2003–04 National Division Three North
2003–04 National Division Three North | |
---|---|
Countries | ![]() |
Champions | Waterloo |
Runners-up | Halifax |
Relegated | Longton, Liverpool St Helens, Preston Grasshoppers |
Attendance | N/A[a 1] |
Top point scorer | ![]() 316 points |
Top try scorer | ![]() 23 tries |
The 2003–04 National Division Three North was the fourth season (sixteenth overall) of the fourth division (north) of the English domestic rugby union competition using the name National Division Three North. New teams to the division included Fylde and Kendal who were relegated from the 2002–03 National Division Two while promoted teams included Longton who came up as champions of Midlands Division 1 while Darlington (champions) and Macclesfield (playoffs) came up from North Division 1.[1][2][3] The league system was 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw with the promotion system changing for this season with a playoff system being introduced. The champions of both National Division Three North and National Division Three South would automatically go up but the runners up of these two divisions would meet each other in a one off match (at the home ground of the side with the superior league record) to see who would claim the third and final promotion place to National Division Two for the following season.
After two seasons spent in the division Waterloo would pip Halifax to the title by the narrowest of margins finishing dead level on points but going up to the 2004–05 National Division Two by virtue of a massively better for and against record.[4] Halifax would suffer a double disappointment by missing out on their second stab at promotion as they lost narrowly at home to 2003–04 National Division Three South runners up Launceston in the promotion playoff.[5][6] Relegated teams included newly promoted Longton (who gained only 4 points all season), Liverpool St Helens and Preston Grasshoppers.[4] Longton would drop back down to Midlands Division 1 while Liverpool St Helens and Preston Grasshoppers would fall to North Division 1.[7][8]
Participating teams and locations[]
![2003–04 National Division Three North is located in England](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/England_location_map.svg/500px-England_location_map.svg.png)
![Darlington Darlington](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/8px-Red_pog.svg.png)
![Darlington MP Darlington MP](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/8px-Red_pog.svg.png)
![Fylde Fylde](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/8px-Red_pog.svg.png)
![Tynedale Tynedale](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/8px-Red_pog.svg.png)
![Waterloo Waterloo](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/8px-Red_pog.svg.png)
Team | Stadium | Capacity | City/Area |
---|---|---|---|
Blaydon | 2,000 (400 seats) | Swalwell, Tyne and Wear | |
Darlington | Blackwell Meadows | 3,000 | Darlington, County Durham |
Darlington Mowden Park | Darlington, County Durham | ||
Dudley Kingswinford | Kingswinford, Dudley, West Midlands | ||
Fylde | Woodlands Memorial Ground | 9,000 | Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire |
Halifax | Halifax, West Yorkshire | ||
Kendal | 3,000 (300 stand) | Kendal, Cumbria | |
Liverpool St Helens | St Helens, Merseyside | ||
Longton | Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire | ||
Macclesfield | 1,250 (250 seats) | Macclesfield, Cheshire | |
New Brighton | 2,000 | Wirral, Merseyside | |
Preston Grasshoppers | 5,000 | Preston, Lancashire | |
Tynedale | 2,000 (400 seats) | Corbridge, Northumberland | |
Waterloo | 9,000 (200 seats) | Blundellsands, Merseyside |
Final league table[]
| |||||||||||||||||
Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Points | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Waterloo (C) | 26 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 979 | 343 | 636 | 50 | ||||||||
2 | Halifax | 26 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 755 | 405 | 350 | 50 | ||||||||
