The 2003–04 Northern Premier League season was the 36th in the history of 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 ...
, a
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 in
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First. This season was the last before the formation of the
Conference North and the
Conference South, so most of the Premier Division teams were promoted to the Conference North for next season. Subsequently, the First Division had most of its teams promoted to the Premier Division, with new teams admitted from the leagues just below the Northern Premier in the
English football league system, although the league reform meant that the "promoted" clubs remained in the same tier within the
English football league system, and further meant that while there was no relegation within the NPL itself, those clubs that missed out on promotion nevertheless had their position within the league system downgraded by one tier.
During this season,
Radcliffe Borough's Jody Banim broke the English record for the most consecutive games where a player has scored at least one goal, which ran from 9 September to 4 November.
Premier Division
The Premier Division featured four new teams:
*
Southport
Southport is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. It lies on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, West Lancashire coastal plain and the east coast of the Irish Sea, approximately north of ...
relegated from the
Football Conference
*
Alfreton Town promoted as champions of Division One
*
Spennymoor United promoted as runner-up of Division One
*
Radcliffe Borough promoted as via playoff from Division One
League table
Results
Play-offs
Eight teams competed for the final Conference North place; including Hyde United, champions of Division One.
Division One
Division One featured five new teams:
*
Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay () is a town, Community (Wales), community and seaside resort in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales overlooking the Irish Sea. It lies within the historic counties of Wales, historic county boundaries of Denbighshire (h ...
relegated from the Premier Division
*
Gateshead
Gateshead () is a town in the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough of Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank. The town's attractions include the twenty metre tall Angel of the North sculpture on the town's southern outskirts, ...
relegated via Playoff from the Premier Division
*
Hyde United relegated from the Premier Division
*
Bridlington Town as champions of the
Northern Counties East League Premier Division
*
Prescot Cables as champions of the
North West Counties League Division One
League table
Results
Promotion and relegation
In the thirty-sixth season of the Northern Premier League the top fourteen teams of the Premier Division plus Bradford Park Avenue were promoted to the newly formed Conference North. They were replaced by the top fourteen teams of the First Division, who in turn were replaced by the following fourteen teams:
*
Gresley Rovers (from the
Southern League Western Division)
*
Shepshed Dynamo (from the
Southern League Western Division)
*
Ilkeston Town (from the
Southern League Western Division)
*
Willenhall Town
*
Eastwood Town
*
Mossley
*
Rocester
Rocester is a village and civil parish in the East Staffordshire district of Staffordshire, England. Its name is spelt ''Rowcestre'' in the Domesday Book. It is located on the Derbyshire border.
Geography
The village is about north of Utto ...
*
A.F.C. Telford United
*
Brigg Town
*
Warrington Town
*
Ossett Albion
*
Clitheroe
Clitheroe () is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Ribble Valley, Borough of Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England; it is located north-west of Manchester. It is near the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for to ...
*
Woodley Sports
*
Spalding United
While no teams were relegated this season, the league reform meant the teams that missed out on "promotion" remained in a league that had its position in the
English football league system downgraded by one tier while the "promoted" teams actually remained on the same level of the league system.
Cup results
Challenge Cup
The Rugby Football League Challenge Cup, commonly known just as the Challenge Cup is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, it is the world's old ...
: Teams from both leagues.
*''Droylsden'' bt. Hucknall Town
President's Cup: 'Plate' competition for losing teams in the NPL Cup.
*''Barrow'' bt. Workington
Chairman's Cup: 'Plate' competition for losing teams in the NPL Cup.
*''Hyde United'' bt. Leek Town
Peter Swales Shield: Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the NPL Cup.
*''Droylsden'' bt. Hucknall Town
See also
*
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 ...
*
2003–04 Southern Football League
*
2003–04 Isthmian League
External links
Northern Premier League Tables at RSSSF
{{DEFAULTSORT:2003-04 Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League seasons
6