Wikipedia

2003–04 Gillingham F.C. season

During the 2003–04 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League First Division, the second tier of the English football league system. It was the 72nd season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 54th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. It was Gillingham's fourth consecutive season in the second tier of the English league system, to which the club had gained promotion for the first time in 2000.

Gillingham
2003–04 season
ChairmanPaul Scally
ManagerAndy Hessenthaler
First Division21st
FA CupFourth round
League CupThird round
Top goalscorerLeague: Patrick Agyemang (6)
All: Patrick Agyemang, Paul Shaw,
Mamady Sidibé, Danny Spiller (all 6)
Highest home attendancetbc
Lowest home attendancetbc

Gillingham's results in the first half of the league season were inconsistent; a run of four consecutive defeats in September and October left the team in 20th place in the First Division league table, only two positions above the bottom three places in the 24-team league table which would result in relegation to the Second Division at the end of the season. The team's final two games of 2003 both resulted in victories, the first time Gillingham had won two consecutive league games during the season, leaving them 15th at the end of the calendar year. Poorer results in the second half of the season, including a run of seven games in only one of which the team scored a goal, meant that Gillingham again slipped close to the foot of the table. Going into the final match of the campaign, Gillingham could still finish in the relegation places, but a goalless draw with Stoke City meant that they ended the season in 21st place, level on points with 22nd-placed Walsall but above them due to a slightly superior goal difference.

Gillingham also competed in two knock-out tournaments. In the FA Cup, they defeated Charlton Athletic of the top-tier FA Premier League in the third round before being eliminated in the fourth round. They were eliminated from the Football League Cup in the third round. Gillingham played 51 competitive matches, winning 17, drawing 9, and losing 25. Patrick Agyemang, Paul Shaw, Mamady Sidibé, and Danny Spiller tied as the team's top goalscorer with six goals each, the lowest figure with which a player had finished the season as Gillingham's top scorer in the club's time in the Football League. Sidibé made the most appearances, playing 45 times. The highest attendance recorded at the club's home ground, Priestfield Stadium, was 11,418 for a league match against West Ham United on 20 September.

Background and pre-season

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The 2003–04 season was Gillingham's 72nd season playing in the Football League and the 54th since the club was elected back into the League in 1950 after being voted out in 1938.[1] In the 1999–2000 season, Gillingham beat Wigan Athletic in the Second Division play-off final to reach the second tier of the English football league system for the first time in the club's history.[2] In the team's first season at this level, Gillingham were seen by pundits as likely to struggle in the First Division and potentially finish 22nd or lower out of 24 teams in the league table, which would result in relegation back to the third tier,[3][4][5] but instead the team finished in 13th place.[5] The following season, they bettered this performance, finishing in 12th place,[6] and in the 2002–03 season they finished 11th,[7][8] meaning that Gillingham had improved their final league placing for eight consecutive seasons.[9]

 
Ian Cox joined Gillingham ahead of the new season.

Andy Hessenthaler was the team's player-manager, a position he had held since 2000.[10] Wayne Jones held the post of coach.[11] Four players left the club prior to the new season. Guy Ipoua was released,[12] and Roland Edge left when he and the club could not agree on the terms of a new contract.[13] Simon Osborn joined Walsall even though Hessenthaler was led to believe he had agreed a new contract; the manager was quoted on the club's website as saying ""Everyone knows I was keen to keep Simon. I thought a deal had been done and dusted. It is a major blow [...] These things happen and Simon goes with my best wishes, although I am disappointed."[14] Ty Gooden, who had played a major role in the club's promotion in 2000 but missed the whole of the 2002–03 season due to injury, opted to retire from professional football.[15] Gillingham signed two new players on free transfers, both defenders: John Hills from Blackpool and Ian Cox from Burnley.[16] Writing in the matchday programme for Gillingham's first home game of the season, Hessenthaler said that his aim was for the team to finish in the top six places in the division, which would qualify them for the play-offs for promotion to the FA Premier League.[17]

