Unlike the Football League and the Conference, thePremier League did not undergo any restructuring, butBarclays Bank replaced their subsidiaryBarclaycard as title sponsors.
Wigan Athletic reached the Premiership as Championship runners-up. They had been elected to the Football League only 27 years earlier, had been the league's fourth lowest club 11 years earlier and until two years before reaching the Premiership they had never played in the upper half of the English league.
Nottingham Forest were relegated from the Championship to League One, becoming the first former European Cup winners to slide into the third tier of their domestic league – having won two-straight European Cups a quarter of a century earlier. Just ten years ago, they had finished third in the Premiership and reached the following season'sUEFA Cup quarter-finals.
7 July 2004 –The Sun newspaper issues an apology toLiverpool fans over its infamous front-page story about theHillsborough disaster 15 years ago, but the apology is not welcomed by many of the club's supporters; a poll on the club's official website shows an 87% disapproval rate of the newspaper's apology.[1]
20 July 2004 – Chelsea pay a club record £24 million for Ivorian strikerDidier Drogba fromMarseille and also sign midfielderTiago fromBenfica for £8 million.
27 July 2004 – Chelsea sign Porto defenderRicardo Carvalho for £19.85 million.
29 July 2004 –Nicky Butt leaves Manchester United, where he has spent his whole career, and joinsNewcastle United for £2.5 million.
9 August 2004 –West Bromwich Albion strikerLee Hughes is jailed for six years for causing death by dangerous driving in November 2003; his contract with the club is terminated.
23 August 2004 –Southampton managerPaul Sturrock parts company with the club after just five months in charge. Saints ChairmanRupert Lowe claimed that media speculation had proved too much for Sturrock to take, despite allegations that he himself placed much pressure on Sturrock. CoachSteve Wigley takes over, though it is anticipated that the appointment will not be permanent.
25 August 2004 – With a 3–0 home win overBlackburn Rovers,Arsenal sets the all-time record for consecutive unbeaten league matches at England's top level, with 43. The record was previously held byNottingham Forest, with 42 from November 1977 to September 1978.
30 August 2004 –Newcastle United manager SirBobby Robson is sacked after a poor start to thePremier League season amid reports of dressing-room discontent. His assistantJohn Carver takes over as caretaker manager.
31 August 2004 –Wayne Rooney, at 18 years of age, leavesEverton forManchester United in a £27 million deal, a world record for a teenager. He joins a United side who have finished the first month of the league season in ninth place. Meanwhile, the Premier League leaders are defending champions Arsenal who are level on points with second-placed Chelsea – both have won all four games so far this season. Bolton Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur and Middlesbrough complete the top five. Crystal Palace, Blackburn Rovers and Norwich City complete the bottom three.[2] In the newly namedFootball League Championship,Wigan Athletic are top of the table and level on points withStoke City.Ipswich Town, who lost in the playoffs last season, occupy third place.Plymouth Argyle, newly promoted and at this level for the first time in 13 years, stand fourth.Reading andSheffield United complete the top six.[3]
6 September 2004 –Graeme Souness resigns as manager ofBlackburn Rovers to take over atNewcastle United. He officially takes over on 13 September, after the two clubs played each other for the first time in the season.
30 September 2004 – September draws to a close with Arsenal still top of the Premier League and now two points ahead of Chelsea, with Everton, Bolton Wanderers and Manchester United completing the top five. Crystal Palace, Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion occupy the bottom three places.[4] Reading have taken over as Championship leaders at the expense of Wigan Athletic, who now stand second. The playoff zone is occupied by Ipswich Town,Queens Park Rangers, Stoke City andWatford. Pre-season promotion favouritesSunderland andWest Ham United are edged out of the playoff zone on goal difference.[5]
2 October 2004 – West Bromwich Albion beat Bolton to secure their first league win of the campaign, exiting the relegation zone as a result.[6] In the Championship, Wigan go back to the top of the table with a win over bottom club Rotherham United, andTeddy Sheringham scores his 250th league goal with the winner for West Ham United against Wolves.[7]
3 October 2004 – Chelsea beat Liverpool 1–0 at Stamford Bridge and extend their run of not losing a match under José Mourinho, while Newcastle United go four unbeaten since Bobby Robson's departure with a draw at Birmingham City.[8]
24 October 2004 –Arsenal's record streak of unbeaten top-flight league matches ends at 49 after a 2–0 away loss toManchester United.
