The 2003–04 FA Cup qualifying rounds opened the
123rd season of competition in
England for 'The Football Association Challenge Cup' (
FA Cup), the world's oldest
association football single
knockout
A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...
competition. A total of 644 clubs were accepted for the competition, up 20 from the previous season’s 624.
The large number of clubs entering the tournament from lower down (
Levels 5 through 10) in the
English football pyramid
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the Isl ...
meant that the competition started with six rounds of preliminary (2) and qualifying (4) knockouts for these
non-League teams.
South Western Football League was the only level 10 league represented in the Cup, four clubs from the South Western Football League were the lowest-ranked clubs in competition. The 32 winning teams from Fourth qualifying round progressed to the
First round proper, where
League
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
teams tiered at Levels 3 and 4 entered the competition.
Calendar
Extra preliminary round
Matches played on Saturday/Sunday 23 to 24 August 2003. 130 clubs from
Level 8, Level 9 and Level 10 of English football, entered at this stage of the competition, while other 217 clubs from levels 8-10 get a bye to the preliminary round.
Preliminary round
Matches played on weekend of Saturday 30 August 2003. A total of 396 clubs took part in this stage of the competition, including the 65 winners from the extra preliminary round, 217 clubs from Levels 8-10, who get a bye in the extra preliminary round and 114 entering at this stage from the five divisions at
Level 7 of English football. The round featured three clubs from Level 10 (all from the
South Western Football League) still in the competition, being the lowest ranked clubs in this round.
First qualifying round
Matches on weekend of Saturday 20 September 2003. A total of 198 clubs took part in this stage of the competition, all having progressed from the Preliminary round.
St Blazey
St Blazey ( kw, Lanndreth) is a small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.
St Blaise is the civil parish in which St Blazey is situated; the name St Blaise is also used by the town council. The village of Biscovey and the settlements of ...
from the
South Western Football League at
Level 10 of English football were the lowest-ranked club to qualify for this round of the competition.
Second qualifying round
Matches played on weekend of Saturday 27 September 2003. A total of 168 clubs took part in this stage of the competition, including the 99 winners from the first qualifying round and 69
Level 6 clubs, from Premier divisions of the
Isthmian League
The Isthmian League () is a regional men's football league covering Greater London, East and South East England, featuring mostly semi-professional clubs.
Founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area, the league now consists of 82 tea ...
,
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Divisio ...
and
Southern Football League
The Southern League is a men's football competition featuring semi-professional clubs from the South and Midlands of England. Together with the Isthmian League and the Northern Premier League it forms levels seven and eight of the English fo ...
, entering at this stage. The round featured eleven clubs from Level 9 still in the competition, being the lowest ranked clubs in this round.
Third qualifying round
Matches played on weekend of Saturday 11 October 2003. A total of 84 clubs took part, all having progressed from the second qualifying round.
Ashington,
Gedling Town
Gedling Town Football Club was a Semi-professional sports#United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, semi-professional Association football, football club based in Stoke Bardolph, Nottinghamshire, England. Founded in 1985 as R & R Sca ...
and
Shirebrook Town
Shirebrook Town Football Club are a semi-professional football club based in Shirebrook, England. They are currently members of and play at Langwith Road.
History
The club was founded as Shirebrook Colliery, and joined the Central Midlands L ...
from
Level 9 of English football were the lowest-ranked club to qualify for this round of the competition.
Fourth qualifying round
Matches played on weekend of Saturday 25 October 2003. A total of 64 clubs took part, 42 having progressed from the third qualifying round and 22 clubs from
Conference Premier, forming
Level 5 of English football, entering at this stage. The round featured six clubs from Level 8 still in the competition, being the lowest ranked clubs in this round.
Competition proper
See
2003–04 FA Cup
The 2003–04 FA Cup was the 123rd staging of England and the world's oldest football competition, the FA Cup. The competition began on 23 August 2003, with the lowest-ranked of the entrants competing in the Extra Preliminary round. In the Third Ro ...
for details of the rounds from the first round proper onwards.
External links
Football Club History Database: FA Cup 2003–04The FA Cup Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:2003-04 FA Cup Qualifying Rounds
Qual
The use of the term Prelim (short for preliminary examination) generally refers to an examination that qualifies a student to continue studies at a higher level, and/or allow the student to comprehend their studies and see how prepared they ar ...