
Z –  Clinched Conference; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2003–04 Atlanta Thrashers season, Draft picks
Atlanta's draft picks at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee.


2003–04 Atlético Madrid season
Atlético de Madrid firmly re-established itself in La Liga, thanks to a seventh-place finish. The season saw Fernando Torres taking another step towards superstardom, scoring 19 goals in the season during which he turned 20 years, which led to a call-up to the Spain national team for UEFA Euro 2004. The finish was still not enough to satisfy the owner family Gil, resulting in coach Gregorio Manzano unexpectedly getting the sack.


2003–04 Australia Tri-Series
The 2003–04 VB-Series was a cricket tri-series involving touring nations India and Zimbabwe and hosts Australia. Australia won the tournament, who lost one match in the group stage, by defeating India in the 2-match final. Adam Gilchrist was named Man of the Series for his 498 runs at an average of 62.25.


2003–04 Australia Tri-Series, Group stage, Matches, Match 1: Australia v India
Ajit Agarkar recorded his first 5 wicket haul, and his best career ODI figures to date.


2003–04 Australia Tri-Series, Group stage, Matches, Match 2: Australia v Zimbabwe
Brad Williams took his second 5 wicket haul, and recorded his best bowling figures with his 5/22.


2003–04 Australia Tri-Series, Group stage, Matches, Match 4: Australia v Zimbabwe
Gilchrist's 172 is his personal highest score in both One Day Internationals and List A cricket. It was also the highest score by a wicket-keeper in ODI cricket until Mahendra Singh Dhoni's 183* in 2005.


2003–04 Australian Athletics Championships
The 2003–04 Australian Athletics Championships was the 82nd edition of the national championship in outdoor track and field for Australia. It was held from 26–29 February 2004 at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre in Sydney. It served as a selection meeting for Australia at the 2004 Summer Olympics.


2003–04 Australian Figure Skating Championships
The 2003–04 Australian Figure Skating Championships was held in Boondall from 29 November through 6 December 2003. Skaters competed in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, and ice dancing across many levels, including senior, junior, novice, adult, and the pre-novice disciplines of primary and intermediate.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season
The 2003–04 Australian region cyclone season was a slightly below average tropical cyclone season. It began on 1 November 2003 and ended on 30 April 2004. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a tropical cyclone year separately from a tropical cyclone season, which runs from 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season
Tropical cyclones in this area are monitored by four Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs): the Australian Bureau of Meteorology in Perth, Darwin, and Brisbane; and TCWC Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie
Formed on 16 December and dissipated on 23 December. Crossed the Northern Territory coast as a Category 3.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Low Ken
Formed on 1 January 2004 and dissipated on 6 January. Operationally monitored Ken to have reached tropical cyclone intensity for 24 hours, but post-analysis revealed that Ken never was a tropical cyclone.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Monsoon Depression
Existed between 10 and 17 January. Caused heavy rainfall across western Queensland and New South Wales.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Fritz
A tropical low developed on 10 February in the northern Coral Sea, within an active monsoon trough. The system developed rapidly and becoming Tropical Cyclone Fritz when it was northeast of Cooktown. Fritz moved rapidly to the west, and made landfall on the northern Queensland coast with winds of 75 km/h. The storm lost its tropical character as it crossed the Cape York Peninsula and entered the Gulf of Carpentaria on 11 February. The low reintensified over the favourable conditions in the Gulf, and reached its peak with 95 km/h winds near Mornington Island. Radar imagery showed evidence of an eye as the storm passed over the island on 12 February. It then crossed over the coast onto mainland Australian and degenerated overland. The remnant travelled over Northern Territory and Western Australia, before merging with a cold front to the south of Perth.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Fritz
Cyclone Fritz brought up to 309 mm of rain to the Cairns area. This led to a number of landslides, one of which caused severe property damage in Yorkeys Knob. There was flash flooding near Innisfail when 74 mm of rain fell in one hour. Fritz uprooted a number of trees on Mornington Island, but there was no other damage there. There were no casualties from the storm.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Monty
Cyclone Monty was a small cyclone that formed off the Kimberley coast around 27 February 2004. Monty then strengthened into a Category 4  cyclone as it moved parallel with the Pilbara coast. The cyclone made landfall near Mardie Station as a Category 3  cyclone on 1 March. Monty damaged several boats and caused isolated flooding.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Evan
Formed on 27 February and dissipated on 4 March. Crossed Groote Eylandt and the Northern Territory mainland, causing flooding.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Subtropical Storm
A subtropical cyclone formed on 2 March and crossed the coast in southeast Queensland on 5 March, bringing heavy rain and strong winds. A storm surge caused inundation along the coasts.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Nicky–Helma
Formed on 8 March, moved west of the region on 10 March, and was renamed Helma.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Fay
A low-pressure system formed in the Gulf of Carpentaria and moved westward into the Timor Sea; it was named Tropical Cyclone Fay on 16 March. Fay was 400 km north of Wyndham and 330 kilometres west northwest of Darwin. There were reports along the Kimberley Coast of gale-force winds. On 21 March, Cyclone Fay intensified even further as the storm approached Scott Reef where significant damage occurred. Looping back towards the Kimberley coast, Fay – now a Category 3 system – approached to within 90 km of Broome on 25 March, before turning to the south-west. Broome experienced strong winds with gale-force gusts, some heavy rain and heavy seas but escaped serious damage.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Fay
Fay then headed further away from the coast on the 25th before resuming a general southerly track on the 26th. Fay crossed the Pilbara coast between the pastoral stations of Pardoo and Wallal between 8 am and 9 am WST on 27 March as a Category 4 storm with estimated maximum wind gusts of around 235 km/h near the center.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Fay
The cyclone weakened as it moved inland. Little wind damage was reported from the storm despite its intensity as it made landfall in a remote part of the WA coast and consequently only impacted sparsely populated pastoral and mining areas. As the system passed close to the Yarrie mine its translation speed reduced and some 200 workers were locked down for 8 hours in two squash courts as accommodation units were overturned, water tanks "shredded" and power lines cut. Fay appears to have weakened below cyclone strength on Sunday evening (28 March) between Nullagine and Telfer.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Fay
Cyclone Fay caused extensive flooding and considerable damage. Fortunately, there were no deaths.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Grace
Grace is mostly remembered for its effects prior to reaching cyclone status rather than during its life as an officially named tropical cyclone. A multi-centred tropical low formed adjacent to the north Queensland tropical coast near Cooktown as early as 20 March within a very active monsoon trough that stretched across the northern Coral Sea and Cape York Peninsula toward New Caledonia, and initially had a subtropical appearance. Over the ensuing days, the northernmost circulation became dominant and moved east to the southeast of the equatorward ridge. By 21/1820 UTC it became the second named tropical cyclone of Queensland's and was named Grace.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Grace
Grace moved toward the southeast at 15 to 20 knots (37 km/h). This general motion was to continue for the remainder of the cyclone's life. Grace peaked in intensity at 985 hPa with maximum sustained winds of 50 knots (93 km/h) near 20.3S/155.9E at 22/0000 UTC. This intensity was maintained for approximately 6 hours. Thereafter, Grace began to undergo extratropical transition with anincreasingly asymmetric wind field due to a squeeze with a surface ridge to the south.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Grace
Grace rapidly lost its entire upper-level structure and was downgraded at 23/1800 UTC from tropical cyclone status when located approximately 400 nautical miles (740 km) east-northeast of Sandy Cape (23.6S/162.3E). The remnant surface wind field of the system meandered to the east and then to the east-northeast over the following days, producing a very broad area of gales to its south through the Tasman Sea. The highest three-day rainfall amounts for Grace was 759 mm from Topaz, which received 372 mm in 24 hours.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Grace
The strongest winds from the mainland were from Low Isle at 18/1311 UTC when gusts reached 50 knots (93 km/h). Cape Moreton at 21 March 2004 2230 UTC received gusts to 54 knots (100 km/h). Widespread flooding and damage to roads and property along the far north Queensland coast, mainly between Cooktown and Cairns. Winds and waves brought tide levels above the highest tides of the year and this was particularly evident at Cooktown. Floodwaters closed all major roads into Cairns.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Grace
A large section of one lane of the Captain Cook Highway north of Cairns collapsed after a landslide consisting of nearly 20 metres of rock and boulders the size of cars destroyed the ocean-side road. The scenic coastal highway and link between Cairns and Port Douglas was closed for several days. Residents were evacuated from the Whitfield range area due to landslides. An estimated $20,000,000 (US) damage to the Cairns region is attributed to pre-cyclone Grace. There were no casualties associated with Tropical Cyclone Grace. In New Caledonia, further strong winds, heavy rains and flooding were experienced.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Grace
A massive oil slick threatened a popular tourist beach in New Caledonia. Officials in the French Pacific territory put up barriers around the island of Amedee, which was threatened by a toxic oil slick, estimated to cover an area of 20 square kilometres. They said the oil had come from a boat wrecked several decades ago on a coral reef off South Province.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Oscar–Itseng
Formed on 21 March, moved out of the region on 27 March into South-West Indian Ocean region, renaming to Itseng.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Other systems
During 20 December, Tropical Disturbance 02F was last noted by the FMS, as it moved into the region from the South Pacific basin about 665 km (415 mi) to the northwest of Honiara in the Solomon Islands. Tropical Disturbance 04F was first noted by the FMS within a broad area of low pressure during 29 December, while it was located on the border with the South Pacific basin, about 100 km (60 mi) to the south of Honiara in the Solomon Islands.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Systems, Other systems
The system was located in a moderate area of vertical windshear and was poorly organised with atmospheric convection confined to the system's eastern semicircle. The system subsequently moved south-eastwards and remained poorly organised, before it was last noted by the FMS later that day while it was located to the south of San Cristobal Island.


