Since its inception in 1979, The Football Conference has formed the fifth highest level of the overall English Football League System

English football league system

The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...

. This division today continues as Nationwide Conference.

The 2003–04 Football Conference season was the 25th season of the Football Conference

Football Conference

The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...

 and the last consisting of a single division. The top team and the winner of the play-offs were promoted to Football League Two

Football League Two

Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

, while this season only one team were relegated.

• Accrington Stanley
  Accrington Stanley F.C.
  Accrington Stanley is an English association football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the North West of England, who play in Football League Two, the fourth-highest division in the English football league system....
  
   (promoted 2002–03)
• Exeter City
  Exeter City F.C.
  Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...
  
   (relegated from the Football League 2002–03)
• Shrewsbury Town
  Shrewsbury Town F.C.
  Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
  
   (relegated from the Football League 2002–03)
• Tamworth
  Tamworth F.C.
  Tamworth Football Club are an English semi-professional football club based in the town of Tamworth, Staffordshire. Nicknamed 'The Lambs', they are currently members of the Conference National, the fifth highest tier in the English league system....
  
   (promoted 2002–03)

All teams participating were professional, except for Aldershot Town

Aldershot Town F.C.

Aldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...

, who were part-timers.