During the 2003–04 English football season, Portsmouth F.C. competed in the Premier League. It was their first ever season in the Premiership and the first in English football's top flight since the 1987–88 season.

Season summary

Portsmouth's Premiership debut (and only their second top division campaign during the last 45 years) was a fine one, as they finished 13th and established Fratton Park as one of the hardest Premiership grounds to get a result at. Only their dismal away form (with only two away wins all season) prevented them from finishing even higher and challenging for a European place, but it was still a very good season for the only newly promoted side to preserve their Premiership status.

After a good start to the season which saw Portsmouth top of the Premiership after three games, the team slumped into the relegation zone, but rallied and only lost one of their last ten matches to finish 13th – ahead of more established sides like Everton, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur. To their credit, they were one of the only two teams to remain unbeaten against Arsenal's "Invincibles" in the league during the season.

Final league table

Kit

Portsmouth introduced a new kit for the season, still manufactured under the club's own brand, Pompey Sport. ty remained the kit sponsors.

Players

First-team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Reserve squad

The following players did not appear for the first-team this season.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Transfers

In

• Patrik Berger – Liverpool, free, 6 June 2003
• Dejan Stefanović – Vitesse Arnhem, £1,850,000, 20 June 2003
• Boris Živković – Bayer Leverkusen, free, 24 June 2003
• Teddy Sheringham, Tottenham Hotspur, free, 30 June 2003
• Harald Wapenaar – Utrecht, 8 July 2003
• Amdy Faye – Auxerre, undisclosed (estimated £1,500,000), 5 August 2003
• Sébastien Schemmel – West Ham United, undisclosed, 14 August 2003
• Alexey Smertin – Chelsea, season loan, 27 August 2003
• Jason Roberts – West Bromwich Albion, loan, 1 September 2003
• Pavel Srníček – Brescia, free, 1 September 2003
• Eyal Berkovic – Manchester City, £500,000, 8 January 2004
• Richard Duffy – Swansea City, undisclosed (six-figure sum), 26 January 2004,
• Sebastian Olszar – Admira Wacker Mödling, free, 26 January 2004
• Ivica Mornar – Anderlecht, £400,000, 29 January 2004
• Lomana Tresor LuaLua – Newcastle United, three-month loan, £100,000 loan fee, 2 February 2004
• John Curtis – Leicester City, free, 2 February 2004
• Vincent Péricard – Juventus, July 2003
• Petri Pasanen – Ajax Amsterdam, 2004
• Alan Knight – free

Out

• Justin Edinburgh – released (later joined Billericay Town), 2003
• Jason Crowe – released (later joined Grimsby Town), 20 May 2003
• Luke Nightingale – released (later joined Southend United), 20 May 2003
• Carl Tiler – retired, 20 May 2003
• Gianluca Festa – Cagliari, 13 June 2003
• Paul Merson – Walsall, undisclosed, 18 July 2003
• Rowan Vine – Colchester United, season loan, 7 August 2003
• Yoshi Kawaguchi – FC Nordsjælland, 3 September 2003
• Carl Robinson – Rotherham United, month loan, 18 September 2003
• Boris Živković – Stuttgart, free, 13 January 2004
• Jason Roberts – West Bromwich Albion, loan ended, 14 January 2004
• Jamie Vincent – Derby County, free, 16 January 2004
• Neil Barrett – Dundee, loan, 23 January 2004
• Carl Robinson – Sheffield United, loan, 30 January 2004
• Pavel Srníček – West Ham United, month loan, 19 February 2004
• Lee Bradbury – Walsall, free, 25 March 2004
• Lewis Buxton – AFC Bournemouth, season loan, October 2003
• Courtney Pitt – Coventry City, loan
• Courtney Pitt – Luton Town, loan
• Lassina Diabaté – AC Ajaccio

Results

Premier League

Results per matchday

FA Cup

League Cup

Awards

• August: Player of the Month, Teddy Sheringham
• April: Manager of the Month, Harry Redknapp

Statistics

Appearances and goals

As of 15 May 2004

Notes

References