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2003–04 Football League Cup


FieldValue
titleFootball League Cup
year2003–04
other_titlesCarling Cup, League Cup
countryEngland
Wales
num_teams92
defending championsLiverpool
championsMiddlesbrough
count1
runner-upBolton Wanderers
matches93
top goal scorerJuan Pablo Ángel
(7 goals)
prevseason[2002–03](2002-03-football-league-cup)
nextseason[2004–05](2004-05-football-league-cup)

Wales | runner-up = Bolton Wanderers (7 goals) The 2003–04 Football League Cup (known as the Carling Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 44th staging of the Football League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92 football clubs. The competition name reflects a sponsorship deal with lager brand Carling.

The competition began in August 2003 and ended with the final on 29 February 2004. The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff hosted the final match, as it had done since 2001 as the reconstruction was still taking place on Wembley Stadium in London.

The winners were Middlesbrough who beat Bolton Wanderers in the final 2-1 and collected their first major piece of silverware in their history and as a result of their victory qualified for European football for the first time. Joseph Desire-Job gave Middlesbrough the lead with just 2 minutes gone and a Bolo Zenden penalty five minutes later doubled their advantage. Kevin Davies pulled a goal back in the 21st minute but Middlesbrough held on. It was to be until 2008 when another English manager won a domestic tournament when Harry Redknapp (then at Portsmouth F.C.) lifted the FA Cup.

First round

NorthTie noHome teamScore1Away teamAttendance0 – 0 after extra time — Darlington win 5 – 3 on penalties0 – 0 after extra time — Burnley win 3 – 2 on penalties0 – 0 after extra time — Nottingham Forest win 3 – 2 on penalties0 – 0 after extra time — Notts County win 7 – 6 on penalties2 - 2 after extra time, Hartlepool win 5 - 4 on penalties
1Barnsley (3)1 – 2**Blackpool (3)**5,378
2Bradford (2)0 – 0**Darlington (4)**4,077
3Chesterfield (3)0 – 0**Burnley (2)**2,928
4**Crewe (2)**2 – 0Wrexham (3)3,152
5**Doncaster Rovers (4)**3 – 2Grimsby Town (3)6,057
6** Huddersfield Town (4)**2 – 1Derby County (2)6,672
7Lincoln City (4)0 – 1**Stockport County (3)**2,296
8Macclesfield Town (4)1 – 2**Sheffield United (2)**2,764
9Port Vale (3)0 – 0**Nottingham Forest (2)**4,950
10Preston North End (2)0 – 0**Notts County (3)**5,016
11**Rotherham United (2)**2 – 1York City (4)2,919
12**Scunthorpe United (4)**2 – 1Oldham Athletic (3)2,366
13**Tranmere Rovers (3)**1 – 0Bury (4)4,272
14** Walsall (2)**2 – 1Carlisle United (4)4,665
15**Wigan Athletic (2)**2 – 0Hull City (4)3,295
16Mansfield Town (4)1 – 2**Sunderland (2) **
17Sheffield Wednesday (3)1 – 1**Hartlepool United (3)**13,410
18**Stoke City (2)**2 – 1Rochdale (4)4,678
SouthTie noHome teamScore1Away teamAttendance1 – 1 after extra time — Crystal Palace win 3 – 1 on penaltiesWatford win 1 – 0 after extra timeBristol City win 4 – 1 after extra timeIpswich win 1 – 0 after extra time
1Bristol Rovers (4)0 – 1**Brighton & Hove Albion (3)**5,518
2Cambridge United (4)1 – 2**Gillingham (2)**3,044
3**Cardiff (2)**4 – 1Leyton Orient (4)4,503
4Cheltenham (4)1 – 2**QPR (3)**3,697
5**Colchester (3)**2 – 1Plymouth (3)2,367
6**Luton Town (3)**4 – 1Yeovil Town (4)4,337
7Millwall (2)0 – 1**Oxford United (4)**4,781
8**Northampton Town (4)**1 – 0Norwich City (2)5,476
9Southend United (4)2 – 3**Swindon Town (3)**3,385
10Torquay United (4)1 – 1**Crystal Palace (2)**3,366
11**Watford (2)**0 – 0Bournemouth (3)9,561
12**West Bromwich Albion (2)**4 – 0Brentford (3)10,440
13**Wycombe Wanderers (3)**2 – 0Wimbledon (2)1,986
14Boston United (4)1 – 3**Reading (2)**2,055
15**Bristol City (3)**1 – 1Swansea City (4)5,807
16**Coventry City (2)**2 – 0Peterborough United (3)8,280
17**Ipswich Town (2)**0 – 0Kidderminster Harriers (4)11,118
18**West Ham (2)**3 – 1Rushden & Diamonds (3)13,715

1 Score after 90 minutes

Second round

The 36 winners from the First Round joined 12 of the 20 Premier League clubs not participating in the UEFA Champions League in Round Two.