2003–04 Australian region cyclone season, Season effects
This is a table of all of the storms that have formed in the 2003–04 Australian region cyclone season. It includes their duration, names, landfall(s)–denoted by bold location names – damages, and death totals. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave, or a low, and all of the damage figures are in 2004 AUD and USD.


2003–04 Austrian Cup
The 2003–2004 Austrian Cup (German: ÖFB-Cup) was the 70th season of Austria's nationwide football cup competition. It commenced with the matches of the First Round in August 2003 and concluded with the Final on 23 May 2004. The competition was won by Grazer AK after beating Austria Vienna 5–4 on penalties after the match finished 3–3 after extra time Due to Grazer AK qualifying for European competition through winning the Bundesliga, Austria Vienna qualified for the 2004–05 UEFA Cup as cup runners-up.


2003–04 Austrian Football Bundesliga, Overview
It was contested by 10 teams, and Grazer AK won the championship.


2003–04 Austrian Football Bundesliga, Results
Teams played each other four times in the league. In the first half of the season each team played every other team twice (home and away), and then did the same in the second half of the season.


2003–04 Austrian Hockey League season
The 2003–04 Austrian Hockey League season was the 74th season of the Austrian Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Austria. Seven teams participated in the league, and EC KAC won the championship.


2003–04 Ayr United F.C. season
The 2003–04 season is the 94th season of competitive football by Ayr United.


2003–04 Azadegan League
The final results of the 2003–04Azadegan League season were as follows.


2003–04 Azerbaijan Cup
The Azerbaijan Cup 2003–04 was the 12th season of the annual cup competition in Azerbaijan with the final taking place on 9 May 2004. Twenty teams competed in this year's competition. Neftchi Baku were the defending champions.


2003–04 Azerbaijan Cup, First round
The first legs were played on September 20, 2003 and the second legs on October 5, 2003.


2003–04 Azerbaijan Cup, Round of 16
The first legs were played on October 18 and 19, 2003 and the second legs on November 1 and 2, 2003.


2003–04 Azerbaijan Cup, Quarterfinals
The first legs were played on March 17, 2004 and the second legs on March 23, 2004.


