2003–04 Football Conference

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

Contents

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 Northern Premier League

Teams promoted from Southern Football League

Teams promoted from Isthmian League

Teams relegated from Third Division

Overview

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
Season2003–04 [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 played462
Goals scored1,343 (2.91 per match)
Top goalscorer Daryl Clare (Chester City), 29
Biggest home win Hereford – Halifax 7–1 (25 November 2003)
Gravesend & Northfleet – Morecambe 6–0 (28 February 2004)
Biggest away win Dagenham & Redbridge – Hereford 0–9 (27 February 2004)
Highest scoring Dagenham & Redbridge – Hereford 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 attendance1,905 (+ 18% compared to the previous season)
2004–05 →
PosTeamPldHWHDHLHGFHGAAWADALAGFAGAGDPtsPromotion or relegation
1 Chester City 421641451811734016+5192 Football Conference Champions, promoted to League Two
2 Hereford United 421434422014436124+5991Participated in play-offs
3 Shrewsbury Town 42136238147862928+2574Promoted to League Two through play-offs
Relegated from The Football League
4 Barnet 42116430178853029+1471Participated in play-offs
5 Aldershot Town [lower-alpha 1] 42126340248494043+1370
6 Exeter City 42107433249573833+1469Relegated from The Football League
7 Morecambe 421443432563122341067
8 Stevenage Borough 42105629228492930+663
9 Woking 42109240235792529+1361
10 Accrington Stanley [lower-alpha 1] 421335463121092230+758
11 Gravesend & Northfleet 4276834357953531+357
12 Telford United 42103828285792123−255Folded following this season
13 Dagenham & Redbridge 42831030347682930−554
14 Burton Albion 427410302983102730−251 [lower-alpha 2]
15 Scarborough 42894322546111929−351
16 Margate 42821130326782632−851Relegated [lower-alpha 3]
17 Tamworth [lower-alpha 1] 42966323044131738−1949
18 Forest Green Rovers 42687323664112644−2248
19 Halifax Town 42948282634141539−2244
20 Farnborough Town 42768313433152240−2139
21 Leigh RMI 424611264432162053−5129
22 Northwich Victoria 422811153823161542−5023
Source: [1] [3]
Notes:
  1. 1 2 3 New club in the Conference
  2. ↑ Burton Albion deducted 1 point for breach of rules.
  3. ↑ Margate were relegated due to ground concerns. They were placed in Conference South.

Note: Hednesford Town (Southern Football League Premier Division) were the FA Trophy winners

Locations

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Telford United
Accrington Stanley
Aldershot
Barnet
Burton Albion
Chester
Dagenham & R
Exeter City
Farnborough
Forest Green Rovers
Gravesend & N
Halifax T.
Hereford United
Leigh RMI
Margate
Morecambe
Northwich Victoria
Scarborough
Shrewsbury
Stevenage
Tamworth
Woking
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Locations of the Football Conference 2003–04 teams
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Locations of the Football Conference London teams 2003–2004

