2002 was a transitional year for the Spartans. The team moved back to the Chiefs' old home ground in Basildon, but their long-time star offensive player Shulba Hunt was forced to retire through injury. They finished eighth out of nine teams with a 3–6 record. In the 2003 preseason, the then head coach Dean Gibson and his new offensive coordinator Dave Thomas developed a new offensive playbook featuring an emphasis on short passing. This seemed to suit the squad and results improved, but fell short of expectations as the Spartans finished 5–4–1 and just missed out on the playoffs. 2004 saw the squad depleted by a number of retirements, and the Spartan's young players could only manage a 3–6–1 finish to the season.