Combined Counties Football League

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Combined Counties Football League
Combined Counties Football League
Country Flag of England England
Founded

1978

Divisions 2
No. of teams 44
Feeder to Isthmian League
Level(s) on pyramid Level 9-10
Website Link

The Combined Counties Football League is a regional English football league comprised mostly of teams in Berkshire, Hampshire, Kent, London, Middlesex and Surrey. Its top division sits at Step 5 of the National League System (or level 9 of the overall English football league system).

Contents

[edit] History

The league's history can be traced back to 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 were objections to the proposed title, so in 1979 it adopted the current title.

For one season only, 1981-82, the league had too many clubs to operate a standard league season, so the clubs were split into two equal sections, Eastern and Western, with Ash United from the Western Section beating the Eastern Champions Malden Town 3-0 in a two-legged play-off.

The league was adopted as a feeder to the Isthmian League, but until recently, few of the Champion clubs have had the necessary facilities to progress upwards. Since the F.A. restructuring of the National League System, clubs can be promoted to either the Southern League or the Isthmian League, depending on geographical considerations. From 1982, a similar arrangement below the Combined Counties League existed with the Surrey Senior County League (formerly the Surrey Premier League)), but in 2003 the two leagues merged and the former Surrey Senior County League members formed a new Combined Counties League Division One, with the previous members forming a Premier Division. There is automatic (depending on facilities) promotion and relegation between the two divisions and the two sections are officially at Steps 5 and 6 of the National League System. Division One is now "fed" by a number of local leagues, such as the Crawley and District Football League, East Berkshire Football League, the Reading Football League, the Surrey County Intermediate League West, the Surrey South Eastern Combination and the Middlesex County League.

As with most leagues at this level, players are as a rule only paid expenses, and attendance at league games averages approximately seventy. The league saw a welcome exception to this for two seasons from 2002, when AFC Wimbledon were offered a place in the league and took crowds well into four-figures to the grounds of the Combined Counties League.

The league also organises a number of League Cups, ranging from the Premier Challenge Cup to one for reserve teams of first-division clubs.

[edit] Sponsors

The league has had a succession of title sponsors, most recently a company called Seagrave Haulage (during this period the league emblem was a moving truck on a shield with the letters SHL, for Seagrave Haulage League, superimposed) and, after a period without such a relationship, signed a new deal with Cherry Red Records, and is officially known as the Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League.

[edit] List of champions

[edit] External links


Combined Counties League Premier Division 2006/07

Ash United | Banstead Athletic | Bedfont | Bedfont Green | Bookham | Camberley Town | Chertsey Town | Chessington & Hook United | Chipstead | Cobham | Colliers Wood United | Cove | Dorking | Egham Town | Epsom & Ewell | Guildford City | Merstham | North Greenford United | Raynes Park Vale | Reading Town | Sandhurst Town | Wembley     edit

Combined Counties League Division One 2006/07

CB Hounslow United | Chobham | Coney Hall | Coulsdon Town | Crescent Rovers | Farleigh Rovers | Farnham Town | Feltham | Frimley Green | Hanworth Villa | Hartley Wintney | Horley Town | Merrow | Salfords | Sheerwater | South Park | Staines Lammas | Tongham | Warlingham | Westfield | Worcester Park   edit

English football league system - Level 9 & 10
Promotion to: Southern League, Isthmian League
Relegation to: Middlesex County League, Crawley and District League, East Berkshire Football League, Reading Football League, Surrey County Intermediate League West, Surrey South Eastern Combination
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