2003–04 Isthmian League

The 2003–04 season was the 89th season of the Isthmian League, which is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from London, East and South East England.

It was the last season for the Isthmian 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 Southern Football 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 Isthmian League divisions downgraded to 7-9 levels.

Premier Division
Isthmian League
Premier Division
Season2003–04
ChampionsCanvey Island
PromotedCanvey Island
Matches played552
Goals scored1,533 (2.78 per match)
Top goalscorer42 goals – Lee Boylan (Canvey Island)
Highest attendance1,260 – Kettering Town – Bedford Town, (12 April)
Total attendance203,453
Average attendance369 (-14.6% to previous season)

The Premier Division consisted of 24 clubs, including 19 clubs from the previous season and five new clubs:

Canvey Island 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 21st position plus winners of division One were to participate in the play-offs for a two final spots in Conference North/South. After play-offs was held Hendon decided not to take up their option to join the Conference, their place was taken by Basingstoke Town. At the end of the season Ford United were renamed Redbridge.

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
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Canvey Island 46 32 8 6 106 42 +64 104 Promoted to the Conference National
2 Sutton United 46 25 10 11 94 56 +38 85 Qualified for the Conference South
3 Thurrock 46 24 11 11 87 45 +42 83
4 Hendon 46 25 8 13 68 47 +21 83 Declined transfer to the Conference South
5 Hornchurch 46 24 11 11 63 35 +28 82[lower-alpha 1] Qualified for the Conference South
6 Grays Athletic 46 22 15 9 82 39 +43 81
7 Carshalton Athletic 46 24 9 13 66 55 +11 81
8 Hayes 46 21 11 14 56 46 +10 74
9 Kettering Town 46 20 11 15 63 63 0 71 Qualified for the Conference North
10 Bognor Regis Town 46 20 10 16 69 67 +2 70 Qualified for the Conference South
11 Bishop's Stortford 46 20 9 17 78 61 +17 69
12 Maidenhead United 46 18 9 19 60 68 −8 63
13 Ford United 46 16 14 16 69 63 +6 62
14 Basingstoke Town 46 17 9 20 58 64 −6 60 Qualified for the play-offs, then qualified to the Conference South
15 Bedford Town 46 14 13 19 62 63 −1 55 Qualified for the play-offs, then transferred to the Southern Football League
16 Heybridge Swifts 46 14 11 21 57 78 −21 53 Qualified for the play-offs
17 Harrow Borough 46 12 14 20 47 63 −16 50
18 Kingstonian 46 12 13 21 40 56 −16 49
19 St Albans City 46 12 12 22 55 83 −28 48 Qualified for the play-offs, then qualified to the Conference South
20 Hitchin Town 46 13 8 25 55 89 −34 47 Qualified for the play-offs, then transferred to the Southern Football League
21 Northwood 46 12 9 25 65 95 −30 45
22 Billericay Town 46 11 11 24 51 66 −15 44
23 Braintree Town 46 11 6 29 41 88 −47 39
24 Aylesbury United 46 5 14 27 41 101 −60 29 Transferred to the Southern Football League
Source: [1][2][3][4]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Notes:
  1. Hornchurch deducted one point.

Stadia and locations
Locations of the Premier Division clubs
Greater London Premier Division football clubs
Club Stadium
Aylesbury UnitedBuckingham Road
Basingstoke TownThe Camrose
Bedford TownThe Eyrie
Billericay TownNew Lodge
Bishop's StortfordWoodside Park
Bognor Regis TownNyewood Lane
Braintree TownCressing Road
Canvey IslandBrockwell Stadium
Carshalton AthleticWar Memorial Sports Ground
Ford UnitedOakside
Grays AthleticNew Recreation Ground
Harrow BoroughEarlsmead Stadium
HayesChurch Road
HendonClaremont Road
Heybridge SwiftsScraley Road
Hitchin TownTop Field
HornchurchHornchurch Stadium
Kettering TownRockingham Road
KingstonianKingsmeadow (groundshare with AFC Wimbledon)
Maidenhead UnitedYork Road
NorthwoodChestnut Avenue
St Albans CityClarence Park
Sutton UnitedGander Green Lane
ThurrockShip Lane

