Summer signings Peter Sweeney and Mama Sidibe decided to stay with the Potters despite being signed by Pulis before his departure and were joined by Carl Hoekfens, Marlon Broomes, Paul Gallagher, Junior, Martin Kolar, new £900,000 record signing Sammy Bangoura and Bruce Dyer.
The season started with a goalless draw at home to Sheffield Wednesday where Gerry Taggart saw red after a quarter of an hour and Kevin Harper hit one of the worst penalties ever late on. The next game there days later saw what would become the norm for the season as bad defending let the Potters down as they lost 4-2 but the fact that both goals were scored by full backs John Halls and Marlon Broomes was an indication of the freedom this side was being given.
Three wins from the next four got the Potters going but luck was on their side and when it deserted Boskamps side they seemed to suffer heavy defeats as Wolves, Cardiff and Watford each scored three past the Potters in consecutive home games with the Potters only goal being a late consolation against Wolves.
It was mid-October before Bangoura could make his debut after firstly being refused entry into the country then being wrongfully arrested on arrival and not being fully fit after his signing in late August. HIs first start saw the Potters halt a run of 4consecutive defeats with a fine 2-0 win over Crewe before two defeats followed immediately after.
November 2nd was the day it all went wrong for the Boskamp reign. A row with John Rudge and Jan De Koning saw the aforementioned pair on gardening leave as Boskamps toys came well and truly out of the pram with the Dutchman suggesting the pair were passing secret notes behind his back. De Koning ended up leaving the club shortly after whilst Rudge eventually returned to his position as Director of Football. The Potters di however win the game by two goals to one.
One player who the row didn't affect was Bangoura as he netted 7 in his next 6 games to push the Potters into a top 6 place for the first time that season. A one match suspension followed after picking up five quick bookings and he didn't look the same player again as he netted just once more in seventeen games for the Potters whilst also arriving back very late from the African Cup of Nations to really annoy his employers.
A run to the 5th round of the FA Cup was the only high point as Boskamps side went nine games without victory before beating Millwall by two goals to one in late February.
March produced two wins, two defeats and two draws as the Potters sealed enough to guarantee survival whilst not doing enough to keep alive their faint play off hopes alive.
Big away wins at Ipswich(4-1) and Brighton(5-1) produced some of the seasons high points late on but the poor home continued to the end with narrow defeats to Southampton and Coventry rounding off the season at the Brit.
Adam Rooney, aged 17, scored a hat trick on only his second start in the final day win at Brighton and along with Carl Dickinson, Rob Garrett, Rob Duggan, Martin Paterson and Adam Vass the Potters academy produced a lot of talent for the first team to consider.
Boskamp quit at the end of the season and the club was sold back to Peter Coates shortly after where he reinstated Tony Pulis as manager,
Appearances
50-Steve Simonsen(50/0)
49-Carl Hoefkens(49/0)
47-Mamady Sidibe(42/5)
45-Michael Duberry(45/0), Dave Brammer(43/2)
42-Marlon Broomes(41/1)
40-Luke Chadwick(37/3), Paul Gallagher(35/5)
39-Darel Russell(36/3)
36-Lewis Buxton(28/8)
28-Karl Henry(15/13)
26-Hannes Siguurdsson(10/16)
25-Sammy Bangoura(24/1)
24-Junior(17/7)
20-Peter Sweeney(10/10)
17-Kevin Harper(7/10)
15-Martin Kolar(13/2)
14-John Halls(14/0), Clint Hill(13/1)
12-Bruce Dyer(3/9)
9-Josip Skoko(9/0), Peter Kopteff(4/5)
7-Adam Rooney(2/5)
6-Andy Wilkinson(4/2)
5-Carl Dickinson(4/1)
3-Martin Paterson(2/1), Gerry Taggart(3/0), Ed De Goey(1/2)
2-Rob Garrett(0/2)
1-Toddi Gudjonsson(0/1), Matt Hazley(0/1)
Goals
12-Paul Gallagher(1p)
9-Sambegou Bangoura
7-Mamady Sidibe
4-Adam Rooney
3-Darel Russell, Luke Chadwick, Carl Hoefkens(2p)
2-Josip Skoko, John Halls, Marlon Broomes, Dave Brammer(1p), O.G.
1-Martin Kolar, Kevin Harper, Lewis Buxton, Michael Duberry, Gerry Taggart, Hannes Sigurdsson, Peter Sweeney