A Brief History...

In compiling this draft copy of a brief history of the Combination, it has been necessary to spend quite a number of hours pouring over old minute books, not a second of that time would I regard as wasted.

Old minute books are always a fascinating glimpse into history. Legendary figures from the sporting past of Gloucester and its surrounds leap into view. Sometimes we have a faded photograph to put a name to often seen in reports, but never brought to life. We hope to publish some of these photos in the near future.

As I began by saying, this will initially be a brief history, however it is my intention to flesh out the story as time goes by.

We have to rely on "The Citizen" to tell us that the first Combination meeting took place in 1912. It is a matter of record that there were six clubs at the inaugural meeting, but we can only be sure of the names of three of them, Painswick, Tredworth and Gordon League. What if doesn't tell us is how many clubs were in the Combination at that time.

By the time of the Jubilee in 1962, the total was twenty one clubs, and records show a maximum of twenty six at its peak. Presently we have sixteen members, a fairly healthy state of affairs when we consider how many have been lost to the game in recent years.

Particularly fascinating is the sheer number of clubs that have existed in the Combination's past. Consider some of these names All Blues, Fielding's, Gordon League, Tredworth, Gas Co. Listers, Spartans, Gloucester Civil Service, Widden Old Boys, Great Western Railways, Naunton Park Old Boys, Students Union, R.N.O.C.A, Coney Hill, Old Centralians, West End, St Gregorys, Wagon Works, Gloucester Old Boys, Atlas Works, Brockworth Aero, Stroud, Painswick, Ex Scholars, Barnwood, Gloucester Post Office, Shire Hall, Gloucestershire Regiment, Gloucester Aircraft Company, B.N.S. Old Cryptians, Old Richians, Cheltenham North, Armstrong Siddeley, Longlevens, Matson, Dowtys, Hucclecote, Chosen Hill, Cheltenham Civil Service, Churchdown, Brockworth, Longlevens Old Boys, Permali, T Wall, Aircomponents, Gloucester, Newent, RAF Innsworth, Cainscross and Westbury. I make no claims that this list is any way exhaustive or complete, as I am sure that more names will come to light. Where a club has changed its name but remained essentially the same club, I have not included it twice.

The next logical step would be to make a similar list of outstanding names of former players.......that one you will have to wait for.

But why a Combination at all? What was its purpose and what were its aims?

It seems apparent that the six clubs responsible for the first meeting had some clear goals in sight. There was a clear need for some liaison organisation to act between local clubs and the county RFU. There was also a need arising for a body that could arbitrate between clubs in the event of dispute. But probably the principal reason for the birth of the Combination was that our local players were becoming more competitive and had a desire to improve their game. They wanted competition, so the NGC Cup competition was born !!!!

Previous Cup Winners...

Season	Senior Cup Winners	Junior Cup Winner	Glanville Cup Winners	Grand Slam
2013/14	Matson RFC	Old Cryptians RFC	Coney Hill RFC
2012/13	Coney Hill RFC	Old Centralians RFC	Old Centralians RFC
2011/12	Old Centralians RFC	Coney Hill RFC	Coney Hill RFC
2010/11	Coney Hill RFC	Coney Hill RFC	Coney Hill RFC	GS
2009/10	Coney Hill RFC	Coney Hill RFC	Coney Hill RFC	GS
2008/09	Coney Hill RFC	Coney Hill RFC	Coney Hill RFC	GS
2007/08	Coney Hill RFC	Coney Hill RFC	Spartans RFC
2006/07	Coney Hill RFC	Coney Hill RFC	Coney Hill RFC	GS
2005/06	Coney Hill RFC	Coney Hill RFC	Coney Hill RFC	GS
2004/05	Coney Hill RFC	Coney Hill RFC	Widden Old Boys RFC
2003/04	Coney Hill RFC	Matson	Spartans RFC
2002/03	Coney Hill RFC	Gordon League RFC	Matson RFC
2001/02	Coney Hill RFC	Gordon League RFC	Coney Hill RFC
2000/01	Matson RFC	Old Centralians RFC	Matson RFC
1999/00	Matson RFC	Coney Hill RFC	Gloucester Old Boys RFC
1998/99	Matson RFC	Matson RFC	Spartans RFC
1997/98	Coney Hill RFC	Matson RFC	Gloucester Old Boys RFC
1996/97	Matson RFC	Matson RFC	Matson RFC	GS
1995/96	Spartans RFC	Spartans RFC	Matson RFC
1994/95	Gloucester Old Boys RFC	Matson RFC	Matson RFC
1993/94	Matson RFC	Matson RFC	Matson RFC	GS
1992/93	Matson RFC	Matson RFC	Old Richians RFC
1991/92	Spartans RFC	Matson RFC	Matson RFC
1990/91	Gloucester Old Boys RFC / Spartans RFC	Gordon League RFC	Matson RFC
1989/90	Matson RFC	Spartans RFC	Matson RFC
1988/89	Matson RFC	Spartans RFC	Matson RFC
1987/88	Matson RFC	Matson RFC	Coney Hill RFC
1986/87	Matson RFC	Matson RFC	Coney Hill RFC
1985/86	Coney Hill RFC	Coney Hill RFC	Matson RFC
1984/85	Coney Hill RFC	Matson RFC	Matson RFC
1983/84	Coney Hill RFC	Coney Hill RFC	Matson RFC
1982/83	Matson RFC	Gordon League RFC	Matson RFC
1981/82	Matson RFC	Old Centralians RFC	Matson RFC
1980/81	Matson RFC	Matson RFC	Spartans RFC
1979/80	Matson RFC	Gordon League RFC	Tredworth RFC
1978/79	Matson RFC	Matson RFC	Matson RFC	GS
1977/78	Matson RFC	Gordon League RFC	Gordon League RFC
1976/77	Gordon League RFC	Coney Hill RFC	Matson / Coney Hill RFC
1975/76	Gordon League RFC	Tredworth RFC	Gordon League RFC
1974/75	Gordon League RFC	Gordon League RFC	No History	GS
1973/74	Matson RFC	Old Cryptians RFC	No History
1972/73	Matson RFC	Old Richians RFC	No History
1971/72	Matson RFC	Old Richians RFC	No History
1970/71	Matson RFC	Matson RFC	No History	GS
1969/70	Matson RFC	Tredworth RFC	No History
1968/69	Matson RFC	Tredworth RFC	No History
1967/68	Gordon League RFC	Gordon League RFC	No History	GS
1966/67	Matson RFC	Gordon League RFC	No History
1965/66	Matson RFC	B.N.S	No History
1964/65	Matson RFC	Old Centralians RFC	No History
1963/64	Matson RFC	Longlevenes RFC	No History
1962/63	Matson RFC	Longlevens RFC	No History
1961/62	Tredworth RFC	Churchdown RFC	No History
1960/61	Longlevens RFC	Matson RFC	No History
1959/60	Gordon League RFC	Matson RFC	No History
1958/59	Widden Old Boys RFC	Spartans RFC	No History
1957/58	Gordon League RFC	Painswick RFC	No History
1956/57	Gordon League RFC	Longlevens RFC	No History
1955/56	Gordon League RFC / Spartans RFC	Gordon League RFC	No History
1954/55	Gordon League RFC	Gordon League RFC	No History	GS
1953/54	Coney Hill RFC	Painswick RFC	No History
1952/53	Gordon League RFC	Gloucester All Blues RFC	No History
1951/52	Spartans RFC	Coney Hill RFC	No History
1950/51	Tredworth RFC	Gordon League RFC	No History

North Gloucestershire Combination