Play-offs
Semi-finals Final
      
15 Bedford Town 3
20 Hitchin Town 1
15 Bedford Town 4
19 St Albans City 5
16 Heybridge Swifts 3
19 St Albans City 4
  Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
                           
 
  17 Harrow Borough 0(2)  
    18 Kingstonian 0(4)  
   
    Div1S Lewes 1
  18 Kingstonian 0
   
 
14 Basingstoke Town 1
    Div1S Lewes 4  
Div1N Yeading 0
  Div1S Lewes 1  
Final
   
Div1S Dulwich Hamlet 2(4)
Div1N Wealdstone 2(5)

Division One North
Isthmian League
Division One North
Season2003–04
ChampionsYeading
RelegatedEnfield
Matches played552
Goals scored1,745 (3.16 per match)
Top goalscorer33 goals – DJ Campbell (Yeading)
Highest attendance408 – Wealdstone – Hemel Hempstead Town, (24 April)
Total attendance69,362
Average attendance126 (-11.9% to previous season)

Division One North consisted of 24 clubs, including 18 clubs from the previous season, and six new clubs:

Before the start of the season Leyton Pennant was renamed Waltham Forest.

Yeading won the division, but lost in the play-offs for a place in the newly created Conference North and South and were placed in the Premier Division along with Leyton and Cheshunt. Chesham United, Dunstable Town and Hemel Hempstead Town were transferred to the Southern Football League Premier Division. They were followed by Wealdstone, who defeated Dulwich Hamlet from Division One South. Enfield finished bottom of the table and relegated to Division Two, going down from sixth to ninth tier in two years due to league system reform.

At the end of the season divisions One were merged, all the remaining Division One North clubs were transferred to the Southern Football League Division Ones.

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Yeading 46 32 7 7 112 54 +58 103 Qualified for the play-offs, then promoted to the Premier Division
2 Leyton 46 29 9 8 90 53 +37 96 Promoted to the Premier Division
3 Cheshunt 46 27 10 9 119 54 +65 91
4 Chesham United 46 24 9 13 104 60 +44 81 Promoted to the Southern League Premier Division
5 Dunstable Town 46 23 9 14 86 61 +25 78
6 Hemel Hempstead Town 46 22 12 12 75 72 +3 78
7 Wealdstone 46 23 7 16 81 51 +30 76 Qualified for the play-offs, then promoted to the Premier Division
8 Arlesey Town 46 23 7 16 95 70 +25 76 Transferred to the Southern League Eastern Division
9 Boreham Wood 46 20 13 13 82 59 +23 73
10 Harlow Town 46 20 10 16 75 51 +24 70
11 Wingate & Finchley 46 19 13 14 68 63 +5 70
12 East Thurrock United 46 19 11 16 62 54 +8 68
13 Uxbridge 46 15 14 17 59 57 +2 59
14 Aveley 46 15 14 17 67 71 −4 59
15 Thame United 46 16 9 21 72 83 −11 57 Transferred to the Southern League Western Division
16 Waltham Forest 46 15 13 18 62 60 +2 55[lower-alpha 1] Transferred to the Southern League Eastern Division
17 Wivenhoe Town 46 15 10 21 79 104 −25 55
18 Barton Rovers 46 16 6 24 52 80 −28 54
19 Oxford City 46 14 11 21 55 65 −10 53 Transferred to the Southern League Western Division
20 Berkhamsted Town 46 12 10 24 66 88 −22 46 Transferred to the Southern League Eastern Division
21 Great Wakering Rovers 46 10 13 23 47 97 −50 43
22 Tilbury 46 10 9 27 56 100 −44 39
23 Barking & East Ham United 46 8 7 31 37 100 −63 31
24 Enfield 46 5 7 34 44 138 −94 22 Relegated to Division Two
Source: [1][2][3]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Notes:
  1. Waltham Forest deducted three points.