2003–04 Azerbaijan Cup, Semifinals
The first legs were played on April 14, 2004 and the second legs on April 22, 2004.


2003–04 Azerbaijan Top League
The 2003-04 Azerbaijan Top League was contested by fourteen clubs. It started on 17 May 2003 and finished on 5 May 2004. The title was won by Neftchi Baku for the fourth time.


2003–04 B Group
The 2003–04 B Group was the 49th season of the Bulgarian B Football Group, the second tier of the Bulgarian football league system. A total of 16 teams contested the league.


2003–04 Bahraini Premier League
The 2003–04 Bahraini Premier League was contested by 10 teams, and Muharraq Club won the championship.


2003–04 Bangladeshi cricket season
The 2003–04 Bangladeshi cricket season featured the inaugural Test series in Bangladesh between Bangladesh and England.


2003–04 Bangladeshi cricket season, International tours, English Cricket team in Bangladesh
England played 2 Test matches and 3 one day internationals (ODI) against Bangladesh. England won both the Test matches and won all three ODIs by 7 wickets.


2003–04 Bangladeshi cricket season, International tours, 2004 ICC Under-19 World Cup
During February and March 2004 Bangladesh hosted the 2004 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. This tournament featured a number of future international players for Bangladesh, including Enamul Haque Jr who ended the tournament as the highest wicket taker.


2003–04 Barnsley F.C. season
The 2003–04 season saw Barnsley compete in the Football League Second Division where they finished in 12th position with 62 points.


2003–04 Barys Astana season
The 2003–04 Barys Astana season was the 5th season of the franchise.


2003–04 Bayer 04 Leverkusen season
Bayer 04 Leverkusen bounced back from the nearly disastrous season it came from, finishing in the top three and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League in the process. The season marked the breakthrough for Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov, who scored 16 goals, whereas Brazilian signing França contributed with 14 strikes. As it was, it was the attack that impressed the most, especially in the 6–2 crushing of champions Werder Bremen on the penultimate day of the season.


2003–04 Bayer 04 Leverkusen season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Bayer 04 Leverkusen season, Players, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Belarusian Cup
2003–04 Belarusian Cup was the thirteenth season of the Belarusian annual football cup competition. Contrary to the league season, it is conducted in a fall-spring rhythm. The first games were played on 4 June 2003. Winners of the Cup qualified for the UEFA Cup first qualifying round.


2003–04 Belarusian Cup, First round
In this round 8 clubs from Second League were drawn against 8 clubs from First League. Another four First League teams (Torpedo-Kadino Mogilev, Lokomotiv Vitebsk, Pinsk-900 and MTZ-RIPO Minsk) advanced to the next round by drawing of lots. The rest of First and Second League teams (four from each) chose not to participate in this edition of the Cup for financial reasons.


2003–04 Belarusian Cup, Round of 32
12 winners of previous round were joined by 16 clubs from Premier League. 4 of 16 Premier League clubs (Dnepr-Transmash Mogilev, Darida Minsk Raion, Lokomotiv Minsk, Gomel) advanced to the next round by drawing of lots. The games were played on 9 and 10 August 2003.


2003–04 Belarusian Cup, Semifinals
The first legs were played on 7 April 2004. The second legs were played on 11 April 2004.


2003–04 Belarusian Extraliga season
The 2003–04 Belarusian Extraliga season was the 12th season of the Belarusian Extraliga, the top level of ice hockey in Belarus. Ten teams participated in the league, and HK Yunost Minsk won the championship.


2003–04 Belgian First Division
The 2003–04 season of the Belgian First Division was held between 8 August 2003 and 15 May 2004. Sporting Anderlecht became champions on 24 April 2004.


2003–04 Belgian First Division, Promoted teams
These teams were promoted from the second division at the start of the season:


2003–04 Belgian First Division, Relegated teams
These teams were relegated to the second division at the end of the season:


2003–04 Belgian First Division, Anderlecht's title success
The battle for the title was not great as Anderlecht had a big lead over their opponents (mainly Club Brugge). However, a bad finish from Anderlecht kept the suspense until the 31st matchday when Club Brugge drew with Mouscron while the team from Brussels also drew (1-1) at Herman Vanderpoortenstadion, the homeground of Lierse.


2003–04 Belgian First Division, Battle for Europe
The next week, Club Brugge was sure to enter the UEFA Champions League Preliminary Round with a 1-0 win against Standard Liège, then lying third. In spite of this defeat, Standard managed to qualify for the UEFA Cup as they were 6 points ahead of Mouscron after the 32nd matchday. The suspense was killed after a 1-1 draw against Charleroi the next Saturday.


2003–04 Belgian First Division, The relegation dog fight
The end of the league was thus centered on the battle against relegation. Four teams were concerned : R.A.E.C. Mons and Charleroi, which finally saved themselves, R. Antwerp F.C. and K. Beringen-Heusden-Zolder finishing respectively 6 and 5 points adrift.


2003–04 Belgian Hockey League season
The 2003–04 Belgian Hockey League season was the 84th season of the Belgian Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Belgium. Four teams participated in the league, and Olympia Heist op den Berg won the championship.


2003–04 Besançon RC season
The 2003–04 season was the 100th season in the existence of Besançon RC and the club's first season back in the second division of French football. In addition to the domestic league, Besançon RC participated in this season's editions of the Coupe de France and the Coupe de la Ligue.


2003–04 Beşiktaş J.K. season
The 2003–04 season was the club's 46th season in the Turkish Super League and their 101st year in existence. Beşiktaş finished the Super League 3rd, behind Fenerbahçe and Trabzonspor. By finishing 1st last year the club qualified for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League. They, along with Galatasaray represented Turkey in the competition. They finished third, thereby proceeded the UEFA Cup where they lost in the Second Round to FC Valencia 5-2 on aggregate.


2003–04 Biathlon World Cup
The 2003−04 Biathlon World Cup was a multi-race tournament over a season of biathlon, organised by the International Biathlon Union. The Biathlon World Championships 2004 were part of the Biathlon World Cup.


