# 2003–04 AFC Bournemouth season

The 2003-04 AFC Bournemouth season was the club's first season back in the English Second Division following promotion the previous year. During the 2003–04 English football season, Bournemouth participated in Division Two, the LDV Vans Trophy, the FA Cup, and the Football League Cup. Bournemouth finished 9th in Division Two and were eliminated from the FA Cup in the Second Round. Both the LDV Vans Trophy and League Cup were exited in the First Round. James Hayter scored the fastest league hattrick of all time when he scored three goals in 140 seconds during a 6–0 win over Wrexham.

## Season 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 | Neil Moss |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Neil Young |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Stephen Purches |
| 4 | MF | WAL | Marcus Browning |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Karl Broadhurst |
| 6 | DF | IRL | Shaun Maher |
| 7 | DF | WAL | Carl Fletcher |
| 8 | MF | WAL | Brian Stock |
| 9 | FW | NIR | Warren Feeney |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Steve Fletcher |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Wade Elliott |
| 12 | MF | IRL | Garreth O'Connor |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 13 | GK | ENG | Gareth Stewart |
| 14 | FW | ENG | James Hayter |
| 15 | MF | ENG | James Coutts |
| 16 | FW | SCO | Derek Holmes |
| 17 | FW | ENG | Alan Connell |
| 18 | DF | ENG | Jason Tindall |
| 21 | GK | ENG | Kevin Scriven |
| 24 | DF | ENG | Stephen Cooke (on loan from Aston Villa) |
| 26 | DF | ENG | Lewis Buxton (on loan from Portsmouth) |
| 28 | DF | SCO | Warren Cummings |
| 30 | MF | FRO | Claus Jørgensen (on loan from Coventry City) |

### 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 |
| 29 | FW | ENG | Matthew Robinson (Released) |
| 22 | MF | ENG | Danny Thomas (joined Boston United on 19 March 2004) |
| 23 | MF | POR | Diogo Andrade (released) |
| 25 | FW | RSA | Gareth Williams (on loan from Crystal Palace) |

