2003–04 Crystal Palace F.C. season 2003–04 Crystal Palace F.C. season During the 2003–04 English football season, Crystal Palace competed in the Football League First Division. Crystal Palace started the season on the right foot, winning their first three games to top the table, but that was as good as it got under manager Steve Kember and, after a 5–0 defeat at newly promoted Wigan Athletic in November saw the club in 20th place, Kember was sacked (chairman Simon Jordan had previously declared that Kember would have a "job for life" at Palace). Kit Symons stepped up as caretaker until Northern Irishman and former Palace striker
2003–04 Derby County F.C. season bond, was removed from the chair after the club temporarily entered receivership by The Co-operative Bank, who instantly installed a new board composed of John Sleightholme, Jeremy Keith and Steve Harding, for the cost of £1 each. "Derby County's score comes first" 2003–04 Derby County F.C. season During the 2003–04 English football season, Derby County F.C. competed in the First Division. George Burley's first full season in charge brought little joy as Derby recorded a 20th-placed finish in the 2003–04 season, just 1 point clear of relegation with safety not confirmed until the penultimate game of the season with a