2003–04 Rangers F.C. season

The 2003–04 season was the 124th season of competitive football by Rangers.

Rangers
2003–04 season
ChairmanJohn McClelland
ManagerAlex McLeish
GroundIbrox Stadium
Scottish Premier League2nd
Scottish CupQuarter-finals
League CupSemi-finals
Champions LeagueGroup Stage
Top goalscorerLeague:
Shota Arveladze (12)

All:
Shota Arveladze (15)
Highest home attendance49,962 vs Aberdeen
(22 November)
Lowest home attendance29,395 vs St Johnstone
(3 December)

Overview edit

Rangers played a total of 52 competitive matches during the 2003–04 season. The season ended trophyless. Due to the club's financial situation they had to resort to selling many top players. These included Barry Ferguson, Lorenzo Amoruso and Neil McCann, they also released high earners Arthur Numan and Bert Konterman.

Despite starting the season well with seven consecutive wins and topping the table, a 1–0 loss at home to Celtic in October saw Rangers season unravel. Inconsistent form and three old firm derby defeats saw Rangers fall behind Celtic in the title race and ended up finishing 17 points off top spot.

The Scottish Cup campaign ended in the third round after a 1–0 defeat to Celtic. The League Cup campaign also ended in defeat at the semi-final stage to Hibernian at Hampden Park, 4–3 on penalties.

In Europe Rangers managed to qualify for the group stages of the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League with a win over F.C. Copenhagen in the third qualifying round. They were drawn in the group stages alongside English Champions Manchester United, Stuttgart and Panathinaikos. Despite earning 4 points from the first two matches Rangers were to finish bottom of the group.

Players edit

Squad information edit

N
Pos.
Nat.
Name
Age
Since
App
Goals
Ends
Transfer fee
Notes
1 GK   Stefan Klos 32 1998 2007 £0.7m
2 DF   Fernando Ricksen 27 2000 2009 £3.75m
3 DF   Craig Moore (captain) 28 1999 (Winter) 2006 0.9m
4 MF   Emerson 32 2003 18 1 2005 Free
5 DF   Frank de Boer 34 2004 (Winter) 17 2 2004 Free
6 MF   Barry Ferguson 26 1998 255 38 Youth system left on 29 August
7 FW   Shota Arveladze 26 2001 2005 £2m
8 MF   Christian Nerlinger 31 2001 £1.8m
9 FW   Egil Østenstad 31 2003 17 2 2004 Free left on 19 December
10 FW   Michael Mols 33 1999 147 48 2004 £4m
11 MF   Gavin Rae 26 2004 (Winter) 11 2 2007 £0.25m
12 DF   Bob Malcolm 23 1997 98 3 2007 Youth system
14 MF   Ronald de Boer 34 2000 2004 £4m
15 DF   Zurab Khizanishvili 22 2003 38 0 2006 Free
16 DF   Paolo Vanoli 31 2003 35 1 2005 Free
17 DF   Kevin Muscat 31
18 DF   Michael Ball 24 2001 2006 £6.5m
19 FW   Steven Thompson 20 2003 (Winter) 2006 £0.2m
20 MF   Nuno Capucho 32 2003 32 6 2005 £0.7m
21 DF   Maurice Ross 23 2000 Youth system
22 GK   Allan McGregor 22 2001 Youth system


26 FW   Peter Løvenkrands 25 2000 £1.3m
27 MF   Stephen Hughes 22 1999 90 7 Youth system left 31 January
30 MF   Chris Burke 21 2000 44 5 2007 Youth system
32 DF   Alan Hutton 20 2002 24 1 Youth system
  • Last updated: 22 May 2004
  • Source: Players transfer, Wikipedia players' articles
  • Ordered by position on pitch.

