The 2003–04 Southern Football League season was the 101st in the history of the league, an English football 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 Premier Division and Isthmian League Premier Division) by the newly formed Conference North and Conference South. 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 Weston-super-Mare
Plus: Nuneaton Borough, relegated from the Football Conference
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
Club Stadium Bath City Twerton Park Cambridge City City Ground Chelmsford City New Lodge (groundshare with Billericay Town) Chippenham Town Hardenhuish Park Crawley Town Broadfield Stadium Dorchester Town The Avenue Stadium Dover Athletic Crabble Athletic Ground Eastbourne Borough Priory Lane Grantham Town South Kesteven Sports Stadium Havant & Waterlooville West Leigh Park Hednesford Town Keys Park Hinckley United Middlefield Lane Merthyr Tydfil Penydarren Park Moor Green The Moorlands Newport County Newport Stadium Nuneaton Borough Liberty Way Stafford RangersMarston Road Tiverton Town Ladysmead Welling United Park View Road Weston-super-Mare Woodspring Park Weymouth Bob Lucas Stadium Worcester City St Georges Lane
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, promoted from the Wessex League
League table
Stadia and locations
Club Stadium Ashford Town (Kent) The Homelands Banbury United Spencer Stadium Bashley Bashley Road Burgess Hill Town Leylands Park Burnham The Gore Chatham Town The Sports Ground Corby Town Steel Park Dartford Stonebridge Road (groundshare with Gravesend & Northfleet) Eastleigh Ten Acres Erith & Belvedere Park View Road (groundshare with Welling United) Fleet Town Calthorpe Park Folkestone Invicta Cheriton Road Fisher Athletic Champion Hill (groundshare with Dulwich Hamlet) Hastings United The Pilot Field Histon Bridge Road King's Lynn The Walks Newport (Isle of Wight) St Georges Park Rothwell Town Cecil Street Salisbury City Raymond McEnhill Stadium Sittingbourne Bourne Park Stamford Hanson's Field Tonbridge Angels Longmead Stadium
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
Club Stadium Atherstone Town Sheepy Road Bedworth United The Oval Bromsgrove Rovers Victoria Ground Cinderford Town Causeway Ground Cirencester Town Corinium Stadium Gloucester City Meadow Park, Gloucester Clevedon Town Hand Stadium Evesham United Common Road Gresley Rovers Moat Ground Halesowen Town The Grove Ilkeston Town New Manor Ground Mangotsfield United Cossham Street Redditch United The Valley Rugby Town Butlin Road Shepshed Dynamo The Dovecote Stadium Solihull Borough Damson Park Stourport Swifts Walshes Meadow Sutton Coldfield Town The Central Ground Swindon Supermarine Hunts Copse Ground Taunton Town Wordsworth Drive Team Bath Twerton Park (groundshare with Bath City) Yate Town Lodge Road
See also Southern Football League 2003–04 Isthmian League 2003–04 Northern Premier League
References