2003–04 Hibernian F.C. season

Season 2003–04 was a disappointment for Hibernian, as the team again finished in the bottom half of the Scottish Premier League, and was knocked out at the first stage of the Scottish Cup. The main highlight of the season was the run to the 2004 Scottish League Cup Final, which Hibs reached by defeating both halves of the Old Firm. This also ended in disappointment, however, as the Final was lost 2–0 to Livingston. A month after that defeat, manager Bobby Williamson was allowed to leave the club to manage Plymouth Argyle.[2]

Hibernian
2003–04 season
ChairmanKen Lewandowski
ManagerBobby Williamson (until 20 April 2004)
SPL8th
Scottish CupR3
CIS CupFinal
Top goalscorerLeague: Riordan, 15
All: Riordan, 18
Highest home attendance15060[1]
Lowest home attendance5447[1]
Average home league attendance9150[1] (down 787)

League season

With the Hibs squad "stretched to its limits" by injuries to Ian Murray, Grant Brebner, Stephen Glass and Yannick Zambernardi, Hibs again struggled in the league.[2] Financial problems meant that the club had sold or released many of its senior players during Bobby Williamson's time in charge, and even Williamson's own long term contract was renegotiated to a shorter term and lower salary.[2] The Hibs board were also apparently willing to allow Plymouth Argyle to take Williamson when made an approach in April 2004.[2] Williamson's assistants, Gerry McCabe and Jim Clark, took charge of the team for the remainder of the season,[3] with Tony Mowbray appointed soon after its conclusion.[4]