Transfers edit

In edit

No.
Pos.
Nat.
Name
Age
Moving from
Type
Transfer
window
Ends
Transfer
fee
Source
20 MF   Nuno Capucho 31   Porto Transfer Summer 2005 £0.67m [1]
15 DF   Zurab Khizanishvili 21   Dundee Transfer Summer 2006 Free [2]
16 DF   Paolo Vanoli 30   Bologna Transfer Summer 2005 Free [3]
25 DF   Henning Berg 33   Blackburn Rovers Transfer Summer 2004 Free [3]
4 MF   Emerson 31   Atlético Madrid Transfer Summer 2005 Free [4]
9 FW   Egil Østenstad 31   Blackburn Rovers Transfer Summer 2004 Free [5]
37 MF   Hamed Namouchi 19   Cannes Transfer n/a 2005 Free [6]
MF   Marc Kalenga 18   Auxerre Transfer n/a 2004 Free [6]
11 MF   Gavin Rae 26   Dundee Transfer Winter 2007 £0.25m [7]
5 DF   Frank de Boer 33   Galatasaray   Transfer Winter 2004 Free [8]
52 FW   Bajram Fetai 18   B.93 Transfer Winter 2006 £0.2m [9]

Last updated: 8 December 2014
Total spending: £1.12m

Out edit

N
Pos.
Nat.
Name
Age
Moving to
Type
Transfer
window
Transfer
fee
Source
25 DF   Dan Eggen 33   Le Mans Transfer Summer n/a [10]
5 DF   Arthur Numan 33 Retired End of contract Summer n/a [10]
7 FW   Claudio Caniggia 35   Qatar SC Transfer Summer Free [10]
FW   Stephen Dobbie 20 Hibernian Transfer Summer Free [10]
DF   Marc Twaddle 16 Falkirk Transfer Summer Free [10]
MF   Jimmy Gibson 20 Clyde Transfer Summer Free [10]
15 DF   Bert Konterman 32   Vitesse Transfer Summer Free [10]
16 DF   Jérôme Bonnissel 30   Fulham Transfer Summer Free [10]
44 DF   Paul Reid 21   Northampton Town Transfer Summer £0.1m [11]
3 DF   Lorenzo Amoruso 32   Blackburn Rovers Transfer Summer £1.4m [12]
11 MF   Neil McCann 28   Southampton Transfer Summer £1.5m [13]
6 MF   Barry Ferguson 25   Blackburn Rovers Transfer Summer £7.5m [14]
17 DF   Kevin Muscat 30   Millwall Transfer Summer Free [15]
30 GK   Jesper Christiansen 25   Viborg FF Transfer Winter Free [16]
9 FW   Egil Østenstad 32   Viking FK Transfer n/a Free [17]

Last updated: 31 January 2004
Total received: £10.5m

Player statistics edit

No. Player Position Appearances Goals
1   Stefan Klos GK 46 0
2   Fernando Ricksen DF 42 1
3   Craig Moore DF 25 2
4   Emerson MF 18 1
5   Frank de Boer DF 17 2
6   Barry Ferguson MF 5 0
7   Shota Arveladze FW 29 15
8   Christian Nerlinger MF 21 5
9   Egil Østenstad FW 17 2
10   Michael Mols FW 45 12
11   Gavin Rae MF 11 2
12   Robert Malcolm DF 17 0
14   Ronald de Boer MF 21 3
15   Zurab Khizanishvili DF 38 0
16   Paolo Vanoli DF 35 1
17   Kevin Muscat DF 0 0
18   Michael Ball DF 43 1
19   Steven Thompson FW 19 8
20   Nuno Capucho MF 32 6
21   Maurice Ross DF 30 1
22   Allan McGregor GK 6 0
23   Mikel Arteta MF 33 9
24   Steven MacLean FW 0 0
25   Henning Berg DF 30 0
26   Peter Løvenkrands MF 36 13
27   Stephen Hughes MF 28 3
29   Jesper Christiansen GK 0 0
30   Chris Burke MF 26 4
32   Alan Hutton DF 11 1
37   Hamed Namouchi MF 9 3
38   Darryl Duffy FW 3 0
40   Alex Walker MF 2 0
45   Charlie Adam MF 2 0
48   Gary MacKenzie DF 2 0
49   Robert Davidson FW 1 0
50   Ross McCormack FW 1 0
52   Bajram Fetai FW 1 0

Disciplinary record edit

Club edit

Matches edit

Friendlies edit

Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
16 July 2003   Greuther Fürth N 2–0 3,500 Thompson (2)
19 July 2003   VfB Auerbach A 5–1 2,500 Mols (3), Capucho, Løvenkrands
19 July 2003   Erzgebirge Aue A 1–0 2,500 R.de Boer
22 July 2003   Jahn Regensburg A 1–2 5,000 Nerlinger
26 July 2003   Everton H 2–3 28,000 Thompson, Mols
30 July 2003   Linfield A 3–0 13,284 R.de Boer, Dowie, MacLean
5 August 2003   Arsenal H 0–3 37,000