26 October 2004 –Gary Megson is dismissed as manager ofWest Bromwich Albion after he notifies the club he will not extend his contract past the current season.
31 October 2004 – Arsenal lead the Premier League on goal difference ahead of Chelsea, while Everton's surprise title challenge is continuing as they occupy third place with just a three-point margin keeping them off the top. Middlesbrough and Bolton Wanderers complete the top five, with Liverpool and Manchester United – among the pre-season title favourites – sixth and seventh respectively. Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers and Southampton occupy the bottom three.[9] Wigan Athletic are still top of the Championship, with Ipswich Town now second. The playoff zone is occupied by Reading, Queen's Park Rangers, Sunderland and West Ham United.[10]
6 November 2004 – Arsenal draw 1–1 at Crystal Palace, allowing Chelsea to bypass them into first place for the first time in the season, going two points clear; the latter winning 1–0 at home to Everton.
8 November 2004 – The "caretaker" is removed fromMartin Jol's title, as he signs a contract to manageSpurs through the2006–07 season.
13 November 2004 –AFC Wimbledon sets a United Kingdom record for consecutive unbeaten league games in senior football, at 76, with a 1–1 draw atBromley inRyman Division One.
24 November 2004 –Harry Redknapp quits as manager ofPortsmouth following a row with chairmanMilan Mandarić over the appointment of new Director of FootballVelimir Zajec at the club. Zajec then replaces Redknapp as manager with immediate effect.
30 November 2004 – As November draws to a close, Chelsea have leapfrogged Arsenal at the top of the Premier League and are now five points ahead. Everton, Manchester United and Middlesbrough complete the top five, though they are now some way behind the top two in terms of points. West Bromwich Albion, Norwich City and Southampton occupy the bottom three places, while Tottenham Hotspur's promising start to the season has tailed off and they now stand just three places and one point above the drop zone.[11] Ipswich Town are now top of the Championship, with Wigan Athletic second. Sunderland's good form has lifted them to third place, while the playoff zone is completed by Reading, West Ham United and Queen's Park Rangers.[12]
4 December 2004 –AFC Wimbledon lose 2–0 toCray Wanderers, ending their United Kingdom record run of consecutive unbeaten league games in senior football at 78, having last lost a league game in February 2003 when they were playing in theCombined Counties League.
8 December 2004 –Southampton sackSteve Wigley after only 14 games in charge. The Saints announceHarry Redknapp, who resigned as manager of their local rivalsPortsmouth only two weeks ago, as their new manager.
31 December 2004 – Chelsea finish 2004 as Premier League leaders by an eight-point margin over second-placed Arsenal, who have a game in hand. Manchester United and Everton's recent run of good results keeps them similarly competitive as they are the next nearest threat, level on points and nine points off the top. Middlesbrough complete the top five, with strong competition from Liverpool, Charlton Athletic and a resurgent Tottenham Hotspur. West Bromwich Albion, with just one win so far this season, prop up the top flight with a mere 11 points. Southampton and Norwich City, both with just two wins so far this season, complete the bottom three, but are cranking up the pressure on Crystal Palace, Fulham and Blackburn Rovers.[13] Ipswich Town and Sunderland lead the way in the Championship, with Wigan Athletic, Reading, Sheffield United andMillwall completing the top six.[14]
5 January 2005 – Everton pay a club record £6 million for Southampton strikerJames Beattie.
11 January 2005 –Everton andLiverpool announce that they have abandoned plans to groundshare atLiverpool's new stadium, which is scheduled for completion in 2007. Norwich City boost their survival hopes with a club record £3 million signing ofCrewe Alexandra strikerDean Ashton.
