2003–04 Plymouth Argyle F.C. season

The 2003/04 football season saw Plymouth Argyle regain a place in the second tier of English football for the first time in twelve seasons, Along the way to capturing the Division Two championship they accumulated 90 league points, 21 clean sheets and a club record of seven straight clean sheets whilst also losing arguably the most successful manager in recent history in Paul Sturrock to Southampton F.C.

Plymouth Argyle
2003–04 season
ManagerPaul Sturrock August–March
Kevin Summerfield (caretaker) March–April
Bobby Williamson April onwards
Division Two1st
FA CupFirst Round
League CupFirst Round
Football League TrophySecond Round (South)
Top goalscorerDavid Friio (14 goals)
Highest home attendanceQueens Park Rangers (19,888)
Away: Sheffield Wednesday (20,090)
Lowest home attendanceWycombe Wanderers (4,298)
Away: Colchester United (2,367)
Biggest win7–0 Chesterfield (home)
Biggest defeat3–0 Queens Park Rangers (away)
3–0 Tranmere Rovers (away)
4–1 Oldham Athletic (away)

Current squad

As of 4 November 2014

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  FRA Romain Larrieu
2 DF  IRL David Worrell
3 MF  ENG Lee Hodges
4 MF  FRA David Friio
5 DF  IRL Graham Coughlan
6 MF  ENG Steve Adams
7 MF  ENG David Norris
8 MF  CAN Jason Bent
9 FW  ENG Michael Evans
10 FW  ENG Ian Stonebridge
11 MF  ENG Martin Phillips
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 DF  NIR Tony Capaldi
15 DF  ENG Paul Wotton (club-captain)
16 DF  ENG Hasney Aljofree
18 FW  ENG Nathan Lowndes
19 MF  SCO Marino Keith
21 MF  ENG David Beresford
21 FW  SCO Blair Sturrock
22 DF  ENG Paul Connolly
23 GK  ENG Luke McCormick
24 DF  ENG Peter Gilbert
25 DF  ENG Matt Villis

Last updated: 4 November 2014
Source:Greens on Screen

Pre-Season

Matches

28 July 2003 SV Bad Ischl 1–1 Plymouth Argyle
Beresford

Last updated: 5 November 2014
Source:Greens on Screen

Football League Division Two

Results By Round

Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546
GroundHAHAHAHAAHHAHAAHHAHAAHAHHAHAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAH
ResultDLWDDWWDDWLDWWWWDLWWWWWWWDWWLDLWWWDWWDDLWLLWWW
Position1117141615117985895211132221111111112211111111111111
Source: Statto
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches

