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 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:

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or qualification
1 Hucknall Town (C, P) 44 29 8 7 83 38 +45 95 Promotion to Conference North
2 Droylsden (P) 44 26 8 10 96 64 +32 86
3 Barrow (P) 44 22 14 8 82 52 +30 80
4 Alfreton Town (P) 44 23 9 12 73 43 +30 78
5 Harrogate Town (P) 44 24 5 15 79 63 +16 77
6 Southport (P) 44 20 10 14 71 52 +19 70
7 Worksop Town (P) 44 19 13 12 69 50 +19 70
8 Lancaster City (P) 44 20 9 15 62 49 +13 69
9 Vauxhall Motors (P) 44 19 10 15 78 75 +3 67
10 Gainsborough Trinity (P) 44 17 13 14 70 52 +18 64
11 Stalybridge Celtic (P) 44 18 10 16 72 66 +6 64
12 Altrincham (P) 44 16 15 13 66 51 +15 63
13 Runcorn F.C. Halton (P) 44 16 13 15 67 63 +4 61
14 Ashton United (P) 44 17 8 19 59 79 −20 59[a] Qualification for Playoffs
15 Whitby Town 44 14 11 19 55 70 −15 53
16 Marine 44 13 12 19 62 74 −12 51
17 Bradford Park Avenue (P) 44 12 14 18 48 62 −14 50
18 Spennymoor United 44 14 6 24 55 93 −38 48
19 Burscough 44 10 15 19 47 67 −20 45
20 Radcliffe Borough 44 12 6 26 74 99 −25 42
21 Blyth Spartans 44 10 10 24 54 74 −20 40
22 Frickley Athletic 44 11 7 26 51 83 −32 40
23 Wakefield & Emley 44 8 6 30 45 99 −54 30 Changed name to Wakefield-Emley
Updated to match(es) played on 8 February 2011. Source:
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Notes:
  1. ↑ Although Ashton United did not progress through the playoffs, they were promoted nonetheless.

Results

Home \ Away ALF ALT ASH BRW BLY BPA BUR DRO FRK GAI HAR HUC LNC MAR RAD RUN SOU SPU STL VAU W&E WTB WKS
Alfreton Town 0–0 5–0 1–1 2–1 1–1 1–0 4–2 1–2 3–1 2–0 2–1 3–0 4–0 0–0 0–2 0–2 1–1 3–1 5–1 2–1 3–0 2–1
Altrincham 0–1 1–2 1–1 1–2 1–0 3–0 1–0 1–1 2–2 0–0 2–3 0–0 3–3 4–1 1–0 1–0 1–1 3–3 3–1 1–2 4–0 2–1
Ashton United 1–1 0–2 1–2 2–0 0–2 0–0 1–1 3–2 1–1 3–4 1–6 2–1 4–3 3–3 4–2 2–1 1–2 2–1 0–1 2–3 1–3 0–3
Barrow 1–2 2–1 3–0 3–0 4–0 3–3 2–1 3–1 3–0 1–2 1–0 4–3 1–1 2–0 1–0 1–1 2–0 0–2 0–1 3–2 0–0 1–0
Blyth Spartans 1–0 2–2 2–0 0–2 0–0 0–2 1–5 1–3 1–1 3–4 1–2 0–0 5–0 1–0 3–3 1–4 0–2 0–1 3–6 1–0 1–1 3–3
Bradford Park Avenue 0–1 1–1 2–1 2–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 0–0 0–0 2–3 1–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–1 0–0 2–3 6–2 1–2 2–3 0–1
Burscough 4–1 3–1 1–2 1–1 1–2 1–1 1–3 3–1 0–0 1–0 0–1 0–1 0–0 3–6 1–3 0–3 2–1 0–0 3–1 1–1 1–1 0–0
Droylsden 2–1 1–4 1–2 1–1 3–3 3–0 2–0 4–0 2–1 3–1 3–1 0–0 4–2 5–4 1–2 3–2 2–0 2–0 2–1 3–1 2–1 2–2
Frickley Athletic 0–3 1–1 1–2 4–2 2–1 0–1 2–0 0–3 0–0 0–0 0–1 0–2 4–3 3–0 1–2 1–2 3–2 1–2 0–2 2–1 3–1 1–1
Gainsborough Trinity 2–4 2–3 3–0 0–0 2–0 3–3 4–1 1–2 3–0 2–0 2–1 3–2 2–0 6–2 0–1 1–2 3–1 0–0 0–0 3–0 2–2 2–1
Harrogate Town 1–0 1–0 2–1 2–1 2–1 0–1 2–1 4–4 2–1 0–2 1–2 0–1 4–1 3–0 1–1 3–1 3–1 4–3 3–2 5–0 1–0 0–2
Hucknall Town 3–3 2–1 2–0 3–1 1–0 0–0 1–0 1–1 3–0 2–0 1–0 3–0 1–1 1–1 1–0 4–0 2–1 1–3 2–0 0–1 1–0 3–1
Lancaster City 0–1 1–0 1–1 0–3 1–1 1–3 4–0 2–1 1–1 0–1 1–4 3–1 3–1 4–2 0–1 1–0 6–0 2–1 0–0 3–0 4–3 2–0
Marine 0–1 0–1 0–2 1–2 1–0 2–0 4–0 1–2 2–1 3–1 2–2 1–1 1–1 3–2 1–3 1–1 1–3 0–2 3–2 3–0 2–2 0–2
Radcliffe Borough 1–0 1–3 1–2 2–3 2–3 2–0 1–2 4–2 4–2 2–1 3–1 1–6 0–2 3–1 1–2 1–3 1–1 3–2 1–2 4–1 0–5 1–2
Runcorn 2–2 0–3 1–2 0–0 1–0 1–2 0–0 2–2 2–0 2–2 4–1 1–2 0–1 0–2 2–2 1–1 1–2 3–0 1–1 5–3 1–1 2–3
Southport 1–0 2–2 0–0 1–1 1–0 0–1 2–1 4–1 3–1 2–0 3–2 1–1 3–0 0–0 2–1 0–3 2–3 2–3 1–1 1–1 3–0 2–3
Spennymoor United 1–0 2–1 3–2 2–4 0–5 2–4 0–2 0–1 3–2 0–6 1–5 1–3 0–1 0–2 3–1 2–1 0–2 1–3 2–1 4–4 2–0 1–1
Stalybridge Celtic 3–0 1–0 1–1 2–2 2–0 2–0 1–1 2–1 5–0 2–0 1–2 1–2 0–3 1–1 0–2 2–2 2–1 0–2 3–4 3–3 1–3 0–3
Vauxhall Motors 2–0 1–1 1–2 1–1 2–1 6–2 3–2 2–4 2–1 0–2 3–0 1–3 2–1 1–0 0–5 6–0 3–2 4–2 1–1 1–0 1–1 1–1
Wakefield & Emley 0–5 2–0 1–2 2–5 1–2 0–1 2–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–3 1–0 0–4 2–1 3–5 0–1 2–0 1–3 0–1 0–3 1–1
Whitby Town 0–4 2–3 0–1 3–2 2–1 0–1 1–1 1–2 2–1 2–1 0–2 0–0 2–1 1–2 1–0 1–0 0–5 1–0 0–2 1–1 2–1 2–3
Worksop Town 0–0 0–0 3–0 2–4 1–0 1–2 1–1 1–3 3–0 0–0 1–0 0–3 0–0 1–2 4–1 0–1 1–0 4–0 2–1 4–3 4–0 1–1
Updated to match(es) played on 24 April 2004. Source: Northern Premier Division results grid
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Play-offs