Scottish Premier League edit

Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
9 August 2003 Kilmarnock H 4–0 49,108 Løvenkrands, Mols, Arteta (2)
16 August 2003 Aberdeen A 3–2 16,348 R. de Boer, Arteta, Mols
23 August 2003 Hibernian H 5–2 49,642 Mols (2), O'Connor (o.g.), Arteta, Burke
31 August 2003 Dundee United A 3–1 11,111 Capucho, Arveladze, Arteta (pen.)
13 September 2003 Dunfermline Athletic H 4–0 49,072 Thompson, Mols, Arveladze, Capucho
21 September 2003 Heart of Midlothian A 4–0 14,732 Arveladze (2), Løvenkrands (2)
27 September 2003 Dundee H 3–1 49,548 Arveladze (2), Vanoli
4 October 2003 Celtic H 0–1 49,825
19 October 2003 Motherwell A 1–1 10,824 Arveladze
25 October 2003 Livingston A 0–0 9,627
1 November 2003 Partick Thistle H 3–1 49,551 Arteta (2, 1 pen.), Mols
9 November 2003 Kilmarnock A 3–2 12,204 Arveladze (2), Capucho
22 November 2003 Aberdeen H 3–0 49,962 Løvenkrands (2), Hughes
30 November 2003 Hibernian A 1–0 11,160 Hughes
6 December 2003 Dundee United H 2–1 49,307 Capucho, Løvenkrands
14 December 2003 Dunfermline Athletic A 0–2 8,592
20 December 2003 Hearts H 2–1 49,592 Arveladze, Burke
28 December 2003 Dundee A 2–0 10,948 Capucho, Ball
3 January 2004 Celtic A 0–3 59,087
17 January 2004 Motherwell H 1–0 48,925 Arveladze
24 January 2004 Livingston H 1–0 48,638 Nerlinger
1 February 2004 Partick Thistle A 1–0 8,220 Løvenkrands
11 February 2004 Kilmarnock H 2–0 46,900 Moore, Namouchi
14 February 2004 Aberdeen A 1–1 15,815 F.de Boer
21 February 2004 Hibernian H 3–0 49,698 Arveladze, Mols, Thompson
29 February 2004 Dundee United A 0–2 10,497
13 March 2004 Hearts A 1–1 14,598 Moore
20 March 2004 Dundee H 4–0 49,364 Løvenkrands, F.de Boer, Rae, Thompson
23 March 2004 Dunfermline Athletic H 4–1 47,487 Hutton, Løvenkrands, R.de Boer, Mols
28 March 2004 Celtic H 1–2 49,909 Thompson
4 April 2004 Motherwell A 1–0 8,967 Hughes
14 April 2004 Livingston A 1–1 6,096 Mols
17 April 2004 Partick Thistle H 2–0 49,279 Thompson, Rae
24 April 2004 Dundee United A 3–3 8,339 Thompson (2), Namouchi
1 May 2004 Motherwell H 4–0 47,579 Arteta, Ross, Namouchi, Thompson
8 May 2004 Celtic A 0–1 59,180
12 May 2004 Hearts H 0–1 47,467
16 May 2004 Dunfermline Athletic A 3–2 6,798 Ricksen, Burke, McCormack (pen.)

Scottish League Cup edit

Date Round Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
28 October 2003 R3 Forfar Athletic H 6–0 26,327 Nerlinger (3), Løvenkrands, Capucho, Østenstad
3 December 2003 QF St Johnstone H 3–0 11,072 Burke, Østenstad, Mols
5 February 2004 SF Hibernian N *1–1 27,954 Mols

*Rangers lost the match 4–3 on penalties

Scottish Cup edit

Date Round Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
10 January 2004 R3 Hibernian A 2–0 11,392 Arveladze, Løvenkrands
8 February 2004 R4 Kilmarnock A 2–0 11,072 R.de Boer, Arveladze (pen.)
7 March 2004 QF Celtic A 0–1 58,735

