The 2003–04
Southern Football League
The Southern League is a football competition featuring semi-professional clubs from East Anglia, the South and Midlands of England, and South Wales. Together with the Isthmian League and the Northern Premier League it forms levels seven a ...
season was the 101st in the history of the league, an English
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
competition.
It was the last season for the Southern Football League as a feeder for the Conference Premier. At the end of the season, the Premier Division was replaced as a
level 6 league (along with the
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League is an English Association football, football league that was founded in 1968. Together with the Isthmian League and the Southern Football League, Southern League it forms levels seven and eight of the English footba ...
Premier Division and
Isthmian League
The Isthmian League () is a regional Association football, football league covering Greater London, East of England, East and South East England, featuring mostly semi-professional clubs.
Founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area, th ...
Premier Division) by the newly formed
Conference North
The National League North, officially known as Vanarama National League North for sponsorship reasons, is a professional Association football league in England. National League North is the second division of the National Leagues and step 2 o ...
and
Conference South
The National League South, officially Vanarama National League South, is a professional Association football league in England. National League South is the second division of the National Leagues and step 2 of the NLS and sixth-highest ti ...
. The Premier Division lost more than half its clubs to newly formed divisions, and the two regional divisions had a number of their clubs promoted to the Premier Division to replace them. Thus, the Southern Football League divisions downgraded to 7-8 levels.
Premier Division
The Premier Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 17 clubs from the
previous season and five new clubs:
*Two clubs promoted from the Eastern Division:
**
Dorchester Town
**
Eastbourne Borough
*Two clubs promoted from the Western Division:
**
Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil () is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydfil, daughter of K ...
**
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the North Somerset unitary district, in the county of Somerset, England. It lies by the Bristol Channel south-west of Bristol between Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill. Its population ...
*Plus:
**
Nuneaton Borough, relegated from the
Football Conference
The National League of English Football Clubs is a professional Association football, football league in England that consists of 72 teams, divided equally between the National League (division), National League North and National League South ...
Crawley Town won the division and were promoted to the Conference National. Clubs finished higher than 14th position were to transfer to the newly created Conference North and South divisions and clubs finished higher than 18th position plus winners of divisions One were to participate in the play-offs for a two final spots in Conference North/South.
There were no relegation from the Premier Division this season, though, due to league reform, clubs remained in the division downgraded from sixth tier to seventh.
League table
Play-offs
Stadia and locations
Eastern Division
The Eastern Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 18 clubs from the
previous season and four new clubs:
*Two clubs relegated from the Premier Division:
**
Hastings United
**
Folkestone Invicta
*Plus:
**
Burgess Hill Town, promoted from the
Sussex County League
**
Eastleigh
Eastleigh is a town in Hampshire, England, between Southampton and Winchester. It is the largest town and the administrative seat of the Borough of Eastleigh, with a population of 24,011 at the United Kingdom 2011 census, 2011 census.
The town ...
, promoted from the
Wessex League
The Wessex Football League, known as the Velocity Wessex Football League for sponsorship reasons, is an English regional men's football league in southern England. Its members are primarily from Hampshire and Dorset, but clubs from adjoining co ...
League table
Stadia and locations
Western Division
The Western Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 18 clubs from the
previous season and four new clubs:
*Two clubs relegated from the Premier Division:
**
Halesowen Town
**
Ilkeston Town
*Plus:
**
Team Bath, promoted from the
Western League
**
Yate Town, promoted from the
Hellenic League
League table
Stadia and locations
See also
*
Southern Football League
The Southern League is a football competition featuring semi-professional clubs from East Anglia, the South and Midlands of England, and South Wales. Together with the Isthmian League and the Northern Premier League it forms levels seven a ...
*
2003–04 Isthmian League The 2003–04 season was the 89th season of the Isthmian League, which is an English Association football, football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from London, East of England, East and South East England.
It was the last ...
*
2003–04 Northern Premier League
The 2003–04 Northern Premier League season was the 36th in the history of the Northern Premier League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First. This season was the last before the forma ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:2003-04 Southern Football League
Southern Football League seasons
6