The 2003–04 FA Cup qualifying rounds opened the 123rd season of competition in England for 'The Football Association Challenge Cup' (FA Cup), the world's oldest association football single knockout competition. A total of 644 clubs were accepted for the competition, up 20 from the previous season’s 624.
The large number of clubs entering the tournament from lower down (Levels 5 through 10) in the English football pyramid meant that the competition started with six rounds of preliminary (2) and qualifying (4) knockouts for these non-League teams. South Western Football League was the only level 10 league represented in the Cup, four clubs from the South Western Football League were the lowest-ranked clubs in competition. The 32 winning teams from Fourth qualifying round progressed to the First round proper, where League teams tiered at Levels 3 and 4 entered the competition.
Calendar Round Start date Leagues entering at this round New entries this round Winners from previous round Number of fixtures Prize money Extra preliminary round 23 August 2003 Levels 8-10 130 none 65 £500 Preliminary round 30 August 2003 Level 7 331 65 198 £1,000 First qualifying round 20 September 2003 none none 198 99 £2,250 Second qualifying round 27 September 2003 Isthmian LeagueNorthern Premier LeagueSouthern Football League(Premier divisions) 69 99 84 £3,750 Third qualifying round 11 October 2003 none none 84 42 £5,000 Fourth qualifying round 25 October 2003 Football Conference 22 42 32 £10,000
Extra preliminary round Matches played on Saturday/Sunday 23 to 24 August 2003. 130 clubs from Level 8, Level 9 and Level 10 of English football, entered at this stage of the competition, while other 217 clubs from levels 8-10 get a bye to the preliminary round.
Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) 1Skelmersdale United (8)7–2Glasshoughton Welfare (8) 712Brodsworth Miners Welfare (8)0–1Pickering Town (8) 903St Helens Town (8)0–2Trafford (8) 1824Garforth Town (9)0–3Whickham (9) 875Holker Old Boys (9)1–0Penrith (8) 6Colne (9)2–3Mossley (8) 1007Norton & Stockton Ancients (9)0–2Evenwood Town (9) 1178Ossett Albion (8)5–2Alnwick Town (9) 949Washington Nissan (9)1–2Jarrow Roofing BCA (8) 5410Shotton Comrades (9)1–4Newcastle Blue Star (9) 3511Dunston Federation Brewery (8)1–0Abbey Hey (8) 12112Eccleshill United (8)1–2Warrington Town (8) 4913Oldham Town (9)3–2Northallerton Town (9) 7314Fleetwood Town (8)1–0Darwen (9) 10315Blackstones (8)1–4Gedling Town (9) 7816Holbeach United (8)1–1Staveley Miners Welfare (9) Staveley Miners Welfare (9)3–2Holbeach United (8)17Carlton Town (9)0–3Shirebrook Town (9) 8718Lincoln Moorlands (9)1–0Arnold Town (8) 6519Nantwich Town (8)1–2Stratford Town (8) 8020Cradley Town (8)2–0Daventry Town (8) 6521Maldon Town (8)4–1Holmer Green (8) 22Stotfold (8)1–2London Colney (8) 6723Wroxham (8)4–1Halstead Town (8) 12624Brentwood (9)0–2Haringey Borough (8) 7325Kingsbury Town (8)1–2Stowmarket Town (8) 4826Harpenden Town (8)6–1Woodbridge Town (8) 6527Needham Market (9)0–3Norwich United (8) 7928Romford (9)0–2Bury Town (8) 16629Tiptree United (8)0–1Cogenhoe United (8) 9230Northampton Spencer (8)2–2Desborough Town (8) 76 Desborough Town (8)4–2Northampton Spencer (8)31Broxbourne Borough V&E (8)0–2Yaxley (8) 2632Mildenhall Town (8)2–1Ilford (9) 10333St Margaretsbury (8)0–0Henley Town (8) 46 Henley Town (8)0–3St Margaretsbury (8)
Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) 34Bedford United & Valerio (8)1–0Harefield United (8) 3235Southend Manor (9)1–1Buckingham Town (8) 30 Buckingham Town (8)4–1Southend Manor (9)36Ruislip Manor (8)2–2Ely City (9) 32 Ely City (9)0–2Ruislip Manor (8)37Hadleigh United (9)0–1Wootton Blue Cross (8) 7238Brackley Town (8)2–1Hullbridge Sports (9) 7539Royston Town (8)0–3Ford Sports Daventry (8) 8540Great Yarmouth Town (8)4–1Southall Town (8) 27141St Leonards (8)1–4Arundel (8) 12742Thatcham Town (8)6–0Selsey (8) 8843East Preston (8)2–3Andover (8) 12444Walton Casuals (8)5–0Westfield (8) 7845Brockenhurst (8)2–3VCD Athletic (8) 5946Wokingham Town (8)2–0Chertsey Town (8) 13647Chichester City United (8)4–1Tunbridge Wells (8) 11548Sandhurst Town (8)2–1Camberley Town (8) 10649Didcot Town (8)2–1Ramsgate (8) 13150Saltdean United (9)0–4Cray Wanderers (8) 10451Bedfont (8)4–0Littlehampton Town (9) 5452Horsham YMCA (8)3–3Gosport Borough (8) 105 Gosport Borough (8)1–0Horsham YMCA (8)53Eastbourne United Association (9)1–0Lordswood (8) 10254BAT Sports (8)3–1Cobham (8) 10955Carterton Town (8)1–0Hungerford Town (8) 6456Lancing (9)0–3Whitehawk (8) 9457AFC Totton (8)3–0Erith Town (8) 6858Reading Town (8)1–2Lymington & New Milton (8) 5659Barnstaple Town (8)2–3Exmouth Town (8) 12660Highworth Town (8)3–1Shortwood United (8) 8561Frome Town (8)1–0Tuffley Rovers (8) 9662Shepton Mallet (9)0–1Falmouth Town (10) 12663Minehead Town (9)2–1Liskeard Athletic (10) 9464Devizes Town (8)0–4Christchurch (8) 10165Chard Town (9)0–3Paulton Rovers (8) 58
Preliminary round Matches played on weekend of Saturday 30 August 2003. A total of 396 clubs took part in this stage of the competition, including the 65 winners from the extra preliminary round, 217 clubs from Levels 8-10, who get a bye in the extra preliminary round and 114 entering at this stage from the five divisions at Level 7 of English football. The round featured three clubs from Level 10 (all from the South Western Football League) still in the competition, being the lowest ranked clubs in this round.
Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) 1Brigg Town (8)2–2Billingham Town (8) 187 Billingham Town (8)1–0Brigg Town (8) 1572Maine Road (9)2–4Ashington (9) 453Bishop Auckland (7)8–0Flixton (9) 1454Harrogate Railway Athletic (8)w/oHatfield Main Walkover for Harrogate Railway Athletic – Hatfield Main removed5Armthorpe Welfare (8)w/oLouth United Walkover for Armthorpe Welfare – Louth United removed6Chadderton (9)1–2Holker Old Boys (9) 867Peterlee Newtown (8)1–2Bridlington Town (7) 1118Mossley (8)1–1Curzon Ashton (8) 236 Curzon Ashton (8)2–3Mossley (8) 2539Bamber Bridge (7)3–1Prescot Cables (7) 18710Stocksbridge Park Steels (7)2–1Squires Gate (8) 12011Goole (8)2–4Rossendale United (7) 22712Witton Albion (7)4–1Nelson (9) 24013Thackley (8)0–1Ossett Town (7) 11114Skelmersdale United (8)3–0Atherton Laburnum Rovers (8) 10415Pontefract Collieries (9)0–2Clitheroe (8) 10216Blackpool Mechanics (9)1–1Colwyn Bay (7) 80 Colwyn Bay (7)3–1Blackpool Mechanics (9) 17Crook Town (9)2–3Guiseley (7) 18Tow Law Town (8)1–1Salford City (8) 126 Salford City (8)4–3Tow Law Town (8) 11119South Shields (9)0–0Bedlington Terriers (8) 189 Bedlington Terriers (8)4–1South Shields (9) 13820Willington (9)0–5Consett (9) 7221Fleetwood Town (8)3–0Parkgate (9) 14422Newcastle Blue Star (9)1–2Dunston Federation Brewery (8) 13923Billingham Synthonia (8)1–1Chorley (7) 112 Chorley (7)3–1Billingham Synthonia (8) 27924Hyde United (7)6–1Hallam (8) 22825Liversedge (8)3–1Gateshead (7) 9226Guisborough Town (8)1–1Kendal Town (7) 86 Kendal Town (7)Guisborough Town (8) 15927Tadcaster Albion (9)0–4Winsford United (9) 5028Great Harwood Town (9)0–3North Ferriby