2003–04 Leeds United A.F.C. season

Leeds United A.F.C. were relegated from the FA Premier League after 14 years in the top flight, in the aftermath of a financial meltdown. This came three years after reaching the Champions League semi-finals.

Season summary

The financial crisis at Elland Road saw Leeds United's debts reach the £100 million mark, and consequently the sell-off of key players continued. Manager Peter Reid was sacked on 10 November after Leeds collected 8 points from their first 12 games, and former player, coach and manager Eddie Gray was brought in on a temporary basis. Some initially improved results saw Leeds climb out of the relegation zone by the end of 2003, but a dreadful run of seven straight defeats after the turn of the year saw them cast adrift at the bottom of the table, and from that point onwards the club had no real hope of surviving in the Premier League.

Some decent results late in the season saw them at least move off the bottom of the table, but a 4-1 defeat by Bolton on 2 May confirmed relegation, and Gray was soon on his way out of the club for good, to be replaced by Kevin Blackwell, who had been brought to the club a year earlier as Reid's assistant. Few observers gave Leeds much hope of an immediate promotion back to the Premiership, with Blackwell's ultimate task being seen as one of avoiding a second successive relegation.

Kit

Leeds United retained the previous season's home kit, manufactured by Nike, although the kit carried a new sponsor.

First-team squad

^[1] Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

On loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Starting 11

Only considering Premiership starts

• GK: #1, Paul Robinson, 36
• RB: #2, Gary Kelly, 37
• CB: #22, Michael Duberry, 19
• CB: #15, Steven Caldwell, 13
• LB: #3, Ian Harte, 21
• RM: #11, Jermaine Pennant, 34
• CM: #20, Seth Johnson, 24
• CM: #21, Dominic Matteo, 33
• LM: #38, James Milner, 27
• CF: #17, Alan Smith, 35
• CF: #9, Mark Viduka, 30

Transfers

In

• Steven Caldwell - Newcastle United, loan, January 2004
• Zoumana Camara - Lens, loan, 2003
• Lamine Sakho - Marseille, loan, 2003
• Roque Júnior - A.C. Milan, loan, 2003
• Jermaine Pennant - Arsenal, season loan, 2003
• Salomon Olembé - Marseille, loan, 2003
• Didier Domi - PSG, loan, 2003

Out

• Paul Okon - Vicenza
• Harry Kewell - Liverpool, £5,000,000, 9 July 2003
• Olivier Dacourt - Roma, €5,000,000, 2003
• Danny Mills - Middlesbrough, loan, 2003
• Jacob Burns - Barnsley, 17 October 2003, free
• Michael Bridges - Newcastle United, loan, January 2004
• Nigel Martyn - Everton

Results

Premier League

• Tottenham-Leeds 2-1
• 0-1 Alan Smith (5)
• 1-1 Mauricio Taricco (41)
• 2-1 Frédéric Kanouté (71)

• Middlesbrough-Leeds 2-3
• 0-1 Lamine Sakho (16)
• 1-1 Szilárd Németh (60)
• 2-1 Juninho (63)
• 2-2 Zoumana Camara (77)
• 2-3 Mark Viduka (89)

• Leicester-Leeds 4-0
• 1-0 Lilian Nalis (20)
• 2-0 Paul Dickov (23)
• 3-0 Paul Dickov (83)
• 4-0 James Scowcroft (90)

• Everton-Leeds 4-0
• 1-0 Steve Watson (27)
• 2-0 Steve Watson (37)
• 3-0 Duncan Ferguson (39)
• 4-0 Steve Watson (52)

• Leeds-Blackburn 2-1
• 1-0 Seth Johnson (11)
• 2-0 Seth Johnson (27)
• 2-1 Dino Baggio (86)

• Leeds-Manchester United 0-1
• 0-1 Roy Keane (81)

• Leeds-Bolton 0-2
• 0-1 Kevin Davies (16)
• 0-2 Stelios Giannakopoulos (17)

• Leeds-Chelsea 1-1
• 1-0 Jermaine Pennant (18)
• 1-1 Damien Duff (70)

• Leeds-Fulham 3-2
• 1-0 Michael Duberry (41)
• 2-0 Mark Viduka (46)
• 2-1 Louis Saha (47)
• 2-2 Louis Saha (86)
• 3-2 Dominic Matteo (88)

• Manchester City-Leeds 1-1
• 0-1 Mark Viduka (24)
• 1-1 Antoine Sibierski (82)

• Leeds-Tottenham 0-1
• 0-1 Robbie Keane (56)

• Southampton-Leeds 2-1
• 1-0 Brett Ormerod (36)
• 2-0 Kevin Phillips (43)
• 2-1 Matthew Kilgallon (75)

• Leeds-Middlesbrough 0-3
• 0-1 Boudewijn Zenden (53)
• 0-2 Joseph-Désiré Job (77)
• 0-3 Michael Ricketts (89 pen)

• Aston Villa-Leeds 2-0
• 1-0 Juan Pablo Ángel (45 pen)
• 2-0 Ronny Johnsen (59)

• Manchester United-Leeds 1-1
• 1-0 Paul Scholes (64)
• 1-1 Alan Smith (67)

• Fulham-Leeds 2-0
• 1-0 Sean Davis (71)
• 2-0 Luís Boa Morte (83)

• Leeds-Manchester City 2-1
• 1-0 Stephen McPhail (23)
• 1-1 Nicolas Anelka (44)
• 2-1 Mark Viduka (76 pen)

• Leeds-Leicester 3-2
• 1-0 Michael Duberry (11)
• 2-0 Mark Viduka (13)
• 2-1 Paul Dickov (77)
• 2-2 Muzzy Izzet (79)
• 3-2 Alan Smith (86)

• Blackburn-Leeds 1-2
• 0-1 Steven Caldwell (2)
• 0-2 Mark Viduka (89)
• 1-2 Craig Short (90)

• Leeds-Everton 1-1
• 0-1 Wayne Rooney (13)
• 1-1 James Milner (50)

• Leeds-Portsmouth 1-2
• 0-1 Yakubu (9)
• 0-2 Lomana Lua Lua (51)
• 1-2 Ian Harte (83 pen)

• Bolton-Leeds 4-1
• 0-1 Mark Viduka (27 pen)
• 1-1 Youri Djorkaeff (47)
• 2-1 Youri Djorkaeff (53)
• 3-1 Ian Harte (55 og)
• 4-1 Kevin Nolan (78)

• Chelsea-Leeds 1-0
• 1-0 Jesper Grønkjær (20)

Topscorers

• Mark Viduka 11
• Alan Smith 9
• James Milner 3

References