3 | Darlington Mowden Park | 26 | 16 | 0 | 10 | 602 | 439 | 163 | 32 | ||||||||
4 | Blaydon | 26 | 14 | 1 | 11 | 587 | 434 | 153 | 29 | ||||||||
5 | New Brighton | 26 | 14 | 1 | 11 | 583 | 499 | 84 | 29 | ||||||||
6 | Fylde | 26 | 14 | 0 | 12 | 529 | 531 | -2 | 28 | ||||||||
7 | Tynedale | 25[b 1] | 12 | 0 | 13 | 462 | 407 | 55 | 24 | ||||||||
8 | Darlington | 26 | 11 | 1 | 14 | 511 | 569 | -58 | 23 | ||||||||
9 | Kendal | 26 | 11 | 1 | 14 | 417 | 681 | -264 | 23 | ||||||||
10 | Macclesfield | 26 | 10 | 2 | 14 | 507 | 642 | -135 | 22 | ||||||||
11 | Dudley Kingswinford | 26 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 482 | 655 | -173 | 21 | ||||||||
12 | Preston Grasshoppers (R) | 26 | 7 | 0 | 19 | 443 | 754 | -311 | 14 | ||||||||
13 | Liverpool St Helens (R) | 26 | 5 | 3 | 18 | 461 | 612 | -151 | 13 | ||||||||
14 | Longton (R) | 25[b 2] | 1 | 2 | 22 | 300 | 647 | -347 | 4 | ||||||||
Reference Rugby Statbunker: Updated 08-05-2004 |
Results[]
Round 1[]
13 September 2003
|
Darlington Mowden Park | 8 - 34 | Blaydon |
---|---|---|
Report |
Yiewsley Drive
Referee: Andrew Gardner |
13 September 2003
|
Fylde | 16 - 17 | Tynedale |
---|---|---|
Report |
Woodlands Memorial Ground
Referee: Brendan Fitzmaurice |
13 September 2003
|
New Brighton | 33 - 31 | Preston Grasshoppers |
---|---|---|
Report |
Hartsfield
Referee: Andrew Vertigan |
Round 2[]
27 September 2003
|
Darlington Mowden Park | 28 - 17 | Darlington |
---|---|---|
Report |
Yiewsley Drive
Referee: Alan Hughes |
27 September 2003
|
Preston Grasshoppers | 26 - 8 | Longton |
---|---|---|
Report |
Lightfoot Green
Referee: Brendan Fitzmaurice |
Round 3[]
11 October 2003
|
Fylde | 24 - 20 | Darlington Mowden Park |
---|---|---|
Report |
Woodlands Memorial Ground
Referee: S Makinson |
Round 4[]
18 October 2003
|
Darlington Mowden Park | 18 - 13 | Liverpool St Helens |
---|---|---|
Report |
Yiewsley Drive
Referee: Guy Steel Bodger |
18 October 2003
|
Fylde | P - P | Darlington |
---|---|---|
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 February 2004.
18 October 2003
|
Preston Grasshoppers | P - P | Waterloo |
---|---|---|
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 February 2004.
Round 5[]
25 October 2003
|
Dudley Kingswinford | 22 - 20 | Preston Grasshoppers |
---|---|---|
Report |
Heathbrook
Referee: Brendan Fitzmaurice |
Round 6[]
1 November 2003
|
Darlington Mowden Park | 28 - 10 | Longton |
---|---|---|
Report |
Yiewsley Drive
Referee: Brendan Fitzmaurice |
1 November 2003
|
Preston Grasshoppers | 24 - 22 | Macclesfield |
---|---|---|
Report |
Lightfoot Green
Referee: Guy Steel Bodger |
1 November 2003
|
Tynedale | P - P | Waterloo |
---|---|---|
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 6 March 2004.
Round 7[]
8 November 2003
|
Darlington | 23 - 17 | Preston Grasshoppers |
---|---|---|
Report |
Blackwell Meadows
Referee: Andrew Vertigan |
Round 8[]
Round 9[]
22 November 2003
|
Dudley Kingswinford | 16 - 25 | Darlington Mowden Park |
---|---|---|
Report |
Heathbrook
Referee: Mick Reid |
22 November 2003
|
Preston Grasshoppers | 14 - 16 | Tynedale |
---|---|---|
Report |
Lightfoot Green
Referee: Andrew Gardner |
Round 10[]
29 November 2003
|
Darlington Mowden Park | 30 - 0 | Macclesfield |
---|---|---|
Report |
Yiewsley Drive
Referee: Rhys Davies |
29 November 2003
|
Fylde | 36 - 10 | Dudley Kingswinford |
---|---|---|
Report |
Woodlands Memorial Ground
Referee: Andrew Vertigan |
Round 11[]
6 December 2003
|
Dudley Kingswinford | 18 - 17 | Liverpool St Helens |
---|---|---|
Report |
Heathbrook
Referee: Mark Varnon |
6 December 2003
|
Preston Grasshoppers | 28 - 35 | Darlington Mowden Park |
---|---|---|
Report |
Lightfoot Green
Referee: Ged Stone |
Round 12[]
13 December 2003
|
Fylde | 24 - 15 | Preston Grasshoppers |
---|---|---|
Report |
Woodlands Memorial Ground
Referee: Brendan Fitzmaurice |
13 December 2003
|
Longton | P - P | Waterloo |
---|---|---|
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 24 April 2004.