9 August 2003 1 Plymouth Argyle 2–2 Grimsby Town Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Keith  32'
Coughlan  51'
Capaldi
Boulding  28'
Anderson  64'
Barnard
Cas
Attendance: 9,590
Referee: L Cable
16 August 2003 2 Rushden and Diamonds 2–1 Plymouth Argyle Nene Park, Irthlingborough
15:00 Lowe  54'
Jack  56'
Mills
Capaldi  77'
Friio
Attendance: 4,045
Referee: B Knight
23 August 2003 3 Plymouth Argyle 3–1 Stockport County Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Keith  21'
Hodges  23'
Bent  28'
Norris
Evans
Beckett  43'
Goodwin
Gibb
Attendance: 7,594
Referee: Eddie Ilderton
25 August 2003 4 Chesterfield 1–1 Plymouth Argyle Saltergate, Chesterfield
19:45 Brandon  50'
Mark Allott
Friio  66' Attendance: 4,089
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
30 August 2003 5 Plymouth Argyle 3–3 Brighton Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Coughlan  19'
Stonebridge  81'
Friio  89'
Wotton
Evans
Connolly (o.g.)
Butters  36'
Knight  73'
Roberts
Hart
Attendance: 9,289
Referee: M Fletcher
6 September 2003 6 Brentford 1–3 Plymouth Argyle Griffin Park, London
15:00 May  27'
Fieldwick
Roget  89'
Stonebridge  9'
Evans  58'  84'
Attendance: 5,688
Referee: Steve Tomlin
12 September 2003 7 Plymouth Argyle 2–1 Luton Town Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Evans  82'
Friio  90'
Wotton
McSheffrey  58'
Coyne
Showunmi
Attendance: 9,894
Referee: Anthony Bates
16 September 2003 8 Peterborough United 2–2 Plymouth Argyle London Road, Peterborough
19:45 Arber  pen' (27)
Clarke  81'
Legg
Shields
Wotton  pen' (10)
Capaldi  84'
Attendance: 4,183
Referee: R Pearson
20 September 2003 9 Wrexham 2–2 Plymouth Argyle Racecourse Ground, Wrexham
15:00 Lawrence  28'
Jones  Pen' (42)
Whitley
Edwards
Norris  31'
Capaldi  49'
Wotton
Attendance: 3,945
Referee: Michael Ryan
27 September 2003 10 Plymouth Argyle 2–0 Barnsley Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Coughlan  38'
Evans  75'
Gallimore
Fallon
Attendance: 8,695
Referee: Richard Beeby
27 September 2003 11 Plymouth Argyle 0–1 Bristol City Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Evans Peacock  27'
Butler
Lita
Attendance: 13,923
Referee: P Armstrong
4 October 2003 12 Wycombe Wanderers 0–0 Plymouth Argyle Adams Park, High Wycombe
15:00 Vinnicombe Attendance: 5,708
Referee: Mike Thorpe
11 October 2003 13 Plymouth Argyle 6–0 Tranmere Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Friio  7'
Wotton  38'
Gilbert  45'
Keith  49'
Evans  56'
Norris  79'
Gray
Taylor
Attendance: 7,610
Referee: Andre Marriner
18 October 2003 14 Port Vale 1–5 Plymouth Argyle Vale Park, Stoke-on-Trent
15:00 Keith  35'
Friio  38'  72'
Adams  45'
Wotton  46'
Burns Attendance: 5,786
Referee: Lee Probert
22 October 2003 15 Sheffield Wednesday 1–3 Plymouth Argyle Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield
19:45 Reddy  84'
Smith
Holt
Friio  22'  64'
Wotton  pen' (46)
Norris
Attendance: 20,090
Referee: G Laws
25 October 2003 16 Plymouth Argyle 1–0 Blackpool Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Keith  42'
Coughlan
Adams
Southern
Douglas  55'
Bullock
Attendance: 12,372
Referee: Steve Tanner
1 November 2003 17 Plymouth Argyle 2–2 Oldham Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Wotton  17'
Friio  43'
Evans  50'
Beharall  10'  63'
Sheridan  43'
Murray  76'
Attendance: 11,205
Referee: M Warren
15 November 2003 18 Queens Park Rangers 3–0 Plymouth Argyle Loftus Road, London
15:00 Gallen  35'  75'
Thorpe  72'
Bean
Attendance: 17,049
Referee: Trevor Parkes
22 November 2003 19 Plymouth Argyle 2–0 Hartlepool United Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Keith  45'
Lowndes  48'
Coughlan
Aljofree
Norris
Attendance: 9,000
Referee: Iain Williamson
29 November 2003 20 Colchester United 0–2 Plymouth Argyle Layer Road, Colchester
15:00 Capaldi  4'
Keith  11'
McCormick
Connolly
Gilbert
Hodges
Wotton
Attendance: 4,332
Referee: Kevin Wright
13 December 2003 21 Swindon Town 2–3 Plymouth Argyle County Ground (Swindon), Swindon
15:00 Fallon  80'
Parkin  90'
Robinson  90'
Capaldi  13'
Norris  76'
Keith  90'
Wotton
Attendance: 9,374
