# 2003–04 Football League

The 2003–04 Football League (known as the Nationwide Football League for sponsorship reasons) was the 105th completed season of The Football League.
This was the last season of the Football League with the Nationwide Building Society as title sponsor, and the last in which the divisions were known as the First, Second and Third Divisions: from the following season they would be known as the Championship, League One and League Two respectively.
Norwich City won the First Division, thus returning to the Premier League for the first time since 1994–95. Also promoted to the top flight were West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace. Plymouth Argyle won the Second Division, while Doncaster Rovers won the Third.

## Final league tables and results

The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation website, with home and away statistics separated. Play-off results are from the same website.

## First Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Norwich City (C, P) | 46 | 28 | 10 | 8 | 79 | 39 | +40 | 94 | Promotion to the FA Premier League |
| 2 | West Bromwich Albion (P) | 46 | 25 | 11 | 10 | 64 | 42 | +22 | 86 | Promotion to the FA Premier League |
| 3 | Sunderland | 46 | 22 | 13 | 11 | 62 | 45 | +17 | 79 | Qualification for the First Division play-offs |
| 4 | West Ham United | 46 | 19 | 17 | 10 | 67 | 45 | +22 | 74 | Qualification for the First Division play-offs |
| 5 | Ipswich Town | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 84 | 72 | +12 | 73 | Qualification for the First Division play-offs |
| 6 | Crystal Palace (O, P) | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 72 | 61 | +11 | 73 | Qualification for the First Division play-offs |
| 7 | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 60 | 45 | +15 | 71 | |
| 8 | Sheffield United | 46 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 65 | 56 | +9 | 71 | |
| 9 | Reading | 46 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 55 | 57 | −2 | 70 | |
| 10 | Millwall | 46 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 55 | 48 | +7 | 69 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 11 | Stoke City | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 58 | 55 | +3 | 66 | |
| 12 | Coventry City | 46 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 67 | 54 | +13 | 65 | |
| 13 | Cardiff City | 46 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 68 | 58 | +10 | 65 | |
| 14 | Nottingham Forest | 46 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 61 | 58 | +3 | 60 | |
| 15 | Preston North End | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 69 | 71 | −2 | 59 | |
| 16 | Watford | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 54 | 68 | −14 | 57 | |
| 17 | Rotherham United | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 53 | 61 | −8 | 54 | |
| 18 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 57 | 66 | −9 | 53 | |
| 19 | Burnley | 46 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 60 | 77 | −17 | 53 | |
| 20 | Derby County | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 53 | 67 | −14 | 52 | |
| 21 | Gillingham | 46 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 48 | 67 | −19 | 51 | |
| 22 | Walsall (R) | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 45 | 65 | −20 | 51 | Relegation to Football League One |
| 23 | Bradford City (R) | 46 | 10 | 6 | 30 | 38 | 69 | −31 | 36 | Relegation to Football League One |
| 24 | Wimbledon (R) | 46 | 8 | 5 | 33 | 41 | 89 | −48 | 29 | Renamed Milton Keynes Dons in Football League One |
* ↑ Since the FA Cup winners Manchester United qualified for the Champions League, their place in the UEFA Cup went to Millwall, who were the FA Cup runners-up.

### Play-offs

| Semi-finals 1st leg – 14/15 May; 2nd leg – 17/18 May 2004 | Semi-finals 1st leg – 14/15 May; 2nd leg – 17/18 May 2004 | Semi-finals 1st leg – 14/15 May; 2nd leg – 17/18 May 2004 | Semi-finals 1st leg – 14/15 May; 2nd leg – 17/18 May 2004 | Semi-finals 1st leg – 14/15 May; 2nd leg – 17/18 May 2004 | Final at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 29 May 2004 | Final at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 29 May 2004 | Final at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 29 May 2004 |
| 3rd | Sunderland | 2 | 2 | 4 (4) | | | |
| 6th | Crystal Palace (pens.) | 3 | 1 | 4 (5) | | | |
| 6th | Crystal Palace (pens.) | 3 | 1 | 4 (5) | 6th | Crystal Palace | 1 |
| | | | | | 4th | West Ham United | 0 |
| 4th | West Ham United | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4th | West Ham United | 0 |
| 5th | Ipswich Town | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | |

### Top scorers

| Rank | Player | Club | League |
| 1 | Andrew Johnson | Crystal Palace | 28 |
| 2 | Marlon Harewood | West Ham United / Nottingham Forest | 25 |
| 3 | Robert Earnshaw | Cardiff City | 21 |
| 4 | Dean Ashton | Crewe Alexandra | 19 |
| = | Robbie Blake | Burnley | 19 |
| 6 | Nathan Ellington | Wigan Athletic | 18 |
| 7 | Darren Bent | Ipswich Town | 17 |
| = | Ricardo Fuller | Preston North End | 17 |
| 9 | Marcus Stewart | Sunderland | 16 |
| 10 | David Healy | Preston North End | 15 |
| = | Martin Butler | Rotherham United | 15 |
| = | Steve Jones | Crewe Alexandra | 15 |

## Second Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Plymouth Argyle (C, P) | 46 | 26 | 12 | 8 | 85 | 41 | +44 | 90 | Promotion to Football League Championship |
| 2 | Queens Park Rangers (P) | 46 | 22 | 17 | 7 | 80 | 45 | +35 | 83 | Promotion to Football League Championship |
| 3 | Bristol City | 46 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 58 | 37 | +21 | 82 | Qualification for the Second Division play-offs |
| 4 | Brighton & Hove Albion (O, P) | 46 | 22 | 11 | 13 | 64 | 43 | +21 | 77 | Qualification for the Second Division play-offs |
| 5 | Swindon Town | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 76 | 58 | +18 | 73 | Qualification for the Second Division play-offs |
| 6 | Hartlepool United | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 76 | 61 | +15 | 73 | Qualification for the Second Division play-offs |
| 7 | Port Vale | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 73 | 63 | +10 | 73 | |
| 8 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 59 | 56 | +3 | 67 | |
| 9 | Bournemouth | 46 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 56 | 51 | +5 | 66 | |
| 10 | Luton Town | 46 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 69 | 66 | +3 | 66 | |
| 11 | Colchester United | 46 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 52 | 56 | −4 | 64 | |
| 12 | Barnsley | 46 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 54 | 58 | −4 | 62 | |
| 13 | Wrexham | 46 | 17 | 9 | 20 | 50 | 60 | −10 | 60 | |
| 14 | Blackpool | 46 | 16 | 11 | 19 | 58 | 65 | −7 | 59 | |
| 15 | Oldham Athletic | 46 | 12 | 21 | 13 | 66 | 60 | +6 | 57 | |
| 16 | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 48 | 64 | −16 | 53 | |
| 17 | Brentford | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 52 | 69 | −17 | 53 | |
| 18 | Peterborough United | 46 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 58 | 58 | 0 | 52 | |
| 19 | Stockport County | 46 | 11 | 19 | 16 | 62 | 70 | −8 | 52 | |
| 20 | Chesterfield | 46 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 49 | 71 | −22 | 51 | |
| 21 | Grimsby Town (R) | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 55 | 81 | −26 | 50 | Relegation to Football League Two |
| 22 | Rushden & Diamonds (R) | 46 | 13 | 9 | 24 | 60 | 74 | −14 | 48 | Relegation to Football League Two |
| 23 | Notts County (R) | 46 | 10 | 12 | 24 | 50 | 78 | −28 | 42 | Relegation to Football League Two |
| 24 | Wycombe Wanderers (R) | 46 | 6 | 19 | 21 | 50 | 75 | −25 | 37 | Relegation to Football League Two |

### Play-offs

| Semi-finals 1st leg – 15/16 May; 2nd leg – 19/20 May 2004 | Semi-finals 1st leg – 15/16 May; 2nd leg – 19/20 May 2004 | Semi-finals 1st leg – 15/16 May; 2nd leg – 19/20 May 2004 | Semi-finals 1st leg – 15/16 May; 2nd leg – 19/20 May 2004 | Semi-finals 1st leg – 15/16 May; 2nd leg – 19/20 May 2004 | Final at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 30 May 2004 | Final at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 30 May 2004 | Final at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 30 May 2004 |
| 4th | Brighton & Hove Albion (pens.) | 1 | 1 | 2 (4) | | | |
| 5th | Swindon Town | 0 | 2 | 2 (3) | | | |
| 5th | Swindon Town | 0 | 2 | 2 (3) | 4th | Brighton & Hove Albion | 1 |
| | | | | | 3rd | Bristol City | 0 |
| 3rd | Bristol City | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3rd | Bristol City | 0 |
| 6th | Hartlepool United | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | |

### Top scorers

| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Leon Knight | Brighton & Hove Albion | 26 |
| 2 | Stephen McPhee | Port Vale | 25 |
| 3 | Paul Heffernan | Notts County | 20 |
| = | Sam Parkin | Swindon Town | 20 |
| 5 | Tommy Mooney | Swindon Town | 19 |
| 6 | Kevin Gallen | Queens Park Rangers | 17 |
| 7 | Eugene Dadi | Tranmere Rovers | 16 |
| = | Paul Furlong | Queens Park Rangers | 16 |
| = | Scott Taylor | Blackpool | 16 |
| 10 | Onandi Lowe | Rushden & Diamonds | 15 |

## Third Division

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Doncaster Rovers (C, P) | 46 | 27 | 11 | 8 | 79 | 37 | +42 | 92 | Promotion to Football League One |
| 2 | Hull City (P) | 46 | 25 | 13 | 8 | 82 | 44 | +38 | 88 | Promotion to Football League One |
| 3 | Torquay United (P) | 46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 68 | 44 | +24 | 81 | Promotion to Football League One |
| 4 | Huddersfield Town (O, P) | 46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 68 | 52 | +16 | 81 | Qualification for the Third Division play-offs |
| 5 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 76 | 62 | +14 | 75 | Qualification for the Third Division play-offs |
| 6 | Northampton Town | 46 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 58 | 51 | +7 | 75 | Qualification for the Third Division play-offs |
| 7 | Lincoln City | 46 | 19 | 17 | 10 | 68 | 47 | +21 | 74 | Qualification for the Third Division play-offs |
| 8 | Yeovil Town | 46 | 23 | 5 | 18 | 70 | 57 | +13 | 74 | |
| 9 | Oxford United | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 55 | 44 | +11 | 71 | |
| 10 | Swansea City | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 58 | 61 | −3 | 59 | |
| 11 | Boston United | 46 | 16 | 11 | 19 | 50 | 54 | −4 | 59 | |
| 12 | Bury | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 54 | 64 | −10 | 56 | |
| 13 | Cambridge United | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 55 | 67 | −12 | 56 | |
| 14 | Cheltenham Town | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 57 | 71 | −14 | 56 | |
| 15 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 50 | 61 | −11 | 55 | |
| 16 | Kidderminster Harriers | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 45 | 59 | −14 | 55 | |
| 17 | Southend United | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 51 | 63 | −12 | 54 | |
| 18 | Darlington | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 53 | 61 | −8 | 53 | |
| 19 | Leyton Orient | 46 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 48 | 65 | −17 | 53 | |
| 20 | Macclesfield Town | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 54 | 69 | −15 | 52 | |
| 21 | Rochdale | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 49 | 58 | −9 | 50 | |
| 22 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 11 | 16 | 19 | 69 | 72 | −3 | 49 | |
| 23 | Carlisle United (R) | 46 | 12 | 9 | 25 | 46 | 69 | −23 | 45 | Relegation to Football Conference |
| 24 | York City (R) | 46 | 10 | 14 | 22 | 35 | 66 | −31 | 44 | Relegation to Football Conference |

### Play-offs

| Semi-finals 1st leg – 15/16 May; 2nd leg – 19/20 May 2004 | Semi-finals 1st leg – 15/16 May; 2nd leg – 19/20 May 2004 | Semi-finals 1st leg – 15/16 May; 2nd leg – 19/20 May 2004 | Semi-finals 1st leg – 15/16 May; 2nd leg – 19/20 May 2004 | Semi-finals 1st leg – 15/16 May; 2nd leg – 19/20 May 2004 | Final at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 31 May 2004 | Final at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 31 May 2004 | Final at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 31 May 2004 |
| 4th | Huddersfield Town | 2 | 2 | 4 | | | |
| 7th | Lincoln City | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | |
| 7th | Lincoln City | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4th | Huddersfield Town (pens.) | 0 (4) |
| | | | | | 5th | Mansfield Town | 0 (1) |
| 5th | Mansfield Town (pens.) | 2 | 1 | 3 (5) | 5th | Mansfield Town | 0 (1) |
| 6th | Northampton Town | 0 | 3 | 3 (4) | | | |

### Top scorers

| Rank | Player | Club | League |
| 1 | Steven MacLean | Scunthorpe United | 23 |
| 2 | David Graham | Torquay United | 22 |
| 3 | Leon Constantine | Southend United | 21 |
| 4 | Liam Lawrence | Mansfield Town | 19 |
| 5 | Gregg Blundell | Doncaster Rovers | 18 |
| = | Ben Burgess | Hull City | 18 |
| 7 | Gary Fletcher | Lincoln City | 17 |
| = | Lee Trundle | Swansea City | 17 |
| 9 | Matthew Tipton | Macclesfield Town | 16 |
| = | Jon Stead | Huddersfield Town | 16 |