2003–04 Football League

The Football League
Season 2003–04
Champions Norwich City
Promoted Norwich City
West Bromwich Albion
Crystal Palace
Relegated Carlisle United
York City

The 2003–04 Football League (known as the Nationwide Football League for sponsorship reasons) was the 105th completed season of The Football League.

This season was the last association football season in the football league where the divisions were known as "First", "Second", and "Third". The following season saw the names of the divisions changed to "The Championship", "Football League One" and "Football League Two".

The first and second divisions had the format where the top two teams won automatic promotion to the division above, while teams finishing in third to sixth place played in a play-off competition. The winner gained the third promotion place.

The Third Division followed the same format except there were three automatic promotion places and teams in fourth to seventh place played in a play-off competition fought for a fourth promotion place.

Final league tables and results

The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation website,[1] with home and away statistics separated. Play-off results are from the same website.

First Division

Football League, First Division
Season 2003–04
Champions Norwich City (3rd second tier title)
Direct promotion to FA Premier League Norwich City,
West Bromwich Albion
Promoted to FA Premier League through play-offs Crystal Palace
Relegated Bradford City,
Walsall,
Wimbledon
Matches played 552
Goals scored 1440 (2.61 per match)
Top goalscorer Andrew Johnson (Crystal Palace), 27 [2]
Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GD Pts Notes
1 Norwich City 4618324415107635247939+4094
2 West Bromwich Albion 4614543416116630266442+2286
3 Sunderland 461382331595929306245+1779
4 West Ham United 4612744220710625256745+2274
5 Ipswich Town 461238493697735368472+1273
6 Crystal Palace 46108534251121038367261+1173
7 Wigan Athletic 461184291679731296045+1571
8 Sheffield United 461166372595928316556+971
9 Reading 4611662925941026325557– 270
10 Millwall 461184281577927335548+769UEFA Cup 2004–05
First round
11 Stoke City 4611753524751123315855+366
12 Coventry City 469953422851033326754+1365
13 Cardiff City 461067402578828336858+1065
14 Nottingham Forest 468963325761028336158+360
15 Preston North End 4611754329471226426971– 259
16 Watford 469863128641323405468– 1457
17 Rotherham United 468873127571122345361– 854
18 Crewe Alexandra 4611393326381224405766– 953
19 Burnley 469683732481123456077– 1753
20 Derby County 4611573933281314345367– 1452
21 Gillingham 46101122834481120334867– 1951
22 Walsall 468782931551316344565– 2051
23 Bradford City 4663142335431615343869– 3136
24 Wimbledon 4634162140511720494189– 4829

[1]

Key
Football League Champions, promoted to FA Premier League
Promoted to FA Premier League
Participated in play-offs
Promoted to Premier League through play-offs
FA Cup runners-up, qualified for UEFA Cup
Relegated

Play-offs

  Semifinals
1st leg – May 14th/15th; 2nd leg – May 17th/18th, 2004
Final at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
May 29th, 2004
                     
3rd  Sunderland 2 2 4 (4)  
6th  Crystal Palace (pens.) 3 1 4 (5)  
    4th  West Ham United 0
  6th  Crystal Palace 1
4th  West Ham United 0 2 2
5th  Ipswich Town 1 0 1  

First Division maps

Locations of the Football League First Division London teams 2003–2004

First Division topscorers

Rank Player Club League
1 England Andrew Johnson Crystal Palace 28
2 England Marlon Harewood West Ham United /
Nottingham Forest
25
3 Wales Robert Earnshaw Cardiff City 21
4 England Dean Ashton Crewe Alexandra 19
= England Robbie Blake Burnley 19
6 England Nathan Ellington Wigan Athletic 18
7 England Darren Bent Ipswich Town 17
= Jamaica Ricardo Fuller Preston North End 17
9 England Marcus Stewart Sunderland 16
10 Northern Ireland David Healy Preston North End 15
= England Martin Butler Rotherham United 15
= England Steve Jones Crewe Alexandra 15

[3]

Second Division

Football League, Second Division
Season 2003–04
Champions Plymouth Argyle (2nd third tier title)
Direct promotion Plymouth Argyle,
Queens Park Rangers
Promoted through play-offs Brighton & Hove Albion
Relegated Grimsby Town,
Notts County,
Rushden & Diamonds,
Wycombe Wanderers
Matches played 552
Goals scored 1460 (2.64 per match)
Top goalscorer Leon Knight (Brighton & Hove Albion), 25
Stephen McPhee (Port Vale), 25 [2]
Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GD Pts Notes
1 Plymouth Argyle 461751521397733288541+4490
2 Queens Park Rangers 4616704712610733338045+3583
3 Bristol City 461562341287824255837+2182
4 Brighton & Hove Albion 4617423911571125326443+2177
5 Swindon Town 461274412386935357658 +1873
6 Hartlepool United 4610853924105837377661+1573
7 Port Vale 4615624528641328357362+1073
8 Tranmere Rovers 4613733618491023385956+367
9 Bournemouth 4611843525671021265651+566
10 Luton Town 4614634427391125396966+366
11 Colchester United 4611843323651219335256– 464
12 Barnsley 4671242519851029395458– 462
13 Wrexham 469682721831223395060– 1060
14 Blackpool 469593128761027375865– 759
15 Oldham Athletic 469863725313729356660+657
16 Sheffield Wednesday 467972526651223384864– 1653
17 Brentford 469593438561218315269– 1753
18 Peterborough United 465810363378822255858±052
19 Stockport County 466893136511731346270– 852
20 Chesterfield 469773431381215404971– 2251
21 Grimsby Town 4610583626361419555531– 2650
22 Rushden & Diamonds 469593734441523406074– 1448
23 Notts County 466983227431618515078– 2842
24 Wycombe Wanderers 46571131391121019365075– 2537