2003–04 Biathlon World Cup
The men's overall World Cup was won by Raphaël Poirée, while Liv Grete Skjelbreid Poirée of Norway claimed the women's overall World Cup.


2003–04 Biathlon World Cup, Calendar
Below is the World Cup calendar for the 2004–05 season.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season
The 2003–04 season was Birmingham City Football Club's 101st season in the English football league system, their second season in the Premier League, and their 52nd season in the top tier of English football. They finished 10th in the 20-team league, three places higher than the previous season. They entered the FA Cup at the third round stage and lost to Sunderland in the fifth after a replay, and lost their opening second-round League Cup-tie to Blackpool. Top scorer was loan signing Mikael Forssell with 19 goals, 17 of which were scored in the league.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review
Having avoided relegation in their first season in the Premier League with seven wins from the last eleven games, Birmingham were expected to struggle. They were unbeaten in the league at the end of September, and went into November still in fourth place. During a poor spell in the middle of the season Steve Bruce's side fell as low as tenth, though they rallied again and stood one point off fourth place with eight matches to go. In contrast to the previous season, just one win from the last eleven games gave Birmingham a tenth-place finish, six points behind city rivals Aston Villa, who had been struggling against relegation at the turn of the year.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, August
In Birmingham's first game of the season, they beat Tottenham Hotspur 1–0 at St Andrew's, courtesy of a debut goal by record signing David Dunn, who converted a penalty awarded for Anthony Gardner's foul on Robbie Savage. Tottenham's manager, Glenn Hoddle, said afterwards that Rob Styles should not have been appointed as referee because he had sent off Birmingham's Kenny Cunningham in pre-season and "it's human nature to balance things up." Steve Bruce's side shared what PA Sport's reporter dubbed "a thrilling 0-0" at Southampton the following weekend.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, August
Both sides had chances to win the match as James Beattie struck the post and Stern John saw a shot cleared off the line. Birmingham then overcame Newcastle United 1–0 at St James' Park: after Gary Speed brought down Damien Johnson in the penalty area, Dunn's penalty was saved, but he scored from the rebound to give Birmingham a second league win in three games. In the first minute of the match, referee Matt Messias accidentally struck Savage in the face as he signalled a free kick. Their second league win in three games saw Birmingham climb to sixth in the table as they entered September.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, September
Birmingham signed Finland international striker Mikael Forssell on a season-long loan from Chelsea before the transfer window shut. He scored twice on debut in a 2–2 draw with Fulham at St Andrew's, equalising just before half-time after Louis Saha gave the visitors an early lead and then again tying the scores after 82 minutes. Both sides finished with ten men: Sylvain Legwinski received a second yellow card for tripping Dunn and Darren Purse was sent off for "aiming a punch at" Luis Boa Morte after he scored Fulham's second goal.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, September
At Elland Road, Leeds United had the upper hand until Roque Júnior fouled Forssell and was sent off. Paul Robinson saved Dunn's penalty but the assistant referee saw an infringement. Savage's retake was successful and Forssell made the score 2–0. A 2–0 win at home to Portsmouth on 27 September with goals from Stephen Clemence and Stan Lazaridis gave Birmingham their best ever start to a league season and moved them fourth in the table.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, October
Manchester United inflicted Birmingham's first league defeat of the season, winning 3–0 at Old Trafford after goalkeeper Maik Taylor was sent off by Mike Dean for fouling Paul Scholes. A goalless draw was enough to take normally free-scoring Chelsea top of the league and Birmingham fourth. Having lost both Second City derbies in 2002–03, Aston Villa held out for a goalless draw at St Andrew's "in a game high on energy but desperately low on quality".


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, October
A fine save by Taylor from Bolton Wanderers' Kevin Davies helped Birmingham keep another clean sheet and a well-worked goal by Forssell gave them a fifth win of the season. Faced with criticism of his team's style of play, Bruce was pragmatic: "I wanted to assemble a team that was difficult to beat. If I'd gone down the other route and brought in six flair players we’d have ended up bottom of the League."


