2003–04 Football Conference

Since its inception in 1979, The Football Conference has formed the fifth highest level of the overall English Football League System.

The 2003–04 Football Conference season was the 25th season of the Football Conference and the last consisting of a single division. The top team and the winner of the play-offs were promoted to Football League Two, while this season only one team was relegated.

A total of 22 teams contest the division, including 17 sides from last season, two relegated from the Football League Two and winners of Northern Premier League, Southern Football League and Isthmian League.

Promotion and relegation

Teams promoted from 2002–03 Northern Premier League

Teams promoted from 2002–03 Southern Football League

Teams promoted from 2002–03 Isthmian League

Teams relegated from 2002–03 Football League Third Division

Overview

All teams participating were professional, except for Aldershot Town, who were part-timers. In fact, Aldershot's performance exceeded everyone's expectations.

Chester City clinched the league title and won promotion to Football League Two.

Shrewsbury Town also earned promotion to League Two following their 3–0 play-off win on penalties after a 1–1 draw with Aldershot Town.

No clubs were relegated on the basis of their performances, due to Margate being demoted, Telford folding and the winners and runners-up of the Unibond League not meeting the criteria for a place in the Football Conference.

Shrewsbury Town had the highest attendance, 84,150 in all, with an average of 4,007. Margate and Leigh RMI had the least spectators with 11,905 and 11,881, respectively, with an average of 567 and 566, respectively.

The total number of attendance was 880,220, yielding an average of 1905 per game, which was the all-time record for the Football Conference.[1]

The regular season began on 9 August 2003, and ended on 24 April 2004.

Final league table

Conference National
Season 2003–04[1][2]
Champions Chester City (1st Football Conference title)
Promoted Chester City,
Shrewsbury Town
Relegated to Conference North/Conference South Margate (South)
Folded Telford United
Promoted for the next season Canvey Island,
Crawley Town
Matches played 462
Goals scored 1343 (2.91 per match)
Top goalscorer Daryl Clare (Chester City), 29
Biggest home win HerefordHalifax 7–1 (25 November 2003)
Gravesend & NorthfleetMorecambe 6–0 (28 February 2004)
Biggest away win Dagenham & RedbridgeHereford 0–9 (27 February 2004)
Highest scoring Dagenham & RedbridgeHereford 0–9 (27 February 2004)
Longest winning run ?
Longest unbeaten run Chester City, 18 matches (26 Aug – 6 Dec)
Longest losing run ?
Highest attendance Exeter City v Accrington Stanley, 8,256 (24 Apr)
Lowest attendance Margate v Forest Green Rovers, 255 (4 April 2003)
Average attendance 1,905 (+ 18% compared to the previous season)
Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GD Pts Notes
1 Chester City 4216414518117340168534+5192
2 Hereford United 42143442201443612410344+ 5991
3 Shrewsbury Town 421362381478629286742+ 2574
4 Barnet 421164301788530296046+ 1471
5 Aldershot Town 421263402484940438067+ 1370
6 Exeter City 421074332495738337157+ 1469
7 Morecambe 4214434325631223416666± 067
8 Stevenage Borough 421056292284929305852+ 663
9 Woking 421092402357925296552+ 1361
10 Accrington Stanley 4213354631210922306861+ 758
11 Gravesend & Northfleet 42768343579535316966+ 357
12 Telford United 421038282857921234951– 255 [notes 1]
13 Dagenham & Redbridge428310303476829305964– 554
14 Burton Albion 4274103029831027305759– 251 [notes 2]
15 Scarborough 428943225461119295154– 351
16 Margate 428211303267826325664– 851 [notes 3]
17 Tamworth 429663230441317384968– 1949
18 Forest Green Rovers 426873236641126445880– 2248
19 Halifax Town 429482826341415394365– 2244
20 Farnborough Town 427683134331522405374– 2139
21 Leigh RMI 4246112644321620534697– 5129
22 Northwich Victoria 4228111538231615423080– 5023
  1. Following this season Telford United folded.
  2. Burton Albion deducted 1 point for breach of rules.
  3. Margate were relegated due to ground concerns. They were placed in Conference South.
Key
Football Conference Champions, promoted to League Two
Promoted to League Two through play-offs
Participated in play-offs
FA Trophy winners, Hednesford Town (Southern Football League Premier Division)
Conference League Cup winners, competition not held
Relegated from The Football League, see also Shrewsbury Town
New club in the Conference; see also Aldershot Town
Relegated to Conference South
Folded

