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

Season	2003–04
Champions	Canvey Island
Promoted	Canvey Island
Matches played	552
Goals scored	1,533 (2.78 per match)
Top goalscorer	42 goals – Lee Boylan (Canvey Island)
Highest attendance	1,260 – Kettering Town – Bedford Town, (12 April)
Total attendance	203,453
Average attendance	369 (-14.6% to previous season)
← 2002–03 2004–05 →

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

• Bognor Regis Town, promoted as runners-up in Division One South
• Carshalton Athletic, promoted as champions of Division One South
• Hornchurch, promoted as runners-up in Division One North
• Kettering Town, relegated from the Conference National
• Northwood, promoted as champions of Division One North

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[a]	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

Aylesbury United

Basingstoke Town

Bedford Town

Billericay Town

Bishop's Stortford

Bognor Regis Town

Braintree Town

Canvey Island

Heybridge Swifts

Hitchin Town

Kettering Town

Maidenhead United

St Albans City

Carshalton Athletic

Ford United

Grays Athletic

Harrow Borough

Hayes

Hendon

Hornchurch

Kingstonian

Northwood

Sutton United

Thurrock

Locations of the Premier Division clubs

Carshalton Athletic

Ford United

Grays Athletic

Harrow Borough

Hayes

Hendon

Hornchurch

Kingstonian

Northwood

Sutton United

Thurrock

Greater London Premier Division football clubs

Club	Stadium
Aylesbury United	Buckingham Road
Basingstoke Town	The Camrose
Bedford Town	The Eyrie
Billericay Town	New Lodge
Bishop's Stortford	Woodside Park
Bognor Regis Town	Nyewood Lane
Braintree Town	Cressing Road
Canvey Island	Brockwell Stadium
Carshalton Athletic	War Memorial Sports Ground
Ford United	Oakside
Grays Athletic	New Recreation Ground
Harrow Borough	Earlsmead Stadium
Hayes	Church Road
Hendon	Claremont Road
Heybridge Swifts	Scraley Road
Hitchin Town	Top Field
Hornchurch	Hornchurch Stadium
Kettering Town	Rockingham Road
Kingstonian	Kingsmeadow (groundshare with AFC Wimbledon)
Maidenhead United	York Road
Northwood	Chestnut Avenue
St Albans City	Clarence Park
Sutton United	Gander Green Lane
Thurrock	Ship Lane

Play-offs

	Semi-finals					Final
	15°PD	Bedford Town	3
	20°PD	Hitchin Town	1
						15°PD	Bedford Town	4
						19°PD	St Albans City	5
	16°PD	Heybridge Swifts	3
	19°PD	St Albans City	4

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

17°PD

Harrow Borough

0(2)

18°PD

Kingstonian

0(4)

1°Div1S

Lewes

1

18°PD

Kingstonian

0

14°PD

Basingstoke Town

1

1°Div1S

Lewes

4

1°Div1N

Yeading

0

1°Div1S

Lewes

1

	Final
	7°Div1S	Dulwich Hamlet	2(4)
	7°Div1N	Wealdstone	2(5)

Division One North

Isthmian League
Division One North

Season	2003–04
Champions	Yeading
Relegated	Enfield
Matches played	552
Goals scored	1,745 (3.16 per match)
Top goalscorer	33 goals – DJ Campbell (Yeading)
Highest attendance	408 – Wealdstone – Hemel Hempstead Town, (24 April)
Total attendance	69,362
Average attendance	126 (-11.9% to previous season)
← 2002–03 2004–05 →

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

• Boreham Wood, relegated from the Premier Division
• Chesham United, relegated from the Premier Division
• Cheshunt, promoted as champions of Division Two
• Dunstable Town, promoted as champions of the Spartan South Midlands League
• Enfield, relegated from the Premier Division
• Leyton, promoted as runners-up in Division Two

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[a]	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