Ahead of the 2003–04 season it was announced that the team's first-choice kit for the coming campaign would include white shirts rather than the blue which Gillingham had worn for more than 60 years; blue shirts, with the addition of black hoops, would instead form part of the second-choice kit, which would only be worn for those away matches where there was a clash of colours with the home team.[18] The move prompted anger from fans at the break with tradition and a protest outside the club's stadium was organised.[19][20] The Gills Independent Supporters' Club urged fans to refuse to buy replicas of the white shirt and some supporters sent abusive messages to the club's primary sponsor, the ferry operator SeaFrance, which they believed had been influential in the decision.[21][20] The club's chairman, Paul Scally, initially attempted to defuse the situation by saying that the first-choice kit would be that of which more replicas were sold in the club shop ahead of the season; a week later he stated that the blue and black kit would be used as first-choice, saying "I think it is time to draw a line under this issue. Personally, I still prefer the white kit, as do most of the players and staff at the club who have seen it, but the blue and black hoops are attractive too so I am perfectly happy with the choice."[21] Significant redevelopment took place at the club's home ground, Priestfield Stadium, during the close season as the terrace at the Town End was demolished with the intention of a new all-seated stand being built in its place.[22] Financial issues, however, meant that the work had to be postponed and an uncovered temporary stand was erected as an interim measure. More than 20 years later, the new stand has never been built and the temporary facility remains in place.[23]

First Division

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August–December

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Marlon King left the club in November.

Gillingham's first game of the season was away to Sheffield United, who in the previous season had been defeated in the final of the play-offs.[24] Cox and Hills both made their debut for Gillingham in a game which finished 0–0;[25] Gillingham's first league game of the season at Priestfield, against Derby County also ended goalless.[26] The team's first league win of the season came on 23 August away to Bradford City; Chris Hope scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory.[27] Marlon King, who had been Gillingham's top goalscorer in both the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons[28] but missed most of the 2002–03 campaign due to a spell in prison and a serious injury,[29][30] made his first appearance for the team since January.[27] Two days later, Gillingham played at home to Burnley, who were in 24th place in the table having lost every league game of the season so far, but were defeated 3–0.[31][32] After a 2–2 draw away to Watford,[26] Gillingham scored at Priestfield for the first time during the season against Millwall on 6 September. Millwall were twice in the lead before late goals from King and Nyron Nosworthy gave Gillingham a 4–3 victory.[33] Vince Bartram, playing his first game of the season for Gillingham in place of regular goalkeeper Jason Brown,[34] suffered an injury which would ultimately end his playing career; unusually he was injured when he collided with Millwall's goalkeeper, who had joined his team's attack in a desperate attempt to score a last-minute equaliser.[35][36] In their next game, Gillingham were heavily defeated by Cardiff City, who scored four goals in the first half on their way to a 5–0 victory. Hessenthaler, managing on the sidelines, was ejected from the technical area for arguing with the referee but immediately brought himself onto the field of play as a substitute.[37][38]

Gillingham were defeated for the third consecutive game on 14 October, losing 2–1 away to Reading.[26] Marlon King scored what would prove to be the final goal of his Gillingham career;[26] the highly-rated 23-year-old forward would join Nottingham Forest in late November for a transfer fee reported at £950,000.[39]

At the end of 2003, Gillingham were in 15th place in the First Division league table.[40]

January–May

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Patrick Agyemang joined Gillingham in January.

Gillingham's first league game of 2004 was also the team's second match of the season to be broadcast on television.[41] Paul Peschisolido scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 win at Priestfield for promotion-chasing Sheffield United.[42] Darius Henderson, a forward signed from Reading, made his first start, replacing Paul Shaw, who would complete a transfer to Sheffield United days later for a fee of £750,000. Gillingham lost 2–1 away to Derby County on 17 January, finishing the game with only nine players after both Hills and Cox were sent off.[43] Patrick Agyemang, another new forward, made his debut in the game having joined Gillingham from Wimbledon.[44][45] In the team's next league match Agyemang scored the only goal of the game as Gillingham beat Bradford City to secure their first league win of 2004 and end January in 16th place in the league table.[26][46] Gillingham lost 1–0 to Burnley in their first game of February; Henderson, in only his sixth match since joining the club, sustained an injury which would result in him missing the remainder of the season. The game was the first in a run of seven matches in only one of which Gillingham scored a goal.[26] Rod Wallace replaced Henderson in the 0–0 draw with Reading, his first appearance in the starting line-up since November.

Heading into the final match of the season, away to Stoke City, Gillingham were in 21st place and could still be relegated depending on their own result and that achieved by 22nd-placed Walsall.[47][48] Tony Pulis, Stoke's manager, had held the same position at Gillingham until 1999 when he was dismissed for gross misconduct, leading to a lengthy and acrimonious legal dispute with Gillingham's chairman, Paul Scally.[49][50] In his column in the matchday programme, Pulis offered "the warmest of welcomes to almost everyone from my old club".[9] With news reaching the stadium during the second half that Walsall were winning, Gillingham knew that they needed to avoid defeat to finish above them in the final league table; they adopted a defensive strategy for the remainder of the game and secured a 0–0 draw.[51] The result meant that both Gillingham and Walsall finished the season with 51 points but Gillingham finished in 21st place, avoiding relegation, as their goal difference of -19 was one better than Walsall's -20.[52][53]