  • The draw was made on 16 August 2003.
  • Matches occurred during the week commencing 22 August.
  • Extra time played when the scores were level after 90 minutes.
Tie noHome teamScore1Away teamAttendanceBristol City win 1 – 0 after extra time4 – 4 after extra time - Charlton Athletic win 8 - 7 on penalties0 – 0 after extra time - Nottingham Forest win 4 - 1 on penalties2 – 2 after extra time - Leeds United win 4 - 3 on penaltiesMiddlesbrough win 1 – 0 after extra time
1**Blackpool**1 – 0Birmingham City7,370
2**Bristol City**0 – 0Watford5,213
3Cardiff City2 – 3**West Ham**10,724
4**Charlton Athletic**3 – 3Luton Town10,905
5**Crystal Palace**2 – 1Doncaster Rovers4,904
6Hartlepool United1 – 2**West Bromwich Albion**5,265
7**Leicester City**1 – 0Crewe Alexandra27,675
8**Notts County**2 – 1Ipswich Town4,059
9**Portsmouth**5 – 2Northampton Town11,130
10**Rotherham United**1 – 0Colchester United2,474
11Scunthorpe United2 – 3**Burnley**2,915
12Sheffield United0 – 2**QPR**9,578
13Stoke City0 – 2**Gillingham**4,607
14Sunderland2 – 4**Huddersfield Town**13,516
15Tranmere Rovers0 – 0**Nottingham Forest**4,477
16**Wigan Athletic**1 – 0Fulham4,874
17**Wolverhampton Wanderers**2 – 0Darlington10,232
18Wycombe Wanderers0 – 5**Aston Villa**6,072
19**Bolton Wanderers**3 – 1Walsall5,229
20Coventry City0 – 3**Tottenham Hotspur**15,474
21**Everton**3 – 0Stockport County19,807
22**Leeds United**2 – 2Swindon Town29,211
23**Middlesbrough**0 – 0Brighton & Hove Albion10,435
24Oxford United1 – 3**Reading**9,870

1 Score after 90 minutes

Third round

Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Liverpool, Southampton, Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City joined the 24 winners from the Second Round. Matches were played on the week commencing 27 October 2003

Tie noHome teamScore1Away teamAttendanceWest Bromwich Albion win 2 – 1 after extra timeTottenham Hotspur win 1 – 0 after extra time1 – 1 after extra time - Arsenal win 9 - 8 on penaltiesManchester United win 3 – 2 after extra time
1**Aston Villa**1 – 0Leicester City26,729
2Blackburn Rovers3 – 4**Liverpool**16,918
3**Chelsea**4 – 2Notts County35,997
4**Everton**1 – 0Charlton Athletic24,863
5Newcastle United1 – 1**West Bromwich Albion**46,932
6Nottingham Forest2 – 4**Portsmouth**20,078
7**Tottenham Hotspur**0 – 0West Ham
8Wigan Athletic1 – 2**Middlesbrough**8,046
9**Arsenal**1 – 1Rotherham United27,451
10Blackpool1 – 3**Crystal Palace**6,010
11**Bolton Wanderers**2 – 1Gillingham5,258
12Bristol City1 – 3**Southampton**17,408
13Leeds United1 – 1**Manchester United**37,546
14QPR0 – 3**Manchester City**16,773
15**Reading**1 – 0Huddersfield Town11,892
16**Wolverhampton Wanderers**2 – 0Burnley18,548

1 Score after 90 minutes

Fourth round

  • The draw was made on 30 November 2003.
  • Matches were played in the week commencing 1 December.
  • Extra time played when scores level at 90 minutes.

McCann Ángel

Šmicer Okacha Djorkaeff



Postiga Kanouté

Dobie

Kanu Wiltord Fàbregas

Quarter-finals

The draw for the quarter-finals was made on 6 December 2003. Matches were played in the week beginning 15 December 2003. The only team from outside the Premier League competing in this round was West Bromwich Albion, who lost 2–0 to Arsenal.

Aliadière



McCann

Semi-finals

The semi-final draw was made on 20 December 2003 Unlike the other rounds, the semi-final ties were played over two legs, with each team playing one leg at home. The ties were played in the weeks beginning 19 January and 26 January 2004, however the second leg of Middlesbrough v Arsenal was not played until 3 February 2004.

First leg


Nolan Giannakopoulos Ngotty

Second leg

Samuel Bolton Wanderers won 5–4 on aggregate.

Reyes Middlesbrough won 3–1 on aggregate.

Final

The 2004 Carling Cup Final was played on 29 February 2004 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. It was contested by Bolton Wanderers and Middlesbrough. Middlesbrough won the match 2-1 and in doing so collected their first major piece of silverware in their history and qualified for the European football in the UEFA Cup for the first time.

Zenden

Info: Wikipedia Source

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