Combined Counties History
BRIEF HISTORY
The Combined Counties League can trace its existence back to 1922 when the Surrey Senior League was formed. The present title was not adopted until 1979. The first champions in 1922-23 were Egham, with Carshalton Athletic as runners-up.
Farnham United Breweries were champions twice and runners-up twice to Epsom Town between 1923-27. Camberley & Yorktown were the first club to record a hat-trick of championship wins between 1930-33. The Second World War brought the Surrey Senior League to a close between 1939-46. After the war newcomers to league in 1946-47 included Chertsey Town, Devas Institute, Lagonda Sports, who after several name changes became Petters Sports, Leatherhead and Worcester Park. Leatherhead took the league by storm winning the championship four times between 1946-50.
After finishing second in 1949-50 Banstead Athletic took over the role as most consistent club. They were champions the next four seasons and never finished lower than second between 1949-59.
In the 1960's a number of sides switched to the Spartan League they included Molesey, Chertsey Town, Addlestone, Hampton, Banstead Athletic and Feltham. Most of these clubs had previously won the Surrey Senior League championship at least once. In 1968-69 a second division was formed which was known as Division One, with the original league becoming the Premier Division. As the majority of clubs forming Division One were junior sides there was no automatic promotion and relegation between the divisions. After three seasons Division One was disbanded and the league continued as before.
Early in the 1970's Farnham Town and Farnborough Town joined the Spartan League. In an attempt to attract clubs from outside the county, the Surrey Senior League was renamed the Home Counties League in 1978-79. However there were objections to the new title and the current title, Combined Counties League was adopted for the 1979-80 season.
In 1981-82 the league was split into East and West sections, with Ash United beating Malden Town in the play-off. Since 1982 the league has reverted back to one division. The Combined Counties league reached an agreement to become a feeder league for the Isthmian League, whilst at the bottom end of the league, arrangements had been made to accept clubs from the Surrey Premier at the expense of the bottom club.
The 1990's saw the Combined Counties league get stronger with the acceptance of a number of sides from Isthmian and Spartan leagues. Clubs have also been accepted from the old Chiltonian League which no longer exists. The new millennium has seen the league spreading it's net further and further with clubs from Oxon and Sussex joining the ranks. The Combined Counties is certainly living up to it's name.
For the 2002/03 season AFC Wimbledon joined the league. The new club, having only being formed a month or two earlier put fresh life into the league with an enthusiasm never seen before. Wherever they played they set new club attendance records bringing much needed finances to every club.
Season 2003/04 saw yet another development to the league with the amalgamation of the Surrey Premier league. This made the Combined Counties a much stronger force with a total of 42 member clubs and now with two senior divisions.
PREVIOUS COMBINED COUNTIES CHAMPIONS & RUNNERS-UP
Season League Winners Runners-up
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
1979/80 Guildford & Worplesdon Ash United
1980/81 Malden Town Hartley Wintney
1981/82 Ash United Malden Town
1982/83 Hartley Wintney Ash United
1983/84 Godalming Town Malden Town
1984/85 Malden Vale Southwick
1985/86 BAe(Weybridge) Chertsey Town
1986/87 Ash United Farnham Town
1987/88 BAe (Weybridge) Merstham
1988/89 BAe (Weybridge) Malden Vale
1989/90 Chipstead Merstham
1990/91 Farnham Town Chipstead
1991/92 Farnham Town Malden Town
1992/93 Peppard Chipstead
1993/94 Peppard Ashford Town(Middx)
1994/95 Ashford Town(Middx) Viking Sports
1995/96 Ashford Town(Middx) Chipstead
1996/97 Ashford Town(Middx) Corinthian Casuals
1997/98 Ashford Town(Middx) Reading Town
1998/99 Ash United Cobham
1999/00 Ashford Town(Middx) Ash United
2000/01 Cove AFC Wallingford
2001/02 AFC Wallingford Ash United
2002/03 Withdean 2000 AFC Wallingford
2003/04 AFC Wimbledon AFC Wallingford
2004/05 Walton Casuals North Greenford United
2005/06 Godalming Town Merstham
2006/07 Chipstead Merstham
2007/08 Merstham Guildford City
2008/09 Bedfont Green North Greenford United
2009/10 North Greenford United Chertsey Town
2010/11 Guildford City Chertsey Town
MOST NUMBER OF SEASONS IN THE COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE
1979/80-2010/2011
Seasons Club
~~~~~~~ ~~~~
32 Ash United
32 Cobham
32 Hartley Wintney
32 Westfield
29 Farnham Town
The Combined Counties League can trace its existence back to 1922 when the Surrey Senior League was formed. The present title was not adopted until 1979. The first champions in 1922-23 were Egham, with Carshalton Athletic as runners-up.