19 January 2005 – Blackburn Rovers sign Birmingham City'sRobbie Savage for £3 million.
31 January 2005 – January draws to a close with Chelsea still top of the Premier League by an 11-point margin and their closest threat now coming from Manchester United. Arsenal, Everton and Liverpool complete the top five, while Middlesbrough and Charlton Athletic are level on points with Liverpool in the race for a top-five place, though seventh place could be enough for a UEFA Cup place this season.[15] Ipswich Town, Wigan Athletic and Sunderland continue to lead the way at the top of the Championship. Reading, Sheffield United andPreston North End complete the top six.[16]
6 February 2005 –Chelsea, the Premier League leaders, face aPremier League inquiry over an alleged illegal approach forArsenal defenderAshley Cole. If found guilty, Chelsea face a hefty fine and possibly even a points deduction.[17]
7 February 2005 –Manchester United confirms that United States businessmanMalcolm Glazer has made an£800 million bid to take over the club.
27 February 2005 –Chelsea win theLeague Cup beatingLiverpool 3–2 after extra time, meaning that the sixth placed club will get a UEFA Cup place this season if Liverpool achieve a top five finish that Chelsea are on the verge of sealing any time now. In the Premier League, Chelsea now lead six points ahead of Manchester United and have a game in hand. Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool and Middlesbrough complete the top six. West Bromwich Albion continue to prop up the table, with Norwich City and Southampton completing the bottom three.[18] Wigan Athletic, Sunderland and Ipswich Town are level on 66 points at the top of the Championship. Derby County, West Ham United and Preston North End complete the top six.[19]
1 March 2005 –Arsenal midfielderJermaine Pennant, currently on loan toBirmingham City, is found guilty ofdrink-driving, driving while disqualified, and driving without insurance. He is sentenced to three months in prison; he would be released on 31 March.
31 March 2005 – March draws to a close with Chelsea now looking all set for title glory with an 11-point lead of Manchester United with eight games left to play. Arsenal, Everton, Bolton Wanderers and Liverpool complete the top six. Norwich City are now bottom of the table, while West Bromwich Albion and Southampton complete the bottom three.[20] Sunderland are now top of the Championship, with Wigan Athletic second and Ipswich Town third. Preston North End, Derby County and Sheffield United complete the top six.[21]
1 April 2005 –Newcastle United legendAlan Shearer announces that he will play in the 2005–06 season, reversing his prior plans to retire following this season.
2 April 2005 –Stockport County become the first League team this season to be relegated.
7 April 2005 –Portsmouth appoint FrenchmanAlain Perrin as manager, withVelimir Zajec reverting to his previous role as Director of Football.
10 April 2005 –James Vaughan ofEverton becomes the youngest Premiership scorer as of this date when he scored in a match againstCrystal Palace at the age of 16 years and 271 days.
15 April 2005 – Malcolm Glazer makes a revised bid to take overManchester United. This bid reportedly is less dependent on debt than his February 2005 takeover bid, which was rejected by the club's board because of this issue. United's board has decided not to recommend the bid, but will allow shareholders to vote on whether to accept it, as they consider Glazer's price to be fair. The Takeover Panel subsequently gave Glazer a 17 May deadline to make an offer for the club.
30 April 2005 –Chelsea win the Premiership, their first top-flight title in 50 years, with a 2–0 victory overBolton at the Reebok Stadium.Frank Lampard scored both goals. The race for second place is now being contested between Arsenal and Manchester United, with Arsenal having the advantage of one point and a game in hand. Everton, Liverpool, Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur complete the top seven, as the FA Cup will (like the League Cup final was) be a top-five affair this season seventh place in the league will be enough for a UEFA Cup place this time. Middlesbrough, Manchester City and Aston Villa are still in contention for a UEFA Cup place on these grounds. Norwich City, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace occupy the bottom three places, with Southampton out of the bottom three only due to having a slightly better goal difference than Crystal Palace.[22] Sunderland will be back in the Premier League next season after a two-year exile, being in pole position at the top of the Championship. Wigan Athletic and Ipswich Town are in the race for second place. Preston North End, Derby County and Reading complete the top six, but West Ham United and Sheffield United are still in contention for the playoff places.[23] Away from the Championship promotion race, Coventry City assure their Championship survival in style with a 6–2 win over Derby County in the last ever game atHighfield Road, which they are leaving after 106 years to relocate to the 32,500-seatRicoh Arena. A crowd of 22,728 watched the game.[24]
8 May 2005 – Wigan Athletic finish second in the Championship and are promoted to the Premier League – giving them top-flight football for the first time in their history. They were only elected to theFootball League 27 years previously and reached the second tier of the English league just two years before.[25]
– Swansea City beat Wrexham 2–1 in theFAW Premier Cup final in their last game at the 93-year-oldVetch Field before relocation to theirnew 22,000-seat stadium. They also have the joy of promotion from League Two to go out on a high at their old stadium.[26]
12 May 2005 – Malcolm Glazer gained control ofManchester United after buying the 28.9% share owned by Irish businessmen andhorse racing magnatesJ. P. McManus andJohn Magnier. With this purchase, Glazer officially launched his bid for a complete takeover.