Results
9 August 2003 SPLDundee United1 – 2HibernianTannadice Park, Dundee
Samuel  46' Riordan  74'
McManus  88' (pen.)		 Attendance: 9,809
Referee: Clark
17 August 2003 SPLHibernian1 – 0Heart of MidlothianEaster Road, Edinburgh
O'Connor  90' Attendance: 14,803
Referee: Dougal
23 August 2003 SPLRangers5 – 2HibernianIbrox Stadium, Glasgow
Mols  34', 62'
Murray  43' (o.g.)
Arteta  67'
Burke  84'		 Murray  29'
McManus  36'		 Attendance: 49,642
Referee: McDonald
30 August 2003 SPLHibernian1 – 1AberdeenEaster Road, Edinburgh
Brown  69' Anderson  6' Attendance: 10,682
Referee: Brines
13 September 2003 SPLHibernian0 – 2MotherwellEaster Road, Edinburgh
Clarkson  45', 75' Attendance: 8,387
Referee: Clark
20 September 2003 SPLDunfermline Athletic0 – 0HibernianEast End Park, Dunfermline
Attendance: 9,715
Referee: McCurry
27 September 2003 SPLHibernian1 – 2CelticEaster Road, Edinburgh
Doumbe  38' Thompson  40' (pen.)
Larsson  51'		 Attendance: 12,032
Referee: Freeland
4 October 2003 SPLPartick Thistle0 – 1HibernianFirhill Stadium, Glasgow
Brebner  90' Attendance: 4,125
Referee: Rowbotham
18 October 2003 SPLHibernian0 – 2LivingstonEaster Road, Edinburgh
Lilley  38', 83' Attendance: 8,562
Referee: Thomson
25 October 2003 SPLHibernian3 – 1KilmarnockEaster Road, Edinburgh
Murdock  13'
Riordan  16'
O'Connor  90'		 Nish  80' Attendance: 7,191
Referee: Underhill
1 November 2003 SPLDundee1 – 1HibernianDens Park, Dundee
Novo  33' Riordan  81' Attendance: 7,032
Referee: Clark
8 November 2003 SPLHibernian2 – 2Dundee UnitedEaster Road, Edinburgh
Brown  15'
McCracken  90' (o.g.)		 McLaren  28'
Robson  83'		 Attendance: 8,756
Referee: Richmond
23 November 2003 SPLHeart of Midlothian2 – 0HibernianTynecastle, Edinburgh
Orman  9' (o.g.)
Smith  67' (o.g.)		 Attendance: 16,632
Referee: Dallas
30 November 2003 SPLHibernian0 – 1RangersEaster Road, Edinburgh
Hughes  90' Attendance: 11,160
Referee: Dougal
7 December 2003 SPLAberdeen3 – 1HibernianPittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen
Hinds  26'
Booth  85', 90' (pen.)		 Dobbie  57' Attendance: 7,863
Referee: Clark
13 December 2003 SPLMotherwell0 – 1HibernianFir Park, Motherwell
Riordan  90' Attendance: 4,533
Referee: Thomson
21 December 2003 SPLHibernian1 – 2Dunfermline AthleticEaster Road, Edinburgh
Riordan  63' Brewster  1', 36' Attendance: 9,085
Referee: Fyfe
27 December 2003 SPLCeltic6 – 0HibernianCeltic Park, Glasgow
Sutton  4', 54' (pen.)
Hartson  45', 60'
Larsson  66'
Petrov  77'		 Attendance: 59,609
Referee: Freeland
3 January 2004 SPLHibernian3 – 2Partick ThistleEaster Road, Edinburgh
O'Connor  9'
Dobbie  35'
Whittaker  84'		 Grady  53'
Madaschi  78'		 Attendance: 8,875
Referee: Brines
17 January 2004 SPLLivingston1 – 0HibernianAlmondvale, Livingston
Makel  26' Attendance: 5,621
Referee: Underhill
24 January 2004 SPLKilmarnock0 – 2HibernianRugby Park, Kilmarnock
Brown  48'
O'Connor  50'		 Attendance: 5,571
Referee: Dallas
31 January 2004 SPLHibernian1 – 1DundeeEaster Road, Edinburgh
Riordan  69' (pen.) Fotheringham  44' Attendance: 8,023
Referee: Conroy
10 February 2004 SPLDundee United0 – 0HibernianTannadice Park, Dundee
Attendance: 6,389
Referee: Thomson
15 February 2004 SPLHibernian1 – 1Heart of MidlothianEaster Road, Edinburgh
Riordan  24' Pressley  47' (pen.) Attendance: 15,060
Referee: McCurry
21 February 2004 SPLRangers3 – 0HibernianIbrox Stadium, Glasgow
Arveladze  9' (pen.)
Mols  66'
Thompson  83' (pen.)		 Attendance: 49,698
Referee: Dallas
28 February 2004 SPLHibernian0 – 1AberdeenEaster Road, Edinburgh
Morrison  5' Attendance: 10,416
Referee: Brines
21 March 2004 SPLHibernian0 – 4CelticEaster Road, Edinburgh
Agathe  18', 81'
Larsson  35', 49'		 Attendance: 9,456
Referee: McDonald
24 March 2004 SPLHibernian3 – 3MotherwellEaster Road, Edinburgh
Nicol  6'
Reid  37'
Riordan  62' (pen.)		 Lasley  46'
Adams  60' (pen.)
Doumbe  80' (o.g.)		 Attendance: 5,670
Referee: Freeland
27 March 2004 SPLPartick Thistle1 – 1HibernianFirhill Stadium, Glasgow
Thomson  70' (pen.) Murdock  68' Attendance: 3,155
Referee: Rowbotham
3 April 2004 SPLHibernian3 – 1LivingstonEaster Road, Edinburgh
McManus  39'
Riordan  54', 83'		 Lilley  50' Attendance: 6,507
Referee: Dallas
10 April 2004 SPLHibernian3 – 0KilmarnockEaster Road, Edinburgh
Caldwell  22'
Thomson  45'
Riordan  64' (pen.)		 Attendance: 7,326
Referee: Toner
13 April 2004 SPLDunfermline Athletic1 – 1HibernianEast End Park, Dunfermline
Dempsey  78' Riordan  5' Attendance: 5,041
Referee: Thomson
17 April 2004 SPLDundee2 – 2HibernianDens Park, Dundee
Lovell  38'
Milne  90'		 Riordan  45'
Riordan  50' (pen.)		 Attendance: 5,508
Referee: McDonald
24 April 2004 SPLKilmarnock2 – 0HibernianRugby Park, Kilmarnock
Boyd  28', 85' Attendance: 4,886
Referee: Clark
1 May 2004 SPLHibernian1 – 0DundeeEaster Road, Edinburgh
Riordan  42' Attendance: 6,180
Referee: Mackay
5 May 2004 SPLHibernian1 – 2Partick ThistleEaster Road, Edinburgh
Murdock  33' Grady  38'
Murdock  60' (o.g.)		 Attendance: 5,447
Referee: Thomson
8 May 2004 SPLAberdeen0 – 1HibernianPittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen
O'Connor  90' Attendance: 6,781
Referee: Clark
15 May 2004 SPLLivingston4 – 1HibernianAlmondvale, Livingston
Lovell  8'
Lilley  64'
Fernandez  78'
Makel  89'		 Doumbe  75' Attendance: 4,409
Referee: McCurry

Final table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation[lower-alpha 1]
6 Motherwell 38 12 10 16 42 49 −7 46
7 Dundee 38 12 10 16 48 57 −9 46
8 Hibernian 38 11 11 16 41 60 −19 44 Qualification for the UEFA Intertoto Cup second round[lower-alpha 2]
9 Livingston 38 10 13 15 48 57 −9 43
10 Kilmarnock 38 12 6 20 51 74 −23 42
Source: Scottish Professional Football League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
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. Hibernian qualified for the 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup as the highest placed team to apply to participate in the competition.