Results

Home \ Away ACC ALD BAR BRT CHE D&R EXE FAR FGR GRN HAL HER LEI MAR MOR NOR SCA SHR STB TAM TEL WOK
Accrington Stanley 4–22–03–10–22–31–23–14–13–32–12–04–13–21–02–21–00–12–13–01–53–3
Aldershot 2–11–13–11–12–12–12–03–02–23–11–22–00–22–24–31–21–12–01–13–12–1
Barnet 0–02–12–10–02–42–30–25–01–04–11–12–13–12–11–00–00–1 0–0 1–02–00–0
Burton Albion 1–11–42–31–10–13–41–02–33–02–24–13–20–10–10–12–00–11–1 0–1 2–12–0
Chester City 3–34–21–03–12–13–23–21–02–22–00–05–03–02–14–01–02–11–21–00–02–1
Dagenham & Redbridge 0–12–35–20–20–00–21–05–20–40–10–91–24–01–32–01–05–01–20–01–11–0
Exeter City 3–22–11–12–02–11–11–12–20–11–10–13–21–14–02–00–03–21–03–20–31–2
Farnborough Town 1–14–01–12–11–22–21–21–31–21–00–51–11–12–42–01–21–32–03–32–11–0
Forest Green Rovers 2–13–11–11–12–11–32–51–11–21–21–72–21–21–20–04–01–13–12–10–02–2
Gravesend & Northfleet 0–01–31–11–20–41–23–22–01–11–02–53–12–16–02–21–10–32–32–01–22–2
Halifax Town 1–11–21–21–40–33–02–02–00–11–01–22–10–11–05–31–00–02–11–21–12–2
Hereford United 1–04–32–01–22–11–11–12–05–13–37–10–12–13–01–02–12–11–00–12–10–1
Leigh RMI 1–22–21–40–12–62–11–10–21–21–21–10–54–23–11–01–42–21–31–11–10–1
Margate 3–11–20–11–21–23–30–13–02–01–32–01–32–01–13–10–20–21–43–21–01–2
Morecambe 1–02–01–32–10–13–20–33–24–02–22–02–21–03–33–02–13–32–14–01–02–1
Northwich Victoria 3–31–11–11–20–40–11–11–10–40–00–11–50–10–31–11–10–21–21–01–01–4
Scarborough 2–11–02–21–22–20–02–32–12–22–01–03–34–10–11–01–01–12–20–11–12–2
Shrewsbury Town 0–01–20–11–00–02–12–23–02–01–12–04–13–11–12–03–14–13–13–1 0–0 1–0
Stevenage Borough 2–10–1 1–2 1–00–00–22–23–22–12–21–00–24–02–10–11–02–22–03–10–11–1
Tamworth 1–13–32–0 1–1 1–52–02–12–11–01–32–01–34–31–12–32–10–01–11–20–12–0
Telford United 1–02–51–22–20–21–02–02–40–21–12–10–35–01–12–10–12–1 1–0 0–22–01–0
Woking 2–22–22–21–01–20–01–03–21–13–22–20–12–00–04–13–02–13–31–14–03–1
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: Soccerbase; Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2004–2003
Legend: 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)

Semifinals

1st Leg
Aldershot Town 1–1 Hereford United
  • Dsane Soccerball shade.svg45' (pen.)
 Report
Recreation Ground , Aldershot
Attendance: 6,379
Referee: Jarnail Singh
2nd Leg
Hereford United 0–0 Aldershot Town
Report
Penalties
2–4
Edgar Street , Hereford
Attendance: 7,044
Referee: Andy Woolmer

Aldershot Town won 4–2 on penalties after tying 1–1 on Aggregate.

1st Leg
Barnet 2–1 Shrewsbury Town
Report
Underhill Stadium , Chipping Barnet
Attendance: 4,171
2nd Leg
Shrewsbury Town 1–0 Barnet
Report
Penalties
5–3
Gay Meadow , Shrewsbury
Attendance: 7,012
Referee: Pollock

Shrewsbury Town won 5–3 on penalties after tying 2–2 on Aggregate.

Play-Off Final

Top scorers in order of league goals

RankPlayerClubLeaguePlay-offs FA Cup LDV FA Trophy Total
1 Daryl Clare Chester City 29010030
2 Steve Guinan Hereford United 25031029
= David McNiven Leigh RMI 25000126
4 Giuliano Grazioli Barnet 24020026
5 Roscoe D'Sane Aldershot 21120327
6 Sean Devine Exeter City 20020325
= Paul Mullin Accrington Stanley 20030124
= Darryn Stamp Chester City 20000020
9 Tim Sills Aldershot 18010221
10 Anthony Elding Stevenage Borough 17020019
= Lutel James Accrington Stanley 17010018
= Danny Carlton Morecambe 17000017
13 Mark Cooper Tamworth 15000015
14 David Brown Hereford United 14002016
= Mark Quayle Scarborough 14010015

Source: [1]

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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.
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