Combined Counties Football League

Combined Counties Football League
Country  England
Founded 1978
Divisions 2
Number of teams 39
Level on pyramid Level 9–10
Feeder to
Promotion to
Relegation to
Domestic cup(s)
  • Premier Challenge Cup
  • Division One Challenge Cup
  • Grant McLellan Youth Cup
Current champions Hartley Wintney (2015–16)
Website Official website
2016–17 Combined Counties Football League

The Cherry Red Records Combined Counties Football League is a regional English football league currently comprising teams from the south-western quarter of Greater London and Surrey, and acts as a choice for teams that achieve promotion from the top Berkshire and north Hampshire-specific league. It has two non-reserve divisions and its top division sits at Step 5 of the National League System (or Level 9 of the overall English football league system).

History

The league was formed on 18 June 1978 when the Surrey Senior League underwent a metamorphosis in order to try to attract clubs from outside the county. The new league was initially called the Home Counties League but there was an objection to the title from the Home Counties Conference so, in 1979, it adopted the current title.[1]

For the 1981–82 season the league had too many clubs to operate a standard league season so the clubs were split into two equal divisions, Eastern and Western, with Ash United from the Western division beating the Eastern champions Malden Town 3–0 after a two-legged play-off.

The league was accepted as a feeder to the Isthmian League and, since FA restructuring of the National League System, clubs can be promoted to the Southern League, subject to geographical restrictions. Between 1982 and 2003 the league was half of its present size so an additional league existed below (the Surrey Premier League which became the Surrey County Senior League). Replicating football league terminology nationally, the existing teams in 2003 became an upper division (Premier Division) and the newly admitted teams from the abolished league became the lower (Division One).

Promotion rules and cups

Its rules allow up to three teams to be promoted and relegated between the two divisions; promotion is dependent on the clubs finishing in the top three of Division One having the correct ground-grading. Division One is "fed" by the leagues at Step 7 of the National League System such as the Surrey Elite Intermediate League, the Middlesex County League and the Thames Valley Football League.

The League organises three cups.

  1. The Premier Challenge Cup is competed for by the teams in both divisions. The current holders are Farnham Town.
  2. The Division One cup is held by Worcester Park.
  3. The League organises the Grant McLellan Youth Cup for current and ex-member clubs who have teams playing in the under 18 age group in other leagues. The current holders are Bedfont Sports Under 18s.

Member teams 2016–17

The area covered by the Combined Counties League is coloured in peach.

Premier Division

Division One

Sponsors

The league has had a succession of title sponsors. Currently Cherry Red Records are the League and Premier Challenge Cup sponsors. Their RPM Records offshoot sponsors the Division One Challenge Cup.

List of champions

For the 1978–79 season the league was known as the Home Counties League.

Season Champions
1978–79 British Aerospace (Weybridge)
1979–80 Guildford & Worplesdon
1980–81 Malden Town

For the 1981–82 season the league expanded to two divisions.

Season Western Division Eastern Division Championship Playoff
1981–82 Ash United Malden Town Ash United won 3–0

For the 1982–83 season the league reverted to a single division.

Season Champions
1982–83 Hartley Wintney
1983–84 Godalming Town
1984–85 Malden Vale
1985–86 British Aerospace (Weybridge)
1986–87 Ash United
1987–88 British Aerospace (Weybridge)
1988–89 British Aerospace (Weybridge)
1989–90 Chipstead
1990–91 Farnham Town
1991–92 Farnham Town
1992–93 Peppard
1993–94 Peppard
1994–95 Ashford Town (Middx)
1995–96 Ashford Town (Middx)
1996–97 Ashford Town (Middx)
1997–98 Ashford Town (Middx)
1998–99 Ash United
1999-00 Ashford Town (Middx)
2000–01 Cove
2001–02 AFC Wallingford
2002–03 Withdean 2000

For the 2003–04 season Division One was added formed mainly of clubs from the Surrey County Senior League.

Season Premier Division Division One
2003–04 AFC Wimbledon AFC Guildford
2004–05 Walton Casuals Coney Hall
2005–06 Godalming Town Warlingham
2006–07 Chipstead Farnham Town
2007–08 Merstham Staines Lammas
2008–09 Bedfont Green Staines Lammas
2009–10 North Greenford United Mole Valley SCR
2010–11 Guildford City Worcester Park
2011–12 Guildford City Guernsey
2012–13 Egham Town Frimley Green
2013–14 South Park Spelthorne Sports
2014–15 Molesey Farleigh Rovers
2015–16 Hartley Wintney CB Hounslow United

Notes and references

Notes on location where name is not one town
  1. ↑ Epsom & Ewell play at Chipstead
  2. ↑ Spelthorne Sports play at Ashford Common
  3. ↑ Sutton Common Rovers play at Gander Green Lane, Sutton
  4. ↑ Westfield is part of Woking
  5. ↑ Epsom Athletic play at Chessington
  6. ↑ California, England is part of Finchampstead. The team play at Eversley.
References
  1. ↑ "The History of the League". Combined Counties Football League.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 6/27/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.