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, November
Having conceded only five league goals in the first three months of the season, Birmingham's defence was unusually fragile against Charlton Athletic. Matt Holland's two goals and Dean Kiely's multiple saves helped them become the first team for nine months to win at St Andrew's. Christophe Dugarry's powerfully headed goal was his first of the season and the last of his Birmingham career. Forssell scored just after half-time in a 1–1 draw at home to local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers, before Birmingham lost 3–0 at home to Arsenal. They had the better of the first half against Liverpool at Anfield, but two spectacular second-half goals gave the hosts a 3–1 victory that left Birmingham in eighth place.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, December
Four goals in the last half hour gave Blackburn Rovers an emphatic win at Birmingham. Dugarry, who had earlier missed from a yard out and whose foul in the build-up caused Forssell's goal to be disallowed, was sent off on 72 minutes after receiving two yellow cards. He was later charged with misconduct by the Football Association over an incident missed by the referee in which Craig Short's nose was broken, and banned for three matches.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, December
In Dugarry's absence with a knee injury, Clinton Morrison made his first league start for eight months and scored the opening goal in a match in which two opponents were sent off: Leicester City's captain, Matt Elliott, for an arm in Dunn's face in the first half and their goalkeeper, Ian Walker, after an hour for handling the ball a long way outside his penalty area. Forssell's header completed a 2–0 win, and Maik Taylor ended the match with a black eye and three stitches.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, December
Manchester City took an early lead at St Andrew's on Boxing Day, and despite pressure from Birmingham it took two fortunate goals in the last ten minutes – Jeff Kenna headed home the rebound after Savage's free kick struck the goalpost, and Richard Dunne's attempted clearance bounced in off Forssell – to secure the three points. Against Everton at Goodison Park, when Taylor was "jostled" by both Duncan Ferguson and Alan Stubbs, no foul was given, and Wayne Rooney scored the only goal of the match; the defeat left Birmingham ninth in the table.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, January
With a defence disrupted by injury – midfielder Darren Carter, making his first start of the season, was one of three players used at left back in the first 40 minutes – Birmingham conceded three times to Tottenham Hotspur in the first half. Savage's penalty reduced the deficit, but Morrison missed a chance when through on goal, and the match ended 4–1.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, January
A goal apiece after 16 minutes, Antti Niemi's goalkeeping kept Southampton in the game, but Kenna scored the winner after an exchange of passes with Morrison; it was his second goal in two weeks and third in 8+1⁄2 years. Moments later, Kenna was having his head stitched after a challenge for which David Prutton was sent off.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, January
At Stamford Bridge, PA Sport's reporter highlighted Birmingham's incredible tenacity, Savage and Clemence "excelling in central midfield as they outplayed, let alone outfought, their far more illustrious opponents" to record another goalless draw with Chelsea, helped by Olivier Tebily's acrobatic clearance off the line after a rare error by Maik Taylor. After Newcastle United took a first-half lead at St Andrew's, Birmingham dominated without success. They were awarded a free kick in the second minute of stoppage time, which was moved forward 10 yards after a Newcastle player kicked the ball away. Cunningham took the free kick, and Stern John slid in to score.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, February
Taylor made several fine saves, includng a "superlative double reflex save from first Macken and then Sibierski", in a goalless draw with Manchester City at Eastlands. Johnson had and missed a late chance to win the match for Birmingham, which even Bruce thought would have been a injustice.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, February
Three days later Birmingham comfortably beat Everton with goals by Johnson, Forssell and Stan Lazaridis: "after collecting a pass from Savage in his own half, the Australian embarked on a speedy, purposeful and unchecked 40-yard (37 m) run before unleashing a fierce cross-shot into the roof of the net" that earned him the club's Goal of the Season award.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, February
Birmingham came back from 2–0 down at Villa Park to draw the Second City derby; the equaliser came in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Morrison's shot was parried and Stern John "thrashed the loose ball into the roof of the net". It was Christophe Dugarry's final appearance before his contract was cancelled by mutual consent.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, March
Home wins against Middlesbrough, League Cup winners just three days before, in which recent signing Martin Taylor scored his first goal when Forssell's shot struck his shoulder, and League Cup losers Bolton Wanderers, in which Bryan Hughes's first goal of the season and Forssell's fourth in four games took Birmingham fifth in the table. Leicester City prepared for their visit to Birmingham with a "bonding" break in Spain during which nine players were arrested, three of whom were jailed; thanks to Les Ferdinand's goal and their hosts' poor finishing, they put an end to Birmingham's eight-match unbeaten run.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, March
The away match with Middlesbrough, played in a howling gale, was described by the Independent as "an eight-goal thriller in which a keeper (Middlesbrough's Mark Schwarzer) was the star and managed to keep the scoring within reasonable bounds" and by the Guardian as "a snatch of comic relief, a red-face day out of the blue"; Birmingham lost 5–3, and the last goal was scored by Szilard Nemeth after Matthew Upson tried to head the ball back to his goalkeeper but could not reach it until he was almost flat on the floor. Birmingham conceded early at home to Leeds United but had a 3–1 lead when a penalty was awarded. Although Forssell was the designated penalty-taker, Hughes had two goals already and wanted to complete his hat-trick; Bruce intervened in favour of Forssell, who duly scored his 18th goal of the season.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, April
Two weeks after Maik Taylor's loan from Fulham was made permanent, his goalkeeping was instrumental in Birmingham's goalless draw with his former club; the result left them in sixth place. Martin Grainger, who had replaced the injured Lazaridis after 14 minutes, opened the scoring against Manchester United after 39 with a free kick. He was himself substituted at half-time because of a patellar tendon torn before he took the free kick and never played again. Cristiano Ronaldo and Louis Saha gave United a 2–1 win. Just before half-time at Portsmouth, Yakubu Aiyegbeni gave the hosts the lead.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, April
Referee Barry Knight disallowed the goal, sent off Maik Taylor for handling the ball outside his area, and awarded a free kick, from which Dejan Stefanović scored. Portsmouth doubled their lead, and then Stern John made the score 2–1. Knight then awarded a penalty, converted by Yakubu, and disallowed John's second for offside – harshly, according to BBC Sport. Morrison gave Birmingham the lead at Charlton, who promptly equalised; Hughes miskicked in front of an open goal in stoppage time. Away to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Forssell scored his 19th and last goal of the season and played a through ball from which Morrison gave Birmingham a 2–1 lead, but Taylor parried the ball to Carl Cort's feet for the equaliser.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, Premier League, Season review, May
Without Maik Taylor and Forssell, Birmingham secured a goalless draw away to a strong Arsenal side already confirmed as league champions. Had Morrison not failed to control Lazaridis' second-half cross, their unbeaten record might well have been broken. In their last home game of the season, Birmingham lost 3–0 to Liverpool; Emile Heskey, who made the assist for Michael Owen's goal and scored the second, signed for Birmingham ten days later. With Cunningham suspended, Savage captained the team for the visit to Blackburn Rovers; Stern John's late equaliser secured a 1–1 draw away and a tenth-place finish, six points short of European qualification.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, FA Cup
Birmingham reached the fifth round of the 2003–04 FA Cup before losing to Sunderland of Division One after a replay.


2003–04 Birmingham City F.C. season, League Cup
Birmingham entered the 2003–04 League Cup at the second round. They conceded after six minutes away to Blackpool of the Second Division, and when given a chance from the penalty spot, Clemence's kick cleared the bar.


2003–04 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season
During the 2003–04 English football season, Blackburn Rovers competed in the FA Premier League (known as the FA Barclaycard Premiership for sponsorship reasons).


2003–04 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season, Season summary
Finishing sixth in the Premiership at the end of 2002–03 had booked Blackburn Rovers their second successive UEFA Cup campaign, but it was short-lived. A 5–1 opening-day victory against newly-promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers kickstarted their new season, however, their overall Premiership form was far too dismal to give the side any hope of a third successive European qualification. Indeed, much of the season was spent battling against relegation; a decent finish to the season saw relegation fears eradicated by the end of April. Rovers finished 15th in the final table, putting intense pressure on manager Graeme Souness to turn things around.


