2003–04 Millwall F.C. season
| Chairman |  Theo Paphitis |
|---|---|
| Manager | Mark McGhee (until 15 October)[1] Dennis Wise(player-manager) |
| Stadium | The Den |
| First Division | 10th |
| FA Cup | Runners-up |
| League Cup | First round |
| Top goalscorer | League: Tim Cahill and Neil Harris (9) All: Tim Cahill (12) |
During the 2003–04 English football season, Millwall competed in the Football League First Division, the second tier of English football.
Season summary
Despite having spent the previous seasons chasing promotion to the Premiership, Mark McGhee left Millwall by "mutual consent" in October with the club just six points behind league leaders Sheffield United with 14 games played. His replacement, player-manager Dennis Wise, led Millwall to a final 10th place, four points off the play-offs. The club enjoyed greater success in the FA Cup, reaching the final for the first time in their history,[2] to face Manchester United. Millwall, who were missing 16 players through injury and suspension, were unable to create many opportunities and lost 3-0[3] to a United side which had finished third in the Premier League that season.
Curtis Weston, a boyhood United fan, became the youngest player to ever appear in an FA Cup final when he came on a substitute for Wise in the 89th minute. Weston, aged 17 years 119 days, beat the 125-year-old record previously held by James F. M. Prinsep, who appeared in the 1879 final for Clapham Rovers aged 17 years and 245 days; Weston defeated Prinsep's record by 126 days.
As United had already qualified for the Champions League, Millwall gained European qualification for the first time in their history, entering the UEFA Cup in the first round.
Final league table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round[a] |
| 11 | Stoke City | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 58 | 55 | +3 | 66 | |
| 12 | Coventry City | 46 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 67 | 54 | +13 | 65 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Notes:
- ^ Since the FA Cup winners Manchester United qualified for the Champions League, their place in the UEFA Cup went to Millwall, who were the FA Cup runners-up.
Kit
Strikeforce remained Millwall's kit sponsors. London-based stationery retailer Ryman became kit sponsors.
First-team squad
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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Reserve squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Awards
At the end of the season, defender Darren Ward was named the club's player of the year.
References
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/millwall/3193162.stm McGhee leaves Millwall, BBC News
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/millwall/4527395.stm Wise steps down as Millwall boss, BBC News
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/3725063.stm United win FA Cup, BBC News
- ^ Warner was born in Liverpool, England, but also qualified to represent Trinidad and Tobago internationally, and made his debut for Trinidad and Tobago in February 2006.
- ^ Cahill was born in Sydney, Australia, but also qualified to represent Samoa internationally through his mother; he previously represented Samoa at U-17 level before switching his international allegiance to Australia, and would make his international debut for Australia in March 2004.
- ^ Ifill was born in Brighton, England, but qualified to represent Barbados internationally through his parents, and would make his international debut for Barbados in June 2004.
- ^ McCammon was born in Barnet, England, but qualified to represent Barbados internationally, and would make his international debut for Barbados in 2006.
- ^ Elliott was born in Wandsworth, England, but qualified to represent Jamaica internationally, and would make his international debut for Jamaica in October 2011.