Scottish League Cup

As one of the SPL clubs who had not automatically qualified for European competition, Hibs entered at the last 32 stage (second round) of the competition, in which they defeated Montrose 9–0 at Easter Road. Hibs were then given another home draw in the last 16, against Queen of the South, which Hibs won 2–1. In the quarter-final, Hibs were again drawn to play at home, but this time had to face league leaders Celtic. Despite falling behind early in the second half, Hibs won 2–1 thanks to a late goal by Kevin Thomson. Hibs were then given another tough draw for the semi-final, playing the other half of the Old Firm, Rangers. Nonetheless, Hibs won the tie 4–3 on penalties, with Frank de Boer's miss sending Hibs through. These two upset victories sent Hibs to the Final, where they met Livingston.[2] Hibs sold a remarkable 37,000 tickets for the game, suggesting that the club still had the drawing power to be a major force in Scottish football.[2] The match ended in major disappointment, however, as Livingston won 2–0 to lift the trophy.[2]

Results
23 September 2003 Scottish League CupHibernian9 – 0MontroseEaster Road, Edinburgh
Dobbie  1', 29', 31' (pen.)
O'Connor  18', 85'
Murray  66'
Kerrigan  70' (o.g.)
Riordan  78'
Brown  86'		 Attendance: 5,032
Referee: Toner
28 October 2003 Scottish League CupHibernian2 – 1Queen of the SouthEaster Road, Edinburgh
Riordan  11', 23' Burke  90' (pen.) Attendance: 7,613
Referee: McCurry
18 December 2003 Scottish League CupHibernian2 – 1CelticEaster Road, Edinburgh
Brebner  64' (pen.)
Thomson  82'		 Varga  56' Attendance: 9,246
Referee: Rowbotham
5 February 2004 Scottish League CupHibernian1 – 1 AET
(4 – 3 pen.)		RangersHampden Park, Glasgow
Dobbie  79' Mols  40' Attendance: 27,954
Referee: Clark
14 March 2004 Scottish League CupHibernian0 – 2LivingstonHampden Park, Glasgow
Lilley  50'
McAllister  52'		 Attendance: 45,500
Referee: Young

Scottish Cup

Results
10 January 2004 Scottish CupHibernian0 – 2RangersEaster Road, Edinburgh
Arveladze  35'
Løvenkrands  49'		 Attendance: 11,392
Referee: McCurry

Transfers

Player stats

During the 2003–04 season, Hibs used 27 different players in competitive games. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player.[5][6] Goalkeeper Daniel Andersson was the only player to appear in every match, playing in 38 SPL matches, five League Cup ties and the one Scottish Cup tie.

No. Pos Nat Player TotalSPLScottish CupLeague Cup
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
GK Daniel Andersson 4403801050
DF Jonathan Baillie 30200010
DF Gary Caldwell 1911710020
DF Mathias Kouo-Doumbé 3923321050
DF Roland Edge 2402000040
DF John Kane 10100000
DF Colin Murdock 3733231040
DF Jay Shields 10100000
DF Gary Smith 2302001020
DF Steven Whittaker 3312811040
DF Yannick Zambernardi 80800000
MF Grant Brebner 2622211031
MF Scott Brown 4143631041
MF Stephen Glass 1401200020
MF Jamie McCluskey 10100000
MF Kevin McDonald 10100000
MF Ian Murray 1621410021
MF Kevin Nicol 1611511000
MF Alen Orman 2001800020
MF Alan Reid 2312010030
MF Kevin Thomson 2722311031
MF Jarkko Wiss 1401300010
FW Stephen Dobbie 3362821044
FW Steven Fletcher 50500000
FW Tam McManus 3733230050
FW Garry O'Connor 3973351052
FW Derek Riordan 401834151053
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See also

Notes
  1. "Average Home League Game Attendances". www.fitbastats.com. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  2. Few Hibees will mourn Williamson, BBC Sport, 20 April 2004.
  3. "Thordarson rejects Hibs". BBC Sport. 3 May 2004.
  4. "Mowbray is new Hibs boss". BBC Sport. 24 May 2004.
  5. "Hibernian 2003/2004 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 13 December 2009.
  6. The soccerbase statistics inaccurately attribute Kevin Thomson's appearance against Rangers on 30 November 2003 to "Steven Thomson".
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