2003–04 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season, Players, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season, Players, Reserve squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Blackpool F.C. season
The 2003–04 season was Blackpool F.C. 's 96th season (93rd consecutive) in the Football League. It was also their third consecutive season in the third tier of English football. They finished in fourteenth place.


2003–04 Blackpool F.C. season
Scott Taylor was the club's top scorer, with 27 goals (sixteen in the league, six in the FA Cup, three in the League Cup and two in the League Trophy).


2003–04 Blackpool F.C. season
Shortly after the season's conclusion, Steve McMahon resigned as the club's manager.


2003–04 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season
The 2003–04 season was the 126th season in Bolton Wanderers F.C. 's existence, and was their third consecutive year in the top-flight. This article covers the period from 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004.


2003–04 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, First-team squad, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Reserve squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season, Statistics, Appearances
Bolton used a total of 29 players during the season.


2003–04 Bonaire League season
The 2003/04 season of the Bonearian football League played in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles started on September 7, 2003 and the final was played on June 25, 2004.


2003–04 Bonaire League season
The championship was played over 3 phases. First phase with all 7 teams, followed by a play off with the top 4 teams and then a final with the 2 top teams. For the first times Real Rincon and Vespo were allowed to play each team once at home in the Antonio Trenidat Stadium. All remaining matches were played at Stadion Playa at Kralendijk. Defending champions Real Rincon successfully defended their titles by defeating SV Estrellas in the final 1-0.


2003–04 Bonaire League season, Regular season
Teams face each other 2 times. Top four teams qualify for the semi final play offs


2003–04 Bonaire League season, Play offs
Teams face each other 2 times. Top two teams qualify for the final.


2003–04 Borussia Dortmund season
During the 2003–04 German football season, Borussia Dortmund competed in the Bundesliga.


2003–04 Borussia Dortmund season, Season summary
Dortmund failed to qualify for the Champions League group stage, and followed that up with a disappointing sixth-place finish in the Bundesliga. The club's poor form was mainly a result of playmaker Tomáš Rosický's absence through virtually half of the season. The poor form led to the dismissal of coach Matthias Sammer, while the club's economy got ever more strained.


2003–04 Borussia Dortmund season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Borussia Dortmund season, Players, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup
2003–04 Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup was the tenth season of the Bosnia and Herzegovina's annual football cup, and a fourth season of the unified competition. The competition started on 17 September 2003 with the First Round and concluded on 26 May 2004 with the Final.


2003–04 Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup, First round
Thirty-two teams entered in the First Round. The matches were played on 17 September 2003.


2003–04 Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup, Second round
The 16 winners from the prior round enter this round. The first legs were played on 22 and 29 October and the second legs were played on 5 November 2003.


2003–04 Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup, Quarterfinals
The eight winners from the prior round enter this round. The first legs were played on 19 November and the second legs were played on 22 and 29 November 2003.


2003–04 Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup, Semifinals
The four winners from the prior round enter this round. The first legs will be played on 17 March and the second legs were played on 17 April 2004.


2003–04 Boston Bruins season
The 2003–04 Boston Bruins season was the team's 80th season of operation in the National Hockey League (NHL).


2003–04 Boston Bruins season, Regular season
The Bruins had the fewest power-play opportunities of any team in the League, with just 300.


2003–04 Boston Bruins season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.


2003–04 Boston Bruins season, Regular season, Final standings
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast


2003–04 Boston Bruins season, Regular season, Final standings
Z –  Clinched Conference; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2003–04 Boston Bruins season, Draft picks
Boston's draft picks at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee.


2003–04 Boston Celtics season
The 2003–04 NBA season was the 58th season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. During the offseason, the Celtics acquired Raef LaFrentz, a teammate of Paul Pierce from the University of Kansas, from the Dallas Mavericks. The Celtics roster move continued in December when Tony Battie and Eric Williams were both traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ricky Davis. In February, Mike James was traded to the Detroit Pistons for Lindsey Hunter and Chucky Atkins in a three-team trade involving the Atlanta Hawks. However, Hunter was waived after the trade and later re-signed with the Pistons. The team also released Vin Baker, who signed as a free agent with the New York Knicks.


2003–04 Boston Celtics season
Celtics head coach Jim O'Brien resigned after a 22–24 start to the season. He was replaced by John Carroll for the remainder of the season. However, the Celtics would lose 12 of their first 13 games under Carroll. When General Manager Danny Ainge stated that the Celtics would be better off missing the playoffs, the statement seemed to motivate the team as they posted a 9–5 record in March.


2003–04 Boston Celtics season
The Celtics, despite finishing fourth in the Atlantic Division with a low 36–46 record, qualified for the playoffs as the number 8 seed first NBA team to reach the playoffs with below .500 record since the 1996–97 Los Angeles Clippers which was also swept by the Utah Jazz that postseason. They were swept in four games by the Indiana Pacers in the opening round. Pierce was selected for the 2004 NBA All-Star Game. Following the season, Carroll was fired as coach and replaced by Doc Rivers, who also fired by the Orlando Magic after 1–10 start.


2003–04 Botola
The 2003–04 Botola is the 48th season of the Moroccan Premier League. Raja Casablanca are the holders of the title.


2003–04 Bradford City A.F.C. season
During the 2003–04 season, Bradford City participated in the Football League First Division.


2003–04 Bradford City A.F.C. season, Season summary
Bradford City were relegated from the First Division after 3 seasons in the division. Manager Bryan Robson left at the end of the season, and was replaced by his assistant Colin Todd.


2003–04 Bradford City A.F.C. season, Season summary
Defender Paul Heckingbottom was the club's player of the year.


2003–04 Bradford City A.F.C. season, Kit
Bradford's kits were manufactured by Italian company Diadora and sponsored by Bradford-based car dealership JCT600.