Round 13[]
20 December 2003
|
Preston Grasshoppers | 14 - 5 | Liverpool St Helens |
---|---|---|
Report |
Lightfoot Green
Referee: Mick Reid |
Round 14[]
3 January 2004
|
Darlington Mowden Park | 44 - 0 | Preston Grasshoppers |
---|---|---|
Report |
Yiewsley Drive
Referee: D Edmunds |
3 January 2004
|
Tynedale | 19 - 3 | Darlington |
---|---|---|
Report |
Tynedale Park
Attendance: 150 Referee: Brendan Fitzmaurice |
Round 15[]
10 January 2004
|
Macclesfield | 5 - 11 | Darlington Mowden Park |
---|---|---|
Report |
Priory Park
Referee: Richard Draper |
Round 16[]
17 January 2004
|
Blaydon | 25 - 12 | Macclesfield |
---|---|---|
Report |
Crow Trees
Attendance: 150 Referee: Andrew Gardner |
17 January 2004
|
Darlington Mowden Park | 23 - 3 | Dudley Kingswinford |
---|---|---|
Report |
Yiewsley Drive
Referee: Mick Reid |
17 January 2004
|
Fylde | 3 - 53 | Waterloo |
---|---|---|
Report |
Woodlands Memorial Ground
Referee: Richard Parker-Sedgmore |
Round 17[]
24 January 2004
|
Waterloo | 35 - 12 | Darlington Mowden Park |
---|---|---|
Report |
St Anthony's Road
Referee: Alan Hughes |
24 January 2004
|
Longton | P - P | Liverpool St Helens |
---|---|---|
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 February 2004.
Round 18[]
31 January 2004
|
Preston Grasshoppers | 22 - 20 | Darlington |
---|---|---|
Report |
Lightfoot Green
Referee: Andrew Vertigan |
31 January 2004
|
Blaydon | P - P | Waterloo |
---|---|---|
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 1 May 2004.
31 January 2004
|
Darlington Mowden Park | P - P | Halifax |
---|---|---|
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 February 2004.
31 January 2004
|
Kendal | P - P | Macclesfield |
---|---|---|
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 February 2004.
Round 19[]
Round 20[]
14 February 2004
|
Darlington Mowden Park | 23 - 25 | New Brighton |
---|---|---|
Report |
Yiewsley Drive
Referee: Mick Reid |
14 February 2004
|
Fylde | 21 - 10 | Liverpool St Helens |
---|---|---|
Report |
Woodlands Memorial Ground
Referee: David Drury |
14 February 2004
|
Preston Grasshoppers | 18 - 10 | Dudley Kingswinford |
---|---|---|
Report |
Lightfoot Green
Referee: Rob Sawyer |
Rounds 4, 17 & 18 (rescheduled games)[]
21 February 2004
|
Darlington Mowden Park | 10 - 25 | Halifax |
---|---|---|
Report |
Yiewsley Drive
Referee: Guy Steel Bodger |
- Game rescheduled from 31 January 2004.
21 February 2004
|
Fylde | 26 - 23 | Darlington |
---|---|---|
Report |
Woodlands Memorial Ground
Attendance: 400 Referee: Chris Sharp |
- Game rescheduled from 18 October 2003.
- Game rescheduled from 31 January 2004.
21 February 2004
|
Longton | 34 - 34 | Liverpool St Helens |
---|---|---|
Report |
Trentham Fields
Referee: Richard Parker-Sedgmore |
- Game rescheduled from 24 January 2004.
21 February 2004
|
Preston Grasshoppers | 7 - 49 | Waterloo |
---|---|---|
Report |
Lightfoot Green
Referee: Brendan Fitzmaurice |
- Game rescheduled from 18 October 2003.
Round 21[]
28 February 2004
|
Halifax | P - P | Kendal |
---|---|---|
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 6 March 2004.
28 February 2004
|
Liverpool St Helens | P - P | Darlington Mowden Park |
---|---|---|
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 27 March 2004.
28 February 2004
|
Longton | C - C | Tynedale |
---|---|---|
- Game would initially be postponed but due to fixture congestion it would ultimately be cancelled.
Rounds 6 & 21 (rescheduled games)[]
- Game rescheduled from 28 February 2004.
- Game rescheduled from 1 November 2003.
Round 22[]
13 March 2004
|
Darlington Mowden Park | 20 - 15 | Fylde |
---|---|---|
Report |
Yiewsley Drive
Referee: Brendan Fitzmaurice |
Round 23[]
20 March 2004
|
Darlington | 17 - 10 | Darlington Mowden Park |
---|---|---|
Report |
Blackwell Meadows
Attendance: 450 Referee: Andrew Vertigan |
20 March 2004
|
Longton | 10 - 27 | Preston Grasshoppers |
---|---|---|
Report |
Trentham Fields
Referee: Brendan Fitzmaurice |
Round 21 (rescheduled game)[]
27 March 2004
|
Liverpool St Helens | 19 - 24 | Darlington Mowden Park |
---|---|---|
Report |
Moss Lane
Referee: Matthew Daubney |
- Game rescheduled from 28 February 2004.