[1]

Key
Division Champions, promoted
Promoted
Participated in play-offs
Promoted through play-offs
Relegated

Play-offs

  Semifinals
1st leg – May 15th/16th; 2nd leg – May 19th/20th, 2004
Final at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
May 30th, 2004
                     
3rd  Bristol City 1 2 3  
6th  Hartlepool United 1 1 2  
    3rd  Bristol City 0
  4th  Brighton & Hove Albion 1
4th  Brighton & Hove Albion (pens.) 1 1 2 (4)
5th  Swindon Town 0 2 2 (3)  

Second Division maps

Locations of the Football League Second Division London teams 2003–2004

Second Division topscorers

Rank Player Club Goals
1 England Leon Knight Brighton & Hove Albion 26
2 Scotland Stephen McPhee Port Vale 24
3 Republic of Ireland Paul Heffernan Notts County 20
= England Sam Parkin Swindon Town 20
5 England Tommy Mooney Swindon Town 19
6 England Kevin Gallen Queens Park Rangers 17
7 Ivory Coast Eugene Dadi Tranmere Rovers 16
= England Paul Furlong Queens Park Rangers 16
= England Scott Taylor Blackpool 16
10 Jamaica Onandi Lowe Rushden & Diamonds 15

[4]

Third Division

Football League, Third Division
Season 2003–04
Champions Doncaster Rovers (3rd fourth tier title)
Direct promotion Doncaster Rovers,
Hull City,
Torquay United
Promoted through play-offs Huddersfield Town
Relegated to Conference Carlisle United,
York City
New club in the league Doncaster Rovers,
Yeovil Town
Matches played 552
Goals scored 1398 (2.53 per match)
Top goalscorer Steve MacLean (Scunthorpe United), 23 [2]
Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GD Pts Notes
1 Doncaster Rovers 4617424713107632247937+4292
2 Hull City 461643502199532238244+3888
3 Torquay United 461562441886924266844+2481
4 Huddersfield Town 461643421878826346852+1681
5 Mansfield Town 4613554425941032377662+1475
6 Northampton Town 461346302395928285851+775
7 Lincoln City 4691133623106732246847+2174
8 Yeovil Town 4614364019921230387057+1374
9 Oxford United 4614813413491021315544+1171
10 Swansea City 469863626661122355861– 359
11 Boston United 4611753521541415335054– 459
12 Bury 4610762926541425385464– 1056
13 Cambridge United 466710263287829355567– 1256
14 Cheltenham Town 46114837383101020335771– 1456
15 Bristol Rovers 469772926561221355061– 1155
16 Kidderminster Harriers 469592829581017304559– 1455
17 Southend United 468411272968924345163– 1254
18 Darlington 4610493028471223335361– 853
19 Leyton Orient 468962827551320384865– 1753
20 Macclesfield Town 468962825541426445469– 1552
21 Rochdale 467882826561221324958– 950
22 Scunthorpe United 4671063627461333456972– 349
23 Carlisle United 4685102327441523424669– 2345
24 York City 4676102229381213373566– 3144

[1]

Key
Division Champions, promoted
Promoted
Participated in play-offs
Promoted through play-offs
New club in the league, see also Doncaster Rovers
Relegated to Conference

Play-offs

  Semifinals
1st leg – May 15th/16th; 2nd leg – May 19th/20th, 2004
Final at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
May 31st, 2004
                     
4th  Huddersfield Town 2 2 4  
7th  Lincoln City 1 2 3  
    4th  Huddersfield Town (pens.) 0 (4)
  5th  Mansfield Town 0 (1)
5th  Mansfield Town (pens.) 2 1 3 (5)
6th  Northampton Town 0 3 3 (4)  

[1]

Third Division maps

Third Division topscorers

Rank Player Club League
1 Scotland Steven MacLean Scunthorpe United 23
2 Scotland David Graham Torquay United 22
3 England Leon Constantine Southend United 21
4 England Liam Lawrence Mansfield Town 19
5 England Gregg Blundell Doncaster Rovers 18
= England Ben Burgess Hull City 18
7 England Gary Fletcher Lincoln City 17
= England Lee Trundle Swansea City 17
9 England Matthew Tipton Macclesfield Town 16
= England Jon Stead Huddersfield Town 16

[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "England 2003–04". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
  2. 1 2 3 "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
  3. soccernet.espn.go.com
  4. soccernet.espn.go.com
  5. soccernet.espn.go.com
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