Beating United was a rare good day in Wolves’ awful season

Walsall also plummeted down the table after a disastrous second half of the season

Season 2003-04 Part Two

NEVER higher than 15th in the table, Wolves were awful at times and the fans certainly weren’t at all happy …

Surprisngly though, a crowd of 29,396 packed into Molineux to see Manchester United beaten 1-0 in mid-january – the biggest turn out since the ground was redeveloped – and record gate receipts of almost £400,000 came from this one game. Senegalese

striker Henri Camara (7) and Carl Cort and Alex Rae (5 each) were the top three marksmen. Colin Lee was still in charge of Walsall who, like Wolves, also had a disastrous season, finishing 22nd in Divison One and therefore suffering relegation.

After a decent enough start – three wins and three draws in their first ten matches, the Saddlers struggled after that and won only four of their last 21 fixtures, an awful run which saw them crash down the table in an alarming fashion.

They mustered 51 points – but failed to survive due to their goal difference. In fact, only eight points covered Preston North End in 15th place and the Saddlers in 22nd.

Walsall’s best wins were 4-1, achieved twice, against West Bromwich Albion and Nottingham Forest, both at home, while their heaviest defeat was a 6-1 thrashing at home to Coventry City. They also lost heavily, 5-0, at Norwich.

Of their total of 45 goals, Jorge Leitao once again was top scorer with seven, followed by Darren Wrack with six.

In the two knockout competitions, Albion were ousted by Nottingham Forest early doors in the FA Cup and by Arsenal in the 5th round of the League Cup.

Wolves also crashed out of the FA Cup early, beaten by West Ham, while Arsenal knocked them out of the League Cup in round 4.

As for Walsall, they lost to Millwall in the first round of the FA Cup and were beaten by Bolton Wanderers in the second round of the League Cup.

In respect of their senior squads, Albion signed 13 players during the course of the season, eight of them foreigners, while Wolves had 10 nonbritish-born players on their books, and Walsall had just five.

After a decent start, the Saddlers won only four of their last 21 fixtures

West Brom’s Lloyd Dyer clashes with Gillingham’s Danny Spiller, April 10, 2004 (Stephen Pond)

Wolves’ Mark Kennedy turns away from Kidderminster Harriers’ Danny Williams during the FA Cup Third Round match at Aggborough, January 3 2004. (PA Photo: Nick Potts)

Carl Cort of Wolves in action against Brighton at Molineux (Clive Mason/getty Images)

Walsall’s Jorge Leitao (Sunday Mercury)