Farnham United Breweries were champions twice and runners-up twice to Epsom Town between 1923-27. Camberley & Yorktown were the first club to record a hat-trick of championship wins between 1930-33. The Second World War brought the Surrey Senior League to a close between 1939-46. After the war newcomers to league in 1946-47 included Chertsey Town, Devas Institute, Lagonda Sports, who after several name changes became Petters Sports, Leatherhead and Worcester Park. Leatherhead took the league by storm winning the championship four times between 1946-50.
After finishing second in 1949-50 Banstead Athletic took over the role as most consistent club. They were champions the next four seasons and never finished lower than second between 1949-59.
In the 1960's a number of sides switched to the Spartan League they included Molesey, Chertsey Town, Addlestone, Hampton, Banstead Athletic and Feltham. Most of these clubs had previously won the Surrey Senior League championship at least once. In 1968-69 a second division was formed which was known as Division One, with the original league becoming the Premier Division. As the majority of clubs forming Division One were junior sides there was no automatic promotion and relegation between the divisions. After three seasons Division One was disbanded and the league continued as before.
Early in the 1970's Farnham Town and Farnborough Town joined the Spartan League. In an attempt to attract clubs from outside the county, the Surrey Senior League was renamed the Home Counties League in 1978-79. However there were objections to the new title and the current title, Combined Counties League was adopted for the 1979-80 season.
In 1981-82 the league was split into East and West sections, with Ash United beating Malden Town in the play-off. Since 1982 the league has reverted back to one division. The Combined Counties league reached an agreement to become a feeder league for the Isthmian League, whilst at the bottom end of the league, arrangements had been made to accept clubs from the Surrey Premier at the expense of the bottom club.
The 1990's saw the Combined Counties league get stronger with the acceptance of a number of sides from Isthmian and Spartan leagues. Clubs have also been accepted from the old Chiltonian League which no longer exists. The new millennium has seen the league spreading it's net further and further with clubs from Oxon and Sussex joining the ranks. The Combined Counties is certainly living up to it's name.
For the 2002/03 season AFC Wimbledon joined the league. The new club, having only being formed a month or two earlier put fresh life into the league with an enthusiasm never seen before. Wherever they played they set new club attendance records bringing much needed finances to every club.
Season 2003/04 saw yet another development to the league with the amalgamation of the Surrey Premier league. This made the Combined Counties a much stronger force with a total of 42 member clubs and now with two senior divisions.
PREVIOUS COMBINED COUNTIES CHAMPIONS & RUNNERS-UP
Season League Winners Runners-up
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
1979/80 Guildford & Worplesdon Ash United
1980/81 Malden Town Hartley Wintney
1981/82 Ash United Malden Town
1982/83 Hartley Wintney Ash United
1983/84 Godalming Town Malden Town
1984/85 Malden Vale Southwick
1985/86 BAe(Weybridge) Chertsey Town
1986/87 Ash United Farnham Town
1987/88 BAe (Weybridge) Merstham
1988/89 BAe (Weybridge) Malden Vale
1989/90 Chipstead Merstham
1990/91 Farnham Town Chipstead
1991/92 Farnham Town Malden Town
1992/93 Peppard Chipstead
1993/94 Peppard Ashford Town(Middx)
1994/95 Ashford Town(Middx) Viking Sports
1995/96 Ashford Town(Middx) Chipstead
1996/97 Ashford Town(Middx) Corinthian Casuals
1997/98 Ashford Town(Middx) Reading Town
1998/99 Ash United Cobham
1999/00 Ashford Town(Middx) Ash United
2000/01 Cove AFC Wallingford
2001/02 AFC Wallingford Ash United
2002/03 Withdean 2000 AFC Wallingford
2003/04 AFC Wimbledon AFC Wallingford
2004/05 Walton Casuals North Greenford United
2005/06 Godalming Town Merstham
2006/07 Chipstead Merstham
2007/08 Merstham Guildford City
2008/09 Bedfont Green North Greenford United
2009/10 North Greenford United Chertsey Town
2010/11 Guildford City Chertsey Town
MOST NUMBER OF SEASONS IN THE COMBINED COUNTIES LEAGUE
1979/80-2010/2011
Seasons Club
~~~~~~~ ~~~~
32 Ash United
32 Cobham
32 Hartley Wintney
32 Westfield
29 Farnham Town
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