Eight teams competed for the final Conference North place; including Hyde United, champions of Division One.

Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
         
14°PD Ashton United 2
1°Div.1 Hyde United 1
14°PD Ashton United 1
17°PD Bradford Park Avenue 2
17°PD Bradford Park Avenue 3
18°PD Spennymoor United 1
17°PD Bradford Park Avenue 2
19°PD Burscough 0
15°PD Whitby Town 2(2)
20°PD Radcliffe Borough 2(4)
20°PD Radcliffe Borough 0
19°PD Burscough 2
16°PD Marine 1
19°PD Burscough 3

Division One

Division One featured five new teams:

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion
1 Hyde United (C, P) 42 24 8 10 79 49 +30 80 Promotion to NPL Premier Division and Playoffs
2 Matlock Town (P) 42 23 7 12 78 51 +27 76 Promotion to NPL Premier Division
3 Farsley Celtic (P) 42 20 14 8 78 56 +22 74
4 Lincoln United (P) 42 20 11 11 73 53 +20 71
5 Witton Albion (P) 42 17 12 13 61 56 +5 63
6 Gateshead (P) 42 21 4 17 65 68 −3 63[a]
7 Workington (P) 42 17 11 14 70 58 +12 62
8 Leek Town (P) 42 16 13 13 56 47 +9 61
9 Guiseley (P) 42 16 12 14 66 54 +12 60
10 Bamber Bridge (P) 42 16 12 14 64 53 +11 60
11 Bridlington Town (P) 42 16 10 16 70 68 +2 58
12 Prescot Cables (P) 42 16 10 16 63 65 −2 58
13 Bishop Auckland (P) 42 14 13 15 61 64 −3 55
14 Ossett Town (P) 42 15 10 17 62 73 −11 52[a]
15 Rossendale United 42 13 12 17 53 62 −9 51
16 Colwyn Bay 42 14 9 19 56 82 −26 51
17 North Ferriby United 42 13 11 18 64 70 −6 50
18 Chorley 42 13 10 19 54 70 −16 49
19 Stocksbridge Park Steels 42 12 12 18 57 69 −12 48
20 Belper Town 42 9 15 18 44 58 −14 42
21 Kendal Town 42 11 7 24 53 79 −26 40
22 Kidsgrove Athletic 42 10 9 23 45 67 −22 39
Source:
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Notes:
  1. 1 2 Gateshead were docked 4 points and Ossett Town were docked 3 points.