Round 24[]
3 April 2004
|
Blaydon | 26 - 14 | Darlington Mowden Park |
---|---|---|
Report |
Crow Trees
Attendance: 150 Referee: Andrew Gardner |
Round 25[]
10 April 2004
|
Halifax | 24 - 20 | Waterloo |
---|---|---|
Report |
Ovenden Park
Attendance: 1,500 Referee: Tim Wigglesworth |
Round 26[]
17 April 2004
|
Waterloo | P - P | Longton |
---|---|---|
- Postponed. Game rescheduled to 8 May 2004.
Round 12 (rescheduled game)[]
- Game rescheduled from 13 December 2003.
Round 18 (rescheduled game)[]
- Game rescheduled from 31 January 2004.
Round 26 (rescheduled game)[]
- Game rescheduled from 17 April 2004.
Promotion play-off[]
The league runners up of National Division Three South and North would meet in a playoff game for promotion to National Division Two. Halifax were the northern divisions runners up and as they had a superior league record than southern runners-up, Launceston, they hosted the play-off match.
Total season attendances[]
Club | Home Games |
Total | Average | Highest | Lowest | % Capacity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blaydon | 3 | 420 | 140 | 150 | 120 | 7% |
Darlington | 1 | 450 | 450 | 450 | 450 | 15% |
Darlington Mowden Park | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Dudley Kingswinford | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Fylde | 1 | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 | 4% |
Halifax | 1 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 | |
Kendal | 2 | 630 | 315 | 350 | 280 | 11% |
Liverpool St Helens | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Longton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Macclesfield | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
New Brighton | 1 | 450 | 450 | 450 | 450 | 23% |
Preston Grasshoppers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
Tynedale | 1 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 8% |
Waterloo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
- ^ Due to extremely poor coverage and reporting by the media for this season there is not enough attendance data for the league to give an accurate figure.
Individual statistics[]
- Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals.
Top points scorers[]
|
Top try scorers[]
|
Season records[]
Team[]
91 - 5 Waterloo at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 28 February 2004
53 - 3 Waterloo away to Fylde on 17 January 2004
91 - 5 Waterloo at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 28 February 2004
Waterloo at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 28 February 2004
Waterloo at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 28 February 2004
New Brighton at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 13 September 2003
Longton at home to Fylde on 8 November 2003 Player[]
|
Attendances[]
Halifax at home to Waterloo on 10 April 2004
Blaydon at home to Darlington on 10 April 2004
|
See also[]
- English Rugby Union Leagues
- English rugby union system
- Rugby union in England
References[]
- ^ "National Division Two 2002-03". englandrugby.com. 26 April 2003.
- ^ "Midlands 1 2002-03". englandrugby.com. 12 April 2003.
- ^ "North 1 2002-03". englandrugby.com. 12 April 2003.
- ^ a b "National League 3 North 2003-04". englandrugby.com. 8 May 2004.
- ^ a b "National League Playoffs 2003-04". englandrugby.com. 15 May 2004.
- ^ "Play-off agony for Halifax". Yorkshire Post. 17 May 2004.
- ^ "Midlands 1 2004-05". englandrugby.com/. 4 September 2004.
- ^ "North 1 2004-05". englandrugby.com. 4 September 2004.
- ^ "National Three North 03/04 Leading top scorers". Rugby Statbunker. 5 May 2004.
- ^ "National Three North 03/04 Leading try scorers". Rugby Statbunker. 5 May 2004.
- ^ "National 3 North 03/04 Most tries in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 1 May 2004.
- ^ "National 3 North 03/04 Most conversions in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 1 May 2004.
- ^ "National 3 North 03/04 Most penalties in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 1 May 2004.
- ^ "National 3 North 03/04 Most drop goals in a match (Team)". Rugby Statbunker. 1 May 2004.
- ^ "National 3 North 03/04 Most points in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 1 May 2004.
- ^ "National 3 North 03/04 Most tries in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 1 May 2004.
- ^ "National 3 North 03/04 Most conversions in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 1 May 2004.
- ^ "National 3 North 03/04 Most penalties in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 1 May 2004.
- ^ "National 3 North 03/04 Most drop goals in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 1 May 2004.
- ^ "National 3 North 03/04 Home attendance". Rugby Statbunker. 1 May 2004.
External links[]
- National Division Three North seasons
- 2003–04 in English rugby union leagues