15 May 2005 –Crystal Palace,Norwich City andSouthampton are relegated from the Premiership on the last day of the season, finishing 18th, 19th and 20th respectively.West Bromwich Albion, which started the day at the bottom of the table, complete an improbable escape to become the first club since the creation of the Premier League in1992–93 to survive after being the bottom team at Christmas. Their survival was achieved with a 2–0 home win over Portsmouth, while Crystal Palace had been less than ten minutes from safety when Charlton Athletic equalised against them. Norwich City could have saved themselves regardless of what happened to the other three teams had they won at Fulham, but instead were hammered 6–0 in the showdown atCraven Cottage. Southampton's survival bid ended with a 2–1 home defeat by Manchester United, drawing the curtain on 27 successive seasons of top-flight football at the club.
16 May 2005 – Malcolm Glazer announces that he has acquired 75% of the shares ofManchester United. This level of ownership will enable him to delist the club from theLondon Stock Exchange, which he has pledged to do.
21 May 2005 –Arsenal beatManchester Utd onpenalties in theFA Cup Final after no goals were scored in normal or extra time, this being the first final to be decided on penalties.Patrick Vieira converted the winning spot-kick in what was his last game for the Gunners.
25 May 2005 –Liverpool win theEuropean Cup for a fifth time, beatingMilan 3–2 on penalties after extra time. Milan went ahead 3–0 in the first half, but Liverpool scored three goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half to level the score.
1 June 2005 – An independent commission charged by thePremier League with investigating the alleged "tapping up" ofArsenal defenderAshley Cole byChelsea issues its findings:
Cole is found guilty of violating Premier League Rule K5, which prohibits players from approaching clubs with intent of negotiating a transfer without the permission of their current clubs. He is fined £100,000.
Chelsea are found guilty of violating Rule K3, which prohibits a club from contacting a player under contract without the permission of his current club. Chelsea are fined £300,000, and receive a suspended three-point deduction for the2005–06 season. The deduction will be assessed if Chelsea are guilty of another tapping-up offence in 2005–06.
Chelsea managerJosé Mourinho is found guilty of violating Rule Q, which governs managers' conduct, and is fined £200,000.
3 June 2005 –Northwich Victoria's ground is confirmed to be up toConference National standards. However, due to legal issues stemming from their spell in administration earlier in the season, their points total is zeroed and they are relegated from the Conference as a result. Previously relegatedForest Green replace them.
4 June 2005 –Spurs suspend their sporting directorFrank Arnesen, and accuseChelsea of making an illegal approach to him. Chelsea deny the accusations, claiming that they had made an official approach to the club regarding Arnesen.
7 June 2005 –George Burley resigns as manager ofDerby County, citing differences with the club's board.
10 June 2005 –UEFA changes the rules for theUEFA Champions League to ensure that the reigning champions will always be able to defend their title. The immediate effect is to allowLiverpool to defend their crown, despite a fifth-place finish in the Premiership, outside the four slots currently allotted for England in the competition. Liverpool will have to begin play in the first of three qualifying rounds.Mikael Forssell joins Birmingham City from Chelsea for £3 million after two seasons on loan.
15 June 2005 – Newcastle United sign Chelsea midfielderScott Parker for £6.5 million.
24 June 2005 –Spurs andChelsea jointly announce that they have reached an agreement in principle regarding Spurs sporting directorFrank Arnesen, who had been suspended after Chelsea had allegedly made an illegal approach to him. The next day, a Chelsea official revealed that the club paid £5 million.