2003–04 Bradford City A.F.C. season, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Bradford City A.F.C. season, First-team squad, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Brentford F.C. season
During the 2003–04 English football season, Brentford competed in Football League Second Division. After mid-season spell of one win in 18 matches and relegation looking definite, manager Wally Downes was sacked in mid-March 2004. Martin Allen took over and immediately turned things around, pulling off "The Great Escape" to secure safety on the final day of the season.


2003–04 Brentford F.C. season, Season summary
Cash-strapped Brentford began the 2003–04 season with a threadbare squad, depleted through injuries and propped up with youngsters, with manager Wally Downes admitting that the club's "immediate goal is keeping ourselves afloat for a period that shows the bank we can manage ourselves". Five defeats in the opening six games left the club second-from-bottom, before the integration of loanees Ben May, Tommy Wright and Joel Kitamirike yielded an improvement in form in September, going unbeaten and winning three of five matches. In October, amidst speculation that former Brentford manager Steve Perryman would return to the club as director of football, manager Wally Downes was assured that his role would not be affected. Perryman eventually turned the offer down.


2003–04 Brentford F.C. season, Season summary
Despite a morale-boosting 7–1 FA Cup first round victory over Gainsborough Trinity and four wins from six matches in October and November lifting the Bees to mid-table, the rot soon set in. After the goalkeeping position weakened by the £500,000 sale of Paul Smith in January 2004 and with just one win from 19 matches in all competitions, Wally Downes was sacked after a 2–0 home defeat to Stockport County on 13 March 2004, which was Brentford's fifth consecutive defeat. Caretaker manager Garry Thompson took charge for the away match versus Blackpool on 16 March, with a 1–1 draw securing the first point won for a month.


2003–04 Brentford F.C. season, Season summary
Former Barnet manager Martin Allen took over on 18 March 2004 and was tasked with retaining Brentford's Second Division status. Allen released a number of players, installed his own backroom team and immediately galvanised the squad, winning three and drawing three of his first six matches to lift the Bees above the relegation places.


2003–04 Brentford F.C. season, Season summary
A priceless point salvaged at already-relegated Wycombe Wanderers on 24 April kept the Bees above the relegation places, but a 1–0 defeat away to fellow strugglers Grimsby Town in the penultimate match of the season meant the club would need to secure safety on the final day with a victory over Bournemouth or favourable results elsewhere. The match versus Bournemouth at Griffin Park remained scoreless until seven minutes from time, when substitute Alex Rhodes "coolly slotted" past Cherries' goalkeeper Neil Moss for a 1–0 win that completed Brentford's escape from relegation.


2003–04 Brescia Calcio season
During the 2003–04 Italian football season, Brescia Calcio competed in the Serie A.


2003–04 Brescia Calcio season, Kit
Brescia's kit was manufactured by Italian sports retailer Kappa and sponsored by Banca Lombarda.


2003–04 Brescia Calcio season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 British Basketball League season
The 2003–04 season was the 17th campaign in the history of the British Basketball League.


2003–04 British Basketball League season, Haribo Cup
This season saw the first edition of the newly created Haribo Cup. Following the BBL's decision to withdraw from the National Cup due to import player regulations, the League's newest competition saw all 10 teams competing in a knock-out style tournament culminating in the Grand Final at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham.


2003–04 British Basketball League season, BBL Trophy
Due to the lack of teams competing in this season's Championship, the BBL Trophy featured all 10 BBL teams plus two invited teams from the English Basketball League (Plymouth Raiders and Teesside Mohawks). The First round saw all 12 teams divided into four regionalised groups with the top finishing team advancing to the Semi-finals.


2003–04 British Collegiate American Football League
The 2003–04 BCAFL was the 19th full season of the British Collegiate American Football League, organised by the British Students American Football Association.


2003–04 British Collegiate American Football League, Changes from last season
This increased the number of teams in BCAFL to 32.


2003–04 British National League season
The 2003–04 British National League season was the eighth season of the British National League, the second level of ice hockey in Great Britain. Seven teams participated in the league, and the Guildford Flames won the championship.


2003–04 Brown Bears women's ice hockey season
The 2003-04 Brown Bears women's ice hockey team represented Brown University.


2003–04 Buffalo Sabres season
The 2003–04 Buffalo Sabres season was the 34th season of operation for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on May 22, 1970.


2003–04 Buffalo Sabres season, Regular season
On March 17, 2004, Derek Roy scored just 15 seconds into the overtime period to give the Sabres a 4–3 road win over the Atlanta Thrashers. Roy tied the Blackhawks' Mark Bell, who had also scored 15 seconds into the overtime period in Chicago's 4–3 home win over the Detroit Red Wings on December 11, 2003. Both goals would end up being the fastest overtime goals scored during the 2003-04 NHL regular season.


2003–04 Buffalo Sabres season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.


2003–04 Buffalo Sabres season, Regular season, Final standings
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast


2003–04 Buffalo Sabres season, Regular season, Final standings
Z –  Clinched Conference; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2003–04 Buffalo Sabres season, Playoffs
The Sabres failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive season.


2003–04 Buffalo Sabres season, Draft picks
Buffalo's draft picks at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee.


2003–04 Bulgarian Cup
The 2003–04 Bulgarian Cup was the 64th season of the Bulgarian Cup. Litex Lovech won the competition, beating CSKA Sofia 6–5 on penalties in the final at the Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia.


2003–04 Bulgarian Cup, First round
In this round entered winners from the preliminary rounds together with the teams of B Group.


2003–04 Bulgarian Cup, Second round
This round featured winners from the First Round and all teams of A Group.


2003–04 Bulgarian Hockey League season
The 2003–04 Bulgarian Hockey League season was the 52nd season of the Bulgarian Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Bulgaria. Four teams participated in the league, and HK Slavia Sofia won the championship.


2003–04 Bundesliga
The 2003–04 Bundesliga was the 41st season of the Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. It began on 1 August 2003 and concluded on 22 May 2004.