United (7) 11129Cheadle Town (9)1–2Chester-le-Street Town (8) 6130Woodley Sports (8)1–1Ramsbottom United (8) 113 Ramsbottom United (8)3–0Woodley Sports (8) 31Durham City (8)0–0Rossington Main (9) 127 Rossington Main (9)0–1Durham City (8) 11132Horden Colliery Welfare (8)0–1Brandon United (8) 10633Esh Winning (8)1–3Bacup Borough (8) 10434Whickham (9)2–2Hebburn Town (9) 180 Hebburn Town (9)1–2Whickham (9) 15935Thornaby (8)5–1Easington Colliery (9) 4736Shildon (8)2–1Workington (7) 24037Selby Town (8)0–0Washington (8) 102 Washington (8)Selby Town (8) 10638Maltby Main (9)1–0West Auckland Town (8) 5539Sheffield (8)1–0Jarrow Roofing BCA (8) 13040Pickering Town (8)2–0Whitley Bay (8) 20541Evenwood Town (9)3–5Oldham Town (9) 12442Hall Road Rangers (9)1–1Trafford (8) 107 Trafford (8)3–1Hall Road Rangers (9) 13043Marske United (8)3–0Winterton Rangers (9) 10444Warrington Town (8)1–0Yorkshire Amateur (9) 9245Prudhoe Town (9)2–0Morpeth Town (8) 3446Ossett Albion (8)2–1Alsager Town (8) 10647Seaham Red Star (9)3–4Murton (9) 11448Atherton Collieries (8)0–3Farsley Celtic (7) 7149Gresley Rovers (7)1–1Buxton (8) 310 Buxton (8)4–0Gresley Rovers (7) 36050Stamford (7)2–0Bourne Town (8) 24451Shepshed Dynamo (7)0–1Congleton Town (8) 14852Shirebrook Town (9)2–1Matlock Town (7) 29753Grosvenor Park (8)0–0Glapwell (8) 37 Glapwell (8)2–0Grosvenor Park (8) 6054Quorn (8)0–1Gedling Town (9) 13755Studley (8)3–0Rushall Olympic (8) 10456Oadby Town (8)5–1Stratford Town (8) 20557Corby Town (7)2–1Lincoln United (7) 11058Bedworth United (7)0–2Halesowen Town (7) 26259Belper Town (7)1–1Boston Town (8) 208 Boston Town (8)0–1Belper Town (7) 10860Mickleover Sports (8)3–0Ludlow Town (8) 8061Chasetown (8)1–2Sutton Coldfield Town (7) 21762Kidsgrove Athletic (7)1–3Rugby United (7) 17463Borrowash Victoria (8)3–4Biddulph Victoria (8) 5264Racing Club Warwick (8)0–1Stafford Town (8) 8565Rocester (8)1–1Ilkeston Town (7) 165 Ilkeston Town (7)3–1Rocester (8) 23866Staveley Miners Welfare (9)0–1Sutton Town (9) 9667Atherstone United (7)w/o Pelsall Villa (8) Walkover for Pelsall Villa – Atherstone United removed68Eastwood Town (8)2–2Deeping Rangers (8) 111 Deeping Rangers (8)1–2Eastwood Town (8) 25269Lincoln Moorlands (9)1–2Leek Town (7) 70Spalding United (8)3–0Glossop North End (8) 19671Stourport Swifts (7)1–0Boldmere St Michaels (8) 10172Cradley Town (8)0–4Bromsgrove Rovers (7) 16473Solihull Borough (7)3–0Stone Dominoes (8) 16374Leek CSOB (9)2–3Redditch United (7) 10575Barwell (8)3–1Oldbury United (8) 7076Newcastle Town (8)3–0Willenhall Town (8) 9577Stourbridge (8)0–2Causeway United (8) 19078Long Eaton United (9)0–0Norton United (9) 71 Norton United (9)0–2Long Eaton United (9) 7879Gorleston (8)w/o Haverhill Rovers (9) Walkover for Haverhill Rovers – Gorleston removed80Burnham (7)1–7Arlesey Town (7) 8581Burnham Ramblers (9)4–1Potters Bar Town (8) 82Dunstable Town (7)w/oSaffron Walden Town Walkover for Dunstable Town – Saffron Walden Town removed83Leighton Town (8)3–1Wootton Blue Cross (8) 12284Tring Townw/o Mildenhall Town (8) Walkover for Mildenhall Town – Tring Town removed85Sawbridgeworth Town (9)2–2AFC Wallingford (8) 41 AFC Wallingford (8)2–0Sawbridgeworth Town (9) 12586Newmarket Town (8)5–0Wembley (8) 14287Chalfont St Peter (8)0–6Chesham United (7) 14588Boreham Wood (7)2–1Desborough Town (8) 6689Ware (8)2–2London Colney (8) 102 London Colney (8)0–1Ware (8) 9090Enfield Town (9)2–1Clacton Town (8) 35691Norwich United (8)2–2Leyton (7) 98 Leyton (7)2–1Norwich United (8) 19092AFC Sudbury (8)5–1Diss Town (8) 34793Histon (7)7–0Yeading (7) 131