24 June 2005 – TheWelsh championsTotal Network Solutions, who had previously offered to play a two-legged playoff withChampions League holdersLiverpool for TNS's place in the first qualifying round of the competition, wind up being drawn against Liverpool in the first qualifying round of the competition.
England began their qualifying campaign for the2006 FIFA World Cup. They played alongside UK neighbours Wales and Northern Ireland in the European Group 6.
Chelsea, in their first season under new managerJosé Mourinho, broke records as they won their first League title for 50 years, losing just one Premiership game all season and setting a top-flight record of 29 wins and 95 points, in addition to winning the League Cup.Arsenal (unbeaten league champions a year earlier) extended their unbeaten run to 49 games before a controversial loss atManchester United ended this remarkable achievement. Despite this, The Gunners were Chelsea's closest challengers and finished in second place, 12 points behind. United kept the two London teams under pressure with their own impressive league form since ending Arsenal's run, but slipped up and ultimately took third place.Everton, who had only just avoided relegation a year earlier, surprised all the observers by clinching the fourth Champions League place (even more remarkable considering they lost strikerWayne Rooney to Manchester United at the end of August).Liverpool, in their first season underRafa Benítez, suffered from indifferent domestic form and finished in fifth place, finishing much closer to the relegation zone in terms of points than the top.
Despite this, however, Benítez showed off his impressive managerial skills with an unforeseen and staggeringChampions League run that took them to thefinal inIstanbul against highly regarded and highly tipped Italian clubMilan, forcing the game into extra time and penalties. Liverpool kept the advantage in the shootout, winning 3–2 and ending a 21-year wait to win Europe's elite competition. This stunning achievement, considering Liverpool's poor domestic form that season, was enough forUEFA to allow Liverpool to become the fifth English team in next year's competition to take part, a first for European football.
Bolton Wanderers finished sixth – their highest league finish in decades and just a lower goal difference keeping them behind Liverpool – to qualify for theUEFA Cup, having never played in Europe before.Middlesbrough joined them, finishing seventh.
All three relegation places were decided on the final day of the season, for the first time in Premier League history.Crystal Palace,Norwich City andSouthampton (after 27 years) went down, butWest Bromwich Albion managed to stay up despite being bottom before the games started and also having the worst record of any Premiership team to avoid relegation (six wins and 34 points). They were also the first-ever Premiership team to avoid relegation after being bottom on Christmas Day, and the first top-flight team to achieve this feat sinceSheffield United in 1991.
Source:[39] Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored. (C) Champions;(R) Relegated Notes:
^Although they failed to qualify for the Champions League as one of the top four English clubs, Liverpool were given a special dispensation to compete as thedefending champions. They were, however, forced to enter in the first qualifying round.[38]
After narrowly missing out on promotion the previous season,Sunderland clinched a return to the top-flight as champions.Wigan Athletic joined them as runners-up, entering the top-tier for the first time in their history and giving managerPaul Jewell his second promotion to the Premier League in six years.West Ham United made amends for their loss in the play-off final the previous year by beatingPreston North End.
Unusually, none of the sides relegated to the Championship in 2003–04 did particularly well. WhileLeeds United were widely predicted for a second successive relegation and possible bankruptcy (both of which looked likely in the middle of the season, but were staved off by another takeover),Wolverhampton Wanderers andLeicester City were predicted to challenge for promotion. Instead, both sides started badly, and replaced their managers mid-season, never really looking like promotion contenders.
At the bottom of the table,Rotherham United andGillingham's luck finally ran out, and both were relegated after a short few years in which both clubs battled the odds on small budgets. What made bigger headlines wasNottingham Forest's relegation to League One, six years after they were in the Premiership, and which made them the first European Cup winners to drop to the third division of their domestic league.Dario Gradi'sCrewe Alexandra managed to survive relegation on the last day of the season in their 2–1 win overCoventry City, which was their first win without strikerDean Ashton, who was sold toNorwich City for £3 million.
