2003–04 Walsall F.C. season
| 2003–04 season | |||
| Chairman |
 Jeff Bonser | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Manager |
Colin Lee (until 16 April) Paul Merson | ||
| First Division | 22nd (relegated) | ||
| FA Cup | Third round | ||
| League Cup | Second round | ||
| Top goalscorer | Jorge Leitão (7) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 7,853 | ||
| |||
During the 2003–04 season, Walsall participated in the Football League First Division.
Season summary
Walsall started the season strongly with 4-1 wins over local rivals West Bromwich Albion and Nottingham Forest, and on Boxing Day were four points off the play-offs. However, the club's form slumped in 2004, with the club not picking up another league win until March. Manager Colin Lee was sacked on 16 April, though the official reason given was that Lee had contacted Plymouth Argyle regarding their managerial vacancy. Paul Merson was appointed temporary player-manager, assisted by fellow player Simon Osborn. Ultimately, Walsall would be relegated on the last day of the season despite a 3-2 win over Rotherham United: an extra two goals scored during the campaign would have been enough for them to climb above Gillingham to safety. Despite the sorry end to the campaign, Paul Merson was handed a permanent contract as manager.
Defender Paul Ritchie was named as the club's Player of the Season, but returned to Scotland to play for Dundee United at the end of the season.
Final league table
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Norwich City | 46 | 28 | 10 | 8 | 79 | 39 | +40 | 94 |
| 2. | West Bromwich Albion | 46 | 25 | 11 | 10 | 64 | 42 | +22 | 86 |
| 3. | Sunderland | 46 | 22 | 13 | 11 | 62 | 45 | +17 | 79 |
| 4. | West Ham United | 46 | 19 | 17 | 10 | 67 | 45 | +22 | 74 |
| 5. | Ipswich Town | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 84 | 72 | +12 | 73 |
| 6. | Crystal Palace | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 72 | 61 | +11 | 73 |
| 7. | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 60 | 45 | +15 | 71 |
| 8. | Sheffield United | 46 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 65 | 56 | +9 | 71 |
| 9. | Reading | 46 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 55 | 57 | -2 | 70 |
| 10. | Millwall | 46 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 55 | 48 | +7 | 69 |
| 11. | Stoke City | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 58 | 55 | +3 | 66 |
| 12. | Coventry City | 46 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 67 | 54 | +13 | 65 |
| 13. | Cardiff City | 46 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 68 | 58 | +10 | 65 |
| 14. | Nottingham Forest | 46 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 61 | 51 | +10 | 60 |
| 15. | Preston North End | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 69 | 71 | -2 | 59 |
| 16. | Watford | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 54 | 68 | -14 | 57 |
| 17. | Rotherham United | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 53 | 61 | -8 | 54 |
| 18. | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 57 | 66 | ||
| 53 | |||||||||
| 19. | Burnley | 46 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 60 | 77 | -17 | 53 |
| 20. | Derby County | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 53 | 67 | -14 | 52 |
| 21. | Gillingham | 46 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 48 | 67 | -19 | 51 |
| 22. | Walsall | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 45 | 65 | -20 | 51 |
| 23. | Bradford City | 46 | 10 | 6 | 30 | 38 | 69 | -31 | 36 |
| 24. | Wimbledon (later MK Dons) | 46 | 8 | 5 | 33 | 41 | 89 | -48 | 29 |
First-team squad
- Squad at end of season[1]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Transfers
In
- Paul Merson - Portsmouth
- Simon Osborn - Gillingham, 3 July
- Stefan Oakes - Leicester City, 3 July[2]
- Paul Ritchie - Manchester City, August, free
References
- ↑ "FootballSquads - Walsall - 2003/04".
- ↑ "Walsall sign duo". BBC Sport. 3 July 2003. Retrieved 18 June 2016.