Referee: B Curson
20 December 2003 22 Plymouth Argyle 3–0 Notts County Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Lowndes  28'
Evans  79'  82'
Fenton
Bolland
Caskey
Attendance: 9,923
Referee: R Olivier
26 December 2003 23 Bournemouth 0–2 Plymouth Argyle Dean Court, Bournemouth
15:00 Feeney
Cummings
Wotton  22'
Norris  40'
Attendance: 8,901
Referee: Richard Beeby
28 December 2003 24 Plymouth Argyle 2–0 Brentford Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Capaldi  48'
Lowndes  63'
Connolly
Coughlan
Kitamirike
Roget  42'
Attendance: 17,882
Referee: P Prosser
3 January 2004 25 Plymouth Argyle 7–0 Chesterfield Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Hodges  4'
Capaldi  11'
Lowndes  12'  18'
Friio  15' 36' 88'
Davies Attendance: 13,109
Referee: Keith Hill
10 January 2004 26 Grimsby Town 0–0 Plymouth Argyle Blundell Park, Grimsby
15:00 Gilbert
Aljorfree
Friio
Hodges
Attendance: 5,007
Referee: Eddie Evans
17 January 2003 27 Plymouth Argyle 3–0 Rushden and Diamonds Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Coughlan  47'
Stonebridge  58'
Wotton  90'
Bignot  59' Attendance: 13,021
Referee: Clive Penton
24 January 2004 28 Stockport County 0–2 Plymouth Argyle Edgeley Park, Stockport
15:00 Friio  29'
Coughlan  62'
Gibb
Lambert
Attendance: 6,608
Referee: Paul Robindon
31 January 2004 29 Brighton 2–1 Plymouth Argyle Withdean Stadium, Brighton
15:00 Benjamin  12'
Knight  34'
Watson
Lowndes  88' Attendance: 6,379
Referee: Phil Joslin
7 February 2004 30 Plymouth Argyle 0–0 Bournemouth Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Capaldi Buxton
Cummings
Attendance: 13,371
Referee: B Knight
17 February 2004 31 Tranmere Rovers 3–0 Plymouth Argyle Prenton Park, Tranmere
19:45 Dadi  19'  52'
Hume  23'
Aljofree
Norris
Attendance: 7,948
Referee: M Cowburn
21 February 2004 32 Plymouth Argyle 2–1 Port Vale Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Phillips  80'
Stonebridge  90'
Capaldi
Aljofree
McPhee  53'
Pilkington
Paynter
Attendance: 13,371
Referee: B Knight
28 February 2004 33 Blackpool 0–1 Plymouth Argyle Bloomfield Road, Blackpool
15:00 Evans Stonebridge  54'
Adams
Aljofree
Attendance: 7,253
Referee: Scott Mathieson
6 March 2004 35 Notts County 0–0 Plymouth Argyle Meadow Lane, Nottingham
15:00 Keith Bolland
Scoffham
Attendance: 8,057
Referee: Nigel Miller
13 March 2004 36 Plymouth Argyle 2–1 Swindon Town Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Keith  11'
Evans  84'
Friio
Gurney  75'
Mooney  90'
Attendance: 16,080
Referee: P Walton
16 March 2004 37 Plymouth Argyle 2–0 Peterborough United Home Park, Plymouth
19:45 Lowndes  55'
Wotton  pen' (79)
Connolly
Arber Attendance: 13,110
Referee: Joe Ross
20 March 2004 38 Luton Town 1–1 Plymouth Argyle Kenilworth Road, Luton
15:00 Coyne  42'
Holmes
Howard
Nicholls  46'
Adams  90'
Friio
Attendance: 8,499
Referee: Graham Salisbury
27 March 2004 39 Plymouth Argyle 0–0 Wrexham Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Norris
Lowndes
Evans
Morgan  56'
Ferguson  90'
Attendance: 12,275
Referee: P Taylor
3 April 2004 40 Barnsley 1–0 Plymouth Argyle Oakwell, Barnsley
15:00 Birch  81'
Betsy
Neil
Shuker
Norris Attendance: 9,266
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
10 April 2004 41 Plymouth Argyle 2–1 Wycombe Wanderers Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Coughlan  39'
Evans  80'
Hodges
Tyson  5'
Nethercott
Attendance: 14,806
Referee: D R Crick
13 April 2004 42 Bristol City 1–0 Plymouth Argyle Ashton Gate, Bristol
19:45 Peacock  85'
Roberts
Doherty
Bent Attendance: 19,045
Referee: R Pearson
17 April 2004 43 Oldham Athletic 4–1 Plymouth Argyle Boundary Park, Oldham
15:00 Johnson  34' 61'
Owen  42'
Eyres  45'
Murray  67'
Wotton  51' 53' Attendance: 6,924
Referee: M Cowburn
1 May 2004 45 Hartlepool 1–3 Plymouth Argyle Victoria Park (Hartlepool)
15:00 Boyd  11'
Westwood
Williams
Hodges  12'
Lowndes  42'
Tinkler  og' (48)
Attendance: 7,437
Referee: Anthony Leake
8 May 2004 46 Plymouth Argyle 2–0 Colchester United Home Park, Plymouth
15:00 Friio  17'  62'
Norris  47'
Brown
Bowry
Attendance: 19,868
Referee: A R Hall

