2003–04 National Football League (India)
| Season | 2003–04 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 28 November 2003 – 14 May 2004 |
| Champions | East Bengal 3rd NFL title 3rd Indian title |
| Relegated | |
| AFC Cup | |
| Top goalscorer | Cristiano Júnior (15 goals)[1] |
| Biggest home win |
|
| Biggest away win | Mohammedan Sporting 1–5 Mahindra United (17 March 2004)[4] |
← 2002–03 2004–05 → | |
The 2003–04 National Football League was the eighth season of National Football League, the top Indian league for association football clubs, since its inception in 1996.
Overview
The fixtures for the first phase of the season (till round 11) were announced on 20 November 2003.[5] It was contested by 12 teams, and East Bengal won the championship, in the month of April under the coach Subhas Bhowmick. Dempo came second and Mahindra came third. Indian Bank and Mohammedan were relegated from the National Football League next season.
League standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Bengal | 22 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 37 | 13 | +24 | 49 |
| 2 | Dempo | 22 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 28 | 12 | +16 | 45 |
| 3 | Mahindra United | 22 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 34 | 21 | +13 | 41 |
| 4 | Churchill Brothers | 22 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 29 | 24 | +5 | 36 |
| 5 | JCT | 22 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 23 | 21 | +2 | 33 |
| 6 | Vasco | 22 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 19 | +3 | 28 |
| 7 | Salgaocar | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 24 | 23 | +1 | 27 |
| 8 | Sporting Clube de Goa | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 34 | 35 | −1 | 27 |
| 9 | Mohun Bagan | 22 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 22 | 23 | −1 | 24 |
| 10 | Tollygunge Agragami | 22 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 24 | −8 | 20 |
| 11 | Mohammedan | 22 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 20 | 39 | −19 | 19 |
| 12 | Indian Bank | 22 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 15 | 50 | −35 | 8 |
Source: rsssf.com
Season statistics
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[6] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Cristiano Júnior
|
East Bengal | 15 |
| 2 |  Yusif Yakubu
|
Churchill Brothers | 14 |
| 3 |  Dudu Omagbemi
|
Mohammedan Sporting | 13 |
| 4 |  Bhaichung Bhutia
|
East Bengal | 12 |
| 5 | Abdul Seriki
|
Mohammedan Sporting | 11 |
| 6 |  Sunday Seah
|
Dempo | 9 |
| 7 | Abhishek Yadav
|
Mahindra United | 7 |
| Harvinder Singh
|
JCT |
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashim Biswas | Mohun Bagan | Indian Bank | 3–0 (H) | 15 December 2003 | [7] |
| Yusif Yakubu | Churchill Brothers | Indian Bank | 4–1 (H) | 5 March 2004 | [8] |
| Felix Aboagye | Mahindra United | Mohammedan Sporting | 5–1 (A) | 17 March 2004 | [4] |
| Dudu Omagbemi | Sporting Clube | Indian Bank | 4–1 (H) | 5 April 2004 | [9] |
| Marcos Pereira | Vasco | Mohun Bagan | 5–1 (H) | 16 April 2004 | [3] |
- Note: (H) – Home; (A) – Away
References
- ^ "From the History Book". All India Football Federation. the-aiff.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
- ^ "East Bengal downs Sporting". The Hindu. 17 January 2004. Retrieved 24 October 2018.[dead link]
- ^ a b "Vasco trounces Mohun Bagan". The Hindu. 17 April 2004. Retrieved 24 October 2018.[dead link]
- ^ a b "Felix stars in Mahindra's big win". The Hindu. 18 March 2004. Retrieved 24 October 2018.[dead link]
- ^ "National Football League fixtures". Rediff.com. 20 November 2003. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
- ^ "Leading Goal Scorers". Rediff.com. 14 May 2004. Archived from the original on 28 August 2004. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
- ^ "Biswas 'tricks' for Bagan". Rediff.com. 15 December 2003. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
- ^ "Yakubu nets three in Churchill's big win". Rediff.com. 5 March 2004. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
- ^ "Haywards Sporting downs Indian Bank". The Hindu. 6 April 2004. Retrieved 24 October 2018.[dead link]