Arlesey Town

Barton Rovers

Berkhamsted

Chesham United

Dunstable Town

East Thurrock

Great Wakering Rovers

Harlow
Town

Hemel Hempstead

Oxford
City

Thame United

Tilbury

Wivenhoe Town

Aveley

Barking & East Ham United

Boreham Wood & Enfield

Cheshunt

Leyton

Uxbridge

Waltham Forest

Wealdstone

Wingate & Finchley

Yeading

Locations of the Division One North clubs

Aveley

Barking & East Ham United

Boreham Wood & Enfield

Cheshunt

Leyton

Uxbridge

Waltham Forest

Wealdstone

Wingate & Finchley

Yeading

Greater London Division One North football clubs

Club	Stadium
Arlesey Town	Hitchin Road
Aveley	The Mill Field
Barking & East Ham United	Mayesbrook Park
Barton Rovers	Sharpenhoe Road
Berkhamsted Town	Broadwater
Boreham Wood	Meadow Park
Chesham United	The Meadow
Cheshunt	Cheshunt Stadium
Dunstable Town	Creasey Park
East Thurrock United	Rookery Hill
Enfield	Meadow Park (groundshare with Boreham Wood)
Great Wakering Rovers	Burroughs Park
Harlow Town	Harlow Sportcentre
Hemel Hempstead Town	Vauxhall Road
Leyton	Leyton Stadium
Oxford City	Marsh Lane
Thame United	Windmill Road
Tilbury	Chadfields
Uxbridge	Honeycroft
Waltham Forest	Wadham Lodge
Wealdstone	White Lion (groundshare with Edgware Town)
Wingate & Finchley	The Harry Abrahams Stadium
Wivenhoe Town	Broad Lane
Yeading	The Warren

Division One South

Isthmian League
Division One South

Season	2003–04
Champions	Lewes
Promoted	Lewes
Relegated	Epsom & Ewell
Matches played	552
Goals scored	1,709 (3.1 per match)
Top goalscorer	34 goals – Ian Hodges (Slough Town)
Highest attendance	932 – Lewes – Worthing, (12 April)
Total attendance	102,861
Average attendance	186 (+0.0% to previous season)
← 2002–03 2004–05 →

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

• Hampton & Richmond Borough, relegated from the Premier Division
• Marlow, transferred from Division One North
• Slough Town, transferred from Division One North

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

Bracknell Town

Horsham

Leatherhead

Lewes

Marlow

Slough & Windsor

Walton & Hersham

Worthing

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

Ashford Town

Banstead & Epsom & Ewell

Bromley

Corinthian-Casuals

Croydon

Croydon
Athletic

Dulwich Hamlet

Egham
Town

Hampton & Richmond

MP

Molesey

Staines Town

Tooting & Mitcham

Whyteleafe

Greater London Division One South clubs

Club	Stadium
Ashford Town (Middlesex)	Short Lane
Banstead Athletic	Merland Rise
Bracknell Town	Larges Lane
Bromley	Hayes Lane
Corinthian-Casuals	King George's Field
Croydon	Croydon Sports Arena
Croydon Athletic	Keith Tuckey Stadium
Dulwich Hamlet	Champion Hill
Egham Town	The Runnymede Stadium
Epsom & Ewell	Merland Rise (groundshare with Banstead Athletic)
Hampton & Richmond Borough	Beveree Stadium
Horsham	Queen Street
Leatherhead	Fetcham Grove
Lewes	The Dripping Pan
Marlow	Alfred Davis Memorial Ground
Metropolitan Police	Imber Court
Molesey	Walton Road Stadium
Slough Town	Stag Meadow (groundshare with Windsor & Eton)
Staines Town	Wheatsheaf Park
Tooting & Mitcham United	Imperial Fields
Walton & Hersham	The Sports Ground
Whyteleafe	Church Road
Windsor & Eton	Stag Meadow
Worthing	Woodside Road

Division Two

Isthmian League
Division Two

Season	2003–04
Champions	Leighton Town
Matches played	315
Goals scored	1,021 (3.24 per match)
Top goalscorer	29 goals – John Frendo (Ware) and Matt Rawdon (Leighton Town)
Highest attendance	394 – Dorking – Hertford Town, (12 April)
Total attendance	23,880
Average attendance	76 (+1.3% to previous season)
← 2002–03 2004–05 →

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

• Chertsey Town, relegated from Division One South
• Hertford Town, relegated from Division One North
• Wembley, relegated from Division One North

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 (9° Reading League Premier Division) to create new club Wokingham & Emmbrook F.C., who joined Hellenic League Division One East.

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 to form Wokingham & Emmbrook F.C. in Hellenic League Division One East
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

Abingdon Town

Camberley Town

Chertsey Town

Dorking

Flackwell Heath

Hertford Town

Leighton Town

Ware

Witham Town

Wokingham Town

Chalfont St Peter

Clapton

Edgware Town

Kingsbury Town

Wembley

Locations of Division Two clubs

Chalfont St Peter

Clapton

Edgware Town

Kingsbury Town

Wembley

Greater London Division Two clubs

Club	Stadium
Abingdon Town	Culham Road
Camberley Town	Krooner Park
Chalfont St Peter	Mill Meadow
Chertsey Town	Alwyns Lane
Clapton	The Old Spotted Dog Ground
Dorking	Meadowbank Stadium
Edgware Town	White Lion
Flackwell Heath	Wilks Park
Hertford Town	Hertingfordbury Park
Kingsbury Town	Avenue Park
Leighton Town	Bell Close
Ware	Wodson Park
Wembley	Vale Farm
Witham Town	Spa Road
Wokingham Town	Cantley Park

See also

• Isthmian League
• 2003–04 Northern Premier League
• 2003–04 Southern Football League