Results

Home \ Away BAM BLP BIS BRI CHO COL FAR GAT GUI HYD KEN KID LEE LIN MAT NFU OST PRC ROS STO WTN WRK
Bamber Bridge 2–1 1–3 2–0 0–0 1–1 1–2 0–2 1–2 2–3 5–1 3–0 0–0 1–0 4–4 1–1 0–0 2–2 2–1 4–0 1–2 2–0
Belper Town 2–1 1–1 0–2 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–0 0–1 3–0 1–1 0–2 0–1 0–2 0–3 3–0 2–2 0–0 1–0 0–0 1–1
Bishop Auckland 0–1 2–4 3–2 1–1 4–1 4–2 2–1 1–0 2–3 2–0 2–0 2–3 1–1 0–1 0–4 2–0 1–1 3–3 2–2 1–2 1–1
Bridlington Town 1–0 1–3 2–0 2–0 4–1 3–1 1–0 2–1 3–1 5–1 2–1 3–2 0–1 1–1 2–2 2–4 1–1 0–1 2–2 1–1 2–4
Chorley 0–1 1–1 2–1 1–1 3–2 1–2 4–1 1–2 1–0 2–2 2–1 1–0 2–3 2–0 1–2 1–2 4–2 2–0 1–3 1–1 4–1
Colwyn Bay 0–5 3–2 2–3 1–1 3–4 1–0 1–3 1–0 1–1 0–5 5–0 1–3 3–3 0–0 1–0 4–4 0–2 1–0 1–1 1–2 0–0
Farsley Celtic 1–1 2–2 4–0 2–2 1–0 5–0 3–3 5–3 1–3 2–1 1–1 0–0 2–2 1–2 5–0 2–1 0–2 1–0 3–1 1–0 2–1
Gateshead 2–1 2–1 0–3 2–3 1–0 1–2 3–4 1–5 2–1 2–1 2–1 4–2 1–0 1–3 3–2 0–2 1–1 2–0 4–1 1–0 2–3
Guiseley 1–1 3–0 1–1 2–1 1–3 1–2 2–0 4–2 0–1 4–0 2–0 1–1 1–2 3–1 1–2 1–1 0–1 2–1 0–0 2–2 3–1
Hyde United 4–0 3–1 1–1 3–1 0–0 4–0 1–1 0–2 1–0 1–0 1–0 0–1 2–0 2–1 4–0 5–2 4–1 2–0 1–1 0–1 3–1
Kendal Town 2–3 2–1 1–2 1–0 1–1 2–1 2–2 1–2 2–2 1–3 1–2 2–1 2–3 1–2 1–1 0–1 2–3 2–1 2–1 2–1 0–5
Kidsgrove Athletic 1–1 2–0 1–1 4–2 2–2 1–2 1–4 2–1 1–2 1–2 2–1 0–1 1–2 1–0 4–1 1–2 0–1 1–3 2–1 0–2 1–1
Leek Town 1–0 1–1 0–0 3–2 2–0 0–1 1–2 0–0 2–2 5–2 1–0 1–2 3–1 0–2 1–2 0–1 1–1 2–1 2–0 2–2 1–2
Lincoln United 1–1 0–0 0–0 2–0 4–1 2–1 0–1 0–1 2–2 2–0 4–3 2–1 1–1 5–2 3–3 0–0 1–0 4–0 0–0 4–1 1–0
Matlock Town 1–0 3–1 0–1 3–5 4–0 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–2 2–5 0–0 3–1 1–0 4–2 1–1 3–0 2–1 4–1 3–1 2–1 4–0
North Ferriby United 2–0 2–0 0–3 2–2 2–3 5–0 0–2 1–2 2–0 2–0 3–1 2–1 1–1 0–1 0–2 2–3 4–1 2–3 1–1 1–3 1–1
Ossett Town 2–3 2–0 0–0 0–1 1–0 4–1 1–2 4–0 1–2 2–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 3–1 0–4 2–2 2–2 0–0 3–0 2–3 1–2
Prescot Cables 2–3 1–0 4–2 1–1 4–1 0–2 0–1 2–0 1–0 0–1 2–1 2–1 1–3 1–0 0–2 3–1 5–3 0–1 2–3 3–0 0–2
Rossendale United 3–2 1–1 3–0 3–1 0–0 1–3 1–1 1–3 1–1 1–2 0–0 0–0 1–1 4–2 2–0 1–0 1–2 5–2 0–0 0–1 3–3
Stocksbridge Park Steels 1–3 3–3 2–1 2–0 4–0 0–3 2–2 3–0 1–1 2–2 0–2 2–1 0–2 3–2 2–1 3–0 1–2 3–1 2–4 0–1 0–1
Witton Albion 0–0 2–0 2–0 2–1 3–1 0–1 2–2 0–2 1–2 4–3 3–1 0–0 1–1 1–3 1–1 1–1 3–1 2–2 5–0 1–3 1–2
Workington 1–2 1–1 4–2 1–2 4–0 2–1 2–2 0–2 2–2 1–1 0–1 0–1 3–0 0–5 2–1 2–1 7–0 0–0 0–1 2–0 4–0
Updated to match(es) played on 24 April 2004. Source: Northern Premier League First Division results grid
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

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:

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: 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

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003–04_Northern_Premier_League