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Day: 21/30

Season: 2003/04

Fixture: Fulham 3-4 Rovers (12/4/04)

Highlights

Why Chosen 

The standout fixture in what was a disappointing campaign for Graeme Souness and Rovers. The summer of 2003 was turbulent as the squad lost two of the ‘holy trinity’ as the brilliant Damien Duff (to a new Chelsea under the ownership of Roman Abramovich) and David Dunn (due to disagreements with Souness) left for pastures new. With Matt Jansen still struggling (in the wake of his motorcycle accident in Rome) the squad had a decidedly different look and feel to it going into the new season. Others to depart with them were Henning Berg (Rangers), Craig Hignett and Keith Gillespie (both Leicester City).

The new signings in summer arrived with mixed results, for every Brett Emerton, there was a Dino Baggio and for every Steven Reid there was a Lorenzo Amoruso/Markus Babbel. New talisman Barry Ferguson also had a middling start before breaking his kneecap away at Newcastle United. 

The team looked doomed for the drop until a fresh-faced Yorkshireman from Huddersfield Town (then in Division 3 – now League Two) signed in February 2004 and enjoyed a meteoric rise from obscurity to propel Rovers to Premier League safety. Jon Stead would write his name into the Rovers history books.

The match chosen came on the back of a home defeat against Leeds United just two days earlier, where relegation loomed large for every Rovers fan. The game at Loftus Road was a corker. Rovers led, were behind 2-1, ahead 3-2, pegged back to 3-3, before the match-winner Stead gave Rovers a huge three points. Well worth a couple of minutes of your time watching the highlights, including a special ‘Fanzone edition’ with Rovers supporter Greg Wallace. Greg with one g!

Aftermath 

Jonathan Graeme Stead we are forever in your debt. All six of his goals, that season, came in vital (mostly winning) performances.

Middlesbrough (a) 1-0 – Stead

Newcastle United (h) 1-1 – Stead

Aston Villa (a) 0-2 – Flitcroft, Stead

Fulham (a) 3-4 – Cole, Douglas, Amoruso, Stead

Everton (a) 1-0 – Stead

Manchester United (h) – 1-0 - Stead 

16 points from those games crucial in ensuring Rovers survived another season. Stead would leave Rovers just a year later (to Sunderland) and have a journeyman career afterwards that took in stops at Derby County, Sheffield United, Ipswich Town, Coventry City, Bristol City, back to Huddersfield Town, Oldham Athletic, Bradford City, Notts County and finally Harrogate Town. Stead is currently assistant manager at Barnsley in League One. 

Honourable Mentions 

Rovers 5-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers (15/8/03) – The season had actually started in terrific style as new signing Brett Emerton put in arguably his best performance in a Rovers shirt, 247 appearances later when he departed people would still quote ‘that’ Wolves game. Amoruso, Thompson, Emerton and a brace from Andy Cole the goal scorers in the opening day rout. Calls of “Damien who?” in the Ewood sunshine as The Darkness' ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’ blasted out of the speakers.

Birmingham City 0-4 Rovers (6/12/03) – Rovers ran riot in a dominant second half display at St. Andrews. Ferguson, Neill, a screamer from Tugay and one from Paul Gallagher the match winners for Rovers. Of course, in true Rovers style, we’d play Birmingham City at St Andrews again just a month later in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup. Yes, you remembered correctly, Birmingham City 4-0 Rovers.

Rovers 3-4 Bolton Wanderers (10/1/04) – A seven goal thriller that went against Rovers earlier that season. Bolton the victors in a crazy game at Ewood. Rovers 0-1 down, then 3-1 up just 34 minutes later. Big Sam’s boys would have the last laugh as they came storming back. Youri Djorkaeff (later of this parish) scored just before half time to make it 3-2, before two goals in five minutes from Stelios Giannakopoulos and Kevin Nolan gave The Trotters a famous victory.