Last updated: 8 November 2014
Source:Soccerbase

FA Cup

Matches

8 November 2003 Round One Northampton 3–2 Plymouth Argyle Sixfields, Northampton
15:00 Walker  37'
Hargreaves  60'
Asamoah  83'
Sampson
Trollope
Friio  32'
Stonebridge  63'
Evans
Attendance: 4,385
Referee: L Cable

Last updated: 9 November 2014
Source:Soccerbase

League Cup

Matches

12 August 2003 Round One Colchester United 2–1 Plymouth Argyle Layer Road, Colchester
19:45 Fagan  22'
Pinault  40'
Brown
Stockley
Evans  24'
Gilbert
Capaldi
Keith
Attendance: 2,367
Referee: Joe Ross

Last updated: 9 November 2014
Source:Soccerbase

Football League Trophy

Matches

14 October 2003 Round One Plymouth Argyle 4–0 Bristol City Home Park, Plymouth
19:45 Keith  10'
Lowndes  45' 86'
Gilbert  55'
Capaldi
Butler
Doherty
Attendance: 4,927
Referee: D R Crick
4 November 2003 Round Two Plymouth Argyle 2–2 Wycombe Wanderers Home Park, Plymouth
19:45 Coughlan  22'
Evans  34'
McSporran  8' 15'
Johnson
Branston  90'
Attendance: 4,298
Referee: B Curson
Note: (Wycombe Win 4–2 On Penalties)

Last updated: 9 November 2014
Source:Soccerbase

Notable events

  • 22 October 2003: Plymouth Argyle defeat Sheffield Wednesday 3–1 at Hillsborough to go top of Division Two.
  • 24 October 2003: Argyle receive performance of the week award for their 5–1 victory over Port Vale.
  • 1 November 2003: Paul Sturrock named Division Two Manager of the Month for October.
  • 6 November 2003: David Friio announced as Division Two player of the month for October.
  • 23 December 2003: Paul Sturrock signs a four and a half year contract with Argyle.
  • 26 December 2003: Paul Wotton scores Argyle's 5000th League goal in a 2–0 victory over A.F.C. Bournemouth. Plymouth Argyle become the first League side to score 50 goals in that season.
  • 2 January 2004: Paul Sturrock named Division Two Manager of the Month for December.
  • 3 January 2004: David Friio scores the first hat-trick for Argyle since Paul McGregor in March 2000.
  • 6 January 2004: Paul Sturrock named as winner of the second quarter of the League managers Association's Tissot Managers' Performance League.
  • 17 January 2004: Billy Rafferty and Paul Mariner make a guest appearance at Home Park. Argyle played Rushden & Diamonds on that day and won 3–0.
  • 5 February 2004: Graham Coughlan announced as Division Two player of the month for January.
  • 19 February 2004: The club's first retail outlet in Plymouth city centre opens. The club also unveils next season's away kit – the first to be voted for by fans.
  • 2 March 2004: Plymouth Argyle complete the second "double" over Sheffield Wednesday in their history, by beating them for a second time in the season. Argyle won the match 2–0.
  • 3 March 2004: Paul Sturrock agrees personal terms to take over as Southampton manager.
  • 4 March 2004: Sturrock is unveiled by Southampton as their new manager at a press conference.
  • 17 March 2004: The club announces that next year's away kit will be white, instead of tangerine, due to supporter demands.
  • 27 March 2004: One hundred former Argyle players returned to Home Park for the game against Wrexham.
  • 31 March 2004: Tony Capaldi becomes the first Plymouth Argyle player to win a cap for a home nation since Dave Phillips (Wales) in 1984. Capaldi plays for Northern Ireland.
  • 10 April 2004: It becomes mathematically certain that Plymouth Argyle will achieve promotion or a play-off place, following a 2–1 win over Wycombe Wanderers.
  • 20 April 2004: Bobby Williamson is unveiled as the permanent successor to Paul Sturrock, following much speculation about the managerial vacancy.
  • 24 April 2004: A 2–0 win over Queens Park Rangers hands Argyle both promotion and the Division Two title.
  • 6 May 2004: Graham Coughlan is named as the Division Two player of the season.
  • 8 May 2004: Mickey Evans is announced as the club's player of the season and Luke McCormick as the most promising player as decided by fans. Plymouth Argyle are presented with the Division Two trophy after their 2–0 win over Colchester United
  • 17 May 2004: Paul Sturrock is named as the Division Two manager of the season for his efforts at Argyle.
  • 21 May 2004: The club holds its centenary ball to celebrate the previous season. The Plymouth Argyle team of the century, decided by supporters, is announced.

Transfers

Out

Date Player Transfer To Fee
12 September 2003Brian McGlincheyThree month loanTorquay United-
24 September 2003Joe BroadSaleTorquay UnitedFree
2 October 2003David BeresfordOne month loanMacclesfield Town-
4 November 2003David BeresfordSaleTranmere RoversFree
9 January 2004Jani VianderSaleBrentfordFree
13 January 2004Brian McGlincheySaleTorquay UnitedFree
1 June 2004Martin PhillipsRelease--
1 June 2004Jason BentRelease--
1 June 2004Eugene KangulunguRelease--
1 June 2004Wayne O'SullivanRelease--
6 July 2004Matthew VillisSeason loanTorquay United-
30 July 2004Ian StonebridgeSaleWycombe WanderersFree

References

[1]

  1. "2003/04 Championship Season". Greens On Screen. Greens On Screen. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
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