Stadia and locations
Aveley
Barking & East Ham United
Boreham Wood & Enfield
Cheshunt
Leyton
Uxbridge
Waltham Forest
Wealdstone
Wingate & Finchley
Yeading
Locations of the Division One North clubs
Greater London Division One North football clubs
Club Stadium
Arlesey TownHitchin Road
AveleyThe Mill Field
Barking & East Ham UnitedMayesbrook Park
Barton RoversSharpenhoe Road
Berkhamsted TownBroadwater
Boreham WoodMeadow Park
Chesham UnitedThe Meadow
CheshuntCheshunt Stadium
Dunstable TownCreasey Park
East Thurrock UnitedRookery Hill
EnfieldMeadow Park (groundshare with Boreham Wood)
Great Wakering RoversBurroughs Park
Harlow TownHarlow Sportcentre
Hemel Hempstead TownVauxhall Road
LeytonLeyton Stadium
Oxford CityMarsh Lane
Thame UnitedWindmill Road
TilburyChadfields
UxbridgeHoneycroft
Waltham ForestWadham Lodge
WealdstoneWhite Lion (groundshare with Edgware Town)
Wingate & FinchleyThe Harry Abrahams Stadium
Wivenhoe TownBroad Lane
YeadingThe Warren

Division One South
Isthmian League
Division One South
Season2003–04
ChampionsLewes
PromotedLewes
RelegatedEpsom & Ewell
Matches played552
Goals scored1,709 (3.1 per match)
Top goalscorer34 goals – Ian Hodges (Slough Town)
Highest attendance932 – Lewes – Worthing, (12 April)
Total attendance102,861
Average attendance186 (+0.0% to previous season)

Division One South consisted of 24 clubs, including 21 clubs from the previous season, and three new clubs:

Lewes won the division and subsequent play-offs and were promoted to the Conference South. Clubs finished second to sixth were transferred to the Premier Division. Epsom & Ewell finished bottom of the table and were relegated, remaining clubs were to start next season in the merged Isthmian League Division One, going down with it from seventh to ninth level due to creation of Conference North/South.

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Lewes 46 29 7 10 113 61 +52 94 Qualified for the play-offs, then promoted to the Conference South
2 Worthing 46 26 14 6 87 46 +41 92 Promoted to the Premier Division
3 Windsor & Eton 46 26 13 7 75 39 +36 91
4 Slough Town 46 28 6 12 103 63 +40 90
5 Hampton & Richmond 46 26 11 9 82 45 +37 89
6 Staines Town 46 26 9 11 85 52 +33 87
7 Dulwich Hamlet 46 23 15 8 77 57 +20 84 Qualified for the play-offs
8 Bromley 46 22 10 14 80 58 +22 76
9 Walton & Hersham 46 20 14 12 76 55 +21 74
10 Croydon Athletic 46 20 10 16 70 54 +16 70
11 Tooting & Mitcham United 46 20 9 17 82 68 +14 69
12 Ashford Town (Middlesex) 46 18 13 15 69 62 +7 67 Transferred to the Southern League Western Division
13 Leatherhead 46 19 9 18 83 88 −5 66
14 Bracknell Town 46 19 6 21 81 87 −6 63 Transferred to the Southern League Western Division
15 Horsham 46 16 11 19 71 69 +2 59
16 Marlow 46 16 11 19 50 64 −14 59 Transferred to the Southern League Western Division
17 Whyteleafe 46 17 4 25 66 93 −27 55
18 Banstead Athletic 46 15 8 23 56 73 −17 53
19 Molesey 46 12 6 28 45 84 −39 42
20 Metropolitan Police 46 9 14 23 58 84 −26 41
21 Croydon 46 10 10 26 57 88 −31 40
22 Egham Town 46 8 8 30 55 92 −37 32 Transferred to the Southern League Western Division
23 Corinthian-Casuals 46 6 6 34 48 110 −62 24
24 Epsom & Ewell 46 5 8 33 40 117 −77 23 Relegated to Division Two
Source: [1][2][3]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Stadia and locations
Ashford Town
Banstead Athletic & Epsom & Ewell
Bromley
Corinthian-Casuals
Croydon
Croydon Athletic
Dulwich Hamlet
Egham Town
Hampton & Richmond Borough
Metropolitan Police
Molesey
Staines Town
Tooting & Mitcham United
Whyteleafe
Locations of Division One South clubs
Greater London Division One South clubs
Club Stadium
Ashford Town (Middlesex)Short Lane
Banstead AthleticMerland Rise
Bracknell TownLarges Lane
BromleyHayes Lane
Corinthian-CasualsKing George's Field
CroydonCroydon Sports Arena
Croydon AthleticKeith Tuckey Stadium
Dulwich HamletChampion Hill
Egham TownThe Runnymede Stadium
Epsom & EwellMerland Rise (groundshare with Banstead Athletic)
Hampton & Richmond BoroughBeveree Stadium
HorshamQueen Street
LeatherheadFetcham Grove
LewesThe Dripping Pan
MarlowAlfred Davis Memorial Ground
Metropolitan PoliceImber Court
MoleseyWalton Road Stadium
Slough TownStag Meadow (groundshare with Windsor & Eton)
Staines TownWheatsheaf Park
Tooting & Mitcham UnitedImperial Fields
Walton & HershamThe Sports Ground
WhyteleafeChurch Road
Windsor & EtonStag Meadow
WorthingWoodside Road

