The 2003-04 campaign saw a stable return to the Second Division for AFC Bournemouth as The Cherries, fresh from promotion, secured a respectable 9th-place finish under manager Sean O'Driscoll. Leading the charge was the prolific striker James Hayter, whose 14 goals were vital, and whose season was immortalized by a single moment of brilliance. Hayter cemented his legendary status by scoring the fastest Football League hat-trick ever against Wrexham, three goals in an astonishing 140 seconds, a feat his parents famously missed after leaving early for the ferry. It was a solid year of consolidation and record-breaking heroics.