UEFA Champions League edit

Date Round Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
13 August 2003 QR3   Copenhagen H 1–1 47,401 Løvenkrands
27 August 2003 QR3   Copenhagen A 2–1 35,519 Arteta (pen.), Arveladze
16 September 2003 GS   VfB Stuttgart H 2–1 47,957 Nerlinger, Løvenkrands
1 October 2003 GS   Panathinaikos A 1–1 13,718 Emerson
22 October 2003 GS   Manchester United H 0–1 48,730
4 November 2003 GS   Manchester United A 0–3 66,707
26 November 2003 GS   VfB Stuttgart A 0–1 50,348
9 December 2003 GS   Panathinaikos H 1–3 48,588 Mols

Competitions edit

Overall edit

Competition Started round Current
position / round
Final
position / round
First match Last match
Scottish Premier League 2nd 11 August 4 May
Scottish Cup Third round Quarter-finals 29 July 18 September
League Cup Third round Semi-finals 7 August 31 October
UEFA Champions League Third qualifying round Group stage 29 September 2 February

Source: [citation needed]

Scottish Premier League edit

Standings edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation[a]
1 Celtic (C) 38 31 5 2 105 25 +80 98 Qualification for the Champions League group stage
2 Rangers 38 25 6 7 76 33 +43 81 Qualification for the Champions League third qualifying round
3 Heart of Midlothian 38 19 11 8 56 40 +16 68 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round[b]
4 Dunfermline Athletic 38 14 11 13 45 52 −7 53
5 Dundee United 38 13 10 15 47 60 −13 49
Source: Scottish Professional Football League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions
Notes:
  1. ^ Teams played each other three times (33 matches), before the league split into two groups (the top six and the bottom six) for the last five matches.
  2. ^ As Celtic, the 2003–04 Scottish Cup winners, qualified for the UEFA Champions League via their league position, the place in the UEFA Cup was passed onto Dunfermline Athletic, the cup runners-up.

Results summary edit

Overall Home Away
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD
18 14 3 1 51 14  +37 45 8 0 0 26 3  +23 6 3 1 25 11  +14

Last updated: 2 January 2013.
Source: [citation needed]

Results by round edit

Round1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738
GroundHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAAHHHAAHAHAHA
ResultWWWWWWWLDDWWWWWLWWLWWWWDWLDWWLWDWDWLLW
Source: [citation needed]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Champions league table edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification MU STU PAN RAN
1   Manchester United 6 5 0 1 13 2 +11 15 Advance to knockout stage 2–0 5–0 3–0
2   Stuttgart 6 4 0 2 9 6 +3 12 2–1 2–0 1–0
3   Panathinaikos 6 1 1 4 5 13 −8 4 Transfer to UEFA Cup 0–1 1–3 1–1
4   Rangers 6 1 1 4 4 10 −6 4 0–1 2–1 1–3
Source: RSSSF

References edit

  1. ^ "Capucho joins Rangers". BBC Sport. BBC. 17 June 2003.
  2. ^ "Rangers seal Zura deal". BBC Sport. BBC. 18 July 2003.
  3. ^ a b "Berg signs on at Rangers". BBC Sport. BBC. 5 August 2003.
  4. ^ "Gers win Emerson race". BBC Sport. BBC. 29 August 2003.
  5. ^ "Ostenstad joins Rangers". BBC Sport. BBC. 30 August 2003.
  6. ^ a b "Gers snap up French duo". BBC Sport. BBC. 18 September 2003.
  7. ^ "Rangers parade signing Rae". BBC Sport. BBC. 31 December 2003.
  8. ^ "Rangers sign second de Boer". BBC Sport. BBC. 26 January 2004.
  9. ^ "Rangers sign young striker". BBC Sport. 31 January 2004.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h "SPL ins and outs". BBC Sport. 4 August 2003.
  11. ^ "SPL ins and outs". BBC Sport. 4 August 2003.
  12. ^ "Blackburn sign Amoruso". BBC Sport. 14 July 2003.
  13. ^ "McCann makes Saints switch". BBC Sport. 5 August 2003.
  14. ^ "Rovers sign Ferguson". BBC Sport. 29 August 2003.
  15. ^ "Millwall land Muscat". BBC Sport. 29 August 2003.
  16. ^ "Christiansen leaving Rangers". BBC Sport. 16 January 2004.
  17. ^ "Ostenstad to leave Ibrox". BBC Sport. 19 December 2003.