## Competitions
### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Results

| Game | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| 1 | 9 August 2003 | Port Vale | Vale Park | 1–2 | 6,465 | Hayter 73' |
| 2 | 16 August 2003 | Barnsley | Dean Court | 2–2 | 5,960 | S. Fletcher 27' 39' |
| 3 | 23 August 2003 | Queens Park Rangers | Loftus Road | 0–1 | 13,065 | |
| 4 | 25 August 2003 | Swindon Town | Dean Court | 2-2 | 6,606 | Maher 21' Hayter 61' |
| 5 | 30 August 2003 | Wrexham | Racecourse Ground | 1–0 | 4,929 | Purches 8' |
| 6 | 6 September 2003 | Bristol City | Dean Court | 0–0 | 6,756 | |
| 7 | 13 September 2003 | Blackpool | Bloomfield Road | 2–1 | 5,607 | Purches 49' Broadhurst 51' |
| 8 | 16 September 2003 | Sheffield Wednesday | Dean Court | 1–0 | 8,219 | Elliott 90' |
| 9 | 20 September 2003 | Rushden & Diamonds | Dean Court | 2–1 | 6,464 | Feeney 69' 71' |
| 10 | 27 September 2003 | Colchester United | Layer Road | 0–1 | 3,602 | |
| 11 | 30 September 2003 | Chesterfield | Saltergate | 1–1 | 3,131 | S. Fletcher 80' |
| 12 | 4 October 2003 | Hartlepool United | Dean Court | 2–2 | 6,342 | Holmes 79' Feeney 81' |
| 13 | 11 October 2003 | Notts County | Meadow Lane | 1–0 | 4,419 | S. Fletcher 54' |
| 14 | 18 October 2003 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Dean Court | 1–0 | 7,908 | Feeney 15' |
| 15 | 21 October 2003 | Luton Town | Dean Court | 6–3 | 6,388 | S. Fletcher 7' 45' O'Connor 42' Stock 34' 62' Elliott 67' |
| 16 | 25 October 2003 | Oldham Athletic | Boundary Park | 1–1 | 5,850 | Feeney 45' |
| 17 | 1 November 2003 | Tranmere Rovers | Prenton Park | 1–1 | 7,123 | Feeney 72' |
| 18 | 15 November 2003 | Peterborough United | Dean Court | 1–2 | 6,963 | Feeney 73' |
| 19 | 22 November 2003 | Stockport County | Edgeley Park | 2–3 | 4,622 | Hayter 67' Feeney 76' |
| 20 | 29 November 2003 | Brentford | Dean Court | 1–0 | 6,674 | Elliott 64' |
| 21 | 13 December 2003 | Grimsby Town | Dean Court | 0–0 | 5,837 | |
| 22 | 20 December 2003 | Wycombe Wanderers | Adams Park | 0–2 | 5,205 | |
| 23 | 26 December 2003 | Plymouth Argyle | Dean Court | 0–2 | 8,901 | |
| 24 | 28 December 2003 | Bristol City | Ashton Gate | 0–2 | 13,807 | |
| 25 | 3 January 2004 | Swindon Town | County Ground | 1–2 | 7,158 | Hayter 5' |
| 26 | 10 January 2004 | Port Vale | Dean Court | 2–1 | 5,926 | O'Connor pen 50' S. Fletcher 55' |
| 27 | 17 January 2004 | Barnsley | Oakwell | 1–1 | 7,934 | Hayter 31' |
| 28 | 24 January 2004 | Queens Park Rangers | Dean Court | 1–0 | 8,909 | Feeney 58' |
| 29 | 7 February 2004 | Plymouth Argyle | Home Park | 0–0 | 13,371 | |
| 30 | 14 February 2004 | Notts County | Dean Court | 1–0 | 6,332 | Hayter 83' |
| 31 | 21 February 2004 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Withdean Stadium | 0–3 | 6,441 | |
| 32 | 24 February 2004 | Wrexham | Dean Court | 6–0 | 5,899 | Purches 3' Cummings 45' Feeney 59' Hayter 86' 86' 88' |
| 33 | 28 February 2004 | Oldham Athletic | Dean Court | 1–0 | 6,594 | Hayter 61' |
| 34 | 6 March 2004 | Wycombe Wanderers | Dean Court | 1–0 | 7,311 | Cummings 20' |
| 35 | 13 March 2004 | Grimsby Town | Blundell Park | 1–1 | 5,015 | Warhurst O.G. 73' |
| 36 | 17 March 2004 | Sheffield Wednesday | Hillsborough | 2–0 | 18,799 | C. Fletcher 11'S. Fletcher 21' |
| 37 | 24 March 2004 | Blackpool | Dean Court | 1–2 | 5,126 | S. Fletcher 54' |
| 38 | 27 March 2004 | Rushden & Diamonds | Nene Park | 3–0 | 4,500 | Stock 37' Hayter 48' Feeney 62' |
| 39 | 3 April 2004 | Colchester United | Dean Court | 1–1 | 6,896 | Hayter 86' |
| 40 | 10 April 2004 | Hartlepool United | Victoria Park | 1–2 | 5,544 | Hayter 31' |
| 41 | 12 April 2004 | Chesterfield | Dean Court | 2–2 | 7,081 | Hayter '77 Holmes 80' |
| 42 | 17 April 2004 | Tranmere Rovers | Dean Court | 1–5 | 7,063 | Allen O.G. 71' |
| 43 | 20 April 2004 | Luton Town | Kenilworth Road | 1–1 | 6,485 | Feeney 75' |
| 44 | 24 April 2004 | Peterborough United | London Road | 1–0 | 4,831 | C. Fletcher 81' |
| 45 | 1 May 2004 | Stockport County | Dean Court | 0–0 | 7,541 | |
| 46 | 8 May 2004 | Brentford | Griffin Park | 0–1 | 9,485 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers | Other |
| 1 | 12 August 2003 | Watford | Vicarage Road | 0–1 | 9,561 | | A.E.T |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers | Other |
| 1 | 8 November 2003 | Bristol Rovers | Dean Court | 1–0 | 7,200 | Elliott 37' | |
| 2 | 6 December 2003 | Accrington Stanley | Dean Court | 1–1 | 7,551 | Browning 56' | |
| 2R | 15 December 2003 | Accrington Stanley | Crown Ground | 0–0 | 2,585 | | Accrington won 5–3 on penalties |

### Football League Trophy

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| 1 | 16 October 2003 | Yeovil Town | Huish Park | 0–2 | 5,035 | |