League match details

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Key

  • In result column, Gillingham's score shown first
  • H = Home match
  • A = Away match
Results[26]
Date Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance
9 August 2003 Sheffield United (A) 0–0 21,569
16 August 2003 Derby County (H) 0–0 7,850
23 August 2003 Bradford City (A) 1–0 Hope 10,317
25 August 2003 Burnley (H) 0–3 7,645
30 August 2003 Watford (A) 2–2 Shaw, Spiller 12,793
6 September 2003 Millwall (H) 4–3 Sidibé, Shaw, King, Nosworthy 8,237
13 September 2003 Cardiff City (A) 0–5 15,057
16 September 2003 Norwich City (H) 1–2 King 8,022
20 September 2003 West Ham United (H) 2–0 King, Benjamin 11,418
27 September 2003 Rotherham United (A) 1–1 Spiller 5,501
29 September 2003 Walsall (A) 1–2 Brown 6,395
4 October 2003 West Bromwich Albion (H) 0–2 8,883
14 October 2003 Reading (A) 1–2 King 13,011
18 October 2003 Wigan Athletic (A) 0–1 6,696
25 October 2003 Crystal Palace (H) 1–0 Perpetuini 8,889
1 November 2003 Ipswich Town (A) 4–3 Wallace, Sidibé, Shaw, Saunders 24,788
4 November 2003 Sunderland (H) 1–3 Shaw 9,066
8 November 2003 Crewe Alexandra (H) 2–0 Shaw, Spiller 6,923
15 November 2003 Wimbledon (H) 1–2 Nosworthy 9,041
22 November 2003 Coventry City (A) 2–2 T. Johnson (2) 13,432
29 November 2003 Stoke City (H) 3–1 Shaw, Hope, Sidibé 7,888
6 December 2003 Crewe Alexandra (A) 1–1 Perpetuini 6,271
13 December 2003 Preston North End (H) 0–1 7,602
26 December 2003 Watford (H) 1–0 Hills (pen.) 8,971
28 December 2003 Millwall (A) 2–1 Hessenthaler, James 12,084
10 January 2004 Sheffield United (H) 0–3 8,353
17 January 2004 Derby County (A) 1–2 T. Johnson 20,473
31 January 2004 Bradford City (H) 1–0 Agyemang 7,836
7 February 2004 Burnley (A) 0–1 10,400
21 February 2004 Reading (H) 0–1 8,600
25 February 2004 Nottingham Forest (A) 0–0 26,473
28 February 2004 Crystal Palace (A) 0–1 17,485
6 March 2004 Nottingham Forest (H) 2–1 Agyemang, Spiller 9,096
13 March 2004 Preston North End (A) 0–0 13,111
16 March 2004 Norwich City (A) 0–3 23,198
20 March 2004 Rotherham United (H) 2–0 Ashby, Sidibé 8,047
23 March 2004 Sunderland (A) 1–2 Agyemang 23,262
27 March 2004 West Ham United (A) 1–2 Spiller 34,551
3 April 2004 Cardiff City (H) 1–2 Hope 7,852
6 April 2004 Wigan Athletic (H) 0–3 7,410
10 April 2004 West Bromwich Albion (A) 0–1 24,524
12 April 2004 Walsall (H) 3–0 Agyemang (2), Spiller 8,244
17 April 2004 Ipswich Town (H) 1–2 Hills (pen.) 9,641
24 April 2004 Wimbledon (A) 2–1 Hessenthaler, Agyemang 5,049
1 May 2004 Coventry City (H) 2–5 Wales, Sidibé 10,388
9 May 2004 Stoke City (A) 0–0 19,240

Partial league table

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Main article: 2003–04 Football League First Division
Football League First Division final table, bottom positions[52][54]
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
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 Relegated
23 Bradford City 46 10 6 30 38 69 −31 36
24 Wimbledon 46 8 5 33 41 89 −48 29

Cup matches

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FA Cup

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As a First Division club, Gillingham entered the 2003–04 FA Cup at the third round stage in January; their opponents were Charlton Athletic,[55] who were in fourth place in the top-tier FA Premier League.[56] Bertrand Bossu made only his second start in goal, as the terms of Nico Vaesen's loan from Birmingham City did not allow him to play in the game.[56] Charlton took the lead after less than a minute when Cox scored an own goal, but Gillingham scored three goals before the half-time interval. In the second half, Bossu, whose overall performance was described by BBC Sport as "nervy", made three saves during a single Charlton attack and, although Charlton scored a late goal, Gillingham held on for a 3–2 victory which BBC Sport deemed a shock result.[57] Hessenthaler told the press "We deserved to win and made Charlton look poor" and Charlton's manager Alan Curbishley said "Gillingham deserved their win because they were hungrier, more aggressive and played better than us".[56]

In the fourth round, Gillingham played fellow First Division team Burnley.