Division Two
Isthmian League
Division Two
Season2003–04
ChampionsLeighton Town
Matches played315
Goals scored1,021 (3.24 per match)
Top goalscorer29 goals – John Frendo (Ware) and Matt Rawdon (Leighton Town)
Highest attendance394 – Dorking – Hertford Town, (12 April)
Total attendance23,880
Average attendance76 (+1.3% to previous season)

After Hungerford Town resigned from the league, Division Two consisted of 15 clubs, including 12 clubs from the previous season, and three new clubs:

Leighton Town won the division and were transferred to Southern Football League Division One, while runners-up Dorking were transferred to the merged Isthmian League Division One. At the end of the season Wokingham Town merged into Emmbrook Sports to create new club Wokingham & Emmbrook F.C., who joined Hellenic Football League.

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Leighton Town 42 28 7 7 111 36 +75 91 Promoted to the Southern League Eastern Division
2 Dorking 42 27 8 7 87 47 +40 89 Promoted to Division One
3 Hertford Town 42 24 9 9 74 35 +39 81
4 Chertsey Town 42 22 9 11 75 53 +22 75
5 Flackwell Heath 42 22 5 15 71 53 +18 71
6 Witham Town 42 20 10 12 75 54 +21 70
7 Kingsbury Town 42 14 11 17 60 64 −4 53
8 Ware 42 14 10 18 67 60 +7 52
9 Abingdon Town 42 15 6 21 83 81 +2 51
10 Camberley Town 42 15 6 21 51 71 −20 51
11 Wembley 42 13 9 20 46 67 −21 48
12 Wokingham Town 42 12 7 23 55 94 −39 43 Merged into Emmbrook Sports
13 Edgware Town 42 12 6 24 62 88 −26 42
14 Chalfont St Peter 42 12 6 24 57 89 −32 42
15 Clapton 42 8 5 29 47 129 −82 29
Source: [1][2][3]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Stadia and locations
Locations of Division Two clubs
Greater London Division Two clubs
Club Stadium
Abingdon TownCulham Road
Camberley TownKroomer Park
Chalfont St PeterMill Meadow
Chertsey TownAlwyns Lane
ClaptonThe Old Spotted Dog Ground
DorkingMeadowbank Stadium
Edgware TownWhite Lion
Flackwell HeathWilks Park
Hertford TownHertingfordbury Park
Kingsbury TownAvenue Park
Leighton TownBell Close
WareWodson Park
WembleyVale Farm
Witham TownSpa Road
Wokingham TownCantley Park

See also

References
  1. Robinson, M. (2010). Non-League Football Tables 1889-2010. Soccer Books Ltd. ISBN 9781862232044.
  2. England - Isthmian League
  3. 2003–04 Isthmian League
  4. nonleaguefooty website
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