2003–04 Bundesliga, Champion squad
Goalkeepers: Andreas Reinke (34); Pascal Borel (1). Defenders: Paul Stalteri  (33 / 2); Valérien Ismaël  (32 / 4); Mladen Krstajić  (30 / 3); Ümit Davala  (22); Christian Schulz (17); Viktor Skrypnyk  (6 / 1); Ludovic Magnin  (4); Manuel Friedrich (1). Midfielders: Fabian Ernst (33 / 2); Johan Micoud  (32 / 10); Frank Baumann (captain; 32 / 2); Krisztián Lisztes  (30 / 3); Tim Borowski (25 / 1); Pekka Lagerblom  (7); Holger Wehlage (4); Ivica Banović  (3). Forwards: Aílton  (33 / 28); Ivan Klasnić  (29 / 13); Angelos Charisteas  (24 / 4); Nelson Valdez  (21 / 5); Markus Daun (6); Marco Reich (2). (league appearances and goals listed in brackets)


2003–04 Bundesliga, Champion squad
On the roster but have not played in a league game: Alexander Walke; Stefan Beckert; Christian Lenze; Simon Rolfes; Marco Stier.


2003–04 Bundesliga, Champion squad
Transferred out during the season: Manuel Friedrich (on loan to 1. FSV Mainz 05); Christian Lenze (to VfL Osnabrück); Marco Reich (to Derby County F.C. ).


2003–04 Burnley F.C. season
The 2003–04 season was Burnley's fourth season in the second tier of English football. They were managed by Stan Ternent in his sixth full season since he replaced Chris Waddle at the beginning 1998–99 campaign.


2003–04 Burnley F.C. season, Season summary
Burnley struggled all season, and finished the season in 19th, two points above the relegation zone. As with the previous season, Burnley's defense was their downfall - the team conceded 77 goals, bettered in the First Division only by bottom club Wimbledon and in the entire Football League by Second Division side Notts County.


2003–04 Bury F.C. season
The 2003–04 season saw Bury compete in the Football League Third Division where they finished in 12th position with 56 points.


2003–04 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team
The 2003–04 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Butler University in the 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Todd Lickliter, serving his 3rd year. The Bulldogs played their home games at Hinkle Fieldhouse.


2003–04 CA Osasuna season
The 2003–04 season was the 83rd season in the existence of CA Osasuna and the club's fourth consecutive season in the top flight of Spanish football. In addition to the domestic league, Osasuna participated in this season's edition of the Copa del Rey. The season covered the period from 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004.


2003–04 CERH European League
The 2003–04 CERH European League was the 39th edition of the CERH European League organized by CERH. Its Final Four was held on 15 and 16 May 2004 at PalaBarsacchi, in Viareggio, Italy.


2003–04 CERH European League, First round
The four eliminated teams with best ranking joined the CERS Cup.


2003–04 CERH European League, Group stage
In each group, teams played against each other home-and-away in a home-and-away round-robin format.


2003–04 CERH European League, Group stage
The two first qualified teams advanced to the Final Four.


2003–04 CERH European League, Final four
The Final Four was played at PalaBarsacchi, in Viareggio, Italy.


2003–04 CERS Cup
The 2003–04 CERS Cup was the 24th season of the CERS Cup, Europe's second club roller hockey competition organized by CERH. 19 teams from five national associations qualified for the competition as a result of their respective national league placing in the previous season. Following a preliminary phase and four knockout rounds, Reus Deportiu won its second consecutive title.


2003–04 CHL season
The 2003–04 CHL season was the 12th season of the Central Hockey League (CHL).


2003–04 CHL season, Regular season, Division standings
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SOL = Shootout loss;  Pts = Points; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against


2003–04 CHL season, Regular season, Division standings
y - clinched league title; x - clinched playoff spot; e - eliminated from playoff contention


2003–04 CHL season, Records
Tulsa Oilers goaltender Rod Branch posted eight shutouts during the 2003–04 season, to affirm his position as the CHL's all-time career shut-out leader with 22.


2003–04 CS Sedan Ardennes season
The 2003–04 season was the 85th season in the existence of CS Sedan Ardennes and the club's first season back in the second division of French football. In addition to the domestic league, CS Sedan Ardennes participated in this season's editions of the Coupe de France and the Coupe de la Ligue.


2003–04 Calgary Flames season
The 2003–04 Calgary Flames season was the 24th National Hockey League season in Calgary, and the 32nd for the franchise in the NHL. The Flames ended a seven-year playoff drought, qualifying for the post-season for the first time since 1996. The Flames defeated three division winners en route to an appearance in the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. The Flames were defeated in the finals by the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games. The run to the finals captured the imagination of the city, while the Red Mile celebrations gained international attention for the "Mardi Gras-like" atmosphere as up to 80,000 people celebrated in the streets after each playoff game.


2003–04 Calgary Flames season
Head coach Darryl Sutter succeeded Craig Button as the Flames' general manager. Sutter made numerous changes to the roster as he worked to remake the Flames into a fast, physical club. Chris Drury was dealt to Buffalo for Rhett Warrener and Steve Reinprecht before the season began. A knee injury to starting goaltender Roman Turek led Sutter to trade for Miikka Kiprusoff, a player he knew from his days with the San Jose Sharks. Kiprusoff responded to the deal by posting an NHL record low Goals Against Average of 1.69.


2003–04 Calgary Flames season
The Flames were led offensively by Jarome Iginla, who tied Ilya Kovalchuk and Rick Nash for the league lead with 41 goals as the trio shared the Rocket Richard Trophy. Iginla represented the Flames at the 54th National Hockey League All-Star Game in Minnesota, and was named a second team all-star for his performance during the season. Iginla's charity work and leadership both on and off the ice led to his also being awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and NHL Foundation Player Award.


2003–04 Calgary Flames season, Regular season
After struggling with an injury to starting goaltender Roman Turek in the first game of the season, an early November trade for San Jose Sharks third stringer Miikka Kiprusoff sparked the Flames, as Kiprusoff led Calgary into the playoffs for the first time in eight years.