FA Cup match details

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Key

  • In result column, Gillingham's score shown first
  • H = Home match
  • A = Away match
Results[58]
Date Round Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance

Football League Cup

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As a First Division team, Gillingham entered the 2003–04 Football League Cup in the first round; their opponents were Cambridge United of the Third Division.[59]

League Cup match details

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Key

  • In result column, Gillingham's score shown first
  • H = Home match
  • A = Away match
Results[60]
Date Round Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance

Players

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Lars Hirschfeld was one of six goalkeepers used by the team during the course of the season.
 
Gary Wales played six games and scored one goal.

Twenty players scored at least goal for the team during the season. Patrick Agyemang, Paul Shaw, Mamady Sidibé, and Spiller were tied as the team's top goalscorer with six goals each; this was the lowest figure with which a player had finished a season as Gillingham's top scorer in the club's time in the Football League.[61] Spiller won all available "Player of the Season" trophies at the club's end-of-season awards night.[62]

Player statistics[63]
No. Player Position First Division FA Cup League Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1 Vince Bartram GK 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
1[a] Banks,Steve GK 13 0 0 0 0 0 13 0
2 Nyron Nosworthy DF 27 2 2 0 3 1 32 3
3 John Hills DF 29 2 2 0 3 1 34 3
4 Smith,Paul MF 33 0 2 1 2 0 37 1
5 Barry Ashby DF 23 1 1 0 2 0 26 1
6 Ian Cox DF 33 0 1 0 3 0 37 0
7 Nicky Southall MF 35 0 1 0 2 0 38 0
8 Andy Hessenthaler MF 36 2 1 0 2 0 39 2
9 Marlon King FW 11 4 0 0 2 1 13 5
9[a] Darius Henderson FW 4 0 2 1 0 0 6 1
10 Shaw,Paul FW 21 6 1 0 2 0 24 6
10[a] Patrick Agyemang FW 20 6 0 0 0 0 20 6
11 Johnson,Tommy FW 15 3 2 1 2 0 19 4
12 Bertrand Bossu GK 4 0 2 0 0 0 6 0
13 Brown,Jason GK 22 0 0 0 3 0 25 0
14 Johnson,Leon DF 20 0 1 0 0 0 21 0
15 Saunders,Mark MF 21 1 0 0 2 1 23 2
16 Rose,Richard DF 17 0 0 0 0 0 17 0
17 Crofts,Andrew MF 8 0 0 0 1 0 9 0
18 Hope,Chris DF 37 3 2 0 3 0 42 3
19 Wallace,Rod FW 14 1 0 0 1 0 15 1
20 James,Kevin 17 1 1 0 1 0 19 1
21 Brown,Wayne 4 1 0 0 0 0 4 1
21[a] Jarvis,Matt MF 10 0 1 0 0 0 11 0
22 Danny Spiller MF 39 6 2 0 2 0 43 6
23 Benjamin,Trevor FW 4 1 0 0 0 0 4 1
25 Alan Pouton MF 19 0 1 0 0 0 20 0
26 David Perpetuini MF 20 2 0 0 2 0 22 2
29 Mamady Sidibé FW 41 5 1 1 3 0 45 6
30 Nico Vaesen GK 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
30[a] Lars Hirschfeld GK 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
34 Gary Wales FW 6 1 0 0 0 0 6 1

FW = Forward, MF = Midfielder, GK = Goalkeeper, DF = Defender

a. ^ Player was allocated a squad number which had been worn earlier in the season by a player who had since left the club.

Aftermath

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Gillingham again struggled in the 2004–05 season in the renamed Football League Championship.[64][65] Hessenthaler resigned as manager in November 2004 with the team near the bottom of the league table,[65] and at the end of the season Gillingham were relegated, ending a five-season spell in the division.[66] In a reversal of fortune from the conclusion of the 2003–04 season, Gillingham finished in 22nd place, level on points with 21st-placed Crewe Alexandra but with a goal difference which was one worse than Crewe's.[67][68] As of 2024, Gillingham have never returned to the second tier of English football.[69]

References

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  66. ^ Froston, Nancy (22 September 2023). "Gillingham's U.S. takeover has brought real and rapid change – 'English clubs are special'". The Athletic. Archived from the original on 30 May 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
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Works cited

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