page_title: 2004 Football League Cup Final
section_title: Pre-match
hierarchical_section_title: 2004 Football League Cup Final / Match / Pre-match
caption_attribution_description: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales. League cup final February 29th 2004. Middlesbrough - Bolton 2-1.
context_page_description: The 2004 Football League Cup Final was a football match that took place on 29 February 2004 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. It was the final match of the 2003–04 Football League Cup, the 44th edition of the Football League Cup, a competition for the 92 teams in the Premier League and The Football League.
  It was contested between Premier League sides Bolton Wanderers and Middlesbrough, both of whom had never won in their previous appearances in the final. Bolton's run to the final included a win away to holders Liverpool in the fourth round, while requiring extra time against Southampton in the next round and losing the second leg of the semi-final against Aston Villa. Middlesbrough needed extra time against lowly Brighton & Hove Albion in their first game, and later advanced on penalty shootouts against top-flight Everton and Tottenham Hotspur; they then won home and away against league leaders Arsenal in the semi-finals.
  Middlesbrough scored two goals in the first seven minutes, from Joseph-Désiré Job and a Boudewijn Zenden penalty.
context_section_description: Bolton manager Sam Allardyce, who was building a reputation for signing unwanted foreign veterans such as N'Gotty, Djorkaeff and Iván Campo, predicted that a win would help him sign more players in the summer. However, he thought that success would also lead his 13 players who would be out of contract, to demand more money for a renewal.
  On-loan Middlesbrough right-back Danny Mills, a self-acknowledged "hate figure" from opposition fans due to his physical style of play, declared that he would ignore any abuse from Bolton fans.
caption: Pre-game ceremony prior to the starting whistle
exif: {}