Locations

Locations of the Football Conference London teams 2003–2004

Results

Home ╲ Away ACC ALD BARBRTCHED&REXEFARFGRGRNHALHERLEIMARMORNORSCASHRSTBTAMTELWOK
Accrington Stanley 42 20 31 02 23 12 31 41 33 21 20 41 32 10 22 10 01 21 30 15 33
Aldershot 21 11 31 11 21 21 20 30 22 31 12 20 02 22 43 12 11 20 11 31 21
Barnet 00 21 21 00 24 23 02 50 10 41 11 21 31 21 10 00 01 00 10 20 00
Burton Albion 11 14 23 11 01 34 10 23 30 22 41 32 01 01 01 20 01 11 01 21 20
Chester City 33 42 10 31 21 32 32 10 22 20 00 50 30 21 40 10 21 12 10 00 21
Dagenham & Redbridge 01 23 52 02 00 02 10 52 04 01 09 12 40 13 20 10 50 12 00 11 10
Exeter City 32 21 11 20 21 11 11 22 01 11 01 32 11 40 20 00 32 10 32 03 12
Farnborough Town 11 40 11 21 12 22 12 13 12 10 05 11 11 24 20 12 13 20 33 21 10
Forest Green Rovers 21 31 11 11 21 13 25 11 12 12 17 22 12 12 00 40 11 31 21 00 22
Gravesend & Northfleet 00 13 11 12 04 12 32 20 11 10 25 31 21 60 22 11 03 23 20 12 22
Halifax Town 11 12 12 14 03 30 20 20 01 10 12 21 01 10 53 10 00 21 12 11 22
Hereford United 10 43 20 12 21 11 11 20 51 33 71 01 21 30 10 21 21 10 01 21 01
Leigh RMI 12 22 14 01 26 21 11 02 12 12 11 05 42 31 10 14 22 13 11 11 01
Margate 31 12 01 12 12 33 01 30 20 13 20 13 20 11 31 02 02 14 32 10 12
Morecambe 10 20 13 21 01 32 03 32 40 22 20 22 10 33 30 21 33 21 40 10 21
Northwich Victoria 33 11 11 12 04 01 11 11 04 00 01 15 01 03 11 11 02 12 10 10 14
Scarborough 21 10 22 12 22 00 23 21 22 20 10 33 41 01 10 10 11 22 01 11 22
Shrewsbury Town 00 12 01 10 00 21 22 30 20 11 20 41 31 11 20 31 41 31 31 00 10
Stevenage Borough 21 01 12 10 00 02 22 32 21 22 10 02 40 21 01 10 22 20 31 01 11
Tamworth 11 33 20 11 15 20 21 21 10 13 20 13 43 11 23 21 00 11 12 01 20
Telford United 10 25 12 22 02 10 20 24 02 11 21 03 50 11 21 01 21 10 02 20 10
Woking 22 22 22 10 12 00 10 32 11 32 22 01 20 00 41 30 21 33 11 40 31

Source: Soccerbase; Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2004–2003
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Play-offs

The Conference National play-offs determined the second team that would be promoted to Football League Two. The teams placed second through fifth qualified for the play-offs. The semi-finals were played in a two-leg, home and away format, while the final was played as one leg.

  Semifinals Final at Britannia Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent
16 May 2004
                     
2nd  Hereford United 1 0 1 (2)  
5th  Aldershot Town (pen.) 1 0 1 (4)  
    3rd  Shrewsbury Town (pen.) 1 (3)
  5th  Aldershot Town 1 (0)
3rd  Shrewsbury Town (pen.) 1 1 2 (5)
4th  Barnet 2 0 2 (3)  

Top scorers in order of league goals

Rank Player Club League Play-offs FA Cup LDV FA Trophy Total
1 Daryl Clare Chester City 29 0 1 0 0 30
2 Steve Guinan Hereford United 25 0 3 1 0 29
= David McNiven Leigh RMI 25 0 0 0 1 26
4 Giuliano Grazioli Barnet 24 0 2 0 0 26
5 Roscoe D'Sane Aldershot 21 1 2 0 3 27
6 Sean Devine Exeter City 20 0 2 0 3 25
= Paul Mullin Accrington Stanley 20 0 3 0 1 24
= Darryn Stamp Chester City 20 0 0 0 0 20
9 Tim Sills Aldershot 18 0 1 0 2 21
10 Anthony Elding Stevenage Borough 17 0 2 0 0 19
= Lutel James Accrington Stanley 17 0 1 0 0 18
= Danny Carlton Morecambe 17 0 0 0 0 17
13 Mark Cooper Tamworth 15 0 0 0 0 15
14 David Brown Hereford United 14 0 0 2 0 16
= Mark Quayle Scarborough 14 0 1 0 0 15

Source:[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2004–2005. Glenda Rollin & Jack Rollin (eds.), Headline, 2004.
  2. Soccerbase
  3. "England 2003–04". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 18 November 2010.

External links

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