Updated to match(es) played on 9 December 2011. Source:Football League Tables Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored. (C) Champions;(O) Play-off winners;(P) Promoted;(R) Relegated
Luton Town performed the best out of any League side to clinch promotion.Hull City joined them, their second promotion in as many seasons.Sheffield Wednesday – who looked like spending another season fighting relegation in the first few months – returned to the Championship under new managerPaul Sturrock, who put his sacking atSouthampton behind him to lead Wednesday to their best season in nearly a decade.
Going down to League Two wereStockport, who continued their decline which began with relegation from Division One in 2001–02,Peterborough United, feeling the strain of their financial situation, soon followed.Torquay United, whose first season out of the bottom division in 12 years, ended in disappointment and they were also relegated. The fourth relegated side would have beenMilton Keynes Dons (formerlyWimbledon), butWrexham went into administration and lost ten points as a result (despite the club's argument that it would be harder for them to exit administration if they were relegated).
Updated to match(es) played on May 2005. Source:[citation needed] Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored. (C) Champions;(O) Play-off winners;(P) Promoted;(R) Relegated Notes:
^Wrexham deducted 10 points for entering administration.[40]
Just two years after winning the Conference,Yeovil Town followed inDoncaster Rovers' footsteps by winning the League Two title.Scunthorpe United – relegation candidates the season before – joined them, whileSwansea City edged the last automatic promotion spot. The side that they edged out,Southend United, made amends by winning the play-offs, beatingLincoln City in the final.
At the bottom,Cambridge United andKidderminster Harriers' finances hit them hard, and they fell out of the league, both on the back of signing several foreign players who proved ineffective. While Cambridge went into administration, this happened after they were already relegated, and made no difference overall, short of lifting Kidderminster above them.
Updated to match(es) played on 15 September 2009. Source:2004–05 League Two Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored. (C) Champions;(O) Play-off winners;(P) Promoted;(R) Relegated Notes:
^Cambridge United deducted 10 points for entering administration[41]
This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(May 2010)
James Vaughan – 16-year-old striker, scores on hisEverton debut (a 4–1 home win overCrystal Palace) to become the youngest scorer in Premier League history.[42]
Cesc Fàbregas – 17-year-old Spanish midfielder, makes hisArsenal debut againstEverton on 15 August 2004 (opening day of the Premier League season) in a 1–4 win atGoodison Park.[43]
20 August 2004:Arthur Lever, 84, formerCardiff City,Leicester City andNewport County player who made over 300 appearances in the Football League in a career spanning eleven years from 1946 to 1957, winning one cap forWales in 1952.
20 September 2004:Brian Clough, 69, who achieved league title success as manager withDerby County in 1972 but is best remembered for his achievement atNottingham Forest – where he won promotion to the original First Division and established Forest as one of Europe's top sides. They were league champions once, European Cup winners twice and League Cup winners four times. He underwent a liver transplant in January 2003, 20 months before his death from stomach cancer in a Derby hospital.
23 October 2004:Bill Nicholson, 85, who won a host of domestic and European trophies with Tottenham during the 1960s and 1970s, including the double in 1961 – which made Tottenham the first English club to win the double during the 20th century.
9 November 2004:Emlyn Hughes, 57, formerLiverpool player andEngland captain who won numerous domestic and European trophies with Liverpool as well as a League Cup with Wolves. During the 1980s he was a successful team captain on BBC'sA Question of Sport.
1 December 2004:Bill Brown, 73, was goalkeeper forSpurs when they won the double in 1961.
12 December 2004:Harry McNally, 68, was a charismatic former manager ofWigan Athletic andChester City. His popularity at Chester was such that the home terrace at theDeva Stadium would later be named after him.
15 March 2005:Bill McGarry, 77, who died inSouth Africa after a long illness, played some 600 senior games forPort Vale,Huddersfield Town andBournemouth & Boscombe Athletic in the first 17 postwar seasons, beginning his managerial career at Bournemouth in 1961. He managedIpswich Town to promotion to the top flight in 1968 andWolverhampton Wanderers to League Cup glory in 1974. He managedNewcastle United from 1977 to 1980 and then had a brief, unsuccessful return to Wolves in 1985 during their three-season slump from the First Division to the Fourth.
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