2003–04 Crystal Palace F.C. season

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.

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Crystal_Palace/Crystal_Palace.htm|title=Crystal Palace - Historical Football Kits|website=www.historicalkits.co.uk|access-date=1 October 2018}}

{{main|2003–04 Football League First Division}}

{{:2003–04 Football League First Division|only_totals=y|showteam=CRY}}

Crystal Palace's score comes first

{{Main|2003–04 FA Cup}}

{{Main|2003–04 Football League Cup}}

{{Cite web|url=http://www.footballsquads.co.uk/eng/2003-2004/d1/cpalace.htm|title=FootballSquads - Crystal Palace - 2003/04}}

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{{Fs player|no=2|nat=IRL|pos=DF|name=Curtis FlemingFleming was born in Manchester, England.}}

{{Fs player|no=3|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Danny Granville}}

{{Fs player|no=4|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Danny Butterfield}}

{{Fs player|no=5|nat=WAL|pos=DF|name=Kit SymonsSymons was born in Basingstoke, England, but also qualified to represent Wales internationally through his father and made his international debut for Wales in February 1992.}}

{{Fs player|no=6|nat=AUS|pos=DF|name=Tony Popovic}}

{{Fs player|no=8|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Andy Johnson}}

{{Fs player|no=9|nat=SCO|pos=FW|name=Dougie Freedman}}

{{Fs player|no=10|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Shaun Derry}}

{{Fs player|no=11|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Neil Shipperley}}

{{Fs player|no=12|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Jamie Smith}}

{{Fs player|no=13|nat=FRA|pos=GK|name=Cédric Berthelin}}

{{Fs player|no=14|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Ben Watson}}

{{Fs player|no=15|nat=FIN|pos=MF|name=Aki Riihilahti}}

{{Fs player|no=16|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Tommy Black}}

{{fs mid}}

{{Fs player|no=17|nat=NIR|pos=MF|name=Michael Hughes}}

{{Fs player|no=18|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Gary Borrowdale}}

{{Fs player|no=20|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Mark Hudson|other=on loan from Fulham}}

{{Fs player|no=21|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Julian Gray}}

{{Fs player|no=22|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Wayne Routledge}}

{{Fs player|no=23|nat=WAL|pos=FW|name=Gareth WilliamsWilliams was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, but also qualified to represent Wales internationally and represented them at U-21 level.}}

{{Fs player|no=24|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Mikele LeigertwoodLeigertwood was born in Enfield, England, but qualified to represent Antigua and Barbuda internationally and would make his international debut for Antigua and Barbuda in November 2008.}}

{{Fs player|no=26|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Ben Surey}}

{{Fs player|no=27|nat=BEL|pos=GK|name=Nico Vaesen|other=on loan from Birmingham City}}

{{Fs player|no=28|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Tom Soares}}

{{Fs player|no=29|nat=MRI|pos=MF|name=Gavin HeerooHeeroo was born in Haringey, England, but qualified to represent Mauritius internationally and made his international debut for Mauritius in 2002.}}

{{Fs player|no=30|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Lance Cronin}}

{{Fs player|no=32|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Darren Powell}}

{{Fs player|no=36|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Tariq Nabil}}

{{Fs end}}

{{Fs start}}

{{Fs player|no=1|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Matt Clarke|other=retired}}

{{Fs player|no=7|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Hayden Mullins|other=to West Ham United}}

{{Fs player|no=19|nat=WAL|pos=DF|name=Rob EdwardsEdwards was born in Madeley, England, but qualified to represent Wales internationally and made his international debut for Wales in March 2003.|other=on loan from Aston Villa}}

{{Fs mid}}

{{Fs player|no=25|nat=NOR|pos=GK|name=Thomas Myhre|other=on loan from Sunderland}}

{{Fs player|no=31|nat=NGA|pos=FW|name=Ade AkinbiyiAkinbiyi was born in Hackney, England, but also qualified to represent Nigeria internationally through his parents and made his international debut for Nigeria in 1999.|other=to Stoke City}}

{{Fs end}}

{{reflist|group=notes}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Crystal Palace F.C. seasons}}

{{2003–04 in English football}}

2003-04

Crystal Palace