FA Cup 2003-04
| Country |
 England Wales
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|---|---|---|---|
| Champions | Manchester United (11th title) | ||
| Runners-up | Millwall | ||
| Top goal scorer(s) |
Ruud van Nistelrooy (6 goals) |
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|
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The FA Cup 2003–04 was the 123rd staging of England and the world's oldest football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup.
The competition began on 23 August 2003, with the lowest-ranked of the entrants competing in the Extra Preliminary round. The FA Cup 3rd Round was the first time that clubs from the Premiership and Division One competed in the competition.
The semi-finals were staged at neutral venues and, like the final, would not be replayed in the event of a draw. The competition culminated with the cup final at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff for a fourth year in a row, since Wembley Stadium was still in the rebuilding process. The cup was won by Manchester United for a record 11th time, with a 3–0 victory over Millwall from Division One.
The appearance in the Cup Final by Millwall, a Level 2 team, marked the first time in 12 years that a team outside Level 1 of the English football pyramid appeared in the final game.
This round is the first in which Football League teams from League One and League Two compete with non-league teams. Luton's Adrian Forbes and Sheffield Wednesday's Adam Proudlock netted hat tricks. Shildon AFC, of the Arngrove Northern League (level 9 on the football league pyramid), were the lowest ranked team left in the competition in the first round.
Ties were played over the weekend of 6 December 2003. Mansfield's Liam Lawrence showed how interested Championship and premiership clubs were with him by netting a hat trick.
This round marks the first time Championship and Premier League (top-flight) teams play. Matches were played on the weekend of Saturday, 3 January 2004, with replays on 13 January and 14 January.
Ties played during the weekend of 24 January 2004, with replays on 3 February and 4 February.
The match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City was particularly notable. Tottenham led the match 3–0 at half-time but Manchester City turned the match around in the second half to win 4–3, with Jon Macken scoring the winning goal in the 90th minute. This was despite Manchester City having one less player on the pitch during the second half after Joey Barton was red carded during the half-time interval.
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