During the 2003–04 English football season, Crystal Palace competed in the Football League First Division.

Season summary Crystal Palace started the season on the right foot, winning their first three games to top the table, but that was as good as it got under manager Steve Kember and, after a 5–0 defeat at newly promoted Wigan Athletic in November saw the club in 20th place, Kember was sacked (chairman Simon Jordan had previously declared that Kember would have a "job for life" at Palace). Kit Symons stepped up as caretaker until Northern Irishman and former Palace striker Iain Dowie was appointed. Under Dowie, Palace rocketed up the table to reach the play-offs. After beating Sunderland on penalties in the semi-final to reach the Millennium Stadium, they beat West Ham United to regain promotion to the Premiership.

Crucial to Palace's promotion was striker Andy Johnson, who scored 28 times in the league alone. He finished as the First Division's top scorer, and was voted as the club's Player of the Year.

Kit English company Admiral Sportswear became Palace's kit manufacturers. The new home kit retained the navy shorts worn last season, albeit with a new blue and red striped design along the sides, and the navy socks, which now featured white trim. Palace's traditional blue and red striped shirts were modified with navy trim on the sleeves.

Churchill Insurance remained the kit sponsors for the fourth consecutive season.

Final league table

Results Crystal Palace's score comes first

Legend WinDrawLoss

Football League First Division DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 9 August 2003 BurnleyA3–212,976Freedman (3, 1 pen) 16 August 2003 WatfordH1–015,333Shipperley 23 August 2003 WimbledonA3–16,113Butterfield, Freedman (pen), Hughes 26 August 2003 Sheffield UnitedH1–215,466Johnson 30 August 2003 MillwallA1–114,425Watson 13 September 2003 SunderlandA1–227,324Johnson 16 September 2003 Bradford CityH0–113,514 20 September 2003 West Bromwich AlbionH2–217,477Freedman, Johnson 27 September 2003 Norwich CityA1–216,425Derry 1 October 2003 West Ham UnitedA0–331,861 4 October 2003 Cardiff CityH2–116,160Routledge, Shipperley 14 October 2003 Derby CountyH1–114,344Butterfield 18 October 2003 Rotherham UnitedH1–118,715Freedman 21 October 2003 Ipswich TownH3–415,483Johnson, Freedman (2, 1 pen) 25 October 2003 GillinghamA0–18,889 1 November 2003 Wigan AthleticA0–56,796 8 November 2003 Preston North EndH1–114,608Johnson 22 November 2003 WalsallA0–06,910 25 November 2003 Stoke CityA1–010,277Johnson 29 November 2003 Coventry CityH1–114,622Edwards 6 December 2003 Preston North EndA1–412,836Derry 9 December 2003 Crewe AlexandraH1–312,259Butterfield 13 December 2003 Nottingham ForestH1–016,935Johnson 20 December 2003 ReadingA3–012,743Johnson (2), Routledge 26 December 2003 MillwallH0–119,737 28 December 2003 Ipswich TownA3–127,629Johnson, Gray 10 January 2004 BurnleyH0–015,276 17 January 2004 WatfordA5–115,017Johnson (2, 1 pen), Routledge, Gray, Freedman 24 January 2004 Bradford CityA2–110,310Johnson, Shipperley 31 January 2004 WimbledonH3–120,552Johnson (2), Granville 7 February 2004 Sheffield UnitedA3–023,816Johnson, Popovic, Shipperley 14 February 2004 Stoke CityH6–316,715Johnson (3, 2 pens), Hughes, Shipperley, Routledge 21 February 2004 Derby CountyA1–221,856Hughes 28 February 2004 GillinghamH1–017,485Butterfield 6 March 2004 ReadingH2–217,853Freedman, Johnson 13 March 2004 Nottingham ForestA2–328,306Shipperley, Granville 20 March 2004 Norwich CityH1–023,798Routledge 27 March 2004 West Bromwich AlbionA0–224,990 6 April 2004 Rotherham UnitedA2–16,001Gray, Shipperley 10 April 2004 Cardiff CityA2–016,656Johnson, Routledge 12 April 2004 West Ham UnitedH1–023,977Freedman 17 April 2004 Wigan AthleticH1–118,799Granville 21 April 2004 SunderlandH3–018,291Johnson (pen), Shipperley, Freedman 24 April 2004 Crewe AlexandraA3–28,136Johnson (3, 1 pen) 1 May 2004 WalsallH1–021,518Johnson 9 May 2004 Coventry CityA1–222,195Freedman

First Division play-offs +RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersSF 1st Leg14 May 2004 SunderlandH3–225,287Shipperley, Butterfield, JohnsonSF 2nd Leg17 May 2004 SunderlandA1–2 (won 5–4 on pens)34,536PowellF29 May 2004 West Ham UnitedN1–072,523Shipperley

FA Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR33 January 2004 Tottenham HotspurA0–332,340

League Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR112 August 2003 Torquay UnitedA1–1 (won 3–1 on pens)3,366FreedmanR223 September 2003 Doncaster RoversH2–14,904Johnson (2 pens)R328 October 2003 BlackpoolA3–16,010Johnson (2), FreedmanR43 December 2003 Aston VillaA0–324,258

Players First-team squad

Left club during season

Notes

References