# 2003–04 Watford F.C. season

During the 2003–04 English football season, Watford F.C. competed in the First Division.

## Season summary

The ongoing financial difficulties saw a large number of players released that summer, including record signing Allan Nielsen and strikers Tommy Smith and Gifton Noel-Williams. To make matters worse, Manchester United loanee Jimmy Davis was killed in a car crash on the opening day of the new campaign. This had a huge effect on the team's form at the beginning of the season, and notably on his close friend Danny Webber. But a strong finish to the season saw the club finish in mid-table.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 14 | Nottingham Forest | 46 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 61 | 58 | +3 | 60 |
| 15 | Preston North End | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 69 | 71 | −2 | 59 |
| 16 | Watford | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 54 | 68 | −14 | 57 |
| 17 | Rotherham United | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 53 | 61 | −8 | 54 |
| 18 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 57 | 66 | −9 | 53 |

## Results

Watford's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 16 August 2003 | Crystal Palace | A | 0–1 | 15,333 | |
| 23 August 2003 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 0–1 | 15,023 | |
| 25 August 2003 | Sunderland | A | 0–2 | 23,600 | |
| 30 August 2003 | Gillingham | H | 2–2 | 12,793 | Helguson, Webber |
| 13 September 2003 | Millwall | H | 3–1 | 11,305 | Dyer, Cox (pen), Young |
| 17 September 2003 | Derby County | A | 2–3 | 18,459 | Gayle, Young |
| 20 September 2003 | Wigan Athletic | A | 0–1 | 9,211 | |
| 27 September 2003 | Ipswich Town | H | 1–2 | 15,350 | Fitzgerald |
| 30 September 2003 | Burnley | H | 1–1 | 11,573 | Fitzgerald |
| 4 October 2003 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 1–0 | 7,055 | Webber |
| 14 October 2003 | Walsall | H | 1–1 | 12,231 | Baird (own goal) |
| 18 October 2003 | Bradford City | H | 1–0 | 12,399 | Fitzgerald |
| 21 October 2003 | Coventry City | H | 1–1 | 13,487 | Fitzgerald |
| 25 October 2003 | Wimbledon | A | 3–1 | 6,115 | Devlin, Webber, Fitzgerald |
| 28 October 2003 | Cardiff City | A | 0–3 | 14,011 | |
| 1 November 2003 | Rotherham United | H | 1–0 | 18,067 | Webber |
| 4 November 2003 | Preston North End | A | 1–2 | 11,152 | Webber |
| 8 November 2003 | Nottingham Forest | A | 1–1 | 21,229 | Cook |
| 15 November 2003 | Norwich City | A | 2–1 | 16,420 | Fitzgerald, Cox (pen) |
| 22 November 2003 | West Ham United | H | 0–0 | 20,950 | |
| 29 November 2003 | Reading | A | 1–2 | 14,521 | Cook |
| 6 December 2003 | Nottingham Forest | H | 1–1 | 14,988 | Fitzgerald |
| 13 December 2003 | Sheffield United | A | 2–2 | 18,637 | Smith, Helguson |
| 20 December 2003 | Stoke City | H | 1–3 | 13,732 | Helguson |
| 26 December 2003 | Gillingham | A | 0–1 | 8,971 | |
| 28 December 2003 | Cardiff City | H | 2–1 | 15,512 | Fitzgerald, Cook |
| 10 January 2004 | Coventry City | A | 0–0 | 12,226 | |
| 17 January 2004 | Crystal Palace | H | 1–5 | 15,017 | Helguson (pen) |
| 31 January 2004 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–3 | 23,958 | Fitzgerald |
| 7 February 2004 | Sunderland | H | 2–2 | 16,798 | Mahon, Cox (pen) |
| 14 February 2004 | Preston North End | H | 2–0 | 12,675 | Bouazza, Devlin |
| 21 February 2004 | Walsall | A | 1–0 | 6,684 | Cook |
| 28 February 2004 | Wimbledon | H | 4–0 | 15,323 | Cook, Cox (pen), Smith, Ardley |
| 3 March 2004 | Stoke City | A | 1–3 | 13,108 | Helguson |
| 9 March 2004 | Bradford City | A | 0–2 | 17,143 | |
| 13 March 2004 | Sheffield United | H | 0–2 | 13,861 | |
| 16 March 2004 | Derby County | H | 2–1 | 13,931 | Helguson, Mahon |
| 20 March 2004 | Ipswich Town | A | 1–4 | 23,524 | Fitzgerald |
| 27 March 2004 | Wigan Athletic | H | 1–1 | 13,382 | Helguson |
| 10 April 2004 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 2–1 | 18,041 | Hyde, Wright (own goal) |
| 12 April 2004 | Burnley | A | 3–2 | 11,413 | Devlin, Helguson, Cook |
| 17 April 2004 | Rotherham United | A | 1–1 | 7,221 | Dyer |
| 20 April 2004 | Millwall | A | 2–1 | 10,263 | Dyer, Cook |
| 24 April 2004 | Norwich City | H | 1–2 | 19,290 | Blizzard |
| 1 May 2004 | West Ham United | A | 0–4 | 34,685 | |
| 9 May 2004 | Reading | H | 1–0 | 17,979 | Young |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 3 January 2004 | Chelsea | H | 2–2 | 21,121 | Helguson, Mahon |
| R3R | 14 January 2004 | Chelsea | A | 0–4 | 38,763 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 | 12 August 2003 | Bournemouth | H | 1–0 | 9,561 | Fitzgerald |
| R2 | 23 September 2003 | Bristol City | A | 0–1 | 5,213 | |

## Players
### First-team squad

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 | ENG | Alec Chamberlain |
| 2 | MF | ENG | Neal Ardley |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Paul Mayo |
| 4 | MF | ENG | Paolo Vernazza |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Neil Cox |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Sean Dyche |
| 7 | FW | ENG | Bruce Dyer |
| 8 | MF | JAM | Micah Hyde |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Danny Webber |
| 12 | MF | ENG | Gavin Mahon |
| 13 | GK | ENG | Richard Lee |
| 14 | DF | ENG | Wayne Brown |
| 15 | DF | JAM | Marcus Gayle |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Anthony McNamee |
| 17 | MF | ENG | Jamie Hand |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 18 | FW | ISL | Heiðar Helguson |
| 19 | DF | ENG | Jerel Ifil |
| 20 | DF | ENG | Lloyd Doyley |
| 21 | FW | ENG | Scott Fitzgerald |
| 22 | MF | ENG | Lee Cook |
| 23 | MF | ENG | Gary Fisken |
| 24 | FW | TRI | Jason Norville |
| 25 | MF | SCO | Paul Devlin |
| 27 | MF | ENG | Ashley Young |
| 30 | GK | ENG | Lenny Pidgeley (on loan from Chelsea) |
| 31 | GK | ENG | Kevin Hitchcock |
| 33 | MF | ENG | Dominic Blizzard |
| 34 | DF | ENG | Jack Smith |
| 35 | FW | FRA | Hameur Bouazza |

### Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Paul Robinson (to West Bromwich Albion) |
| 10 | MF | AUS | Richard Johnson (to Colchester United) |
| 10 | DF | NIR | Chris Baird (on loan from Southampton) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Jimmy Davis (died) |
| 32 | DF | IRL | Stephen Kelly (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur) |